BY DEVIKA C. MEHTA
NORWALK, CA - Honoring women and their achievements, the Women’s Leadership Summit brought together a powerhouse at the Sanatan Temple here on May 21. The event organized by Jasmin Human Services and Global Peace Foundation, drew a huge crowd and commenced with a lamp lighting ceremony by chief guest...
NORWALK, CA - Honoring women and their achievements, the Women’s Leadership Summit brought together a powerhouse at the Sanatan Temple here on May 21. The event organized by Jasmin Human Services and Global Peace Foundation, drew a huge crowd and commenced with a lamp lighting ceremony by chief guest...
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Rohit Rathish, Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Addressing the guests, Rathish spoke about the progress of women’s empowerment in India, and as a example, described the Kudumbashree program in Kerala.
Soon after, the two co-organizers, Charu Shivkumar and Manorama Sharma Gupta, invited Artesia Mayor Ali Sajjad Taj, hotelier Sunil Tolani, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin chairman Inder Singh, and Sudip Gorakhsheker to join and be a part of the greater legacy. Following Ganesh vandana, the program began with speeches given by children aged 9 to12 years and youth, who spoke about their perspective on leadership and their belief in changing the patterns of society.
Charging up the speeches was, Sharma Gupta, President and Founder of Global Peace Foundation, who explained what women’s empowerment is and why it is needed, and how it can be achieved. She emphasized that the goal is not just to give speeches today but support those in need. She also described her plans to hold the summit again next year, which will coincide with International Women’s Day. Summarizing her organization’s activities, such as feeding the homeless, distributing toys and blankets, she pointed out to the upcoming agendas in conjunction with GOPIO LA, at Fullerton Methodist Church on November 18, and celebration of World Peace Day on September 16 in Lake Forest.
Shivakumar, President of Jasmin Human Services, in her address elaborated on what services her organization is providing to the needy in India over the last few years and described her future plans. The keynote speaker Ann Bennett, CEO of Renegade Branding, gave a very energizing and entertaining speech on how women can progress and stand out from the crowd through branding techniques. This was followed by two panel discussions. In the first session, moderated by Sharma Gupta, participants including Tanya Gilbert, Founder & Director of Stage Center for Change; Vandana Gupta, President & CEO of Ingenious Information Technology; and Nelly Harris, Chairwoman & CEO of NJ Systems, described their own experiences of facing hurdles as women, how they overcame them, and how other women can do so as well.
In the second panel session, moderated by Shivakumar, the participants were Aparna Hande, Women of the Year for 2012; Kamini Khare, Founder and past President of India Association of Southern California and Deepi Singh, Vice-President of Health of GOPIO, who also gave encouraging talks.
The multi cultural evening, emceed by Rachna Srivastva and Dimple Mehta, also saw a wide range of performances like Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Bollywood and other Indian folk dances. Women from a senior day center brought the Spanish and Hawaiian tradition on stage.A Tibetan song by Christine Ma, and dance by professional performers Amy Ren, Amy Tosi and Nancy Fu kept the audience entertained . Varsha Parekh and Swarnava Sarangi also performed dances greatly enjoyed by the audience.
A number of community awards were presented to Uka Solanki, Sunil Tolani, Mahesh Gupta, Ramji Bhai Patel, Ravjibhai Patel, Odai P., Suresh Bhatti, Usha Shah and Bharti Rohit.Sumati Talvi, who is 100 years old, was also honored for her community service both in India and Los Angeles area. The event came to an end with a vote of thanks by Shivkumar and Sharma Gupta to all the volunteers. A number of different booths were set up showcasing a variety of products and services. Delicious snacks and dinner were served to the attendees
Soon after, the two co-organizers, Charu Shivkumar and Manorama Sharma Gupta, invited Artesia Mayor Ali Sajjad Taj, hotelier Sunil Tolani, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin chairman Inder Singh, and Sudip Gorakhsheker to join and be a part of the greater legacy. Following Ganesh vandana, the program began with speeches given by children aged 9 to12 years and youth, who spoke about their perspective on leadership and their belief in changing the patterns of society.
Charging up the speeches was, Sharma Gupta, President and Founder of Global Peace Foundation, who explained what women’s empowerment is and why it is needed, and how it can be achieved. She emphasized that the goal is not just to give speeches today but support those in need. She also described her plans to hold the summit again next year, which will coincide with International Women’s Day. Summarizing her organization’s activities, such as feeding the homeless, distributing toys and blankets, she pointed out to the upcoming agendas in conjunction with GOPIO LA, at Fullerton Methodist Church on November 18, and celebration of World Peace Day on September 16 in Lake Forest.
Shivakumar, President of Jasmin Human Services, in her address elaborated on what services her organization is providing to the needy in India over the last few years and described her future plans. The keynote speaker Ann Bennett, CEO of Renegade Branding, gave a very energizing and entertaining speech on how women can progress and stand out from the crowd through branding techniques. This was followed by two panel discussions. In the first session, moderated by Sharma Gupta, participants including Tanya Gilbert, Founder & Director of Stage Center for Change; Vandana Gupta, President & CEO of Ingenious Information Technology; and Nelly Harris, Chairwoman & CEO of NJ Systems, described their own experiences of facing hurdles as women, how they overcame them, and how other women can do so as well.
In the second panel session, moderated by Shivakumar, the participants were Aparna Hande, Women of the Year for 2012; Kamini Khare, Founder and past President of India Association of Southern California and Deepi Singh, Vice-President of Health of GOPIO, who also gave encouraging talks.
The multi cultural evening, emceed by Rachna Srivastva and Dimple Mehta, also saw a wide range of performances like Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Bollywood and other Indian folk dances. Women from a senior day center brought the Spanish and Hawaiian tradition on stage.A Tibetan song by Christine Ma, and dance by professional performers Amy Ren, Amy Tosi and Nancy Fu kept the audience entertained . Varsha Parekh and Swarnava Sarangi also performed dances greatly enjoyed by the audience.
A number of community awards were presented to Uka Solanki, Sunil Tolani, Mahesh Gupta, Ramji Bhai Patel, Ravjibhai Patel, Odai P., Suresh Bhatti, Usha Shah and Bharti Rohit.Sumati Talvi, who is 100 years old, was also honored for her community service both in India and Los Angeles area. The event came to an end with a vote of thanks by Shivkumar and Sharma Gupta to all the volunteers. A number of different booths were set up showcasing a variety of products and services. Delicious snacks and dinner were served to the attendees
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