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
SACHIN CHHEDA
Sachin Chheda is a partner at Nation Consulting and a communications, government relations, advocacy and nonprofit management professional. He is a frequently utilized source for political and business reporters, and was named a “Behind the Scenes Power Player" by Gannett Media and one of the nation’s 500 top “Influencers” by Campaigns & Elections magazine.
Sachin works primarily with corporate, labor, political, and nonprofit clients on strategic planning, management, messaging, and government & public relations. He currently serves as director of the Fair Elections Project, as campaigns advisor to the Economic Security Project, and as a strategic communications advisor to the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.
Sachin is active in nonprofit leadership, having served two terms as Chair of the Board of Directors for NARAL Pro-Choice America. He currently serves as a member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Board of Director, and as Wisconsin State Director for South Asians for America. He previously served as an officer of the Wisconsin Coalition of Asian Indian Organizations and is Chairman Emeritus of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County.
Sachin attended both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and UW-Madison, and currently lives with wife Angela and their four children on Milwaukee’s East Side.
