Dhooleka Sarhadi Raj, anthropologist

ORLANDO, FLORIDA: At the Women’s Forum on ‘Paths to Excellence’ at the 21st annual convention of the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI) here, leading women entrepreneurs and executives stressed the need to take risks, set high goals, protect your space and work hard, and, above all, never forget the sacrifices parents made to get you on the pathway to success.

Entrepreneur Tina Shah, founder of Zbox, that she recently sold to Whirlpool, and chief executive officer of Paycycle; Shamina Singh, adviser to Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (the highest-ranking woman legislator in the country); Lynn Epstein, president of the American Medical Association’s women’s wing; and anthropologist Dhooleka Sarhadi Raj, spoke of their personal battles and choices on their own paths to leadership positions.

Shah (who graduated from Stanford, founded Zbox and raised $8 million from venture capitalists when she was just 30) said what kept her motivated “are the sacrifices my parents made, and the immigrant experience,” as well as the idea of giving back to the community at every stage of one’s life. Quoting statistics from the Asian America Women’s Leadership Institute, she highlighted the fact that very few Asian women reach positions of leadership, either in the government or in the corporate world.

“Now is the time to harness the success of organizations like AAPI and NETIP (Network of Indian Professionals) to make a difference to our community,” Shah said.

Shamina Singh, who, at 19, joined former Texas Governor Anne Richards’ campaign, and was President Bill Clinton’s choice to head the White House Initiative on Asian and Pacific Americans, urged women not to be afraid of taking risks.

“As children of immigrants, we are always striving for excellence,” Singh said, adding that much of that drive was a result of parents who left everything and came to this country “risking everything just to give us a better life.”

Her father, she said, indoctrinated her and her four sisters “to always stand on our own feet before standing with somebody else’s.” And she and her siblings kept their last name “Singh” instead of changing it to “Kaur,” breaking with traditional Punjabi culture, she said. “We were ‘Lions’ in America and not ‘Princesses’ from India,” she quipped. “I want to emphasize to parents ---- trust your children. And for the girls, I want you to understand that it is okay to take risks.”

She said there was a feeling among youth that because parents took so much risk that they should not take any. “You have to take risks and listen to yourself,” Singh advised.

Tina Shah, chief executive officer of Paycycle

“You also have to have mentors,” she said, recalling how Anne Richards became her mentor after she left her mother. “It may not always turn out the way you want to,” she said, but, for instance, Gov. Richards’ electoral defeat “taught me victory and defeat.”

She advised women to find strong women, hold on to their own ideas and believe in their dreams. “There is such a thing as excellence. Because moderation and mediocrity doesn’t take you to the front of the class.”

Lynn Epstein, of the American Medical Association, said she felt a kindred spirit with Indian-American women as“the issues are the same, you can change the ethnicity.” She said to find a path to excellence, “You need to have a plan, you can’t put things on hold... If you don’t have a plan, you are giving it away by default,” Epstein said. In her own life, she said, several themes had been repeated ---- psychology, education, and medicine. Even if the path keeps changing, “you have to have a general idea what you want to do.”

And while there is a need for mentors, she said, one must remember, “They come in two genders. Men of good conscience are so important for us to grow.” To keep to the path of excellence, “We need to have teams professionally, and we need to have teams personally.”

And like Singh, she stressed that both successes and failures teach us. “If you don’t learn how to deal with obstacles, you are going to be banging your head on the wall.”

She urged women to be creative when problem-solving, and to set boundaries, something women are “very bad at.” And “protect your territory,” even as you take a team approach.

Dhooleka Raj, principal health research scientist at Battelle Center for Public Health Research & Evaluation, whose critically-acclaimed book ‘Where Are You From: Middle Class Migrants in the Modern World’ is scheduled to be out this August, said the paths to excellence were paved with many stones and, for her, a degree or other achievements were just milestones on that path. What counts is the stuff of everyday life that binds the stones together.

“Most of the time what I see is the work to be done,” said Raj. She stressed three qualities of perseverance, perspective, possibilities and passion. “What has fueled me is to see things in different perspectives … You challenge your perspectives on a daily basis.”

She was passionately egalitarian and passionate about social justice, Raj said. “And passion is a fuel that gives one energy to work hard. But first you must figure out what you are passionate about.”

She is inspired by Gandhi and Baroness Pauline Perry of Southwark (a noted educationist in Britain), Raj said. What meant most to her is dedication to family, spirituality, and a strong education that teaches how to reason and think.

Her life experiences – family and trips to India – helped her decide to become an anthropologist, she said. She has been practicing Yoga for 16 years. “You have to figure out what it is that feeds your soul,” Raj concluded.