Piscataway, NJ—April 4, 2022—The Sikh Chamber of Commerce Global (SCC) hosted its 8th annual Gala where eight leaders of the Sikh community were honored for their positive influences home and abroad. The individuals included a former New Jersey Attorney General, a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Bronze Star recipient, and a New Jersey cardiologist who provided medical services during the Black Lives Matter protests and at the Poland border to Ukrainian refugees.
The event, themed #RiseTogether, saw more than 400 attendees fill Dewan Banquet in Piscataway, NJ, on Friday, April 1. It also featured a panel of “Under 40’s” leaders who talked about their personal and professional journeys, as well as a keynote address from Dr. Mandeep Rai, an international best-selling author and former broadcast journalist, who shared her findings from her travels to more than 150 countries which she documented in her bestselling book, The Values Compass: What 101 Countries Teach Us About Purpose, Life and Leadership.
The eight community leaders honored were:
Gurbir Grewal - Director, Division of Enforcement at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and New Jersey’s 61st Attorney General
Dr. Swaiman Singh - Founder & President 5 Rivers Heart Association in Jackson, NJ, Medical Doctor, Research Scientist & Humanitarian
Ravi Aurora - SVP (Mastercard), Global Public Policy & Indo-Pacific Policy Operations
Sapreet Kaur - Chief Strategic Partnerships & New Ventures Officer at Girl Scouts of the USA
Dr. Kamal Singh Kalsi, LTC, USAR - Emergency medicine physician and Bronze Star Medal recipient
Jasvir Gill - CEO, Alert Enterprise
Jaideep Bajaj - Chairman at ZS Associates
Jaswinder Chadha - Entrepreneur and data scientist
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Attendees met the honored guests, networked with their peers, identified new business opportunities, and connected with a mentor or mentee. The primary purpose for the Gala attendees – including high school and college students – was to learn about purpose, life, and leadership from the Sikh community’s finest leaders.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for attendees to meet business and community influencers in person, and learn from their incredible experiences,” said Sunny Kaila, who launched the Sikh American Chamber of Commerce (SACC) in 2012. “When I arrived in America from India in 1993, there was no support group to help me succeed. So, I’ve been very passionate about building a global Sikh commerce institution because institutions are pillars of a healthy community.”
PHOTO CAPTION: Board members, speakers, influencers, and special guests at the SCC 8th annual Gala.
About SCC
The Sikh Chamber of Commerce Global (SCC) is a non-profit organization comprised of a cross-section of Sikh American professionals, businesses, and students. Established in 2011 with a vision to bring together Sikh American businesses and professionals in the spirit of enterprise, its goal is to provide a forum for effective business networking, promote entrepreneurship within the community, and assist other Sikh American professionals in the continued growth of their businesses and careers.