[The five mentors for the evening, from left to right, Reema Rasool, Neelam Brar, Miral Sattar, Ashni Dave, and Mohitha Sripathi. | Photo Credit: Kamini Ramdeen]
Networking is not easy to do because it involves a lot of conversing with strangers that may or may not lead to fruitful connections in the future. While excelling at academics and pursuing a successful career are important to the South Asian American community, networking is a much-overlooked step in the journey towards professional achievements. But as most leading professionals know, networking plays a key role in succeeding in almost any industry.
This is one of the primary reasons why three of North America’s largest South Asian online communities—BrownGirlMagazine.com, Masalamommas.com and Sava360.com—hosted a speed networking event in New York City on July 16.
This first-of-its-kind event gave local South Asian women a chance to build valuable professional and personal relationships. Participants from various backgrounds came together to mingle with and meet five VIP female speakers from different industries, all within an intimate space.
Speaking on entrepreneurship and the business world were Reema Rasool, founder of South Asian Young Women Entrepreneurs (SAYWE) and principal of LUXE Consulting Group, and Neelam Brar, a real estate investment banker and CEO/founder of District Co-Work.
“In some parts of the world, South Asian women are not as aggressive when it comes to networking. They are shy to speak up and reluctant to help each other. But this group here is a good example of what it could be—everyone here is great,” Brar said.
With more than a decade of real estate experience, Brar is now a co-founder of a unique working space in Manhattan called District—so she clearly knows a thing or two about networking.
“Coming from a banking background, I’m used to being the only girl in the room and a foot shorter,” she shared. “Just squirm your way into a group of people talking!”
Brar said she firmly believes that effective networking is an acquired skill and something everyone should start practicing from a young age.
“Making an effort without being awkward is an art and you can only get good at it by trying and practicing,” she advised. “Being emotionally intelligent and aware of social cues is very important.”
Brar’s advice to young women and those who tend to be more introverted is to muster up the courage and give networking a chance. “Make eye contact and eventually people will stop and say hello,” she said.
[Left to Right: Atul Prashar of SAVA360.com, Anjum Nayyar of Masalamommas.com and Trisha Sakhuja of BrownGirlMagazine.com. | Photo Credit: Kamini Ramdeen]
Brar also suggested following up with people after you meet them at an event through email and trying to offer them your services in an effort to build a real relationship.
“As I grow my business, I must talk to at least a dozen people a day and it does get harder and harder as you get busier, but you should still take a moment to identify valuable relationships,” Brar explained.
Participants interested in creative industries had the chance to speak with singer/songwriter and Administrative Coordinator of the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective (SAWCC) Ashni Dave, as well as filmmaker and Zee TV Marketing Professional, Mohitha Sripathi.
“A majority of South Asian Americans don’t go down non-traditional career paths, so there isn’t a lot of information available for us,” Sripathi explained. “It almost feels like you’re doing something wrong and people don’t take you as seriously!”
Sripathi said she believes that networking events are especially important for women in creative industries because they provide a support system that isn’t easily found within the South Asian community. Sripathi is talking from personal experience, specifically—she got her start as a filmmaker after she met her producer at a networking event in college.
“At networking events like these, you’ll find people that understand you and will believe in what you’re doing,” she added. “It’s all about getting inspired and inspiring others!”
Dave seconds this thought: “I’m always learning from other people, whether artistically or professionally. The connections I’ve made have allowed me opportunities, and I try to connect those within my network so we can all help each other progress.”
South Asian women will immediately have an understanding, to an extent, of one another’s background and potential challenges, so it can be valuable to build a support system within our own community.
CEO and Founder of Bibliocrunch Miral Sattar was a great resource for participants interested in closing the gap between entrepreneurship and creativity. She explained how networking was an instrumental part of launching her start-up company, Bibliocrunch.
“A lot of the professors from my grad school program introduced to me to a lot of publishing houses and that’s how we became known,” she said.
Sattar said she was pleased to be a mentor at the event and potentially guide those looking to do something different with their career.
“South Asian women face the same cultural struggles, so it’s always great to have mentors who have navigated a particular path before you,” she said. “It was a fabulous experience and so inspiring to be in a room full of such aspirational South Asian women. A lot of women wanted to start their own business or write a book. Twenty years ago, everyone was just focused on getting a job. It’s refreshing that it’s so much more diverse now.”
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