This specific professional event, a first for NetSAP Boston, was well attended by about 45 people in attendance at the Harvard School of Public Health. The event started at 7:30 pm and went on until about 9:30 pm, featuring Gitika Ahuja (a Boston-based ABC News producer), Sangita Chandra (producer for the “Chronicle” news and feature magazine program), Anoop Kumar (technical support for Lokvani.com), Meera Rajagopalan (a special sections editor at “India New England”), and Ranjani Saigal (co-founder of Lokvani.com).  The panelists’ discussion ranged from how they all started out in the business to topics such as hurdles faced along their career paths and trustworthy sources of news.  The discussion and event was led by NetSAP Professional Development Chair, Jagjit Jain.  Post panel networking was carried over to The Squealing Pig until 10:30 pm. 

Much praise was given to NetSAP for putting together such an event.  South Asians are an under-represented group in the media, but this panel gave way to see that this group is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society.  Given the volumes of positive feedback, the organization plans to put on more events of this nature.  “We have received terrific positive feedback from attendees.  People said this was a unique topic that made them come out in the evening rain,” said Jagjit Jain.  “Along the same lines, I am working on a fireside chat, which may morph into a panel discussion, showcasing women leaders in the region. This event is tentatively being planned for April and will include self-employed individuals, entrepreneurs, and corporate managers.  We will also hold professional development seminars in the near future.”

 
NetSAP has many cultural, professional and social events lined up this year.  The next event is a professional event entitled, “Tax Strategies from a Financial Planner” on March 12^th.  Sangita Joshi, Financial Advisor and Director of Marketing at John Hancock Financial Network, will discuss financial planning, including financial assessment, tax, estate, investment, insurance and business planning, and college and retirement funding.   For Sangita's bio, please go to www.netsapboston.org.  For more information on this event and to RSVP, please contact Jagjit Jain, NetSAP Professional Chair at professional@netsapboston.org. 

About NetSAP-Boston  
 
Founded in 1995, the Network of South Asian Professionals of Boston (NetSAP-Boston) is a professional, 501c(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the professional, political, cultural and civic needs of the South Asian community in the Greater Boston area. NetSAP-Boston was founded in 1995 to provide a forum to communicate about business, politics, social trends and issues affecting the South Asian community. We seek to unite South Asian professionals, nurture leadership, and build partnerships in the New England area through professional programs, networking events, and community service efforts. NetSAP-Boston is part of NetIP-NA, The Network of Indian Professionals, North America. For more information on events, membership and other initiatives, visit www.netsapboston.org. To learn more about NetIP North America and other chapters in other cities, visit www.netip.org.