The SALUTE Suite | January 2025

Starting the Year Strong

We’re thrilled to continue showcasing SALUTE member wins here on LinkedIn! It’s a reminder of how far our community has come in amplifying the impactful contributions of South Asian leaders. Too often, these incredible achievements get buried in inboxes — but they deserve to be celebrated by all.

As 2025 begins, we’re excited to highlight the successes and milestones from this January. From incredible accomplishments to inspiring announcements, this month has been a testament to the power of our community.

Did we miss your win? Make sure to DM us. Thanks!

Requests/ISO

• Rippi Gill Rangwala serves as line producer for Broken Images Play, focusing on all aspects of production, and is looking to raise $50K to bring Broken Images to the Paradise Factory Theater in NYC

• ISO: A luxury goods company is looking for a veteran CFO. Interested, qualified candidates should ping Simi Shah

Recognized for Excellence

Celebrating members who are making a mark with prestigious awards and honors.

• Akruti Barbaria’s company, Kulture Khazana, is named to Buffalo Business First’s “startups to watch” list for 2025

• Dr. Noreen Galaria, MD FAAD will be receiving the Excellence in Healthcare Award this March

On the Move

Spotlighting members advancing in their careers and embracing new roles.

• Nécessaire, Inc. names Chitra Balireddi as new CEO

• Karimah Huddah is now available on Intro for 1:1 video calls

• Deepti Damle joins Waystar as Chief of Staff
• Sheila Bangalore is appointed to the board of StoneAge Waterblast Tools

• Rupal Desai joins CPIhealth as Director of Patient Experience
• Neethi Johnson started a new role at 摩根大通 as Vice President of Digital Payments Strategy
• Jyothi Rao , SALUTE Board Member, was appointed to the board of Careismatic Brands in late 2024

• Deepa Vanamali is promoted to Counsel at Clarick Gueron Reisbaum LLP

• Ruchi Parikh is promoted to Executive Director at 摩根大通

On the Air & In the News

See members featured on podcasts, interviews, and live sessions.

• Aditi Nerurkar is one of 35 experts featured in The New York Times sharing simple health tips

• Gunjan Banerji appeared on CNBC to discuss her latest Wall Street Journal feature

• Pooja A. Patel, DrOT, OTR/L, BCG, CDP, CFPS, CGCP shares her thoughts on ways to feel more balanced in this latest piece by BestLife

• Mona Patel recognized by vYve by Vayner for her 9-minute reframe tool and Inc.com feature in December

Just Announced

Spotlighting announcements from our members, from new products and client announcements to innovative ventures and book releases.

• Alka Joshi , SALUTE Board Member and New York Times best-selling author, shares three scenes from her upcoming novel, Six Days in Bombay (available for pre-order), brought to life by Radha Mehta and Neha Assar

• Preeti Vyas, CEO and President at Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd, announces the Uncle Pai Promising New Creator Award for comic creators
• Priya Bathija, CEO of Nyoo Health, kicks off five new episodes of What’s Nyoo!
• Seema Gunda continues to host regular events at her newly opened Modern Wine location on 161 Freedom Place in NYC and partners with Umm-e-hani Anis and the Kahani Digital Marketing team on digital media efforts

• Pooja Bavishi and the Malai team announce their newest scoop shop will be opening soon in Philadelphia

• Founder Bhargavi Varma shares that the waitlist for the Brown Girl Angels’ Collective is now open. Brown Girl Angels is a global collective of South Asian female angel investors, VC's and founders.

Hosting Events & Driving Connections

Showcasing members who bring people together through impactful events.

• Ami Bavishi will be leading the Investor Relations roundtable for Ticket to Biotech later this year

• Rajinder Rai PharmD will be hosting the Women in Bloom event on March 1 in Westlake Village, CA — register and purchase tickets now

• Karimah Hudda will be co-hosting the Illuminate Retreat for women sustainability leaders in Todos Santos, Mexico from April 24-27 — limited spots available

• Ilina L. and the Roster Radio team will be hosting a live panel and networking event on February 5 featuring Breakthru Beauty co-founder Allison Slater Ray, Unilever Prestige's Alexis Katsafanas, and Malin + Goetz's Natalie Cahill

Taking the Stage

Highlighting members who are leading conversations at top industry conferences.

• Ramya Ravishankar joins HowGood for a webinar on February 4 about CSRD requirements from the perspective of a global food company

• Karimah Hudda is speaking at the GreenBiz25 conference from February 10-12
• Sheila Bangalore will be speaking at the 2025 Corporate Directors Forum from February 20-21

• Priya Bathija is speaking at the ACHE 2025 Congress on Healthcare Leadership conference on March 26

• Pratibha Jain spoke at the Climate Hub at the World Economic Forum on January 22
• Shibani Joshi discussed AI's impact on furniture and design with IDEO x Mooi

Celebrating Milestones

Honoring significant personal achievements and life moments of our members.

• Gira Wieczorek celebrates 15 years for her company, Aleberry, which helps start-ups raise funding
• Pooja A. Patel celebrates 2 years and 60 episodes of her podcast, Aging Together, and the launch of Season 3 on February 1

• Megha Desai announces that the Desai Foundation has now impacted over 10 million lives across rural India through health, livelihood, and menstrual equity programs

In the Community

Larger South Asian community achievements that we think are important to highlight and celebrate.

• Leena Nair completes 3 years as CEO of 香奈儿

• Gunjan Kedia will become U.S. Bancorp's first female CEO, effective April 15