Gala IACF - 2022

About IACF

Indo-American Charity Foundation was founded in 1988 by a group of Houstonians of Indian origin (Indo- American) compelled by an altruistic desire to give back to their local community. Their mission to help the underprivileged originated with the effort to fight hunger, and has now developed into a multifaceted philanthropic endeavor to help those in need of health, education and human services in the Greater Houston Area.

For the past 34 years under its stalwart leaders, IACF has appealed to the philanthropic spirit of the Indo American community in Houston to address needs in the areas of Education, Family, General Welfare and Healthcare in the metro Houston area.

Our MOTTO IACF’s motto, “We live here, we give here”, is an embodiment of the initiatives and activities that the organization fosters. The organization aids and assists other charities that are involved in providing such services to the local communities so that their basic needs are met and everyone can lead enriched lives. IACF has been providing scholarships to high potential college bound students with financial needs, supporting local charities engaged in improving the STEM education for students in inner city schools, assisting abused women and children, care for the elderly, feeding the homeless and needy, and providing free medical clinics and vaccinations. The organization is run fully by dedicated volunteers with all of the funds supporting charitable activities.

Our MISSION

Indo-American Charity Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that helps the underprivileged and needy with monetary and volunteer work contributions through established and emerging organizations [501(c)3] in the Greater Houston Area.

Our VISION Foster a local community whose basic needs are met and where everyone could lead enriched lives through better health, education and growth opportunities.

Our 2022 & beyond Goal

The initiatives of the current board are guided by the goal statement of Expand/Energize/Empower

Expand – Expand the core volunteer base

Energize – Energize past and new donor base

Empower – Empower IACF brand with effective positioning and branding

P.O. Box 18184, IACF Houston, Sugar Land, TX 77496-8184. facebook.com/indoamericancharityfoundation Emails: indoamericancharityfoundation@gmail.com | info@iacfhouston.com www.iacfhouston.com

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the Indo American Charity Foundation Board of Directors, Board of Advisors and our fraternity I welcome you all to our 2022 Charity Gala.

It is indeed our privilege and pleasure that we have the honor of playing host to of all you tonight. I am proud to state that there is a single thread that binds us all together as we are all gathered here. Over the last thirty four years, we have been working in unison and determination to achieve a single goal, “Enhance the Quality of Life” in the communities that we are part of and where our future generations will make their marks. It is all about how futuristic we all can be in a platform, that will serve as a launchpad for our future generations.

Over the last many years, IACF has been focusing on EFGH (Education, Family, General and Healthcare) and have been promoting this as our mission at every platform we have been on. Because of the Covid Pandemic, since first quarter of 2020, we have been focusing more on the Family and Healthcare pillars. We’ve done many initiatives and programs to support Covid related issues and needs starting with creating cloth masks and distributing them as early as May 2020. Thanks to the Doctors in our board, IACF has realized the need and necessity of masks and went into the action of creating masks. I am proud to say that in 2020 alone we’ve distributed over 16,000 masks. We’ve also partnered with Fort Bend County, Harris County, Local hospital and various organization to distribute packaged and hot food, supplies, cases & cases of water, gift cards etc.

Towards end of last year, we had the opportunity to partner with Nirmaan USA, Khosla Foundation to support the 10bedICU.org initiative in India. Though our motto is “we live here, we give here”, the Board has decided to make an exception to it as the families in India of many Houstonians are affected by the Pandemic. The initiative that we happily participated was to build 10 Bed ICU units in rural area hospitals, one district at a time in India. I am proud to say that for this initiative and to support few other NGOs, we were able to raise more than 100K dollars and sponsored 10 bed ICU Units in two hospitals.

I am also happy to announce that we were able to conduct our outdoor signature event “IWalk-ICare” benefiting Indian Doctors Charity Clinic during the pandemic years, though we had suspended the indoor events. Now that we are celebrating the Endemic, I am so happy and thankful for all you who are witnessing IACF jumping back to full action with its regular events and programs.

We will also continue our path of identifying and supporting fledgling organizations and support them till they are able to sustain and grow independently. As part of our yearly Scholarship to the needy and meritorious school graduates, I am happy to share that we have instituted rolling sponsorship program where donors can sponsor multiple years to perpetual. We will also continue our Grants giveaway to other Houston area Charity and Social organizations.

Continuing the legacy of the past, IACF will continue to focus on making deeper inroads and reaching out to our brethren and trying to drive the point home that IACF is the only Indo American organization that ploughs back 100% of its proceeds to enrich the community we live in.

I am thankful and proud to say that there is a constant endeavor from IACF Board of Directors and Board of Advisors to work in the local communities, bridge the gap with other communities, and strive to derive synergy wherever possible. On behalf of all of them, I promise that we will collectively go the extra mile, stretch every sinew and expand our horizons while we stick to our mission “We Live here , we give here”.

I am also so happy and humbled to have the very respected Mr. Atul Vir as the keynote speaker and wanted to thank him for his time and wisdom. I also wanted to do a special shout out to all the officials and dignitaries.

It has been one of the greatest honors bestowed upon me and indeed a privilege to serve as the President for the last three years-which was an exception, of this great organization, that was founded and lead by thought leaders in our community. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful group of Directors and Advisors whose dedication and support has helped me weather the various challenges we encountered in the last three years. Lastly it would be inappropriate if I don’t thank my parents who are instrumental in instilling the values of unconditional giving which today has become the religion I practice and the Almighty to have given me the opportunity to orchestrate my inner feelings and navigate my life towards philanthropy. I also want to thank my lovely wife and my family who not only put up with me but also helped with my IACF activities.

All this however would not have been possible without your continued support. Thanks for joining us as we continue on our voyage to chart new courses. Have a great evening and I sincerely wish this will be a memorable one for all of you.

Sincerely,

IACF President

“We live here, we give here.”

Joseph Zenith Ellankil

Keynote Speaker

Keynote Speaker: MR. ATUL VIR CEO - Equator Advanced Appliances

Dear Gala Attendees, IACF Annual Gala - Friday December 2, 2022

My American Dream

Atul Vir is a hands-on CEO, entrepreneur, inventor, and author. Atul operates his global company, Equator Advanced Appliances, on the principles of strong ethics and superior customer service — values that set him apart from the laissez-faire conduct of the business world.

Atul founded Equator over 30 years ago with one goal: to help his wife spend less time doing laundry and household chores, allowing her more time with family. He is known for designing some of the world’s most innovative household appliances, including combo washer-dryers that wash and dry in a single unit, smart air-conditioners, and vacuum cleaner that sweep, vacuum, mop AND clean themselves after use.

Over the last 32 years, Atul has grown Equator into a leading appliance company with interests in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, China and India. His work has led to 18 patents and a reputation for innovation.

Atul is a first-generation immigrant from India and was told in his first job interview, “you don’t know a damn thing about American business”. Atul took that as a challenge and over the years has twice been named Entrepreneur of the Year by Wells Fargo Bank, he was an Ernst and Young Finalist, and Entrepreneur of the Year by the IndoAmerican Chamber of Commerce. Equator has been ranked 3 times in the Houston 100 List of Fastest Growing Companies and has been featured in leading media such as CBS News, HGTV, Oprah, Fortune magazine, Popular Mechanics, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Equator’s products have been the recipient of multiple design and innovation awards over the years.

In February 2022, Atul was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his contributions to the Consumer Products industry. He has recently published a book called “Underdog Thinking” which recounts his journey and the business lessons he has learned.

Atul believes in building a strong community. He has been an office bearer in ICC and India House and was a Founder member of YLDP. Vir led the negotiation on behalf of ICC with City of Houston to rename Hillcroft area as Mahatma Gandhi District.

Thank You, Atul Vir.

FOUNDERS AND PAST PRESIDENTS

The Indo-American Charity Foundation of Houston wishes to honor and acknowledge the following Founding Members for their vision, dedication and continued support:

FOUNDING

COMMITTEE- Year 1988 - 1990

Dr. Arvind & Anita Bhandari Dr. Vinod & Vijay Bhuchar Ramesh & Rasika Dhekne Dr. Satish & Manju Jhingran Biki & Dr. Prita Mohindra Dr. Suresh & Suneeta Moonat Dr. Bhupat & Madhu Vachhani Dr. Manoj & Nilima Vakil

YEAR PRESIDENT

1991 Rasika Dhekne 1992 Jagat Kamdar 1993 Kamna Sharma 1994 Sushma Mahajan 1995 Manoj Vakil 1996 Rashmi Desai 1997 Subodh Bhuchar 1998 Prabha Bala 1999 Dinkar Chheda 2000 Vijay Bhuchar

2001 Paul Likhari 2002 Leela Krishnamurthy 2003 Sonal Bhuchar 2004 Manmeet Likhari 2005 Sheela Rao 2006 Radha Thiagarajan 2007 Sushma Bhan 2008 Mani Subramanian 2009 Rachel Varghese

2010 Bobby Singh 2011 Anu Bala

2012 David Raj 2013 Murthy Divakaruni

2014 Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala

2015 Dr. Kamala Raghavan 2016 Nanda Vura 2017 Vanitha Pothuri 2018 Mahesh Wadhwa 2019 Venkat Iyer 2020 Joseph “Zenith” Ellankil

2022

Board of Directors

President Joseph “Zenith” Ellankil, Senior Director, Summit Utilities Treasurer & President Elect Rajesh Dikonda, Specialist at UTHealth, Houston Secretary Dr. Prasun Kumar Jalal, Hepatology Doctor and Scholar Director Venkat Iyer, Senior Manager, IBM Corporation Group Director Dr. Sushovan Guha, Professor Of Medicine, UTHealth Director Hasu D Patel, Director of Southwestern National Bank Director Sridhar Srinivasan, Founder/CEO, Web Plastics Company

Director Ven Bontha, Ex VP, Customer Experience, CEMEX Inc. Director Pankaj Rana, Head, NRG Energy Director Ramesh Maddi, Founder and CTO, Maddisoft Director Rosh Rajan, Business Owner Director Babu Thomas, Business Owner

Advisor Ramesh Cherivirala, Past President, IACF Advisor Prem Cholia, Past Director, IACF

Advisor Kamala Raghavan, Past President, IACF Advisor Nanda Vura, Past President, IACF Advisor Mahesh Wadhwa, Past President, IACF

“Charity is great but the moment you say it is all, you run the risk of running into materialism.”

--- Swami Vivekananda

CHARITY PARTNERS

Asians Against Domestic Abuse

AVANCE Houston Inc

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Family to Family Network

Foundation for Education and Research in Vision (FERV) at University of Houston College of Optometry Houston Tamil Studies Chair

Indian American Cancer Network (IACAN)

Indian Doctor’s Charity Clinic

PEACE -Parent Engagement for Active Child Enrichment Prevent Blindness Texas Santa Maria Hostel

SEARCH Homeless services (in kind)

Second Servings of Houston

St. Mary of the Purification Catholic School YLDP of Houston iEducate USA

Indian Sr Citiz. Assn (in kind)

Literacy Advance of Houston Mahatma Gandhi Library Inc Turning Point Center Hindu Charities for America(HC4A)

President, Senior Director, Summit Utilities

Dr. Sushovan Guha Director, Professor of Medicine, UTHealth

Dr. Prasun Kumar Jalal Secretary, Hepatology Doctor and Scholar

Sridhar Srinivasan Director, Founder/CEO, Web Plastics Company

Rosh Rajan Director, Business Owner

Pankaj Rana Director, Head, NRG Energy

Joseph Ellankil

Ramesh Cherivirala Advisor, IACF

Prem Cholia Advisor, IACF

Kamala Raghavan Advisor, IACF

Nanda Vura Advisor, IACF

Mahesh Wadhwa Advisor, IACF

Ven Bontha Director, Ex VP, Customer Experience, CEMEX Inc.

Babu Thomas Director, Business Owner

Ramesh Maddi Director, Founder and CTO, Maddisoft

Rajesh Dikonda Treasurer & President Elect Specialist at UTHealth, Houston

Hasu D Patel Director, Director of Southwestern National Bank

Venkat Iyer Past President, Sr Manager Kyndryl. Inc

2022 Board of Directors

2022 Board of Advisors

FRIENDS OF CHARITY

RAJASEKHAR CHAPPIDI

l Born and raised in Anatapur, Andhra Pradesh

l Earned his Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from KSRM College of Engineering

l Earned his Masters degree in Engineering from Central Institute of Tool Design, Hyderabad

l President and CEO of Advent Global Solution since 1997

l Currently resides in Houston with his wife and 3 children

l Co-founder of Houston Food Bank sub-chapter “Hunger Mitao” – a volunteer driven grassroots movement

AMRIK SINGH NIJJAR

l Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, India in 1975

l Obtained Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston and was employed in the oil field business for about 40 years

l Retired from FMC Technologies, Inc. as a chief engineer & Fellow in 2017

l He is President of The Sikh Center & has been member of The Sikh Center of the Gulf Coast Area, Inc. since 1975

l Member of the American Punjabi Charity Golf Association (APCGA), a non-profit organization that supports various charity organizations throughout Houston area by playing golf to raise money

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.”

FRIENDS OF CHARITY

KANVAR SURI

l Marine Engineer by training, who sailed the seven seas as an Engineer aboard Merchant Cargo ships, before being based in Hong Kong & New York as a Ship Manager, & Charterer

l Obtained his MBA in Finance from New York, before switching gears to owning real estate and heavy line automotive service centers

l Founded a community bank – One World Bank - in Dallas, focused on the needs of the immigrant communities

l With sheer determination, and the support of its shareholders & Directors, One World Bank came out of the 2008 recession full of gusto to do better. Today, One World Bank is a Profitable, well-run bank with three locations, and hopes to grow into other Texas cities like Austin, San Antonio, East & West Texas

ANURADHA & MANI SUBRAMANIAN

l Anuradha has been involved in non-profit organizations like Pratham, Classical Arts Society of Houston, and JK Yog l Mani has been involved in non-profit organizations like Daya, IACF, Akshaya Patra, Interfaith Ministries, Udhavum Karangal. He is currently active in operations of Taj Residences

l Their approach has been to support education, culture, arts & music, help underprivileged children and seniors, promote eye research and eyecare

“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”

FRIENDS OF CHARITY

DR. SWAMINATHAN P. IYER

l Professor of Medicine at University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX as a Lymphoma specialist

l Internationally recognized expert in clinical trials for cancer with two FDA approvals, in Lymphoma and Leukemia

l He graduated from Bangalore Medical College, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences with a Gold Medal in Pathology in 1994; His post-graduation includes training at AIIMS, Wayne State University and University of Miami and is a American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Diplomate in Internal Medicine and Hematology

l Serves as the President of the Indo American Cancer Association with the goal of giving back service and care for cancer patients in India. He is the recipient of several awards including American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award, Outstanding Physician Volunteer for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society

BOBBY SINGH

l Bobby Singh was president of IACF in the year 2020. He is proud of the role that IACF plays in supporting local mainstream charities along with institutions like Daya that help our own community’s critical needs.

l Bobby is most impressed with the diversity of IACF’s Board of Directors with their vast experience, and their dedication to support its mission, and continue to help those in need. Wishing IACF many more years of success in meeting its charter and serving the Greater Houston Community.

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.

H. Jackson Brown Jr.

"I Walk, I Care" - IACF's annual 5K Walkathon held jointly with IDA and IDCC

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Keynote Speaker

MR. ATUL VIR

CEO - Equator Advanced Appliances

Congratulations to IACF

Commemorating 34 years of service

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