GOPIO-CT Chapter Hosts Welcome Dinner for Univ. of Connecticut Students

New York:

Global Organization of People of Indian Origin Connecticut Chapter (GOPIO-CT) organized a program of welcoming new students from India at the Univ. of Connecticut, School of Business from its Stamford and Hartford campuses with a networking dinner on Friday, October 14th at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Stamford. While it was networking event for the students and the Indian American community, it also served as an interactive session with a high-profile panel of Indian American Corporate Achievers and entrepreneurs.

The program, chaired GOPIO-CT Exec. VP Prasad Chintalapudi, started with a welcome by President Ashok Nichani, who spoke on the various services provided by the chapter and supporting various charities in Connecticut. Nichani told the students the Indian American community is their host family in America and that chapter will always help whenever they need any help.

Extending a warm welcome to the new students, most of them joining only in early September, Dr. Abraham said, “America is the greatest country which provides opportunity to open up your mind and you can be whatever you want to become, whether a professional in a large corporation, or help to manage a hedge fund or as a scientist or professor or as an entrepreneur, so, go and grab the opportunities awaiting you.” Dr. Abrahm also added that although, he is a nanotechnologist, his passion was building community institutions since he came in 1973 as a student at Columbia University.

The high-profile panel included Entain CIO Joseph Simon, Eminent Software Services Managing Partner Srikanth Dasugari, Immigration Attorney David Nachman, 3Lines COO Nandu Kuppusamy, Maganti IT Resources President Prasad Maganti, eNcloud Services President Chandra Sekhar Nallam and Maganti IT Resources CTO Sushma Maganti.

Each of the panelists were asked to comment on sets of questions on their journey to where they reached today and how earlier career choices lead them to where they are now. The panelists provided personal experience to their success. The panelists also provided guidance and inputs on educational preparation, necessary prior experience, what skills are the most important and transferable skills to acquire so as to market oneself to the American job market.

ll the students at the event were introduced at the beginning of the panel discussion. A question/answer session followed.

“It was a highly successful program with a larger participation of the students this year,” said program chair Chintalapudi. GOPIO-CT Secretary Prachi Narayan served as the moderator.

The program was coordinated with UConn Business School program Directors Laurissa Berk and Lynsi Jennings. The event was sponsored by Visaserve, an Immigration Attorneys Group headed by David Nachman with office in New jersey, New York and Connecticut.

Over the last 16 years, GOPIO-CT, a chapter of GOPIO International has become an active and dynamic organization hosting interactive sessions with policy makers and academicians, community events, youth mentoring and networking workshops, and working with other area organizations to help create a better future. GOPIO-CT – Global Organization of People of Indian Origin – serves as a non-partisan, secular, civic and community service organization – promoting awareness of Indian culture, customs and contributions of PIOs through community programs, forums, events and youth activities. It seeks to strengthen partnerships and create an ongoing dialogue with local communities.

GOPIO-CT president Ashok Nichani (left) welcoming the students and GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham addressing the gathering

Panelists at the session. From l. to r.: Prasad Maganti, Attorney David Nachman, Chandra Sekhar Nallam, Srikanth Dasugari, Sushma Maganti, Joseph Simon and Nandu Kuppusamy

UConn Business School students at the event.