YJA Convention 2010 07 New Brunswick NJ Ninth

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

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Jain Networking Forum (INF) Sessions
Crossroads of Jainism and Buddhism
Did you know that Mahavir Swami and Siddhartha Gautama once studied in the same center for a short period, but never met each other? Join us to discover the intersections, similarities and differences between Jainism and Buddhism. We will explore topics such as meditation, philosophy, and culture. You will leave this session gaining a deeper understanding of how these two paths evolved into two distinct but similar traditions.
Speaker Biographies Session Descriptions &
Parth Savla - Refer to "Tribal Values - Anekantavada: Negotiating Across Differences" on page 45 for a full biography.
Ethics in Engineering
How does a Jain biomedical engineer deal with animal testing? How does a Jain civil engineer handle unethical zoning laws? Throughout their careers, Jain engineers come across issues which contradict their values. Join us to discuss these topics and how to best handle them while incorporating Jain ethics.
Preethi Bapna - Preethi is currently working with Bioconnect Systems, an early stage venture backed medical device company, to develop medical devices to enhance the quality of life for dialysis patients through the improvement of arteriovenous fistula surgery. She has developed two medical devices that are soon to be patented. She graduated from Drexel University with a B. S. in Biomedical Engineering. She plans to attend Columbia Business School this fall to attain her M.B.A in Project Management and Entrepreneurship. She aspires to use this degree to one day start her own venture-backed medical device company. In her free time she enjoys practicing improvised comedy, reading, and running.
Samir Shah - Born in Queens, raised in Jersey, Samir graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ) with an Engineering degree focusing on Computers. After his bachelors degree, Samir's interest in startup companies and global business drove him to pursue an MBA in Global Business and Finance from the University of Maastricht in Netherlands. After a short stint in the Venture Capital industry, Samir started getting involved with his own startups. All business ventures are considered an adventure to him. His adventures have taken him to China, Japan, and India -- where he imports building materials and outsources work for construction projects he has been involved with in NJ. His primary focus in the real estate development industry is in the recently booming sustainable "green building sector. He is a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional and a certified Geothermal systems designer, planner, and installer. As a LEED AP, Samir is involved with green building projects in the residential and commercial sectors. His company, Geothermal System Installers (www.geosysteminstallers.com) installs geothermal heating and cooling systems for high-end custom residential homes, thereby completely removing the need for fossil fuels to heat a home. He brings close to 8 years of experience in the engineering sector and has dealt with many unethical issues in NJ which he hopes to share with you.
Inspire. Connect. Do The Jain Thing.
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