A Decade of Celebrating Excellence: Meet the Team Behind the 10th Annual New England Choice Awards

BURLINGTON, Mass. — A decade ago, the New England Choice Awards began with a vision: to recognize extraordinary individuals and organizations whose achievements, leadership and service make a lasting difference in New England and beyond.

On Saturday, November 14, 2026, that vision reaches a significant milestone as the 10th Annual New England Choice Awards returns to the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, Massachusetts. The sold-out anniversary gala will bring together about 400 business executives, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, academics, philanthropists, nonprofit leaders and community influencers for an evening celebrating excellence and community impact.

Behind this annual celebration is a dedicated team of accomplished professionals and community leaders whose experience spans business, finance, technology, healthcare, media, education and philanthropy. Their collective efforts help shape the awards, support the event’s growth and bring together the people and organizations whose contributions deserve recognition.

The 2026 gala will feature New England Patriots owner and Kraft Group President Jonathan Kraft as Chief Guest. Srikant M. Datar, the 11th Dean of Harvard Business School, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Nine additional individuals and organizations will be recognized for their contributions across academia, business, arts and culture, healthcare, philanthropy, innovation and community service.

Meet the Team Behind the Celebration

Anu Chitrapu – Senior Executive, Bank of America

With more than 25 years of corporate leadership experience, Anu Chitrapu is a Senior Executive at Bank of America and a past President of TiE Boston. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Museum of Science and the Asian Community Fund at The Boston Foundation.

A graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Chitrapu has been an active community leader, supporting women’s empowerment, innovation, education and leadership development across Greater Boston. Her experience in corporate leadership and community engagement brings an important perspective to the New England Choice Awards.

Upendra Mishra – Publisher, Storyteller and Marketing Strategist

Upendra Mishra is the founder of Precise Marketing and publisher of several media platforms, including INDIA New England News, IndUS Business Journal, Boston Real Estate Times and Boston Life Sciences Times. An accomplished storyteller, documentary filmmaker and interviewer, he has profiled leading entrepreneurs, physicians and thought leaders through his Face-to-Face interview series.

His documentary projects, including The Untold Story of Indian Music in America and Enabling Vision, explore cultural evolution and social impact. Educated at institutions including the University of Southern California, El Colegio de México and Jawaharlal Nehru University, Mishra brings a background in journalism, communications and storytelling to the awards.

Mondira (Mandy) Pant – Senior Director, Intel Corporation

A global technology leader, Mondira Pant, Ph.D., serves as Senior Director of Product-Foundry Interface and Pathfinding at Intel, where she works at the intersection of product design and advanced semiconductor technologies.

A respected authority in VLSI engineering, Pant has authored more than 20 technical papers and holds multiple patents. She has helped foster academic-industry collaboration worldwide and is a frequent keynote speaker at major conferences. Her career reflects a commitment to innovation, mentorship and advancing women in STEM.

Dr. Manju Sheth, MD – President, INE MultiMedia and Co-Founder, New England Choice Awards

A physician, media personality and advocate for women’s empowerment, Dr. Manju Sheth serves as President of INE MultiMedia and is the creator of the New England Choice Awards and the Woman of the Year Gala. She is also the co-founder of Women Who Win.

She hosts Chai with Manju, a talk show featuring prominent leaders and personalities, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, Sudha Murthy and Sadhguru. Recognized among YWCA’s 150 Influential Women in Massachusetts and the 50 Most Influential Indian Americans in the state, Sheth is also a TEDx speaker and author. Her vision and leadership have been central to building the awards into an annual platform for recognizing achievement and bringing communities together.

Aditi Taylor – Executive Vice President, MFS Investment Management

Aditi Taylor is Executive Vice President and Head of Operations at MFS Investment Management, where she oversees investment operations, performance and risk management. Previously a Partner at Deloitte Advisory LLP, she brings nearly two decades of consulting experience.

Taylor has been recognized as a Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, a Leader in Diversity and one of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Ten Outstanding Young Leaders. She has also served as president of community organizations, including the India Association of Greater Boston. Her professional and community leadership reflect the spirit of service and achievement celebrated by the awards.

Since its establishment in 2016, the New England Choice Awards has recognized individuals of Indian origin, Indian Americans and distinguished leaders from across communities whose work has made a meaningful impact in New England, the United States and India.

Over the years, the awards have honored achievement across business, academia, healthcare, arts and culture, philanthropy, innovation and community service. The 10th anniversary continues that tradition with a new group of honorees.

The 2026 recipients include Srini Devadas of MIT, who will receive the Academia & Innovation Award; Laura Weinstein of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, who will receive the Art & Culture Visionary Award; and Chandra S. Pandey, founder and CEO of Seceon, who will receive the Business Trailblazer Award.

Other honorees include Lalit Sudan, President of Vision-Aid; Sewa International Boston Chapter; community leader Jharna Madan; Dr. Anju Nohria of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School; entrepreneur and philanthropist Vivek Sharma; and Cancer Mukti Foundation, founded by Pramod Pandey. The newly introduced Hope in Action Award will recognize the foundation’s work in cancer awareness, patient advocacy and support for families affected by cancer.

The 10th anniversary gala is presented by INE MultiMedia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting art, culture, education and empowerment, in collaboration with INDIA New England News. The event is sponsored by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Leader Bank; and Raj and Nalini Sharma.

For the organizing team, the anniversary represents more than a milestone event. It is an opportunity to celebrate the people, partnerships and community spirit that have sustained the awards for a decade—and to recognize another generation of leaders whose work is helping shape the region’s future. On the 10th anniversary, we must also acknowledge the immense constrinutions of our former core team member: Anupendra Sharma.

10th Annual New England Choice Awards Gala

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Venue: Burlington Marriott Hotel, Burlington, Massachusetts
Chief Guest: Jonathan Kraft, President of The Kraft Group and New England Patriots owner
Lifetime Achievement Award: Srikant M. Datar, 11th Dean of Harvard Business School
Tickets: Sold out. Join the waiting list.