Friday, October 17, 2008

Entrepreneurship in high gear

I was invited to participate in a networking event with students at Mahaveer Jain College. The goal was to create some interaction between entrepreneurs and students so that the students get some exposure to real-world startups and receive mentorship and guidance. The event was organized as a Commodities Trading game - complete with a trading floor. Each team comprised of an entrepreneur and a couple of students. Teams were given some cash and a portfolio of commodities. The teams then engaged in active trading in 4 sessions within an hour. At the end portfolios were measured and the winner was announced. Any guesses at who came in at first place .... yours truly!

The event was organized by National Entrepreneurship Network - a group focused on promoting entrepreneurship through education. It was an awesome event and I was impressed with the all the participants. Many of the entrepreneurs are creating interesting products and services that are likely to change how we live, work and play in the future. Level of interest among the students was extremely high and I can bet that some of those who participated in today's event will be successful entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

All things considered


Live NPR in Bangalore? It was a dream come true. A few weeks ago, we were at a carnival in the building and came across a satellite radio service called WorldSpace. NPR was one of the stations on their list, which instantly had Mona and me sold on the service.

After we signed up, we realized that we don't have a decent music system. So we went a bought a new system. Installation of the receiver was a bit tricky but with help from the electrician in our building, the WorldSpace technicians were able to get it installed with a minimum amount of damage. But now as we sit back and listen to Fresh Air or Talk of the Nation, it all feels worth it. A bit strange to listen to the Morning Edition in the evening, but heck - we feel connected!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Voting from India!!

The Bangalore chapter of Democrats Abroad started about 3 months ago and already claims a membership of close to 200 individuals. The chapter has been very active in mobilizing the Democrat expats living in Bangalore in supporting Obama/Biden in the upcoming elections.

Mona and I attended our first event over the weekend - a dinner party to watch the first presidential debate. The evening was a lot of fun. There were about 50 people from all over the US - some friends of ours and many new faces. I had already watched the second half of the debate in the morning but it was fun to watch the recorded version all over again with fellow Democrats. The stations were reported mixed results but in Bangalore - Obama's victory was undisputed.

Of course, in India, you cannot have any event without lots of good food and this event did not disappoint. It was a potluck event and there was a huge variety of great food.

A good friend Sean announced the next event at his house to watch the vice presidential debate. Unfortunately, I am traveling on business and will miss that event but I am sure it will be an equally fun and a bit more entertaining event.