Dr. S.K. Dash

Dr.Dash is currently the Chairman and Founder of UAS Laboratories, LLC/Probiotic Company located at 555 N 72nd Ave, Wausau, WI 54401, USA. Dr. Dash is also the President of DD Innovations, Inc. located at 7300 France Ave S, Suite 208, Edina, MN 55435, USA. Dr. Dash is also a director and a major shareholder of world class Kalinga Hospital and Foundation located in Odisha, India.

Through his Dr. Dash Foundation, he has established a Probiotic Innovation Center and Endowed Chair (Professorship) at Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, India. A similar Probiotic Innovation Laboratory and Dr. S.K. Dash Professorship are established at South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD from the contribution from the Dr. Dash Foundation.

Besides probiotic research, development and innovation, Dr. Dash has been actively involved in educational, social and philanthropic projects in USA and India since 1979 and for these contributions, he has received several national and international awards and honors.

Recently Dr. Dash has received the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award from South Dakota State University. He also received the D.Sc. degree, the highest Honorary Academic Award from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India in February, 2015.

Dr.Bruce Corrie

Dr.Corrie longtime Concordia University faculty member Dr. Bruce Corrie was named Associate Vice President of University Relations and International Programs at Concordia in February 2013.  In this role Dr. Corrie works to build community and governmental relationships for the university and helps develop Concordia University’s International Programs.

A faculty member at CSP since 1987, Dr. Corrie is well known in the community for his work on the economic contributions of immigrants and minorities and his research has been featured in the national and local media. He has served on the board of several national, state and local public and non- profit boards such as the US Small Business Administration, Governor’s Workforce Development Council, Chair of the Governor’s Working Group on Minority Business Development and the World Cultural Heritage District. He has helped develop foreign study programs in India, China, and Mexico and served on international accreditation panels for the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs in India and Mongolia.

Dr. Corrie’s travels have taken him to 25 countries and five continents. He has a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Notre Dame. He served as Concordia’s Dean of the College of Business and Organizational Leadership from May 2008 to Feburary 2013.

Miguel Ramos

Miguel is Director, Diversity Marketing, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club. Despite his success in Puerto Rico, Miguel had to restart his career from scratch. Never giving up, he applied to become the executive director of a local nonprofit. He was later appointed by the governor to serve on the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee.

In 2000, Miguel was selected as one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazines’ “100 People to Watch.” He also received the 2011 Diversity in Business award from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. In 2008, he was offered a position with the Minnesota Twins as their emerging markets director and has been working there ever since. Currently chairing the Board of Green Card Voices, he has served on boards for Greater Minneapolis & St. Paul United Way, Science Museum of Minnesota and Casa de Esperanza.

Ram Gada

Ram has been in Minnesota since 1965 and has been connected with IAM since 1983 in various capacities like Bylaws Revisions and TAC formation, Community Liaison Committee, Nomination Committee, Scholarship Award Judging, and Annual IAM award Judging.

Ram with his wife Neena Gada is involved in several organizations like SILC, Gujarati Samaj, Jain Center of Minnesota, Hindu Society of Minnesota, MAIDA, KOJAIN, and JAINA. Ram has played a very important role in developing IAM oral History Projects since 1992 and bringing Beyond Bollywood Exhibit at the History Center in 2016. Ram is an honorary Council Member at Minnesota Historical Society after serving on the Council from 2003-12 as vice president and served on the finance, and Grant Award Committees.

Ram is a recipient of several awards, including 2014 Lifetime Achievement award from Asia Pacific Council in 2014 and 2019 JAINA Ratna Award from Jain Federation in North America. Ram and Neena Gada are part of the book "$8MAN" published in 2017. Ram was a founder and president of Gada & Associates, Inc., Consulting Engineers (1980-2010) and served as a president of Minnesota ASHRAE in 1982 and as a historian in 1984- 85.

Shanti Shah

Shanti has been in Minnesota since 1974. She has been married to her husband Stefan for over 30 years. She has degrees from University of Minnesota and St. Thomas.

Shanti has been working in the Information technology field for over 35 years. She has been involved in the Twin Cities Indian American community for as long as she lived in Minnesota. She was adjunct faculty at Metro State University for 20 years and currently an adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota.

Vijay Dixit