The Hon. Shekar Krishnan is the NYC Council Member for District 25, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Woodside, Queens, some of the most diverse immigrant communities in the world. He is the first Indian-American ever elected to the City Council in NYC history and the Chair of the Council’s Committee on Oversight and Investigations, holding accountable anyone and anything that takes advantage of New Yorkers. In his previous term, Council Member Krishnan served as the Chair of the Council’s Committee On Parks and Recreation, negotiating the highest budget ever for NYC Parks. In the Council, he has championed workers’ rights by passing legislation to decriminalize street vending and successfully leading the largest and strongest worker protection bill for Uber and Lyft drivers in the nation.
Love, Light, Laughter: An Evening with Chandrika Tandon
October 7 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm EDT
Discussion 6:30PM-7:30PM
Meet and Greet 7:30PM-8:00PM
As we approach the festival of Diwali, join us for an uplifting and immersive evening of love, light, music, and community. Featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Chandrika Tandon and opening remarks by New York City Council Member, the Hon. Shekar Krishnan, the evening will blend live music, chanting, conversation, and spiritual reflection to create a deeply meaningful experience.
Designed to help participants recenter, reconnect, and renew, the program will move from personal reflection to shared inspiration, culminating in a warm meet-and-greet that celebrates community and connection. Together, we will embrace the spirit of Diwali by cultivating inner light, hope, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose in a welcoming space of joy, positivity, and belonging.
Keynote Remarks
Before his election to the City Council, Shekar was a long-time community activist in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst and a civil rights lawyer fighting housing discrimination.
Speakers
Chandrika Tandon is a globally recognized business leader, Grammy-winning artist, and humanitarian. She is a former partner at McKinsey & Company before founding Tandon Capital Associates and the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation. She serves as a Trustee of New York University, and is on the board of NYU Tandon School of Engineering and NYU Langone. She is the founder of the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and the Boyd-Tandon School of Business at Madras Christian College. A recipient of honors including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and recognition from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, she has released seven albums, performed globally, and received two Grammy nominations and a win for her pioneering musical work. Her life’s work reflects a commitment to elevating human happiness through music, education and economic and emotional empowerment.
Anu Sehgal is an award-winning children’s author, Founder and CEO of The Culture Tree, and proud mother of two teen boys. She holds an MBA from Yale University and spent nearly 15 years in the corporate sector before following her passion for cultural education. Through The Culture Tree, Anu has been recognized for her groundbreaking work in elevating South Asian cultures across America, particularly in New York. She is the author of eight children’s books that celebrate identity, heritage, and storytelling, which have been showcased at prestigious platforms including the New York Public Library’s World Literature Festival, the Jaipur Literature Festival, and many others.
