Glitz, glamour and fundraising campaign mark Who’s Who launch

The article below is owned and published by The Indian Sun.

Second edition of Who’s Who which profiles prominent members of the Indian Diaspora unveiled by Ironfish founder Joseph Chou

On 5 May the gala night of the second edition of Who’s Who of Sydney’s Indian Community was held at the Zilver Restaurant, Haymarket, Sydney. It was attended by some of Sydney’s best and most successful business persons, who had been recognised for their entrepreneurial spirit, by the Indian community.

As the tables started filling up and guests networked with each other, cocktails in tow, DJ Joe kept the ambience in great mood assisted by a live saxophone performance. The master of ceremonies, kicked off the show by thanking the event sponsors—Pentagon Group, The Swank Store, Proactive Investment Group (PAIG), Fortune World Tour and Shutiq.

The keynote address was delivered by Joseph Chou of Ironfish. Joseph, a real-estate entrepreneur himself, inspired the audience with his rags-to-riches business journey.

Dinner was served at the tables while the models from the fashion partner—The Swank Store—sashayed around the tables in their creative and attractive dresses

The highlight of the evening was the fundraiser auction for the LUPUS Association. For those who are unaware, Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects people the world over with a higher incidence in certain regions of the world and in certain ethnic groups. Although lupus can affect anybody, 90 per cent of lupus patients are women. Of these, 90 per cent develop the condition during their reproductive years.

With lupus, the immune system produces an excess of proteins called antibodies that attach themselves to various structures in the body. The accumulation of these antibodies in the tissues can cause inflammation, damage and pain. Despite many years of research, the cause of lupus is still not known. Scientists believe there are several things that may trigger the formation of the antibodies, including genetic, hormonal and environmental factors.

Barbara Ward from Lupus Association spoke about lupus and requested the audience to whole-heartedly participate in the auction and to raise funds for the worthy cause of finding a cure for lupus.

The auctioneer, Colin Lee, did a splendid job, stirring up the bidders and kept the atmosphere electric and competitive. A number of articles were auctioned off, such as phones, shoes, website development service, and the dresses worn by the models.

Mili and Khushi, two teenage girls, proficient in “speed painting”, produced two paintings, under eight minutes, on the spot. These paintings were auctioned off as well.

In all, about $10,000 was raised at the end of the last hammer fall. It was a fantastic result and Barbara offered her sincere thanks to the bidders and organisers.

Next, the hard copy edition of the Who’s Who of Sydney’s Indian Community was formally launched by Kanwal Singh, Joseph Chou and Srikanth Balan to a thundering applause.

A great evening indeed, organised to appreciate and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of the migrant Indian community in Sydney.