Maya Ajmera
Maya Ajmera is President and CEO of Society for Science and Executive Publisher of its award-winning magazine, Science News, where she oversees the Regeneron Science Talent Search and International Science and Engineering Fair, competitions that have shaped generations of American scientists. Raised in North Carolina by Indian immigrants, she previously founded the Global Fund for […]
Nalini Saligram
Nalini Saligram is a global nonprofit leader and public health advocate dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable children and families. As President and CEO of Arogya World, she has led initiatives to prevent noncommunicable diseases by promoting healthier lifestyles and workplace wellness. Nalini has lived and worked in many parts of the world. She […]
Indian Americans Transform US Universities, Medical Centers & Student Access
Indian Americans have reshaped American educational and healthcare infrastructure through transformative capital gifts. Since 2008, they have donated over $3 billion to US universities. Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon’s $100 million gift to the now NYU Tandon School of Engineering, was then the largest gift to an engineering school by a diaspora family. Monte Ahuja built […]
American India Foundation Signals Diaspora’s Emerging Civic Muscle
When the American India Foundation was established in 2001 with President Bill Clinton as honorary chair, it marked something larger than a philanthropic organization: it was the first demonstration that the Indian-American diaspora could convene at the highest levels of American civic and political life, mobilize institutional resources, and command the attention of a sitting […]
One Diaspora, Many Voices: How Regional Pride Shaped Indian American Life
Across the United States, Indian Americans have built a rich civic architecture of local and national associations — each rooted in the languages, traditions, and histories of India’s distinct regions. Organizations like the Gujarati Association of New England, the Telugu Association of North America, and the Federation of Tamil Sangams have done more than preserve […]
Reshma Saujani Launches Girls Who Code
Hundreds of thousands of young women have entered the world of computer science through an initiative launched by Reshma Saujani. In 2012, she founded Girls Who Code to address the gender gap in technology. The organization grew into one of America’s largest computer-science education nonprofits, helping build a stronger pipeline of women entering technical careers.
Indian Americans Build the First Permanent Museum of Their Own History
In 2021, the National Indo-American Museum (NIAM) opened its first permanent home in Lombard, Illinois, the first dedicated museum built by and for Indian Americans to preserve the diaspora’s cultural heritage and immigrant narrative. Dr. Umang and Paragi Patel donated the building that made it possible. In 2023, the Eternal Gandhi Museum opened in Houston, […]
India Philanthropy Alliance Formed to Coordinate Diaspora Giving
Indiaspora convened the India Philanthropy Alliance on October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, bringing together 23 major nonprofits and philanthropic organizations operating across the United States. The launch was the culmination of Indiaspora’s work to structure and coordinate the Indian-American philanthropic sector, which raises over $100 million annually, into a unified […]
Indian Americans Mobilize as a Domestic Emergency Response Force
When America has faced its gravest domestic crises, Indian American communities have mobilized as an organized civic force. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Indian American organizations, temples, and gurdwaras raised funds and coordinated volunteers. Saket Soni founded Resilience Force to organize the largely immigrant workforce that physically rebuilds American communities after disasters.
Indian Americans Build Grassroots Civic Infrastructure Across the U.S.
Indian Americans have built lasting civic infrastructure at the community level across the United States. Anil and Gautam Godhwani co-founded the India Community Center in the San Francisco Bay Area, a model of physical civic infrastructure serving simultaneously as a community foundation, cultural center, and civic gathering space. The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) has […]