South Asian Women Trailblazers

South Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing groups in the United States, increasing in population from 2.2 million to 4.9 million from 2000 to 2015. The population includes people with ancestry from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives and members of the South Asian Diaspora worldwide. South Asian women, in particular, have made great strides in recent years across all sectors, including government, finance, business, technology, and food.

Join us for a special event during AAPI month as we delve into the challenges and celebrate the achievements of these exceptional women. The panel discussion will be followed by a cocktail reception featuring a dessert bar hosted by New York City’s finest South Asian chefs and culinary experts. The event will feature the Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at J.P. Morgan, Anu Aiyengar, New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, Founder & CEO of The Juggernaut, Snigdha Sur, board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Sue Varma, and moderated by Kanika Chadda Gupta of That’s Total Mom Sense.

The Dessert Bar concept will be created by Barkha Cardoz of Cardoz Legacy LLC, Surbhi Sahni of TAGMO, Alak Vasa of Elements Truffles, and Kanchan Koya, author of Spice Spice Baby.

Speakers 

Kanika Chadda Gupta (Moderator) is a former CNN journalist and acclaimed podcast host who aims to give credit where it is often overlooked - leading a life of purpose and its lasting impact on children. Through her podcast That's Total Mom Sense, she interviews public figures and industry leaders on their career success and the life lessons they've learned along the way. 

Anu Aiyengar is the Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at J.P. Morgan, a Global Banking Management team member. She serves on the Women On the Move Steering Committee for JPMorgan Chase. Since 1999, Anu has advised domestic and international clients on nearly $1 trillion worth of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures/separations, leveraged buyouts, proxy contests, unsolicited transactions, and special committee assignments. Anu was named to Barron’s “100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance” list and recognized by American Bankers as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Finance.”  

Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar is a lawyer, professor, and government leader who made history as the first South Asian-American woman ever elected to a state office in New York. Her family immigrated to the United States with just $300 and a suitcase. A graduate of Stanford Law School and the University of Pennsylvania, Assemblywoman Rajkumar has worked nationwide to empower disenfranchised, vulnerable, and excluded individuals at national and local levels. She has passed landmark legislation protecting domestic workers, creating New York State’s first AAPI Commission, and expanding support for victims of crime. 

Snigdha Sur can't stop thinking about the future of media and is on a mission to diversify storytelling. She is the founder & CEO of The Juggernaut, a Y Combinator and Precursor Ventures-backed media company telling smart South Asian stories and news. The company prides itself in telling untold context. Sur has worked at McKinsey New York, in Bollywood, in media-focused venture capital/PE, in product/marketing at an Indian video streaming company, and helped launch the strategy for Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine. She has also advised BuzzFeed, Quartz, and Scroll.in. 

Dr. Sue Varma is a board-certified psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Health. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the highest honor bestowed upon its members.  Dr. Varma is considered the nation's leading "Go-To" psychiatrist and mental health expert, called upon for breaking news and evergreen topics, across the networks. 

Anu Sehgal (closing remarks) is the Founder of The Culture Tree, a company that promotes South Asia's languages and diverse cultures. She is a marketer by profession. She holds an MBA from Yale University and has worked in the corporate sector for almost 15 years. She is also a children’s book author and loves writing stories about Indian culture and languages.

Partners 

The Culture Tree provides South Asian-themed educational and cultural programs that enrich the lives of children and their families and promotes a deeper connection with their roots and the world around them. They partner with museums, galleries, schools, and libraries to implement classes and programming, including key festivals and events, puppet shows, bilingual storytime, mindfulness, and language classes in South Asian languages.