November 1 (Friday) – 7:00PM
Dr.-Jai-Bansal,-Convener
Dr. Jai Bansal, Convener
Distinguished Fellow – Argonne National Lab
Gov.-Michael-Dukakis,
Gov. Michael Dukakis, Keynote
Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University and the Former Governor of Massachusetts, 1975-79, 83-91
Sh.-Rajiv-Malhotra,-Keynote
Sh. Rajiv Malhotra, Keynote
Founder – Infinity Foundation
Sh
Sh. Sanjay Kaul, Host
Member - Governing Council of World Hindu Council of America
November 1 (Friday) – 8:15PM
Aishu Venkataraman (Violin)
Vivek Pandya (Tabla)
November 2 (Saturday) – 8:00AM

Morning Ragas by

Hindustani Classical Vocalist Rachna Bodas

Rachna-Bodas
Rachna Bodas
Vivek-Pandya
Vivek Pandya
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Ramchandra Joshi

Smt. Rachna Bodas is an accomplished Hindustani Classical vocalist based in San Antonio, Texas. She is considered a star among the younger generation of Hindustani classical musicians. She received her training under Pt. Kashinath Bodas and Vidushi Dr. Smt. Veena Sahasrabuddhe of Gwalior Gharana. She has earned wide acclaim for her melodious performances all over the world. She is also a graded artist of All India Radio. Rachna ji will be accompanied by Kaavya Valveti on harmonium, and Vivek Pandya on the table.

Vivek Pandya is young tabla sensation and has been learning from renowned tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee for past nine years.

November 2 (Saturday) – 8:30AM

Rasa Parampara: The Pursuit of India Arts and Aesthetics in the Americas

Artists and writers have given voice and form to the inaccessible enigma of the Vedic heritage. The timeless lineage has flourished in Americas due to the tireless dedication of the teachers of music, dance, theatre, and literature; it is the backbone of what we call our culture. Our food, our literature, our philosophy, and our day-to-day living are grounded in one essential secret that links it all. In this interactive session, the artist, the performer, the writer, and the cook collaborate in telling the story of their journey as the carriers of that supreme delight.

Dr.-Shekhar-Shastri,-Moderator
Dr. Shekhar Shastri, Moderator
Entrepreneur, poet, dramatist, and an educationist
Rachna-Bodas
Rachna Bodas
Hindustani classical vocalist
Malathi-Iyengar
Malathi Iyengar
Choreographer, dancer, writer, and visual artist
Philip-Goldberg
Philip Goldberg
Author
Dr.-Aishu-Venkataraman.-MD
Dr. Aishu Venkataraman. MD
Musician
Aditi-Banerjee
Aditi Banerjee
VP & Corporate Counsel in a Fortune 500 Company
November 2 (Saturday) – 9:45AM

Exploring Opportunities in the US-India Commercial Relationship

U.S.-India strategic and commercial ties have been described as the most consequential bilateral relationship for the 21st century. The opportunities for innovation and commerce in the U.S.-India bilateral corridor have never been greater. The panel will explore opportunities in the U.S. – India commercial relationship as well as the impact of this commercial relationship on the rest of the global economy.

Dr.Mukesh-Aghi-Moderator
Dr.Mukesh Aghi, Moderator
President & CEO of USISPF
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Arun Kumar Sharma
Senior Advisor, Financial Services
02
Yogi Sarin
Founder & CEO - Petron Scienetch Inc.
03
Sumit Ganguli
CEO of GAVS Technologies
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Pradeep S. Mehta
General Secretary - CUTS
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Saumya Sharma
Associate – Pepper Hamilton LLP (Attorneys at Law)
November 2 (Saturday) – 11:15AM

Ancient Wisdom | Modern Applications: The Emergence of Hindu Americans in The Public Square

The future of a strong Hindu American civic presence depends on political representation, public service, and advocacy. This session will focus on mechanisms to expand the role, visibility, and influence of Hindu Americans in these spheres, while cultivating skills and opportunities at the grassroots level. It will focus on how to effectively train, mentor, and develop support systems and networks for young Hindu Americans to enter and succeed in the public square. And lastly, it will touch upon the positive value Hindu approaches bring to the proverbial table -- approaches which are driven by a spirit of inquiry and sustained by values of non-harming, truth, moderation, and universal well-being, as well as comfort with differences and plurality of ideas and opinions.

Suhag-Shukla,-Moderator
Suhag Shukla, Moderator
Executive Director and Co-Founder of HAF
Jamie-Eldridge,-Opening-Remarks
Jamie Eldridge, Opening Remarks
Massachusetts State Senator
Niraj-J.-Antani
Niraj J. Antani
State Representative, Ohio 42nd District
Padma-Kuppa
Padma Kuppa
State Representative, Michigan 41st District
Vindhya-Adappa
Vindhya Adapa
Assistant General Counsel at HIAS, Inc.
04
Jay Kansara
Advocacy Expert
November 2 (Saturday) – 1:30PM

Towards the World Where Humanity and the Planet Enjoy Peace, Harmony and Health

Mother Nature has always intended that we live in harmony and peace, and do what is best for our mind, body and Self. Making a conscious effort towards self-improvement is a small step to a better life and in turn the world. It means taking care of and nurturing our whole being, restoring the mind, body and Self to a balanced state of energy. Living our life in a way that is both natural to us and the world in which we live. A holistic lifestyle benefits us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually: watching our diet, keep our mind and body active through the practice of yoga and meditation, but that's not all of what is involved with a holistic lifestyle. On a physical level, it's about learning to listen to our bodies. On an emotional level, it's about keeping a positive mind frame. Letting go of the negative energies and using our energies towards things that add value to our life. On a mental level, it's about embracing the fact that each one of us is unque. On a spiritual level, it's about spending time in nature and finding a deeper connection within ourselves. Consistency, regularity and self-discipline is key in living a holistic lifestyle and keeping a positive outlook and attitude.

Hilary-Garivaltis-Moderator
Hilary Garivaltis, Moderator
Executive Director—National Ayurvedic Medical Association
DrStuartRothenbergKeynote
Dr. Stuart Rothenberg, Keynote
National Medical Director of Transcendental Meditation Health Professionals Association
Dinesh Kashikar
Shree Dinesh Kashikar
Yoga, Pranayam & Meditation; Art of Living
Dr. Angelina Mehta
Dr. Angelina Mehta
Naturopathy, Verve Holistic Health
Dr. Sailesh Rao
Dr. Sailesh Rao
Founder & Exec. Director of Climate Healers
November 2 (Saturday) – 2:45PM

Innovation - Thinking Non-Linearly

Thinking outside-the-box is key to innovation. What attributes allow one to think outside the proverbial box? Are these innate, or could be acquired, or both? If cultivated, what factors play a role in shaping these attributes? Highly accomplished entrepreneurs, Investors, and eminent scientists will share their own life stories and also the role these attributes played in their respective successes.

Mukesh-Chatter,-Moderator
Mukesh Chatter, Moderator
General partner at NeoNet Capital LLC
Jit-Saxena,-Keynote
Jit Saxena, Keynote
Founder, Chairman and CEO of Netezza
Dr.-Ravi-Kanjolia
Dr. Ravi Kanjolia
CTO Deposition Materials, EMD Performance Materials
Deepak-Taneja
Deepak Taneja
Co-Founder and CEO of Zilla Secuirty
Ram-Sudireddy
Ram Sudireddy
Co-Founder, President and CEO at Bento
November 2 (Saturday) – 4:00PM

The Ethics of Emerging Life Saving Therapies and Technologies

We are in the golden age of innovation in Healthcare. In fact, so many effective technologies have made the transition from the lab into the clinic that we have to take a deep look at how we can efficiently provide these therapies to many in need. Take the case of cell and gene therapy where the effectiveness of the therapies is unquestionable, but the manufacturing processes and the supply chain are not optimal to provide these therapies to all the patients efficiently. Separately, there are questions on how we effectively manage the ethical questions the wide accessibility of tools such as Crispr for gene-editing raises. This panel will share perspectives on how we are collectively working across the healthcare system -– in hospitals, in the pharmaceutical industry (both large companies as well as in start-ups), in academia, in the tools industry – to accelerate efficient and effective access to life saving therapies and technologies and how we can do so ethically

Dr.-Udit-Batra,-Moderator
Dr. Udit Batra, Moderator   
CEO Merck KGaA, Life Sciences
Dr.-Amar-Sawhney
Dr. Amar Sawhney
Chairman & CEO of Instylla, Inc.
Dr.-Rahul-Sighvi
Dr. Rahul Sighvi
COO, Takeda Vaccines, Inc
Dr.-Rajiv-Gupta
Dr. Rajiv Gupta
Harvard Medical School, Radiology
Dr.-Ganesh
Dr. Ganesh Kaundinya
Founder CSO/COO of Momenta Pharmaceuticals
Dr.-Maha-Radhakrishnan
Dr. Maha Radhakrishnan
Global Head of Medical, Primary Care at Sanofi
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Nisha Subramanian
Partner at McKinsey
November 2 (Saturday) - 7:00PM

On the Science of Consciousness: Lessons from Modern Science and Vedanta

The study of consciousness is one of humankind’s most fundamental quests. Traditionally, consciousness has been a province of philosophical and theological explorations. In recent times, it has moved to the forefront of 21st century scientific inquiry. Can there be a science of consciousness? Classical science suggests that perceptions, feelings, instincts and reasoning all derive from neurological activity in the brain, which in turn limits consciousness to biological systems. However, a new field of inquiry, inspired by quantum physics, argues that consciousness is much more than electrical impulses and chemical interactions within the brain, and precedes all living things by being fundamental to the universe. The great physicist Erwin Schrodinger held that consciousness cannot be subdivided; there is only one consciousness, even though it appears to be subdivided into billions of individual minds. Schrodinger was clearly influenced by Vedanta, which holds that consciousness is the only reality; matter is mere manifestation of it, as wave is of water. To help us unpack this complex equation, we have a panel of eminent scientists and philosophers from such diverse fields as physics, medicine, biology and cosmology.

Dr.-Subhash-Kak,-Moderator
Dr. Subhash Kak, Moderator
Regents Professor Emeritus at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
Dr.-VR-Anand,-Co-Moderator
Dr. VR Anand, Co-Moderator
Neurologist, South Carolina
Dr.-Rudy-Tanzi
Dr. Rudy Tanzi
Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School
Dr.-Menas-Kafatos
Dr. Menas Kafatos
Fletcher Jones Endowed Prof Computational Physics Chapman University
Dr.-Vinod-Deshmukh
Dr. Vinod Deshmukh
Emeritus Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida
November 2 (Saturday) – 8:15PM

Lightning talk is a unique opportunity for the speakers to share stories about innovative idea or a notable achievement (past, present), what motivated it and how they successfully achieved their dream. They can also share how their culture played a role to make them the person they are today. And at the end of the talk, what is one takeaway for the audience or idea in action. The idea is to generate the curiosity and the enthusiasm for the talk in 6 minutes

2Amit-Sharma
Priya Samant, Moderator
Social impact advisor, changemaker
amit-sharma
Amit Sharma
CEO, FinClusive
2Shuchita-Rao
Shuchita Rao
Award winning Hindustani vocalist, music educator, free-lance journalist
2Swati-Shrivatava
Swati Srivastava
Writer, director, voice-over artist
2Navroop-Sahdev
Navroop Sahdev
Economist and technology futurist
2Nupur-Lala
Dr. Nupur Lala
Resident in Neurology
2Anindita-Lal
Anindita Lal
Freshman at Boston Univ, Artist – Madhubani Style
2Shirin-Bakre
Shirin Bakre
Bio-Med Student at Boston Univ, Former Miss Teen Massachusetts
2Roma-Gujarathi
Roma Gujarathi
Student at Boston College of Law
2Sonpreet-Bhatia
Sonpreet Bhatia
Tech entrepreneur and holistic living teacher
2_Swati-Dave
Swati Dave
Educator, Project Management Consultant, Vedic Math Promoter
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Ananya Pati
Youth Advocacy, Campainer against Substance Abuse
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Vandana Sharma
Homemaker, Interior Architect
November 3 (Sunday) – 8:00AM

Devotional Music by Hindustani Classical Vocalist

Shuchita Rao

with Vivek Pandya (Tabla) and Ramchandra Joshi (Harmonium)

2Shuchita-Rao
Vivek-Pandya
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November 3 (Sunday) – 8:30AM

Imperativeness of Pedagogy for Achieving a Model Society

A society’s ability to prosper and grow depends upon its people’s edification. A good education system constructively molds the minds of the next generation, its absence causes a nation to stagnate, its people to become ignorant, and its ideas to get frozen in time. Will Durant said it best: “Education is the transmission of civilization.” A panel of specialists bring their rich accomplishments, diverse experiences and personal stories - as educators, thought leaders, researchers and administrators representing physical, social, computer science, medicine and sustainable technology-enabled educational innovations

Prof.-Amit-Tandon,-Moderator
Prof. Amit Tandon, Moderator
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
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Prof. Anil Saigal
Professor of Mech Engg at Tufts University
Prof.-Prasad-Jayanti
Prof. Prasad Jayanti
James Frank Family Professor of Computer Science, Dartmouth College
Prof.-Parul-Kumar
Prof. Parul Kumar
Prof. Suffolk University and Chemistry Teacher at Lexington High School
Parth-Parihar
Parth Parihar
President Hindu Student Council, PhD Student Princeton
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Prof. Mahesh Sharma
Founder – Center for Teaching/Learning of Mathematics
November 3 (Sunday) – 9:45AM

Knowing Your Motivation: The Thoughtful, Effective, Joyful Philanthropist

The road to effective philanthropy begins with a donor’s motivation. While it may be easy to state what we care about, and have the desire to promote the welfare of others, it is harder to explain clearly what we want to achieve with our giving? A program of giving that is based exclusively on the intellectual and objective may miss important opportunities. Thus, the heart is as important as the mind in charitable giving, expressed mostly by the generous donation of money to good causes. David Rockefeller suggests that giving intelligently, requires balance—individual values paired with financial acumen; rational analysis linked with passion; self-knowledge twinned with commitment. The head helps us give prudently; the heart helps us engage in our giving in a personal and lasting way. The experts on this panel have found the issues and the organizations they care about, helped create well-researched plans for giving and have acted on their strong, often heart-felt motivations. They share life experiences—or individuals—that have inspired them to give. Where have they learned the most about fulfillment in giving. Are there things that hold us back from giving in certain ways or to certain areas and how may we address those limitations. Their insights may help us become more self-aware as we create—or refine—our own giving strategy.

Dr.-Kumar-Nochur,-Moderator
Dr. Kumar Nochur, Moderator
Author of The Age of Ananda: Conscious Evolution to the Life Divine
Nishith-Acharya
Nishith Acharya
Advisor on innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization
Megha-Desai
Megha Desai
President – Desai Foundation
Aashika-Patel
Aashika Patel
Corporate VP at CCS Fundraising
Alpa-Ladani
Alpa Ladani
Marketing Officer, Strength Maintenance Division at National Guard Bureau
November 3 (Sunday) – 11:15AM
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Tahir Gora
Founder of Canadians Thinkers’ Forum (CTF)
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Darshak Hathi
International Director – Art of Living Foundation
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Neeraj Kumar
Management Consultant & Corporate Strategist
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Maha Pula
Senior Sales Leader
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Sanjay Kaul
VP - World Hindu Council of America