Ken Matthew says his idols are Swami Vivekanand, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. Ken was just appointed Deputy Mayor of Stafford, Texas, a small community of about 20,000 people.He graduated from Mumbai University and also has an MBA from University of Detroit (yes! I’ve got the University of Mumbai AND a Detroit connection with him).
Ken is the 1st Asian Indian (Indian American) to hold such a position in Texas.
Know anyone at Harvard needing financial assistance? Well, there’s a new way for them to get in front of people who can provide financial aid.
Nimay Mehta and Tanuj Parikh, two Asian Indian Harvard graduates along with their buddy Joshua Kushner, have launched a start-up which is sure to be a hit with students and alumni alike.
UniThrive, is a non-profit which connects Harvard’s financially needed students to Harvard’s alumni with deep pockets.
The site is currently only available to Harvard students and alumni but I’m sure that’s going to change in near future. What a great way for Harvard grads to make their mark in the business world. Kudos to all three.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi presented a memorial of the resolution passed by the Michigan House of Representatives who condemned the Mumbai Terror attacks that took place last November. Such a pleasant surprise from all this talk about US administration’s support for aid to Pakistan, etc.The resolution was sponsored by Marty Knollenberg and it called on the Obama Administration to work with the Indian government to support them in their strategies post the attacks.
Marty Knollenberg was quoted saying that “the legislation is meant to show our support and sympathy to Indian-Americans”.
As an Indian-American living in Michigan, I send my thank you to Marty Knollenberg!
P.S. Too bad the Indian government appears to be doing little if anything after the terrorist attacks on Mumbai.
Tim Roemer was appointed Ambassador to India a couple of days ago. Ok, I thought, let me learn more about Tim Roemer. As I expected, he’s a mover & a shaker; president of Center for National Policy which is a national security think tank in DC. So I’m thoroughly impressed. Until….
Until I dug into his voting record and stance on issues while he served in the US House of Representatives from 1991 to 2003. So what caused my eyebrows to raise incredulously?
As a member of the House of Representatives, Tim Roemer voted on the following:
Make a long-term commitment to supporting Pakistan
Roemer signed the 9/11 Commission ReportIn an extraordinary public essay asking how Muslims can “drag ourselves out of the pit we find ourselves in, to raise ourselves up,” Musharraf has called for a strategy of “enlightened moderation.”
The Muslim world, he said, should shun militancy and extremism; the West—and the United States in particular—should seek to resolve disputes with justice and help better the Muslim world.
Having come close to war in 2002 and 2003, Pakistan and India have recently made significant progress in peacefully discussing their longstanding differences. The United States has been and should remain a key supporter of that process.
The constant refrain of Pakistanis is that the United States long treated them as allies of convenience. As the United States makes fresh commitments now, it should make promises it is prepared to keep, for years to come.
Recommendation: If Musharraf stands for enlightened moderation in a fight for his life and for the life of his country, the United States should be willing to make hard choices too, and make the difficult long-term commitment to the future of Pakistan. Sustaining the current scale of aid to Pakistan, the United States should support Pakistan’s government in its struggle against extremists with a comprehensive effort that extends from military aid to support for better education, so long as Pakistan’s leaders remain willing to make difficult choices of their own.
Huh! Double Huh! Given how India and Indians feel about Pakistan and what’s happening there, I wonder what Tim Roemer’s thinking about his above vote, now that he is in India.
Networking is what I love to do and that love really led to the creation of the Michigan India Chamber of Commerce. Everyone networks differently and there are no “documented” right and wrong ways to network. In the 17 months or so (can you believe, it has been that long already!), I’ve formed many, many great connections. However, I’ve also been disappointed with some lack of “networking etiquette” which has led to the creation of this blog:
Networking is about connecting: Connections lead to more connections and the result is similar to “connecting the dots” whereby each dot takes you to another connection. Long story short, no connection is too boring, a waste of time, or useless. Value each connection because “you just never know who knows whom”.
Remember: Connect, connect, connect, period!
Networking is about relationships: Networking is NOT about instant gratification. You have to meet the person over and over and over again to first form a relationship, then to leverage that relationship, and then to create mutual benefit.
Remember: Networking is a longer-term investment. Results may not be achieved in one, two or even 17 months.
Networking is not selling: That’s right, networking is not selling. Networking is “marketing” which may or may not lead to a sale, transaction, or money exchanging hands. Remember: Learn to market, not sell.
Networking requires integrity: This is a good one that is my biggest pet peeve. So what does integrity in networking look like? It looks like the following:
Remembering a referral
Being a loyal networker
Remembering to return a favor
Sticking by your commitments
Returning the favor
Remember
: It’s a small world, you just never know when you’ll need the other person
Networking beyond “what’s in it for me”: Even successful individuals have asked me; “what’s in it for me”. My answer; “whatever you put in and whatever you want to make of it”.Remember: Networking means “givers gain”. If you are successful, share and gain from that sharing. Sharing doesn’t lessen your success and only helps create good-will ambassadors for you.
To summarize, networking works. By providing the Michigan India Chamber of Commerce forum to you, I help you network. I can neither make or break your deals, broker relationships or transactions and nor can I promise you a “Return on Investment” for your participation.
“You get what you sow” is very true in networking. To make networking work for you, network:
consistently
whole-heartedly
without a “what’s in it for me
And eventually you WILL see an ROI - in the form of relationships, a strong referral network, many goodwill ambassadors, and best-case scenario; your ROI will come in the form of leads & new business.
