Shalini Aggarwal, Associate, Investment Strategy Group, Goldman Sachs

Shalini currently focuses on global investment strategies and tactical asset allocation.  Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 2004, she was an Assistant Vice President in the Equity Research Division of Merrill Lynch in New York, where she covered companies in the airlines, leisure and restaurant sectors.  Shalini also spent two years as an investment banking analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions Division at Morgan Stanley in New York.  She received her undergraduate degree in Economics from Princeton University and her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Deepali Bagati, Ph.D., Senior Associate, Research, Catalyst

Dr. Deepali Bagati is a Senior Associate in Catalyst’s research department and is a member of the Women of Color issue-specialty team. She leads research projects on women of color, designing and implementing studies on the barriers women of color face toward advancement in the workplace, and works to develop solutions that build more inclusive environments. Previously, Dr. Bagati served as the Program Director at South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), a community-based organization in New York City, and as Associate Professor at Yeshiva University, teaching data analysis, program evaluation, and social policy. Dr. Bagati also brings several years of experience in the not-for-profit sector in New Delhi, India, specifically in program development and policy advocacy for women’s empowerment and advancement. She received her Ph.D. in Social Work & Social Research at Bryn Mawr College in 2002. Her dissertation focused on microcredit loans and its impact on gender relations at the household level for low income women in an urban setting in New Delhi, India. Additionally, Dr. Bagati holds a Master's in Social Work and a B.A. in Economics, with honors, from Delhi University in New Delhi, India.

Preeta D. Bansal, Esq., Skadden Arps; Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Former Solicitor General for State of New York.

Preeta D. Bansal is a lawyer whose career has spanned government service, private law practice, and academia. She is currently in private practice at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where she concentrates on appellate litigation and media/First Amendment law. She also currently serves as the Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan independent federal agency that advises the President, Congress and Secretary of State on ensuring respect for the freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief as well as related human rights globally. She was appointed and reappointed to the Commission by former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, and was elected its Chair for 2004-2005. She also was appointed by New York City Mayor Bloomberg to serve on his City Task Form on Election Law Reform, and on numerous bar association committees and projects. Ms. Bansal served as the Solicitor General of the State of New York from 1999 through 2001, during New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's first Term. As Solicitor General, Ms. Bansal helped supervise a staff of six hundred lawyers in the New York Department of Law and directly oversaw forty-five lawyers in the Solicitor General's Office who handle appeals for the State of New York and its agencies in state and federal courts, write Attorney General opinions to state and municipal agencies on issues of state law, and provide advice and counsel to State agencies on constitutional and statutory matters. Ms. Bansal argued cases in the United States Supreme Court, the en banc Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the New York Court of Appeals on behalf of New York State; implemented managerial and administrative reforms to enhance the credibility and quality of written and oral advocacy performed by the office; and helped to formulate and articulate a vision for a proactive enforcement role for state attorneys general nationwide in the wake of the Supreme Court's "new federalism" jurisprudence. Ms. Bansal is a magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard-Radcliffe College, and a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was Supervising Editor of the Harvard Law Review. She served as a law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens of the United States Supreme Court (1990-1991) and to Chief Judge James L. Oakes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (1989-1990). Prior to her appointment as New York Solicitor General, Ms. Bansal practiced appellate, constitutional, and media law with private law firms in New York City and Washington, D.C. She also served in the Clinton Administration (1993-1996) as Counselor in the U.S. Justice Department and as Special Counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel, where she concentrated on U.S. Supreme Court and federal judicial nominations. Following her service as New York Solicitor General, she took a one-year academic hiatus and taught constitutional law and served as a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics. Ms. Bansal has been a regular speaker and lecturer on constitutional law, First Amendment, and intellectual property issues in the United States and abroad, and has authored and co-authored pieces published in the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, and the Villanova Law Review, among other publications. She has been profiled in many national news and legal publications, including The New York Times and the New York Law Journal, in which she has been referred to as a "legal superstar" and "one of the most gifted lawyers of her generation, who combines a brilliant analytical mind with solid, mature judgment."

Abha Dawesar, Author, babyji

Abha Dawesar is the author of Babyji (Anchor Books, February 2005) and Miniplanner (Cleis Press, November 2000). Time Out New York listed Dawesar as one of 25 People who will make their mark in 2005. One of India's leading national English language newspapers, The Hindustan Times, included Dawesar with a list of eleven other authors in its Next Big Things for 2005. In 2003, she was named the "Fun Fearless Female" of the month by Cosmopolitan India. The New York Foundation of the Arts awarded Dawesar a Fiction Fellowship in 2000.   Babyji has been said to achieve "an impressive balance between moral inquiry and decadent pleasure" by Publishers Weekly and been reviewed in BUST, the Village Voice, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Indian Express North America.   Miniplanner was chosen as a "Season's best pick" by the NY publication LGNY. It was also published in India by Penguin Books under the title The Three of Us and hailed as "a coming-of-age of Indian diaspora writers."   Dawesar moved to New York in 1995 and worked for almost eight years in the global financial services industry before becoming a full time writer. Prior to that Dawesar graduated with honors in political philosophy from Harvard University. www.abhdawesar.com

Sarita Choudhury, Actor

Sarita Choudhury made her film debut as the love interest to Denzel Washington's character in Mira Nair's "Mississippi Masala." Choudhury's performance as the 'Queen' in Mira Nair's controversial film "Kama Sutra" captured the attention of many critics who took notice of her exotic beauty and depth of emotion.   Choudhury recently garnered raves on stage in playwright Vijay Tendulkar's work 'Sakharam Binder" and The New Group's acclaimed Off Broadway production of "Roar" with Annabella Sciorra. She will next be seen in the Independent "Over The Mountains." Other film credits include Spike Lee's "She Hate Me," "Rhythm Of The Saints," "3 A.M." directed by Lee Davis for Showtime; Fisher Steven's "Still A Kiss," "Wild West" directed by David Atwood, "The House of the Spirits" directed by Lisa Cholodenko, Sidney Lumet's "Gloria" and "A Perfect Murder," directed by Andy Davis. For television, Choudhury has had recurring roles on NBC's "Deadline," Sydney Lumet's A&E series "100 Center Street," and "Homicide." She also starred in "Law & Order," "Subway Stories" for HBO and Executive Producer Jonathan Demme, and Showtime's Down Came A Black Bird."

Sabrina Dhawan, Screenwriter, Monsoon Wedding

Sabrina Dhawan’s first produced screenplay Monsoon Wedding was awarded the ‘Leon D’Oro’ (Golden Lion) at the Venice Film Festival in August 2001. Monsoon Wedding was also nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for ‘Best Film in a Foreign Language’. Ms. Dhawan also won ‘Best Screenplay’ from Bollywood Awards for Monsoon Wedding. She later adapted the award-winning novel Death of Vishnu and a one hour film, Cosmopolitan, for PBS starring Roshan Seth, Carol Kane and Madhur Jaffrey. Ms. Dhawan also wrote a short film for Canal Plus on 9/11 that was directed by Mira Nair. She has also written a thriller, The Promise set in Houston, TX and Bombay, India, for Killer Films (of Boys Don’t Cry, Far from Heaven, One Hour Photo etc). Ms. Dhawan is currently working on a TV movie for Disney Channel and on an animation film, also for Disney. For the animation film, she is working with the composer, Alan Menken, who has won multiple Academy Awards for films such Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahantas etc.  Ms. Dhawan was born in England and was raised in New Delhi, India. She graduated from Columbia University’s graduate film program with Honors in 2001. Her thesis short Saanjh – As Night Falls played at over two dozen festivals around the world. It was cited as ‘Best of the Festival’ at the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2000; as ‘Most Original Film’ by New Line Cinema at the Polo Ralph Lauren New Works Festival 2000. It won the ‘Audience Impact’ Award at Angelus Awards in LA and was also nominated for the Student Academy Award.  Ms. Dhawan presently teaches screenwriting as an Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s MFA program. She resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Shandana A. Durrani, Senior Editor, Cigar Aficionado

Shandana is Senior Editor at Cigar Aficionado magazine and the lone female on the editorial staff of the men's lifestyle publication. She assigns and edits the celebrity cover stories as well as the travel, dining, wine and gambling features. She also writes celebrity and personality profiles, hotel and restaurant reviews and covers gadgets and sporting equipment for the publication.  Prior to joining Cigar Aficionado in 1993, she was an editorial assistant at Premiere magazine, where she helped launch its annual "Women in Hollywood" issue. In addition, she has written for Glamour, Condé Nast Traveler, Wine Spectator, and Racquet magazines and is currently working on her first novel. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, but raised in Detroit, Michigan, Shandana is a 1992 graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Sociology. She is a member of the South Asian Journalist Association (SAJA) and has spoken about the media and women's issues for World Hunger Year and other organizations.

Anita Gupta,Vice President, Global Consumer Group Public Affairs Citigroup New York

Anita Gupta is Vice President and Director, Global Consumer Group, Public Affairs at Citigroup in New York. She is responsible for managing public relations activities and plans and executes policy aimed at enhancing corporate image among customers, regulators, government, community and the media around the world. Prior to this position, Anita Gupta was managing Public Affairs for Citigroup Emerging Market where she developed and executed a unified communications and Public affairs strategy across Citigroup businesses in Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Drawing on her knowledge and expertise in international media relations, strategic business partnerships and community development, Anita has identified unique platforms for Citigroup’s products and services in each of these regions. Utilizing her global media network she manages all strategic and operational aspects of the Citi Journalistic Excellence Award coordinating with Columbia School of Journalism. She is a respected voice in industry for economic stability through micro-enterprise, and recently designed a strategic partnership in Venezuela between business and community in the area of sustainable social development. Additionally, Anita established the Public Affairs function for the American India Foundation- a unique response by the Indian Diaspora for the rehabilitation of India. In March 2001 she was appointed as the coordinator of President Clinton’s visit to India for the AIF.   Prior to joining Citigroup in New York, Anita was Director Public Affairs and Communication for Citibank in India, directing the function to include Sri Lanka Bangladesh and Nepal. During this period she designed a unique cross-border financing arrangement for slum dwellers, which created a template for housing finance organizations. Under her leadership, Citibank in India designed and implemented an internationally recognized micro-credit program. This program, aimed at building self-reliance among marginalized women, saw Citibank share with the community its expertise on finance, technology and human resources in a unique and fulfilling partnership through NGos. It was also during this time that she led a senior management team to manage the visit of Colin Powell to India as part of the Citibank Asian Leadership series   Prior to joining Citibank, Anita was Manager Public Affairs & Communication at American Express Bank Ltd., India where she is credited with the setting up of the Public Affairs function. Leveraging her strategic planning abilities, she designed and implemented a comprehensive public relations strategy, which included Media Relations, Cultural and Consumer Affairs, Event Marketing and Philanthropy. She was a key member of the marketing task force that launched the American Express Card in India and strategically managed media relations to ensure quality share of voice for American Express.   Starting her career with Bata India Ltd. in 1983, as Product Manager, Anita launched the Marie Claire brand of fashion footwear. Later, she went on to head the Corporate Affairs Division where she was successful in repositioning the image of the corporation by focusing on crisis communication strategies and community development. She collaborated closely with Mother Theresa to implement the “Partners in Progress” program of rural integration. This program, trained artisans in making footwear and accessories helping them earn a livelihood. This innovative program won several Government and Industry awards.   Ms. Gupta has represented Citigroup at several international women’s conferences sponsored by Vital Voices participating at several high profile panels at conferences chaired by then US First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. She is a key member of the global advisory council of Vital Voices and the American India Foundation.   Ms. Gupta holds a Masters degree in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and is a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, New Delhi. She has also participated in an Advanced Management Program on Communications at Columbia University, New York.

Ameena Meer, Author & Creative Director

Ameena Meer became a writer when (in first grade) she was voted "most likely to have read every book in the school library." But after that it took two decades of working as a journalist, dancer, editor, Asian-American activist and waitress to publish her first novel, Bombay Talkie (Serpent's Tail/High Risk, US,1994).   An Indian of the diaspora, Ameena Meer is also one of New York's most sought-after Creatives. Ameena realized her commercial talent while working with Neil Kraft at Calvin Klein, where she was given the opportunity to write the 1994 campaigns for Escape, which led to continued work on Eternity, cK one and Obsession. Meer's succinct word choice on the brand revitalizing campaign, "Weather or Not," for London Fog was an early sample of her spare, to-the-point style, as is Calvin Klein's women underwear campaign, "What begins with a T?"; Bobbie Brown Essentials Cosmetics, "It's your face. It's your choice" and Macy's/Federated INC's, "Don't Think Twice. Think INC." Meer's most recent work is renergizing on the Davidoff fragrance, Cool Water and Cool Water Woman. In Europe and Asia, she is adding a sense of humor to Wella's Vivality shampoo ("Let Your Hair Live,") and a soul to Koleston hair color, ("Find Your Balance"). Current campaigns include the spring A/X Armani Exchange, Lancaster campaigns, Jennifer Lopez fragrance: Glow by J.Lo (Fresh-Sexy-Clean) and Sebastian Haircare.    Meer revolutionized the way Oil of Olay sells moisturizer by creating an entirely new campaign geared towards the MTV generation ("Wear Sunscreen. Olay Complete." and "Take Care. Oil of Olay." ) The positioning, television and print advertising for Olaycolor is amongst Ameena's work - "Live Life in Color" - in the U.S. and Europe. The position and advertising campaign for the relaunch of Halston ("Life American Style"); the Nathan David/Lycra for Men ("Be Prepared") and the Mikasa Home Stores ("Your Table is Waiting") are some of Meer's commercial work emblazoned on buses, subways and billboards. She has also worked on an array of scripts, including DKNY Jeans and the CFDA's tribute films to Liz Tilberis /Harper's Bazaar in 1994 and Hushpuppies in 1995. Meer's client list is as varied as it is extensive and includes Aveda, Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder, Donna Karan, Liz Claiborne, Via Spiga, Garnet Hill, Helena Rubenstein, Robert Lee Morris, The Limited, Bally, Sony and more. In 1998, Meer created Shiseido's new girlpower line 5S ("Own Your Mind and Body") that launched in SoHo.   Ameena Meer's journalism in English and French has covered everything from arranged marriages to Indian restaurant reviews to Salman Rushdie in Actuel, Allure, Bomb, the Daily News, Harper's Bazaar, Interview, Mademoiselle, Paper and other publications. Her cross-cultural short fiction has been widely anthologized. She is a member of the prestigious Pen writers' organization. Meer is currently working on a fictionalized account of her grandfather's four wives.

Nell Merlino, Co-founder & CEO, Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence (www.count-me-in.org) and President of Strategy Communication Action, Ltd. in New York City, a firm specializing in the creation of public education campaigns that motivate people to act.

Nell created and produced the immensely successful Take Our Daughters To Work Day for the Ms. Foundation for Women in 1993. Stories about girls and their self-esteem appeared on the front page of major and minor newspapers across the country and every television news program. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is now an annual event in the United States and occurs in dozens of countries worldwide.   Merlino has extensive experience in the development and production of dynamic and highly effective national and international efforts including Take Our Daughters to Work Day, NGO Forum on Women in Beijing '95, Earth Day's 20th Anniversary, Picture What Women Do for Lifetime Television, and the YWCA Week Without Violence. Prior to founding SCA, Nell Merlino worked in two state governments, was an advance woman in presidential politics, a union organizer and a Fulbright Scholar.   After graduating from Antioch College in 1973, Nell went to work in the labor movement. She organized health care workers for District 1199, National Union of Hospital & Health Care Employees and textile workers for the Amalgamated Clothing & Textile Workers Union.   In 1977, Nell received a Fulbright Scholarship to study labor relations in the National Health Service in England. Nell Merlino spent the next ten years working in two state governments and in presidential politics. As a member of the five-person management team that ran the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Nell helped direct an organization with a $2 billion budget, 22,000 employees and service delivery to over 1 million state residents.   Nell played an active role in the strategic planning and management of State University Medical School & Hospital in Brooklyn as chief of staff to the institution's president. Nell worked in the Scheduling and Advance offices of two presidential campaigns. Creating and producing hundreds of campaign events with advance teams around the country.   In 1989, Nell Merlino started her own business working with clients to develop and implement strategic communication plans. For her work on behalf of women, girls and families, she is recognized in the book, Remarkable Women of the Twentieth Century 100 Portraits of Achievement and was named one of "50 New Yorkers to Watch in 1999" by the New York Daily News. Nell was named Woman of the Year by New Woman magazine in 1993 and awarded the l994 Fulbright Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Vijai Nathan, Comedienne

In 1997, Vijai mortified her parents by giving up a career in journalism, canceling her wedding, and becoming a stand-up comedian- and she hasn't looked back since!  NBC chose Vijai as one of the Top 10 Comedians in the nation for The NBC Stand-Up For Diversity Showcase in L.A. Sept. 2004. Back Stage Magazine named Vijai one of the top ten stand-up comics to watch for in 2003. She was chosen as one of two comics to represent America at the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival in Cape Town, South Africa in September of 2003. Vijai's TV appearances include: ABC News' 20/20, PBS, The Oxygen Network, and the BBC.  Vijai's irreverent humor springs from her experiences of growing up as a "foreigner" in America- despite the fact she was born and raised in a suburb of Washington D.C. Much of her stand-up comedy is about growing up as an Indian in America, cultural clashes with her parents, and the racism she's dealt with as a child and now as a comedian (sounds heavy- but really it's funny.) Her latest adventure is her new one-woman show, "Good Girls Don't, But Indian Girls Do," a funny and poignant exploration of the struggle to discover, create and claim an Indian American identity. Vijai breaks every taboo as she exposes the underbelly of an Indian American family. She takes you through growing up Indian in a Jewish community; her discovery of sex in a repressed Hindu household; and how she finds herself along the way. It's "Gandhi" meets "Pretty in Pink." Credits: In Spring (2004), Vijai appeared on The Oxygen Network, The British Broadcasting Company's "Desi DNA" and was part of the cover story for India Abroad's extensive article on the South Asian American comedy scene. Vijai was chosen as one of two comics to represent America at the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival is Cape Town South Africa in September of 2003. She was featured on ABC News' 20/20 in May 2003 talking about comedy and race in a post 9-11 America. She just taped a "Voice of America" segment on ethnic comics that will be aired internationally. Last month, Back Stage chose Vijai as one of the top ten stand-up comics to watch for in 2003 in its annual comedy issue.  She has been featured at NY's Ha Comedy Festival, Toyota Comedy Festival, the Chicago Comedy Festival, and the Boston Comedy Festival; she was a finalist in the Gilda's Club Laffoff in March 2001 and was one of 20 semifinalists in New York City chosen for Comedy Central's Laugh Riots 2000 national contest.  Vijai appeared on the Oxygen Network in Spring 2002, the PBS show "Asian America" January 2001; she was a featured performer on Canadian TV's "She's So Funny" in April 2000; and appeared in a series on the South Asian Diaspora for Doordarshan (Indian National and International Network) Fall 2000.

Shoba Purushothaman, President Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, The NewsMarket

Shoba has 20 years of experience in the global news and marketing industries. She was a business journalist for nine years including at the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires and has been an entrepreneur for the last 11. The NewsMarket (http://www.thenewsmarket.com) is her second company in the news and marketing industries. The first business she co-founded grew to be a leading international broadcast public relations consultancy that was successfully acquired in 2001 by a public marketing services group.    In 2000, Shoba co-founded The NewsMarket, to leverage the emerging digital technologies that are transforming content distribution for the marketing and news industries. The NewsMarket is now the world’s leading web-based platform aggregating and delivering broadcast-standard video content to television stations. Clients include Intel, Google, General Motors, GE, Pfizer, the NFL, BMW, adidas, UNICEF, the U.S. Department of State and the American Red Cross. Over 4,000 media outlets take content via The NewsMarket including NBC, CNN, Deutsche Welle, BBC, CCTV, Doordashan, TV Globo, Al Jazeera and local affiliates across the U.S.   A seasoned entrepreneur with global operating experience, Shoba has also successfully raised capital for The NewsMarket from angel investors and the venture capital community.

Roopa Purushothaman, Global Economist, Goldman Sachs

Roopa Purushothaman is a global economist, covering global thematic issues as a member of the global research team. She co-authored the influential Goldman Sachs Paper "Dreaming with BRICs: The Path to 2050" , as well as a follow-up piece called "The BRICs and Global Markets: Crude, Cars and Capital". In addition, she has published papers on topics ranging from long-term growth in India to prospects for global migration and integration. Last year, she co-published a book titled "Growth and Development: The Path to 2050". She has also published pieces on aging and demographics, and an upcoming piece will look at the process of current account adjustments in the OECD. Roopa joined Goldman Sachs (www.gs.com) in 2000.   Roopa holds a BA in Ethics, Politics and Economics and International Studies from Yale University and an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics.

Purvi Shah, Executive Director, SAKHI for South Asian Women

Purvi joined the Sakhi staff in February 2002. Purvi has been an active volunteer with Sakhi for South Asian Women for the last eight years. Purvi has twice served on the Sakhi Board of Directors and in that capacity provided organizational oversight and management as well as helped to shape programmatic goals. Before joining the Board, she helped coordinate Sakhi's Literacy Committee, a program designed to improve immigrant women's English conversation skills so that they could find employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency. In addition to managing organizational affairs and fundraising, Purvi regularly conducts presentations and speaks at outreach events on behalf of Sakhi. She has received her M.A. in English, has taught numerous undergraduate courses, and is a member of the Association of Asian American Studies. She serves as a poetry editor for the Asian Pacific American Journal. Purvi is fluent in Gujarati, Hindi, and Spanish.

Sonal Shah, Vice President, Goldman, Sachs and Co. and Co-Founder, Indicorps - - India Abroad Person of the Year (2003)

Established in 2001, Indicorps (www.Indicorps.org) is a non-profit organization offering one-year fellowships for Indian Americans to work on development projects in India. Prior to joining Goldman (www.gs.com), Sonal worked at two think tanks, the Center for American Progress and the Center for Global Development on trade, outsourcing, and post conflict reconstruction issues. Prior to that Sonal worked for eight years at the Department of Treasury on various economic issues and regions of the world, including sub Saharan Africa, Bosnia and Kosovo after the conflicts, the Asian financial crisis, and advising the Treasury on World Bank and IMF lending to various countries.

Seema Singh, Esq., Ratepayer Advocate, State of New Jersey

Seema M. Singh, Esq. is the Ratepayer Advocate for the State of New Jersey. She is a member of Governor's cabinet and is the most senior level Asian-Indian in state government. As a graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, Ms. Singh, is licensed to practice law in New Jersey. Prior to her appointment by the State of New Jersey Governor, Ms. Singh worked in the Litigation/International Law Department of the Princeton, NJ, law firm of Pepper Hamilton from March 2001 until her current appointment. She practiced in the areas of international and domestic litigation, mediation and arbitration, including commercial contracts, employment, construction, municipal liens, and zoning. She also practiced in the area of international law with a focus on the Indian and Asian communities. Ms. Singh was appointed by the Governor to serve on the State of New Jersey's Renewable Energy Task Force, in January 2003. She also serves as a member of the New Clean Energy Council for the State of New Jersey. The Governor also appointed Ms. Singh to the Asian American Commission and to the Executive Commission on Ethical Standards. She is also on the Board of Directors of the National Fuel Fund Network (NFFN). Ms. Singh is currently the President of the Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce; Board Member of the National Conference for Community & Justice (NCCJ), Past President of the Rotary International Club of Plainsboro; a founding member of the Hindu International Council Against Defamation; Counsel to the Federation of Indian Associations; the Board of Directors of Delaware Valley Girl Scouts; a member of the Asian Indian Women's Association; a member of the Women Lawyers Committee; the Young Lawyers Division of the Mercer County Bar Association, and a member of the Princeton Bar Association. She is active in the Mercer County Inns of Court. Ms. Singh was also an associate with the law firms of Reed Smith, LLP and Fox, Rothschild, O'Brien & Frankel, LLP. She clerked for the Hon. Patrick J. McGann, Presiding Judge, Chancery Division, Monmouth County Superior Court, and served an internship with the Hon. Dickinson R. Debevoise, Senior Judge of the U.S. District Court in Newark. Ms. Singh is a graduate of Seton Hall School of Law (JD, '95), Rutgers University with highest honors (BS '88), Bachelor of Science in Zoology (Calcutta [India] '83).

Meeta Vyas

Meeta Vyas became the first Indian-American woman to head a listed U.S. corporation as Chief Executive & Vice Chairman of Signature Brands, a NASDAQ-listed company better known as "Mr. Coffee" with revenues approaching $300 million. Before Signature Brands, Meeta was the first Indian-American to head a business with revenues exceeding $1 billion at General Electric as General Manager of GE Appliances' cooking products business. She was also responsible for developing and initiating GE's global strategy for India-based IT support and software development. After Signature Brands, Meeta became Secretary General & CEO of the World Wildlife Fund in India. She later returned to the U.S. in order to join the Audubon Society and hopes to return to a corporate CEO role in the near future.   Bombay-born Vyas started her career with a BS in Chemical Engineering from M.I.T. (1980) and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University (1984). During the 1980's, Meeta worked for Exxon Chemical; Fisher Brothers; as well as McKinsey & Company.