Community Conversation
with Farooq Mitha
NEHA DEWAN
Neha has long been active in both local and national politics. Most recently, she founded and served as the National Director for South Asians for Biden, an organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing the South Asian community to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In 2016, Neha served as the National Co-Chair for South Asians for Hillary and was appointed by Hillary Clinton to the National AAPI Leadership Council.
Previously, in 2015, Neha was appointed as a guest of honor by the Consulate General of India in New York City where she was selected to speak about gender equality for International Women's Day. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Neha chaired the New York Chapter of South Asians for Obama and also served on the steering committee for Lawyers for Obama in New York. For several years, Neha served as an Officer of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council, an organization affiliated with the National Lawyers Council of the Democratic National Committee and comprised of Democratic lawyers and voting rights activists. Similarly, for many years, Neha served as an advisory board member of New Leaders Council, a national organization focused on training and supporting progressive political entrepreneurs. She has also been active in her local community board and political clubs. Neha served as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York in 2012, and now sits on the organization’s Board of Directors.
Mobilizing the South Asian Community & Building Political Power
ARUN BANTVAL
Arun Bantval is Co-Chair for the Design and Technology committee. Arun has been a resident of New Jersey for the past 32 years. He is a seasoned Information Technology professional, specializing in Healthcare and Patient Management solutions for seniors and individuals with chronic conditions.
Currently, he is Co-Founder and President of a healthcare startup that uses innovative technology to provide remote patient management. Previously, he has worked with many large multi-national organizations at leadership levels in IT, Product Development, Innovation and Strategy.
Arun has always been a strong believer in giving back to the community. Outside of his work, he is an active volunteer for causes pertaining to STEM education, environment, senior welfare, and population health. He is proud to volunteer with his daughter as EMT in his town’s rescue squad.