Day 1 of Mentor on Road, USA

“If the mind is intensely eager, everything can be accomplished—mountains can be crumbled into atoms.”

Swami Vivekananda

So, the D- Day has finally arrived!!

Day 1 of #mentoronroadusa in Boston began with a quick session at the World Trade Center in Boston. 

The WTC Boston is a focal point for international activity in New England. It houses the US Export Assistance Center, including the US Department of Commerce and other trade-related organizations. It offers one of the largest regional venues for international trade and business meetings, exhibitions and conventions.

                   

                                            WTC, Boston

Through the WTC Institute, WTC Boston works with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Port Authority, local universities and industry councils to host visiting trade delegations, provide business data and organize match-making programs.

For Mentor on Road, the USCS authorities from US government exchange office were additionally present and it was good interacting with them. It was interesting to note that a few of the difficulties confronted by American SMB's (Small and Medium Businesses) were similar to those faced by SMB's in India. India is a huge market for American organizations, however they require social perspectives of the actual ground realities for doing business in India. Few action points from the meetings will be taken forward.

At WTC, Boston

Day 1 of #mentoronroadusa meeting number 2, was with women entrepreneurs and individuals from Center for Women Enterprises (CWE) in Boston which is upheld by Small Business Administration. SBA is an agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Andrea Silbert Founder and CEO of the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), one of the largest non-profit entrepreneurial training centers in the country, came back to the place where she grew up in Boston in 1994 following a two-year spell in South America, she carried with her a thought for a non-profit which facilitates the availability of easy loans for women visionaries. 

That was the ideology preceding the foundation of this enterprise. I showcased practical examples to them on how women empowerment in India is evolving with aspects such as selection of women Industrial Parks of CWE, the Stand up India program and its relevance to CWE, insurance free loans, and the social aspects of women cooperation in Indian economy. The social contrasts amongst American and Indian SMBs in context to business culture were shared.

Center for Women Enterprises event with MoR,USA in Boston

It was pleasing to note that when the meeting was over, three women owned businesses, messaged me for subsequent stages and one-to-one meetings.Women owned businesses representing real estate biz, student settlement services biz, designing services, textile design services, women biz growth fund etc had participated. Had an active Q/A session. I realized that the biggest challenge faced by American women owned business is not ideas but capital.

Day 1 of #mentoronroadusa meeting 3 was with Mr. Praveen Tailam, President of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Boston and his manager Ms. Laura. TiE, is a non-profit organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts. TiE Boston has been supporting entrepreneurs by offering education, mentorship, networking, and funding opportunities since 1997. 

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region. There are currently 13,000 members, including over 2,500 charter members in 61 chapters across 18 countries.

Later on we had a one on one meet where I attempted to comprehend the outlook of American new businesses on India as a market. It was fascinating to discover that India still does not feature prominently on the global markets radar of these youthful new companies as they are yet attempting to organize and move their products/services from the product advancement stage.

With President OF TiE Boston

We also visited the collaborating space office which is around Harvard Business School. In 2017, HBS was tied for 1st by U.S. News & World Report. No. 1 in the U.S. by Bloomberg Business week, and 4th in the world by the Financial Times.

HBS belongs to the M7 group of elite MBA programs which recognize each other as peers, consisting of Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Stanford, and Wharton. The school offers a large full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, HBX and many executive education programs.

Superb single seater offices to numerous lodges. Awesome cafeteria, picturesque views, sports areas, work stations, support offices, telephones, positive work environment, cooperation, coaching - all are the elements of an example of a success story. We require lots of such facilities in India. Each town of India needs 10 such facilities to harness the spirit of Indian youth into profitable new businesses.

                                       Harvard Business School

Later on we stopped at McDonald's for a quick bite, then drove back to my Hartford camp.

Jai ho (Let victory be yours)!

Day (0) of Mentor on Road, USA

“A small group of determined and like-minded people can change the course of history.”- Swami Vivekananda

The official visit begins from tomorrow - 5 June; also a day supporting another positive event (World Environment Day). Mark your calendar for this journey of impactful events set to bring a change globally!

The day started with an early morning which was dynamic with yoga, walk, meditation, breakfast and some usual morning errands.

We drove down to the wellness and health gathering organized by Dr. Neela Gandhi, President of United India Association of Boston, New England. I enjoyed what she said - "Everybody in USA generally singles out Diwali and New Year as the best occasions, but since I thought of accomplishing something else for overall well being, so I organized this occasion where free body checkup, BP, diabetes checkup services are given."

It was an effective gathering with large support from all corners. Patrons and stalls brimming with well being data, in spite of it being a Sunday with an India vs. Pakistan cricket match!

After introductions by specialists on Ayurveda, diabetes and obesity, I showed and explained to the Indian diaspora the practical implementation and idea of a smart town/village in India. Reaction and inquiries were quite empowering.

Mr. Narendra Sharma approached and embraced his smart village, Shiv Sarayan located in the district of Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. Kushinagar is one of the four famous pilgrimage sites revolving around the life of Gautam Buddha. My core aim of this Indian diaspora event was at that point, partly achieved. We will begin with a diagnostic study of Mr. Narendra's village in UP.

Met two fascinating instructors and enterprise advancement personnel from Boston. We spoke about a couple of energy-related advancements for which I will connect them with relevant contacts in India.

In the morning, my son Nisarg did all the driving, I did a Facebook live broadcast about my days plan and incidentally my wife's cousin, Dr. Kalpan Desai who lives in Boston with his wife, Dr. Chetna Desai and their son, Takshak Desai happened to view it. 

Dr. Kalpan immediately called me and we decided to get together at his home for a hot cuppa masala chai and had a good time. We met Dr. Kalpan’s capable and qualified single son, Takshak as well. This is an obvious benefit of online networking, where world borders do not matter.

                   

                  

At that point, we moved on to the much-admired Duck amphibian voyage through the city of Boston. Boston Duck Tours is an incredible approach to begin off your visit to this beautiful city. They begin by presenting all onboard visitors with a high-quality map of the city, actually show numerous one of a kind neighborhoods and cruise along the Charles river for stunning perspectives of Boston and Cambridge horizons. 

In the process, we learnt about a significant part of the historical backdrop of Boston from the talented guide - Harry. On board the duck tour, we had diverse visitors from New Zealand, Iceland, Texas, Chicago and Canada.

Overall, it was fun spending time with them while enjoying the beauty of nature.

We wrapped up the day, at a cool and hip nourishment joint enjoying Californian pizza with vegetarian soups, spinach artichoke plunge with nacho chips accompanied by vegetarian drinks.

After an enjoyable and productive day, we drove back to get some rest. Looking forward to the tightly packed meetings of day 1 of Mentor on Road USA tomorrow in Boston.

Jai ho!

Day (-) 1 of Mentor on Road, USA

We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.

-Swami Vivekananda

As it is a Saturday, we enjoyed quite a relaxed morning in Boston. We enjoyed breakfast at a leisurely pace. I took a long walk and just like every morning, did yoga. After getting done with the morning rituals, I drove down to Walmart to buy some products for daily needs. While on my way to Walmart, I observed that there were very few people on roads as compared to weekdays.

Walmart is arguably the largest chain of supermarkets in the world. As of January 31st, 2017, Walmart has 11,695 stores and clubs operational across 28 countries and under 63 banners. An interesting fact about Walmart is that the design across all their stores, irrespective of the location is consistent. Even the product placement in all the stores is identical. Such discipline and consistency is the key to its success.

While at Walmart, it was interesting to observe the buying behavior of American citizens. I realized that people flock to such marts to carry out their weekly shopping. Noticing the kind of products people were buying gave me a good understanding of a high consumption driven society and economy.

Next up, we drove down to a light house beach site in New Haven. It was a lush green park and the water there was cool. I could see water scooters, boats and gliders on the beach. Family gatherings happening around me reminded me of India and left a good feeling in my heart.

I then enjoyed a mint chocolate chip ice-cream, large (;-))

I loved the view around the light house. While checking out the area, I happened to observe a wedding at the beach. Everyone seemed happy. The scene made me realize that life is all about chasing happiness rather than running after materialistic pleasure. 

People tend to forget that both of these things are not always the same.

On that note, I will sign off. I cannot wait for Monday.
Until then, have a good time! 

Good night.

Jai ho!

Day (-) 2 of Mentor On Road, USA

The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.

Swami Vivekananda

With just two days to go for Mentor On Road, USA, to say that we are excited would be an understatement. Having spent two days in New York, meetings today were scheduled in New Jersey itself. 

The first meeting for the day was with the directors of Global Haryana Chamber of Commerce, a professional bilateral Chamber of Commerce. It is a non-profit entity made up of  local and international businesses. It is run by industry professionals and volunteers to facilitate and promote trade, investments and economic cooperation between the global markets and Haryana.

After a very detailed discussion, we came up with an action plan that would most definitely help the society. The following were some of the key takeaways from the discussion: 

1. To develop a state of the art and world class aviation park in Haryana
2. To initiate a full-throttled ambulance service in the city of Rohtak, Haryana in order to minimise casualties and fatalities.
3. We then signed a Memorandum of Understanding between GHCC and Cluster Pulse, a knowledge partner of Mentor On Road, USA, for the adoption of Titoli, a village in Haryana. Our aim behind the signature of this Memorandum of Understaning is to make Titoli a smart village within 1000 days of its adoption.

After the discussion with directors of Global Haryana Chamber of Commerce

After a fruitful meeting with the Global Haryana Chamber of Commerce, I went to meet Mr Suresh Kumar. He is a serial entrepreneur and is currently serving as a senior advisor of corporate strategy at 8k Miles Software Services. Apart from that, he is an Advisory Board Member and lead instructor, Lean Start-up Program under the umbrella of America's Small Business Development Center - Rutgers University, New Jersey. He has received multiple awards, including those by the United States government for his outstanding contribution to entrepreneurship. In my opinion, a person having such an experience in both entrepreneurship and academia is a rarity. 

Suresh Kumar with some of his accolades.

Achievements of  Suresh Kumar

And some more.

I had a brief interaction with him, after which I was invited to share my views on India 3.0 with his colleagues at 8k Miles. 8k Miles is a cloud solutions provider that aims to migrate businesses to cloud technology. They are a software company with a global footprint and their services have earned acclaims all around the world. 

It was lovely talking to them as they asked some really insightful questions that helped them create a better understanding of the new age that India has entered into.

Interaction with employees of 8k Miles

With Mr. Suresh Kumar

After two successful interactions, we are on our way from New Jersey to Boston, the starting point of Mentor on Road, USA. It will take us about three and a half hours, but in hindsight, it has taken a lot of effort to get this journey up and running and to get to Boston. It was a lovely afternoon with a clear sky. The lush greens through out the drive kept us mesmerised.

The lush greens and the clear sky kept us mesmerised

We stopped over at an amazing Italian joint for some pizza. While on our way back, we heard Sufi Hindi songs and enjoyed the pleasant ride.

At the Italian joint

One more day to go. Thrilled.

That is all from me, folks. Talk to you all very soon!

Good night.

Jai Ho!

Day (-) 3 of Mentor on Road, USA

"As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God."

Swami Vivekanand

The day started with an interview by TV personality and women's rights activist, Ms Renee Mehrra for the popular channel ItV, in New York. She is a tenacious broadcaster with a burning passion for accurate and compelling story telling and the host of the long running television program Renee Mehrra. I am rather grateful, that Ms Mehrra guided the interview with well crafted, rational and intelligent questionnaire.

Moreover, it was an absolute delight meeting with her in person, especially after familiarizing myself with her strong stance and support for issues concerning women, yoga, spiritualism and renewable energy.

I express my utmost gratitude for her valuable support towards Mentor on Road USA.

Post the memorable interview, I met with two young and throbbing investment companies. Thus, after a long and fruitful discussion, we decided upon connecting them to healthcare, renewable energy and infrastructure sector in India.

After a work oriented and eventful first half of the day, I took some time out to enjoy the scenic beauty that the city has to offer. Furthermore, to add to the essence of it, I liberated myself to treat myself with the delectable food and merry my way to the rides. From a tourist's point of view, New York did not disappoint.

While to my absolute pleasure I was enjoying the New York breeze, I spotted a McDonald's outlet, and decided to eat there. Whilst enjoying the food with my family, I remembered the first branch of this largely popular food chain back home in India.

Now that I think of it, it was not long ago that first McDonald's opened in India. As far as I remember, it was on 13 October 1996, in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. Pertaining to Indian beliefs, it was the first branch to not serve beef. Subsequently, 100 outlets were opened within the next ten years. In addition to that, Rs. 750 crore($12 Million approximately) were invested till 2010. Currently, over 250 restaurants are operating proactively. And apparently, an investment of $ 120 million has been planned to open up 250 more by 2020.

Progress and growth at such a magnitude is staggering.

Anyway, coming back to the present. There were so many more who obliged me by their support in this journey of Mentor on Road USA. One of them Mr Harry Panesar for putting me in touch with Mr Suresh Kumar. Also, I extend this to Mr Kumar himself, from State Univerity of New Jersey, Rutgers University. He provided me with an opportunity within 24 hours of meeting him. The pace of it is much appreciated.

Furthermore, I have to take a moment out to express my gratification from the engaging conversation I had with Mr Nitin Rai of TiE Global, Oregon on the possibilities of charter members pulling in funds to fund young startups to accelerate the Startup Ecosystem. The Indus Entrepreneurs, commonly known as TiE, is a not-for-profit network of entrepreneurs. The organization consists of 61 chapters in 18 countries around the world.

Lastly, a huge thanks to Tie New Jersey, for proving me with the opportunity to share the background, objectives and purpose of this journey of Mentor on Road, USA. Tie New Jersey chapter meets once a month in the Princeton / Edison area. Meetings start with networking over dinner followed by keynote speakers and Q&A sessions.

The response was quite overwhelming and I am glad that I connected with a lot of potential companies wishing to start business in India.

We would be more than happy to facilitate them.

That is all for the day, hope you have a good weekend ahead. Until next time.

Jai Ho !

Day (-) 4 of Mentor On Road, USA

Buddha was the great preacher of equality. Every man and woman have the same right to attain spirituality − that was his teaching. 

Swami Vivekananda 

After a long day in New Jersey yesterday, I traveled to New York today, where I was scheduled to have an interaction with a delegation from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women also known as UN Women. UN Women is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. UN Women became operational in January 2011. 

The delegation was led by Mrs Lakshmi Puri (Assistant Secretary-General for Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships at (UN Women), Ravi Karkara (Senior Advisor on Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy to the Assistant Secretary General to the UN and Deputy Executive Director, UN Women), and Meg Jones (Chief, Economic Empowerment at UN Women). The work carried out by these leaders under the umbrella of this noble institution is nothing short of exemplary. It was, indeed, a matter of immense pride and honor for me to receive the UN Women badge.

After going through an insightful discussion, we arrived at the following steps that UN Women and Mentor On Road will carry out together, in a time bound manner, to ensure sustainable empowerment of women:  

1. I will be promoting the "He for She" mission by UN Women across all thirty-two cities I will be travelling to during the course of Mentor On Road, USA. It is a step in the right direction towards empowering women. The mission, in their own words, says, "The world is at a turning point. People everywhere understand and support the idea of gender equality. They know it’s not just a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue. And when these powerful voices are heard, they will change the world. The time for that change is now."  
2. Mentor on Road will conduct a "UN Women Orange Road Drive" in India, starting from November 25th, 2017 − International Day for the elimination of violence against women to December 10th, 2017 − International Day of Human Rights. To know more about Orange the world campaign and the Orange day, click here.
3. I will be working closely with the Mayor of Ahmedabad, Shri Gautam Shah on implementing the principles that are required to declare Ahmedabad as a "Global Safe City" for women.
4. We have also come to an agreement to work together on the women's event in Sharjah on December 4th, 2017. It will be a great opportunity for Indian businesswomen to interact with their global counterparts.
5. Lastly, we will work together on Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality.  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a comprehensive roadmap for the future of people and planet. Empowering women and girls is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about the mission, click here.

After meeting the delegation, I became aware of many more issues concerning women across the world and will share them with you in the coming days. UN Women is doing a commendable job. Mentor On Road is committed to the idea of equality for all and is honored to be associated with UN Women to take this commitment forward and help this noble cause.

Towards the end, I would like to quote the former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, "Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It is everyone's responsibility."

We are responsible.

That is all from me tonight. Good night, folks!

Jai Ho!