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
BIANCA SHAH
Bianca Shah was born and raised in Rockville, Maryland and is currently a rising Senior at the University of Michigan, in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, minoring in the Ross School of Business.
Bianca previously served on the South Asians for Biden National Outreach team, directing youth outreach. She was a Maryland At-Large DNC Delegate for Biden, stemming from her activism in local politics, including interning in the District Office of Congressman Jamie Raskin and the DC Office of the late Congressman Elijah Cummings. She is particularly interested in health policy, having previously interned in the Policy Center of the American Public Health Association. At the University of Michigan, Bianca is a part of Central Student Government, The Women's Network, Michigan Political Consulting, and Prison Birth Project.