Donor Events
Friends of the Arts at CIIS Salon Featuring Shelley Mitchell
Eighth Annual Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Dinner
Friends of the Arts at CIIS Salon Featuring Coleman Barks
First Annual Scholarship Reception
Ninth Annual Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Dinner
May 7, 2011
On May 7th, 2011, CIIS awarded scholar and humanitarian Haresh C. Shah with the Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Award for Distinguished Service. More details about Mr. Shah's distinguished career are available in the Spring 2011 edition of CIIS Today.
Mr. Shah's family, close friends and colleagues joined him at the Crown Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto to witness the award ceremony and share a meal with members of the CIIS community. Preceded by an invocation by Silvia Nakkach and an introduction by Prasad Vepa, Chair of the CIIS Board of Trustees, Mr. Shah spoke fervently about the plight of farmers in the developing world. Motivated by more energy than he had when he was young, Mr. Shah advocated for the use of micro-insurance to aid subsistence farmers who often consider suicide after catastrophic crop damage. After thanking his wife, Mary-Joan Shah, for her support, Mr. Shah affirmed that it was imperative to help the poor and those living at the margins of society. Mr. Shah noted that he had known the CIIS founders personally, a connection made more heartwarming by the presence of Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri's children, Shipra Narruhn, Rita Pease, and Aushim Chaudhuri in the audience.
While listening to classical Indian music performed by Brian Wallace and Aushim Chaudhuri, guests and CIIS community members enjoyed a savory meal catered by Gaylord India Restaurant and wine provided by Suncé Winery. Tables at the 2011 ceremony were sponsored by the Honoree, Shankar and Kamlesh Bhattacharya, Margy Boyd, the Cultural Integration Fellowship, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Shipra Narruhn, Rita Pease, and Union Bank.
This year, proceeds from the Chaudhuri Award Dinner support the Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Library Collection at CIIS. The collection will recognize and advance books on Indian philosophy from the ancient period to Aurobindo. Past honorees include Kanwal Rekhi, Kavita N. Ramdas, Naranji V. Patel, Ali Akbar Khan, Rajnikant and Helen Desai, Magan Patel and Rajendra and the late Malti Prasad.
Friends of the Arts at CIIS Salon Featuring Shelley Mitchell
April 26, 2011
Approximately 40 guests attended a lovely Friends of the Arts at CIIS salon featuring actress Shelley Mitchell at the private home of CIIS friend and graduate of the Sound, Voice, and Music Healing Certificate Program, Karen Justis. Mitchell read excerpts from the play Goddesses, written by poet and CIIS Director of Development, Dorotea Reyna. Reyna also read excerpts from her play, and moderated a lively discussion after the reading. Goddesses was inspired by the groundbreaking feminist classic Goddesses in Everywoman by writer Jean Shinoda Bolen, who was also in attendance. Mitchell, founder and artistic director of The Actors Center of San Francisco, is a renowned actor and is best known for her internationally acclaimed performance of Talking with Angels: Budapest, 1943, including a 2004 production with CIIS Public Programs.
Eighth Annual Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Dinner
April 24, 2010
This spring, CIIS awarded the Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Award for Distinguished Service to technology entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kanwal Rekhi.
Mr. Rekhi was born in Rawalpindi in what is now Pakistan, and raised in Kanpur, India after the partition of the subcontinent. After studying at the Indian Institute for Technology in Mumbai, he came to the U.S. and earned his master's degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technical University.
As the CEO and co-founder of Excelen, Mr. Rekhi was instrumental in the development of Ethernet networking technology, as well as the Internet protocol TCP/IP. At the time, no Asian-Americans served as CEOs in any publicly traded Silicon Valley companies and he persevered in spite of discrimination from investors.
In 1992, Mr. Rekhi helped found the The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE), a nonprofit support network for Indian-American entrepreneurs. Active in TIE, Mr. Rekhi mentored a generation of innovators in the Silicon Valley. Currently, he is the managing director of Inventus Capital Partners and serves on the board of directors of several companies, including Sierra Atlantic and Instantis. As a philanthropist, he continues to support education in India and the U.S.
The award dinner took place at the Crown Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto on April 24, 2010. Nearly 120 guests attended, including Mr. Rekhi's family and close friends. After an invocation by Silvia Nakkach, Mr. Rekhi was presented with the award by CIIS President Joseph Subbiondo and introduced by Prasad Vepa, the chair of the CIIS Board of Trustees.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Rekhi stressed the merits of mentoring as a method to give back to the community and stay young. He also surprised attendees with anecdotes about his struggles as a poor university student. Mr. Rekhi came to the U.S. with just $8 to his name, and learned quickly how to adapt and make due with very limited means. As the first alum to donate to the Indian Institute for Technology, Mr. Rekhi encouraged listeners to support education and improve the lives of students.
Guests enjoyed a hearty dinner catered by Gaylord India Restaurant, wine from Suncé Winery and classical Indian music performed by Brian Wallace and Aushim Chaudhuri. In addition to CIIS faculty, staff, and alumni, the event was attended by all three children of the late Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri: Shipra Narruhn, Rita Pease, and Aushim Chaudhuri.
In its eighth year, proceeds from the Chaudhuri Award Dinner support the Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri Endowment at CIIS. The endowment provides scholarships for CIIS students and helps the institute bring internationally recognized scholars, artists, and public figures to the San Francisco Bay Area to contribute to an understanding of Indian philosophy, culture, and history. Past honorees include Kavita N. Ramdas, Naranji V. Patel, Ali Akbar Khan, Rajnikant and Helen Desai, Magan Patel and Rajendra, and the late Malti Prasad.
Tables at the 2010 ceremony were sponsored by Shankar and Kamlesh Bhattacharya, Margy Boyd, The Cultural Integration Fellowship, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Vish Mishra, Rita Pease, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Arvind and Renuka Relan, and Union Bank.
Friends of the Arts at CIIS Salon Featuring Coleman Barks
April 14, 2010Approximately 50 guests attended a festive Friends of the Arts at CIIS salon featuring Coleman Barks at the private home of YaYa Cantu. Coleman read selections from his own poetry, prior to his performance at the Palace of Fine Arts for CIIS' Public Programs on April 15. Coleman Barks, the author of the best selling book, The Essential Rumi, is renowned for his many books translating the poems of the Sufi poet, Jalal al-Din Rumi. A popular presenter for Public Programs, Coleman Barks was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate by CIIS at its May 16, 2010 Commencement.
First Annual Scholarship Reception
April 3, 2010
On April 3, CIIS hosted its first annual Scholarship Reception in Namaste Hall. Forty-five donors, scholars, and alumni attended to celebrate the accomplishments of CIIS students and the generosity of the philanthropic community.
Scholarship donors included friends from the community, trustees, faculty and staff. Attendees included Joseph Subbiondo, President of CIIS; Prasad Vepa, Chair of the CIIS Board of Trustees; Michael Murphy, Esalen Institute co-founder; Barbara Garcia, Deputy Director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health; and the children of Haridas and Bina Chaudhuri: Rita Chaudhuri Pease, Shipra Chaudhuri Narruhn and Aushim Chaudhuri.
In addition, Jeremy Zhu, a PhD candidate in the East-West Psychology program, Shantell Herndon-Kopelman, a MA candidate in the Community Mental Health program and Carmen Iniguez, also an MA candidate in the Community Mental Health program, spoke about the crucial role scholarships played in supporting their studies.
Dorotea Reyna, CIIS Director of Development, said that she looked forward to this event next spring: "We sincerely appreciate all those donors whose gifts of scholarships help our students complete their educations and go on to serve their communities. It is a pleasure to introduce donors to the recipients of their scholarships at this reception."
