22nd Annual Unity Dinner 2023
2023-04-21 17:00 - 23:59 UTC | The India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA.
Indo-American Community Federation (IACF-USA) was co-founded by Jeevan Zutshi in the year 1994 as the first Indo-American organization to build bridges with mainstream organizations, diverse leadership groups, think tank and public officials. The Unity Dinner celebrates unity in diversity and the achievements of community leaders in our local community after 9/11/01 to promote unity in diversity and address serious community issues. IACF is proud to have celebrated 25th anniversary on March 22, 2019.
Unity through Diversity: Reclaiming a Sense of Connection
Friday, April 21, 2023 (5:00 PM to Midnight)
at the India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA.
Master of Ceremonies: Dr. Raj Salwan, Councilmember, City of Fremont, CA
Co- Master of Ceremonies: Rakhi Israni, Esq., President of Excel Test and a Public Relations Director for Sewa International.
Program:
5:00 pm to 6:15 pm
Panel discussion: The Rise in Gun Violence and the impact on our Youth
Moderator: Anjali Shaykher Zutshi, Esq.
Introduction by: Shyla Zutshi
Anjali is National Security Law Attorney at National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Department of Energy.
Panelists:
Teresa Keng, City of Fremont Councilmember
Jeff Rosen, Santa Clara District Attorney
Desrie Campbell, City of Fremont Council member
Fish Stark, Head of Program & Curriculum at Ever Scouts
Dr. Harmesh Kumar, Licensed Psychologist
Ragini Vecham, Parent representative
– 5:50 pm to 6:00 pm: Address by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan
– 6:15 pm to 7:15 pm: “Tim Reilly – The Canyon Band” & Host bar and Dinner
– 7:15 pm: National Anthems by Manasa Gadepalli
– 7:20 pm: Introduction of IACF Board by Dr. Ramesh Konda, President
– 7:24 pm: “Why growth requires Diversity?” by Sanjiv Goyal, Chairman, Droisys
– 7:29 pm: Address by Jeevan Zutshi, Chairman, IACF-USA
Introductions
Consul General of India Ambassador, Dr. T.V. Nagendra Prasad
Congressman Ro Khanna represented by Tom Pyke
State Senator (CA-15), Dave Cortese
Patti Cortese, Eastside Union H.S. District
State Senator (Former), Bob Wieckowski
Assemblymember (CA-25), Ash Kalra
Assemblymember (CA-24), Alex Lee
Mayor, City of San Jose, Matt Mahan
Mayor, City of Milpitas, Carmen Montano
Mayor, City of Newark, Michael K. Hannon
Newark Former Mayor Al Nagy and Mrs Connie Nagy
Fremont City Mayor Lily Mei
Mayor, City of Tracy, Nancy Young represented by Mr. James Young
Mayor, City of Santa Clara, Lisa Gillmor
Mayor (Former) Milpitas, Rich Tran
Mayor (Former) Cupertino, Darcy Paul
Santa Clara City Vice Mayor, Kevin Park
Vice Mayor, City of Milpitas , Evelyn Chua
Councilmembers, City of Fremont, Dr. Raj Salwan, Teresa Keng, Teresa Cox
Board President, Alameda County Water District, Paul Sethy
Councilmember, City of Santa Clara (District 1), Kathy Watanabe
Councilmember, City of Oakland, Janani Ramachandran
Councilmember Arjun Batra, City of San Jose and Mrs. Batra
Councilmember (District 3), Murali Srinivasan, City of Sunnyvale
Alameda County Supervisor (CA-1), David Haubert
Santa Clara County Board Supervisor (District 3), Otto Lee
Santa Clara County Supervisor (District 4) – Board President, Susan Ellenberg
Santa Clara County Supervisor (District 2) – Cindy Chavez – Betty Duong, Esq., Chief of Staff
Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington
Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee (Area 2) Tara Sreekrishnan
Senior Assistant District Attorney and Policy Chief, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office Cynthia Chandler
Milpitas Unified School District Board of Education Trustee Anu Nakka
Milpitas Unified School District Board of Education President Chris Norwood
Commissioner to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders Ajay Bhutoria
Santa Clara Human Rights Commissioners Pranjali Dani, Mita Dey, Robert Cheykin
Milpitas Planning Commissioner Dipak Awasthi
Marie Bernard, Executive Director, Sunnyvale Community Services
Joined by Prof. Bruce Paton, Board member, Leadership Sunnyvale

– 7:37 pm: Joe Johal
– 7:39 pm: Address by Consul General of India Dr. Nagendra Prasad
– 7:45 pm: Introduction of Community leaders by Rakhi Israni, Esq.
Hindu American Foundation (HAF)
Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS)
Hindu Swayam Sewak Sangh (HSS)
Sewa International
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Milpitas, CA
– 7:52 pm: Guest Speaker and Presentation by Hindu American Foundation (HAF)
– 8:02 pm: Honored Speaker – CA State Senator Dave Cortese
– 8:08 pm: Honored Speaker Susan Ellenberg, President, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
– 8:13 pm: Fashion Show by Frontier Heritage Fremont
– 8:20 pm: IACF-USA Honorees
Deepak Ganju, Lifetime Achievement award
Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington, Public Safety Official of the year
The Urban League of Greater San Francisco Bay Area, Community organization of the year
Sanjiv Bhandari, Prominence in the field of Architecture
– 8:35 pm: Hispanic Ballet Folklorico by Martha Alvarez
– 8:45 pm: Keynote address by Dr. Tae Yun Kim, Motivational speaker and founder of Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions, Inc.
– 9:00 pm: Free drawing for fantastic prizes donated by Dr. Tae Yun Kim
– 9:15 pm: Dance performance by students of Aero Dance Academy Director: Ranjani Manda
Introduction by Vijaya Aasuri, AIA and BATA leader
– 9:25 pm: Closing Remarks and Vote of Thanks by Dr. Ramesh Konda, IACF-USA President
– 9:30 pm onwards: Yeh Shaam Mastani organized by Prasad Mangina and Veeru Vuppala, BATA Karaokee

Live Bollywood music 🎵 concert by popular Bay Area singers
Videography & Photography by Sachin
Media Sponsors:
Tri-City Voice
Radio Zindagi
Indica News

Event Sponsors:
Comcast
Dr. Tae Yun Kim, Motivational speaker and the founder of Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions
Deepak Ganju, Managing Director, Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management
Droisys, Inc., a leading Software company
Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Bay Area Community Health (BACH)
Alameda County Supervisor Dave Haubert
Dr. Raj Salwan, City of Fremont Councilmember
Dr. Dharam P. Salwan, Salwan Properties
Association of Indo-Americans (AIA)
Dr. Dalvir Pannu, Pannu Dental
Hindu American Foundation (HAF)
Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS)
Hindu Swayam Sewak Sangh (HSS)
Sewa International
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Milpitas, CA
Dr. Harmesh Kumar, Licensed Psychologist
Kishore Pallapothu, Entrepreneur
Teresa Keng, City of Fremont Councilmember
Ashok and Pushpa Saraf
Dr. Vijay Chowdhury
Joe Johal
You are also invited to join IACF leaders on the Senate floor at the California State Capitol on Monday, April 24, 2023, as the State of California celebrates IACF’s Unity Day. RSVP with your full name and contact information.
For additional information, feel free to contact anyone of us:
Mr. Jeevan Zutshi, jeevanzutshi@aol.com, (510) 589-3702
Dr. Ramesh Konda, rameshkonda.phd@gmail.com, (510) 565-2495
Mr. Amit Goel, Amit@droisys.com, (415) 706-8643
Mr. Shashi Sharma, Shashisharma1@gmail.com, (408) 569-3396
Dr. Naresh Sharma, nareshcsharma@yahoo.com, (408) 206-3330
Dr. Subhash Garg, Sooku@yahoo.com, (702) 308-6339
Dr. Harmesh Kumar, harmeshkumar@sbcglobal.net, (925) 285-9881

Panel Discussion: Gender Equity And Modern Solutions
2023-07-23 11:30 - 14:00
JULY 23RD, SUNDAY
11:30 AM – 2PM
INDIA COMMUNITY CENTER
525 LOS COCHES STREET, MILPITAS, CA 95035
Opening remarks by Mr. Jeevan Zutshi, Founder, IACF-USA
Revant Kasichainula – Moderator
Sheryl Brinkley, MBA – Women’s Exec and Leadership Coach at ITM Coaching Next Level
Ruth Yong, Ph.D. – Executive Director at Palm Academy
Connie LaScola, MBA – Finance Professional at Codexis
Ramesh Konda, Ph.D. – Vice President at FloData
Dr. Harmesh Kumar, Ph.D. – world renowned clinical psychologist
FREE ENTRY. DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED. LUNCH IS PROVIDED.
Mr. Jeevan Zutshi
Jeevan Zutshi has been deeply involved in Community Development projects internationally for decades.
It is not a coincidence that he was one of the first on the west coast to see the need to get involved in mainstream America and inspire other Indo-Americans through Indo-American Community Federation (IACF), a non-profit organization.
Consequently, he was honored by the California legislature in 2004 in a ceremony on Capitol Hill for being a pioneer in leading the Indo-American community towards assimilating in mainstream culture. Jeevan is the author of a non-fiction “Earth on Trial – Fighting the invisible and visible enemies” and “The Last Smile – A Fathers love story – A journey of hope” which are available on Amazon.
He is also the Executive Producer of the award-winning film, The Last Smile, an 87 minutes long independent film, based on his book and true events – presented by Amit Zutshi Foundation, highlighting the dangers of over-the-counter-supplements and the multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry involved in marketing these life-threatening products, and one that remains totally unregulated by the FDA. The film is available on Amazon Prime.
Dr. Harmesh Kumar
Dr. Harmesh Kumar, renowned bay area clinical psychologist with a world-level reputation, has enthusiastically added his name to the list of candidates running for California U.S. Senator presently held by retiring Senator Diane Feinstein. With three members of congress having previously declared their candidacy to the position, Dr. Kumar-a Democrat– is the first non-member of congress to declare his candidacy.
Sheryl Brinkley, MBA
She is the Founder and CEO of ITM Coaching Next Level, is an International Coaching Federation certified Executive Coach, and is a Certified Leadership Development Professional specializing in Mid-Level Career progression and acceleration.
She is passionate about working with emerging and Mid-Level Female leaders aspiring to continue up the platinum staircase and into Senior Leader and Executive level seats.
Sheryl’s decades of experience in Fortune 100, Public, Private, Tech, and Utility sectors have given her a wide and varied lens on leadership environments. She leverages her acumen in talent pipeline program strategy and delivery in her approach with working with clients and within organizations.
Sheryl is a proud Bay Area native and holds an MBA from Holy Names University, a certification from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business – Women’s Executive Leadership Program and holds a specialty certification in Emotional Intelligence EQ-i 2.0.
Ruth Yong, Ph.D.
Ruth is an ‘Educator at Large’. She has worked in and around education for most of her career, including being a classroom teacher, a center/school administrator with a wide variety of responsibilities and a coach and trainer for aspiring teachers and entrepreneurs. Dr. Ruth came to education and childcare services with over 10 years of industrial experience, which helped her approach educating children from a very different perspective. She thinks that emotional intelligence is just as important, if not more important, than intellectual intelligence in today’s world. Ruth was raised in Fremont, California, went to Mission San Jose High School, graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Berkeley and Purdue University for her Masters and PhD. degree.
During her time in industry, she traveled extensively to different regional offices in the U.S. and overseas to conduct training certifications for upper management. She has also worked with research and development to develop a computer training module that, still this day, continues to train thousands of employees every month.
It was her family that brought her back to Fremont, California to start Fastrackids and Palm Academy in 2006. Besides dedicating most of her time to preschool centers and children’s education, she also coaches aspiring entrepreneurs, teaches children’s Sunday school, and sings in the choir.
Connie LaScola, MBA
Connie is an experienced Finance professional with a demonstrated history of working in the biotechnology industry. Skilled in Accounting, Public Speaking, Internal Controls, and Management.
As President of Bay Area Spirit Enthusiasts, Connie loves to inspire and promote youth and young adults to make a difference in our communities and national organizations through financial and volunteering commitments.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an Executive MBA focused on Global Economics.
Ramesh Konda, Ph.D.
Ramesh Konda has 30 years of combined working experience in automotive, semiconductor, manufacturing, and information technology industries. During his career, he has held key responsibilities such as Vice President, Director, Asst. Production Manager, Quality Manager, and Program Manager. Ramesh has worked at notable companies such as General Motors and Seagate Technology.
Ramesh is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and the past chair of the ASQ Silicon Valley section. He is a Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) and Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) from ASQ. Ramesh holds Ph.D., M.B.A., M.S. (Industrial Engineering), and B.S. (Mechanical Engineering).
Revant Kasichainula
Revant is a high school senior at Basis Independent Fremont, driven by the desire to raise awareness and instigate change regarding gender equity in society. In addition to his advocacy work, he is also an accomplished author, having written the book “Mixed,” which is available on Amazon. This captivating novel delves into the fictional narrative of a biracial child’s experiences growing up in the 1960s American South.
Revant’s talents extend beyond the realm of literature. He is an exceptional sportsman, excelling as a national-level table tennis player and a dedicated marathon runner. Through his athletic pursuits, Revant embodies perseverance, discipline, and a commitment to personal growth.
Beyond his achievements, Revant’s true passion lies in fostering a more compassionate and caring society. With his infectious motivation, he serves as a source of inspiration for those around him, encouraging others to embrace empathy and actively contribute to the betterment of their communities.

Indo-American Community Federation, (IACF-USA)
2024-03-29 17:30 - 22:00
Board of Directors:
Jeevan Zutshi, Dr. Ramesh Konda, Mr. Amit Goel, Mr. Shashi Sharma, Dr. Subhash Garg, Dr. Naresh Sharma, Dr. Harmesh Kumar, Mr. Rahul Zutshi, Mr. Sujoy Sarkar, Dr. Deepak Sachdev
IACF-USA was once again recognized and honored by the California State Senate in May, 2023 for promoting understanding and harmony amongst diverse communities for decades!
Friday, March 29, 2024 (5:30 PM to 10:00 PM)
30th Anniversary and Unity Dinner
Unity through Diversity: Breathing Life into Education
India Community Center, 525 Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA.
Master of Ceremonies: Kathy Stahl Kimberlin
Honored Chief Guest: Ambassador of Peace Acharya Dr. Lokesh (visiting from India)
Keynote Speaker: Hon. Assemblymember Ash Kalra
Program:
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Social Hour
6:30 PM – 6:40 PM: National Anthem by Tanya Gupta
6:40 PM – 6:50 PM: 30 years of IACF-USA- presented by Dr. Subhash
Garg, IACF Director
6:50 PM – 7:00 PM: Brief presentation on Yoga by Shyla Zutshi
7:00 PM – 7:05 PM: IACF supports Sudha Society– YouTube message
7:05 PM – 8:00 PM: Panel Discussion
“Breathing Life into Education” Co-Convened by Art of Living
Introduction by Shyla Zutshi
Moderator: Anjali Shaykher Zutshi, National Security/ Intelligence Lawyer/Chief of Staff, National Nuclear Security Administration
Panelists:
Eileen McDonald, Alameda Board of Education Trustee
Vivek Prasad, Fremont School Board Member
Dr. Nilima Sabharwal, Founder, Home of Hope
Bill Herman, Founder and International Director, SKY Schools and Senior Faculty, Art of Living
Kasturi Basu, Principal at Lyndale Elementary School, Alum Rock Union School District.
8:00 PM – 8:05 PM: Honored Guest Speaker Alam Khydeeja
Executive Director, California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (APIA)
California is proud to be home to over six million Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA), the fastest growing ethnic population in the state.
The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) was established in 2002 and is charged with elevating the political, economic, and social issues of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA), in the state.
The Commission advises the Governor and the Legislature on how to best respond to views, needs, and concerns of the state’s diverse and complex APIA communities. Additionally, the commission provides assistance to policymakers, state agencies, departments, and commissions to develop appropriate responses and programs that meet the needs of APIA communities, including focus on cultural language sensitivity, and hate incident and hate crime prevention measures.
8:05 PM – 8:45 PM: Dinner
8:15 PM – 8:20 PM: Hispanic Cultural Program – ballet Folklorico
8:20 PM – 8:30 PM: Presentation by Art of Living Foundation
8:30 PM – 8:40 PM: Indian dances by the Students of Aero Dance Academy by Ranjani Manda, Artistic Director
8:45 PM – 8:55 PM: Honored Chief Guest speaker Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni
(Introduction by Ajay Sehgal, IACF-USA India Liaison)
H.H. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni Ji, Founder President “Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti” is a versatile thinker, writer, poet, and social reformer has been continuously making efforts for National character building, development of human values, and establishment of non-violence, peace, and cooperation in society for the last 39 years. He has, To, give practical shape to these values he founded “Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti” and thus made his field of activities spread throughout the world. With the establishment of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti, he started a strong movement against social evils like the abortion of female children, drug addiction, Environmental Pollution, etc.
H.H. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni is the recipient of many awards: including ‘The National Communal Harmony Award 2010’ by the Government of India ‘Ambassador of Peace’ at London Parliament. He has been honored by the United Peace Federation with the ‘Ambassador of Peace Award’ in 2014 at the United Nations Centre for his remarkable contributions towards World Peace & Communal Harmony. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni has been honored with the Bharat Gaurav Award at U.N. Headquarters, U.S.A.
8:55 PM – 9:05 PM: Keynote Speaker Hon. Assemblymember Ash Kalra
Assemblymember Ash Kalra represents California’s 25th Assembly District, which encompasses the majority of San José, including downtown and open space areas in southeast Santa Clara County. He was first elected in 2016, becoming the first Indian American to serve in the California Legislature in state history, and was re-elected to his fourth term in 2022.
Assemblymember Kalra is the Chair of the Committee on Judiciary and also serves as a member on the Housing & Community Development, Local Government, and Natural Resources committees. He is Chair Emeritus of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus and works to ensure that key legislative priorities are successfully passed on civil rights, criminal justice, economic and worker justice, environmental justice, and housing justice, Previously, he served as Chair to the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment.
9:05 PM – 9:15 PM: Address by Jeevan Zutshi, IACF Founder United we Stand – Community builders
Living the dream For All People ……Hon. Teresa Cox, Fremont City Councilmember
Introductions
Community Organizations:
Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA)
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, San Jose, CA, USA
Hindu American Foundation (HAF)
Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS)
Satish Chandra, A4H and Chief Advisory Committee for Santa Clara Police Department
South Asian Behavioral health and training foundation (Dr. Harmesh Kumar)
Home of Hope, Inc. (Dr. Nilima Sabharwal)
IbadatKhana Foundation (Tasawar Jalali)
Public Officials:
Congressman Ro Khanna represented by Tom Pyke
Attorney General of California represented by Tong Thao
State Senator (CA-15), Dave Cortese
Assemblymember (CA-25), Ash Kalra
Assemblymember Evan Low, District 26
Assemblymember (CA-24), Alex Lee
Mayor, City of Milpitas, Carmen Montano
Mayor, City of Newark, Michael K. Hannon
Newark Former Mayor Al Nagy
Fremont City Mayor Lily Mei
Mayor, City of Santa Clara, Lisa Gillmor
Councilmembers, City of Fremont, Dr. Raj Salwan, Teresa Keng, Teresa Cox
Alameda County Supervisor (CA-1), David Haubert
Alameda County Supervisor Lena Tam
Santa Clara County Supervisor (District 2) – Cindy Chavez
Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee (Area 2) Tara Sreekrishnan
San Jose Councilmember Arjun Batra
Patrick Ahrens, Governing body member of Foothill DeAnza Community College District
BART Director Liz Ames
9:15 PM – 9:25 PM: IACF Board Recognition including the Registration and Hospitality Committee
By Dr. Naresh Sharma, Member, Board of Directors
Closing Remarks by Amit Goel, President
9:25 PM – 11:30 PM: DJ Kish/Sing and Dance
Media Partners

Indica News
New India Abroad
India West
Radio Zindagi
FIJI Sun-USA
Sakshi TV / Ruchika Sharma
TV9
TV Asia

Thanks to all the Event Sponsors
Grand Sponsors:
Alameda County Supervisor Dave Haubert
Deepak Ganju, Managing Director, Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management
V.I P Table Sponsors:
Washington Hospital Healthcare System
Kishore Pallapothu, Entrepreneur
Dr. Raj Salwan, Fremont City Councilmember
Vin Kruttiventi, Congressional candidate
Pannu Dental Group
Dr. Harmesh Kumar, Psychologist
Ashok Bhat, Hotelier
Droisys, Inc., A Software Solutions Company
Ajay Sehgal, IACF- India Liaison
Gaurav Patwardhan, Community Leader
Deepak Sachdev dental offices
Videography & Photography Directed by Sujoy Sarkar
Event Decorations by CC DECORS (Krishna Priya)
