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Youth Activity Speakers
Shikhar Shah is working on his master's in health policy at UIC. He is currently attempting to understand Jainism by working through the (translated) primary documents, and would love your advice. He spends most mornings on the lake shore, because the sunrise over lake Michigan is absolutely gorgeous. He'd love to trade jokes, recipes, and book suggestions with you. You'll often find him singing old Hindi songs - feel free to join him!
Unnata Pragya Samanji received the initiation by His Holiness Acharya Mahapragyaji in Mumbai in 2003. Samaniji received her Master degree in Religion and Philosophy from Jain Vishva Bharati University. Since 2006, she has been serving on the faculty at Florida International University in Miami, and is dedicated to promoting Jain studies in American academia. Passionate about Preksha Meditation, she has conducted research ventures to contribute in the world of healing. Having travelled to the U.K., the U.S., Singapore, and other countries, she is dedicated to seeking Truth.
Dr. Vijay Mehta widely known as Vijay Uncle, is a retired board-certified general surgeon from Temple, TX. He was Assistant Professor of Surgery at Texas A&M Health Science Center. Dr. Mehta is a motivational speaker who has personally helped more than 1,000 desi youth as they struggle to balance Indian and American cultures, and he has spoken at university campuses and youth conventions across the U.S. If you have a specific issue that you would like to be addressed, please email him or IM him on yahoo chat at vijayvip@yahoo.com, or you may post on the forum at www.vijayuncle.com.
Yogendra Jain has been active in the Jain Center of Greater Boston since its inception. He is the Northeast VP of the Federation of Jain Associations of North America (JAINA), chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, a JAINA director, and teaches Levels 5 and 6 Pathshala (religious school). He has led more than a dozen "out of the box" seminars and groundbreaking projects, including Tattvarth Sutra: Ancient Scriptures Come Alive, Comparative Religion, Essence of Jainism, Rebranding and Repackaging Jainism, Discovery of the Soul, Strengthening of Faith, and Measuring Your Jain Way of Life Progress. The objectives of these projects are to expand the understanding of Non-Violence, Non-Absolutism, and Non-Possessiveness in a modern way of life for Jains and Non-Jains. He started his career at MIT Lincoln Labs and Texas Instruments before founding and operating several successful companies. He holds a B.S. from Boston University, an M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Rice University, and an M.B.A. from Babson College.
JAINA Convention 2013
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