NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Alpharetta, GA, Dec. 9, 2025: A fundraising gala that invited business and community leaders to step into the unfamiliar world of stand-up comedy brought in $200,000 on Saturday night to support digital education programs for underserved children in India. Leap to Shine’s inaugural “Laughter Matters – A Standup for a Cause” event, held at Phase Events in Alpharetta, blended entertainment, philanthropy, and community engagement in a format that sold out weeks in advance.
Hosted by comedian, writer, and actor Zain Sharif, with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Adam Graves attending as Guest of Honor, the program featured 11 executives and professionals performing comedy routines after training with professional comedians. Participants included Dr. Aashish Patel, Ashwin Patel, Jasen Hayes, Kanchana Raman, Mohan Lakshminarayan, Steven White, Dr. Veena Bhat, Murli Reddy, Neelam Kamdar, Natasha Malhotra Bagchi, and Rajiv Garg.
Leap to Shine Chairman Durgesh Das said the evening demonstrated how humor can mobilize support for a serious cause. The funds raised, he said, will help provide tablets, laptops, and digital learning tools to children across India who lack access to educational technology.
Awards presented during the event highlighted standout performances and fundraising efforts. Audience Choice honors went to Microsoft director Neelam Kamdar, North Fulton Smiles owner Dr. Veena Bhat, and Avion Networks founder Kanchana Raman. Dr. Bhat also won the top fundraiser award, followed by Kamdar and consultant Natasha Malhotra Bagchi.
Co-founders Keyur Shah and Vindali Vartak said the response underscored strong community commitment to Leap to Shine’s mission. Shah called the enthusiasm “a reminder of why we started this journey,” while Vartak said the participants’ willingness to perform stand-up for the first time added a unique energy to the evening.
A video message from Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna became one of the night’s most memorable moments. Khanna, who grew up in Amritsar, spoke emotionally about his own lack of resources as a child and the determination and community support that shaped his early life. He described education and skills as “the true currencies of change,” praising Leap to Shine’s model of directing 95 percent of donations to program delivery. Khanna said the organization offers “dignity,” “empowerment,” and a message to children that their dreams matter.
A red carpet segment and live auction added to the atmosphere. Led by Neha Negandhi of Storytellers Table, the auction featured items such as an Airbnb package from Moss and Moonlight, a luxury travel package from Tours Limited, and dining experiences at Chef Khanna’s New York restaurant. Corporate sponsors—including Charter Global, Innova Solutions, Thirteen Castles Digital, HSBC, Saicon, Fusion Group Games, Sheth Family Foundation, Pyramid Consulting, Kalpa Kapani of Harry Norman Realty, Walia Hospitality Group, and Naathu Sweets—helped ensure that all donations went directly toward educational projects.
The event also included presentations honoring community service. Leap to Shine awarded its first Beacon of Hope Award to Raksha Executive Director Aparna Bhattacharyya for more than two decades of work supporting survivors of violence. Bhattacharyya, a 2013 White House Champion of Change and a repeated member of Atlanta Magazine’s “500 Most Influential Leaders,” was recognized for training law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and community groups on the needs of immigrant and refugee survivors.
Volunteer contributions were acknowledged through several awards, including Infinite Shine Awards to Prasanth Masina and Rohit Sawant, a Shining Star Award to Niraj Sharma, a Youth Shining Star Award to Amishi Jain, and Guiding Light Awards to Gauri Vyawahare and Reetika Datta. Organizers noted that volunteers handled every aspect of planning—from logistics and décor to audio-visuals and venue setup. The broader volunteer team included Mownika, Upasana, Karishma, Meenal, Maaz, Harshali, Arvind, Akansha, Archit, Neha, Mini, Saachi, Siddhanth, Dina, Arin, Ashwin, Amit, Bhawna, Venkat, Anka, Kunal, Summer, Abhi, Jackie, and Shabri.
The musical group Rythmspace debuted the official Leap to Shine anthem, written by Niraj Sharma with guidance from musician Preeti Uttam and performed by vocalists Devender Pal Singh and Aarohi Soodan, tabla player Amol Khanapurkar, guitarist Gurinder Negi, and flutist Sai Ravisankar.
Leap to Shine, founded to expand digital learning access for underserved children, has so far distributed 616 tablets and laptops across 15 projects in seven Indian states, reaching more than 2,400 students with multilingual content.
More information about the organization and its programs is available at leaptoshine.org.
