Mohit Assomull is a managing director and head of Global Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley, based in New York. Mo joined Morgan Stanley in 1996, and has spent time in a number of roles there in Hong Kong and London. Prior to his current post he served as the co-chief operating officer of the institutional securities group. Mo has worked with companies and investors across a range of industries and regions, with a focus on IPOs, private placements, and structured solutions for clients globally. Mo attended junior and high school in Hong Kong, and graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in economics.
Although Madhur Jaffrey is a renowned cookbook author today, she did not always seem destined to introduce Indian cuisine to the rest of the world. This “accidental cook” grew up in India, studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and then moving to New York City to begin her career as an actress. She did not spend time in the kitchen as a child; it was only after moving to London for school that she began using her mother’s recipes to cook Indian dishes at home. In the 1960s, she was hired by BBC to work on a show on Indian cooking, and from there, her culinary career took off. She is the author of more than 30 cookbooks, including the seminal “An Invitation to Indian Cooking.” Her books have won awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the James Beard Foundation, and her writing has received recognition from The New York Times, Newsweek, Sunday Observer, Gourmet, Reader’s Digest, and Food & Wine.
Born in New Delhi, India, Tinku Jain is a prominent media personality in the South Asian community. She hosts a television program called “Namaste America” that airs in the U.S. and has been a longstanding member of various charitable organizations that seek social improvement. She is also on the Advisory Committee of the Multicultural Development Initiative of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which brings awareness to the museum’s collections and programs by reaching out to diverse communities. In 2005, Tinku and her husband founded the Jain Foundation, whose goal is to hasten every avenue that may lead towards the cure for LGMD2B/Miyoshi Muscular Dystrophy. As an orphan disease, LGMD2B/Miyoshi receives little or no funding from traditional sources. She is happily married with twin boys and lives with her husband Ajit in Rye, NY.
Sanjay Kamlani is the founder and CEO of Maker5 Inc., a legal innovation advisory, software development services, and venture studio for law firms and corporate counsel. After building a U.S.-India business practice as a lawyer at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the ‘90s, Sanjay became the GC & CFO on the founding management team of OfficeTiger, the pioneer of professional support services offshore outsourcing. In 2004, he co-founded Pangea3, a Sequoia Capital portfolio company that became the pioneer and leader in legal outsourcing, before being acquired by Thomson Reuters in 2010 and more recently by EY. Sanjay has been recognized by The American Lawyer as a Top 50 Innovator in Big Law in the Last 50 Years and featured in the ABA Law Journal’s 100 Years of Law. He earned his BA from Duke University and his JD from the University of Pennsylvania where he served as an associate editor of the Univ. of Pennsylvania Law Review. Sanjay is admitted to the New York Bar.
Dr. Bhushan Khashu is a prominent urologist in New York City and Long Island. He was born in Kashmir, India Dr. Khashu immigrated to the US over 40 years ago. In addition to practicing urology, he has served as medical director at North Shore University Hospital and Wyckoff Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Khashu has been on the teaching faculty of SUNY, Stony Brook, Albert Einstein College Of Medicine, New York School of Osteopathic Medicine and has published widely in the field of urology. Dr Khashu is married to Dr. Santosh Khashu, a retired psychiatrist and is the father of two children, both involved in public service and grandfather to three grandchildren. Dr Khashu recently retired from his medical practice and is devoting his time to various philanthropic endeavors.
Poonam Khubani is the vice president of TeleBrands International (the “As Seen On TV” commercial giant) and President of International Edge. She has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of New Jersey according to the Leading Women Entrepreneurs Initiative (LWENJ). Additionally, Ms. Khubani has been awarded for her professional and cultural contributions including the Visual Media Award from the New India Times, the NRA Television and Film Award, and the Roshini (Light of Angel) Award. Poonam is also an actress and producer, known for Aryan: Unbreakable (2006) and Star of Jaipur (1998).
Prakash A. Melwani is a Senior managing director at Blackstone and is based in New York. He is chief investment officer of the private equity group and chairs each of its investment committees. Mr. Melwani received a First Class Honors degree in economics from Cambridge University, and an MBA with High Distinction from the Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar and a Loeb Rhodes Fellow. Mr. Melwani serves as a Director of Crocs, Kosmos Energy, Performance Food Group, RGIS Inventory Specialists and Blackstone strategic partner, Patria. Mr. Melwani sits on the Board of St. Bernard’s School in New York City as well as the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School and the President’s Council on International Activities at Yale University.
Raju Mirchandani is the founder and president of Ross International, and the chief executive officer of the Ross Group, a leader in the reverse supply chain and warehousing services industry. Under his leadership, the Ross Group has expanded its presence throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Mirchandani resides in New York City and is a Golden Alumnus of the HR College of Commerce (Mumbai), India. He has been involved with Children’s Hope and has been an avid supporter for over 20 years. Outside of the business world, he is a collector of Modern Indian art and enjoys playing golf.
Daryl Harrison Rand is the president of HarrisonRand Advertising, a Small and Women’s Business Enterprise Corporation, fully certified by the State of New Jersey and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In 2009, her sons Jason and David Rand joined her in the family agency founded by her father, Harold Harrison, in 1941. Since then, the agency has won over 100 awards on behalf of a wide variety of clients in the NJ/NY region. In 2008, NJBIZ named Rand as one of New Jersey’s Best 50 Women in Business. Later that year, the NJ Ad Club inducted her into its Hall of Fame. She is the former chairman of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, which honored her in 2009 as a Legend. At present, Rand is producing One World: Empowering Women for the Global Conversation, an inaugural conference to focus attention on gender empowerment and equality.
Sunil Sani is president at CGS Investments, Inc., a family-owned investment company and a principal at Flying Ventures, LLC, a family-run, early-stage, Venture Capital fund. He serves as a trustee of the Sani Family Foundation, which focuses its attention on children’s issues and causes in India, sits on the Executive Committee of the Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council, is a board member of the Great Neck Police Athletic League, and is a board member of the Harvard Schools Committee in Long Island. Sunil is also a member of the Save the Children Board of Trustees. Sunil received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1985 and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1987. Sunil is married and has two sons.
Sarat graduated magna cum laude from Lehigh University in 1992, where he was a Martindale Scholar, earning a Bachelor of Science in business and economics. After working at Coopers & Lybrand as a certified public accountant, Sarat attended Harvard Business School where he earned a Masters in Business Administration. Sarat worked for JP Morgan in the Mergers & Acquisition/Corporate Finance area focusing on domestic and cross-border transactions until joining DCLA in 1999. Sarat serves on Lehigh University’s Board of Trustees, is the president of the Martindale Society and is chair of the University’s Endowment Investment Committee. He was also president of the Lehigh University Alumni Association. He appears regularly on CNBC as an on-air contributor providing market commentary and equity analysis. He became a partner of DCLA in 2001, a managing director in 2013 and a managing partner in 2016.
Haresh Tharani is the principal and chairman of Tharanco Group, the parent company for various innovative fashion and textile-related companies across the world. Mr. Tharani has also expanded into private holdings with brand building, real estate and private equity. Tharanco Group, formerly The Resource Club Ltd, was launched in 1988 by Mr. Tharani continues to evolve and grow the company’s portfolio reaching a variety of industries. In addition to Mr. Tharani’s dedication and support to CHI, Mr. Tharani is also a board member of the KIDS Fashion Delivers organization and The Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council.