YJA Convention 2014 07 Washington DC

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

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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Sushil Jain Dr. Jain is the first Jain to receive a U.S. Navy Medical scholarship. In his 24-year navy career, he
rose to a rank of Captain and received many honors and medals including two Meritorious Service Medals from President Clinton, and Military's Highest Medal Legion of Merit from President George W. Bush. He is past President of JSMW and JAINA. Currently, he is a member of the
Medical Ethics Committee at the Uniform School of Medicine.
Sy Majidi Sy is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and founder of Children's Dental Surgery & Hospital Care. Dr. Majidi serves on the Advisory Board for the Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace at The University of Maryland, where he is a visiting lecturer. Annually, he volunteers in remote and impoverished regions in the mountains of the Dominican Republic with Somos
Amigos Medical Missions. He is a member of the Washington, D.C. Baha'i community.
Symi Rom-Rymer Symi is a freelance project manager and journalist who writes about minority communities in the
United States and Europe. She is also the co-founder and the public programs director of the Global Muslim Jewish Friendship Forum (GMJFF). In 2012, she was the recipient of The New York Jewish Week's '36 under 36' award. She is currently a co-chair for the Standing Up for Each
Other committee within the Greater Washington Jewish Muslim Forum.
Tarak Shah Tarak currently serves as a senior advisor at the Department of Energy. From 2010-2014, he served at the Department of Defense as a Special Assistant, to give our troops better energy options in military operations. From 2009-2010, he served as Special Assistant to the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Tarak has an MBA from Comell's Johnson School of Graduate Manage
ment and received his bachelor's degrees from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Tina Lapsia Tina is a rising senior at The University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!) double majoring in political science and economics and hoping to complete a Spanish minor. Some of her hobbies and interests include dancing, taking long walks, obsessing over Bollywood movies, and meeting new people. Tina has loved serving as a local representative for the Northeast region and being a member of the YJA Fundraising Sub-Committee
over the past year. She is so excited to create new memories at her third Convention!
Tushar Mehta Dr. Mehta is an ER physician from Canada with a passion for ecology, interational health, and the protection
of animals. He is an avid student of Jain philosophy. During 2012-2013, Tushar worked as medical officer and quartermaster with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as they blockaded Japanese whalers from hunting whales in the Antarctic. He volunteers annually at the Bidada Sarvodaya Trust hospital in Kutch, Gujarat, and
with various other organizations. Tushar is a longtime attendee and speaker at JAINA and YJA events!
Umang Patel Umang started his first business when he was fourteen, selling electronics online. Passionate about music, he later started Masala Entertainment, which provides DJ services for special events. Most recently, he co-founded a software startup called Pay Tango that helps businesses better manage their customers. Through his experiences, Umang has realized the importance of culture, values, and people, especially
during the early stages of a company.
YOUNG JAINS: TODAY'S LEARNERS, TOMORROW'S LEADERS
MWAMINI