Connecting and Inspiring Young Indian Professionals in New England

My journey as the Founder and CEO of Young Indian Professionals of New England started with an issue I was facing: why were there no networking organizations focused on the Indian youth in Boston? 

Throughout my life, I have always been called a “fake Indian” and an ABCD just because I was born in America. Where you are born does not dictate who you are culturally, and that is the barrier I wanted to break and bring both American-born and Indian-Born Indians together. As an American-born Indian, I wanted to stay in touch with our Indian culture and also network with other Young Indian Professionals.

When I graduated early from Boston University, I was lost and did not know how to navigate the “real adult” world. I secured my first full-time job in healthcare management, but I did not really know how to network.  For the non-Indian side of things, I did join some groups that were catered towards professional and healthcare networking. However, for the Indian side of things, with lots of research on social media and the internet, I found no active groups that were focused on young Indian professionals networking. 

I am blessed to have parents who are highly connected in the Indian community and who are extremely supportive of my goals and aspirations, but I wanted to create a name for myself and wanted to network with like-minded Indians from whom I can get inspired and learn from. In the New England area, there are so many cultural and charity organizations in which I have been involved throughout my life, like being an Ekal Youth Leader, but none for professional networking. The older generation of Indians in the New England area has built such an amazing platform for us to connect on a cultural level. However, it is up to us, who are from the younger generation, to take and elevate things to the next level. We have to carry what our parents taught us in terms of cultural values and upbringing, and pass it down to future generations. 

On April 12th, 2022, I was having a conversation with my mother about how there was a lack of Indian Professional Networking in the New England area. She then said why don’t you make one. And that is exactly what I did. My organization – Young Indian Professionals of New England – was born. My initial thoughts were that if 10 people joined, I would make 10 new friends/acquaintances. I never imagined that it would build up to this scale. 

Young Indian Professionals of New England is a collaborative networking platform catered to professionals of Indian origin who live in the New England area. We are dedicated to connecting and inspiring young professionals of Indian origin in the New England area. We strive to create a space where young professionals can network, share their experiences, learn from one another, and stay in touch with our Indian culture. Since I started this organization, we have over 10,000 members collectively on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedln and WhatsApp. I have created a board of advisors team that consists of very highly accomplished people in the Boston Indian community. YIPNE has also been featured on many reputable news sources like the Boston Globe, News India Abroad etc. I have also launched several initiatives, such as the Small Business Saturday initiative, South Asian Founder Circle, and a YouTube Talk Series where we highlight community groups and individual success stories so that Young Indian Professionals can get inspired and learn from the Individuals who have succeeded in their ventures. YIPNE has been a community partner for many community events and conferences, such as the Harvard India Conference. 

In the New England area, we had very successful networking events both on a small and large scale, which all sold out. Some notable events were our first anniversary, which had over 400 people in attendance, which sold out in less than 3 days, which is unheard of in the Boston Indian community, and our second anniversary, with over 125 people, where I moderated a panel talk with highly accomplished CEOs. We host other small-scale fun networking events, networking brunches, and virtual panel talks on topics such as  Mental Health, Finance, Youth Empowerment, and entrepreneurship. Many YIPNE members have received job opportunities and made meaningful connections through these events.

In the coming years, I envision YIPNE building a stronger network in the Indian community of New England. I continuously want to expand YIPNE by introducing new innovative ideas for events and initiatives, establishing more community collaborations, doing more individual and panel talk shows with highly accomplished individuals, and also helping members stay in touch with our culture. At the end of the day, the sole purpose is to help others build their network in the Indian community, so if we can provide them with more resources, that would help them grow as professionals, since many might have trouble doing so because of certain circumstances. Networking is the key to building professional connections, sharing ideas with others, and getting access to job opportunities. Also, the more you network, the more your individual professional skills will improve and the more opportunities you will recieve. 

On a larger scale, I would love to see Young Indian Professionals of New England expand nationwide so we can create a stronger South Asian Indian professional network in the United States. We have so many top-level Indian executives and CEOs, so it would be great to have them all on board and have other Young Indian Professionals support each other and get inspired. We also have a massive Indian population in the United States, so it would be great to see them all unite into one community and celebrate each other’s professional success. 

It has been one crazy journey, but this is just the beginning to create something extraordinary for the Indian Youth in Boston and nationally. I am so excited for the rest of my journey and all we can accomplish.

About the Author

Neeharika Munjal is the Founder and CEO of Young Indian Professionals of New England and is also in healthcare management professionally. She is known for her dynamic presence as a prominent youth leader in Boston and is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections, supporting cultural engagement, and creating spaces where emerging leaders can grow both personally and professionally. Through her work and involvement, she aims to strengthen a vibrant, supportive network for Indians across Boston.