On November 18th, 2022, the Foundation For Excellence (FFE) held a New York Gala at the Tribeca 360 hotel in Manhattan. The event was attended by 250 guests, including entrepreneurs, investment bankers, and retired executives.

Bismay Mishra, an FFE scholarship recipient from NIT Trichy, emceed the evening. He spoke about his family history and the importance of education in passing on knowledge to future generations. Anu Aiyengar, the Managing Director of North American Mergers and Acquisitions at JP Morgan Chase & Co, had an engaging conversation with FFE board member Darshan Bhatt, sharing her insights on the current financial climate and outlook for the next few years.

The highlight of the night was the fundraising drive, led with good humor by FFE Founding President Venk Shukla, which raised over $300,000 in donations. Stand-up comedian Zarna Garg entertained the audience with her observations on Indian and American life, receiving a standing ovation.

Minoo Gupta, the current President of FFE, discussed some of the organization’s achievements, including supporting more than 28,000 students in 28 states in India. She emphasized that 100% of donations go directly towards scholarships, and scholars have access to an online English language training program to improve their communication skills and job prospects.

Anita Balaji, a long-time supporter of FFE since her days at MIT, shared that her entire family is involved in the organization, either as donors, volunteers, or facilitators. The event was also attended by FFE Founder Prabhu Goel, Ron Mehta, Ashutosh Aman, Hari Chenglath, Shobit Arora, Hemali Dassani, and others. The smooth guest registration was made possible by Karishma Patel and her team of volunteers. The event was sponsored by the Boston Consulting Group, ROC Capital, Kirkland & Ellis, and Global Education.