BOSTON– The Desai Foundation, which operates in eight Indian states and serves over 3,500 villages, and recently crossed the milestone of nine million lives impacted, will celebrate 10 years of hosting its annual Lotus Festival fundraiser on Sept. 21, 2024 at Omni Hotel in Boston.
“This year, because it’s our 10th year anniversary, we really wanted to highlight the work we do on the ground empowering women and children through community programming to elevate health, livelihood and menstrual equity,” said Desai Foundation President Megha Desai. “This year we are literally bringing our life to work, so you can physically interact with our programming – really connecting you to the people we serve. We are excited for our guests to interact with and get a real feel and sense for the work, and what their generous contributions help to build.”
In 2014, the Desai Foundation was converted to a public NGO, with the faith and generosity of the Boston community.
“It’s only because of the support of those in the Boston community that we have been able to grow,” said Ms. Desai. “In 2014, we were in one state, in 250 villages. Today, thanks to this community, we are in 8 States, serving over 3,500 villages, and have just crossed the milestone of nine million lives impacted.”
This year’s highlights at Lotus Festival include speakers coming from India such as Manoj Panda, Head of Development at Desai Foundation in India, and Yati Desai, Head of the Desai Foundation’s most popular program: Asani. Host of the evening is Reena Roy of the ABC News.
The Lotus Festival will also have stellar auction items this year and will have a musical performance by Broadway star Ari Afsar.
One of the main speakers at the Lotus Festival this year is Neha Desai Shah, Founder and Co-President of GEP, an AI-powered procurement and supply chain transformation company.
“We are so deeply honored to invite Neha Desai Shah to speak at Lotus Festival this year. Her commitment to empowering women through the incredible business she has built, and through her various philanthropic and volunteer efforts, really sets the bar for what we want to see for first generation Americans. We work hard to engage the next generation to stay connected India, and Neha is a great example of that,” said Ms. Desai.
In the past, The Desai Foundation has hosted Lotus Festival at unique venues, including an airplane hangar and Gillette Stadium.
