SHEETAL DESAI

President of the USPAACC-SE

Sheetal Desai is an accomplished attorney and partner at The Trusted Lawyers, a Desai Law Group, PC.  Her areas of practice include commercial transactions, real estate, corporate law and commercial litigation.  A product of the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin, Sheetal began her professional career in Chicago.  Two years later, she married Ritesh ("Rick") Desai and moved to the Atlanta area where she has been practicing law ever since. 

 Sheetal Desai has worked closely with many business and community leaders through her service as a public relations lead for BAPS Atlanta.  She is the current President of the Southeast Chapter of the US Pan-Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC-SE). She is also the Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Committee for the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Sheetal is also involved at the local level and sits on the Community Outreach Board for Gwinnett County.

In the past, Sheetal served as an advisory board member for United Way – Gwinnett. Mrs. Desai has also volunteered her legal services for such causes as Asian Pacific American Council (APAC) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).

Sheetal and her husband are the proud parents of three beautiful daughters. She enjoys cooking, exploring local and state parks, travelling and spending time with her family.

Raj Radhakrishnan

Vice President of the USPAACC-SE

Raj Radhakrishnan is the co-founder and CEO of E-Ring Inc. Under his leadership E-Ring grown significantly in the last 20 years and today it is recognized as the industry leader in property tax administration software. Before starting E-Ring he worked as software architect for Intergraph corporation designing CAM/CAM software systems.  He has a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Raj is married to Sunita and they have two beautiful daughters Gowri and Shreeya.

Mitesh J. Patel

Secretary, ZipSendr

Mitesh J. Patel, being an entrepreneur his whole life, has developed a passion for helping business owners. His current venture, ZipSendr helps design and implement local delivery solutions that fit the needs of small businesses in the metro Atlanta area. After graduating from Georgia Southern University with an MBA, Mitesh moved to Atlanta after marrying his wife of 25 years, Dimple. They have two amazing children Aayush, their son attending Georgia Tech and their daughter Maahi, who is in high school.

With over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, in varying industries including real estate, hospitality, financial services, and logistics, he has a passion to serve the community and others. Mitesh has been involved in the local community in many volunteer capacities past and present including:

Henry County Convention and Visitors Bureau - Board of Director
Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors - Data Services Committee
Georgia Indo American Chamber of Commerce - Board of Director
Gwinnett County Convention and Visitors Bureau - Arts & Culture Committee
Georgia Indo American Chamber of Commerce - Membership Committee
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu Temple) - Community Outreach
BAPS Charities - Volunteer

Lissa J. Miller

Chair of the Board, Truist Bank

Lissa J. Miller  is Truist’s Chief Supplier Diversity Officer responsible for leading the company’s efforts to ensure that its suppliers reflect its communities and company  She is the interface between Truist and the diverse supplier community and is responsible for working with its lines of business and functions to expand the company’s utilization and development of qualified minority, women, veteran, disabled, LGBT-owned and small businesses and ensure that the bank is in compliance with federal guidelines concerning diverse supplier inclusion in procurement activities.

She brings with her over 20 years of experience and expertise in Supplier Diversity, Procurement, Sales and Logistics from Georgia-Pacific, Scientific Games International and Kennesaw State University.  Lissa is currently the Chair/President of the FSRSD (Financial Services Roundtable for Supplier Diversity), Board Chair of the  GWBC (Greater Women’s Business Council) and the current Board Chair of the USPAACC-SE (US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce- SE), serves as a board member of HOPE and actively participates on committees of the  and the GMSDC (Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council) where she also served as board chair. She’s been recognized for advancing diverse businesses by the National Black and Latino Council, Greater Women’s Business Council, Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, Georgia Mentor Protege Connection and Atlanta Women Magazine.

Lissa has a BBA in Marketing from The University of Georgia, MBA in International Business from Mercer University, PhD in Business Administration from Warren National University and is a certified Zumba instructor and entrepreneur at heart.

Clovice Vaughn

Treasurer

Clovice Vaughn bring over 20 years of exceptional leadership in the profession of supplier diversity and small business development, and over 30 years of corporate experience. He has been directly responsible and credited for the success and growth of several small businesses throughout the United States, and continues to advocate for small and minority-owned businesses.

Clovice is currently the Manager – Supplier Diversity and Equity for Grady Health System. Prior to Grady, he served as Manager - Business Development for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center – Atlanta whose mission is to provide business and technical assistance that helps emerging and existing MBEs experience significant growth and sustainability and have a long-term economic impact through the creation of jobs and revenue, which is operated by Georgia Tech. Also, he served as Director of Corporate Services and Business Development for the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC), a not-for-profit organization that fosters value-driven partnerships between corporate entities minority business enterprises, and government entities. Prior to his work at GMSDC, Clovice served in various leadership positions within Verizon and Verizon Wireless where he was responsible for managing supplier diversity corporate-wide, across all business units and throughout the Southeast.

He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and attended a number of colleges and universities. He holds an associate’s degree in Computer Network Systems, a Bachelor of Science degree in business management with a minor in communications and a number of advanced courses to his credit.

Susan Au Allen

National President & CEO, US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC)

Susan Au Allen came to the United States from Hong Kong on an invitation from the White House in recognition of her volunteer work for people with disabilities. She received her Juris Doctor from the Antioch School of Law and LL.M. in International Law from Georgetown University. During her 17 years with Paul Shearman Allen & Associates of Washington, DC and Hong Kong, she became nationally recognized for her work on immigration, international trade and investment.

Upon receiving her law degree in 1984, Susan founded the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Education Foundation (USPAACC) with a group of business and civic leaders in Washington, DC and California, to bring the diverse Pan Asian American business and professional people together as one unified voice in business, commerce and trade. In 2001, she won two Federal cases for her small business clients, took sabbatical leave from her law practice, and became USPAACC National President & CEO.

Long an effective advocate for small businesses in the US Congress, the Executive Branch, corporate America and the media, Susan achieved a new level of influence when President George H.W. Bush appointed her to the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States where she served from 1991 to 1996.

Susan has been a frequent guest at the Executive Branch and Congressional events that address issues affecting America’s small, minority and women business communities. Her participation in these forums plays an important role in shaping the national agenda on the economy.

She is frequently approached by the media to comment on small and Asian American businesses, US-Asia commerce and trade, and Asian American women executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals.

Susan analogizes USPAACC as the acorn that has grown into an Oak Tree since its founding 32 years ago, with strong roots and wide branches extending to thousands of small and Asian American businesses and professionals across the country. She is proud of USPAACC’s ability to connect business to business, open doors to business, educational and professional opportunities for Asian Americans which is the fastest-growing group with the highest business growth in the United States, and substantial social and economic connections to the dynamic Asia Pacific and Indian Subcontinent regions, the world’s fastest-growing economic bloc.

Once an immigrant, she knows the obstacles that one must overcome to achieve the American Dream, and she has dedicated her life to help entrepreneurs to pursue their Dream - develop, grow and build a successful business.

Susan has served on Pfizer’s Small Business Advisory Council; Diversity Council of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, International Franchise Association and American Red Cross; Diversity Council of Time Warner, Wyndham International, Premier Automotive Group (Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo and Landrover); Board of Directors of the Virginia Small Business Finance Authority; Diversity Boards of AMTRAK and the U.S. Marine Corps; Commissioner of the Minority Business Opportunity Commission of the District of Columbia; and the Board of Trustees of Excelsior College in New York.

She has also served on the President’s Council on the 21st Century Workforce Committee on the Future of the Workplace; the Small Business Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. General Services Administration; U.S. Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council; U.S. Small Business Administration National Women’s Business Council; NASA’s Minority Business Resource Advisory Committee; Women Small Business Summits National Advisory Board; and Washington Board of Trade’s Washington Initiative.

She has contributed op-ed articles to USA Today, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, Asian Week, and Asian Fortune, and appeared as a commentator on C-Span, CNN, CNBC, ABC, Fox News, The News Hour, To the Contrary, This is America, and The Editor.

Susan was named Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal in 2013; America’s Top Diversity Advocates together with President Clinton, President Carter, and Oprah Winfrey by DiversityBusiness.com in 2007; and one of 50 Most Influential Asian Americans by A-Magazine in 1994.

Among Susan’s awards are the US Department of Commerce Minority Business Advocate of the Year (2014); Women of the Year by Boys Scout of America Washington Council (2014); Urban Wheels Lifetime Achievement Award (2010); DiversityBusiness.com Top Diversity Advocates (2007); Minority Business Hall of Fame (2005); National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers’ Diversity Advocacy Award (2006); NASA Special Recognition Award for Extraordinary Efforts in Promoting Small Business Programs Nationally and Internationally (2002); AT&T Spectrum Award for Advocacy for Minority Business Opportunity (2001); and Skirt in Power Award from the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce (1992).

Susan speaks Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) and writes Chinese fluently. Married with two sons, she lives in McLean, Virginia.

Barbette Hill

Southern Company

Barbette Hill is a Supplier Diversity and Development Consultant at Georgia Power and provides Supplier Diversity Support to the Georgia Power Generation Business Unit.  She has a BS in Business Administration from Mercyhurst University and a MS in Business from Nova Southeastern University.

Varinee Sangmalee

President, A.P.A.C.

Varinee Sangmalee started her journey in entertainment and media, working as a news reporter, a radio personality and an actress. She immigrated to the US in 1969, and subsequently made the transition to advocating small business development and stimulating cultural engagement. The founder and president of the Thai American Chamber of Commerce, Sangmalee has been an influential voice for the Asian American community for nearly 40 years. She is the president or a board member of multiple business organizations that serve Asians and Pacific Islanders and serves as a Liaison to the Thai Government’s Department of Trade Promotion – Thai Trade Center in Miami, Florida. She is the recipient of a long list of honors and accolades for her service to Thailand, the state of Georgia and the Asian American community. Her dedication and unwavering commitment have fostered thousands of jobs and untold millions in revenues for companies all across the spectrum.   

Vijay Bahl

Lotus Property Investments, LLC

Vijay Bahl, Born in India (Yumna Nagar), but emigrated with the family at the age of five to London England. Graduated with a BA in Sociology from M.B. College in Birmingham, before earning his first and very taxing employment working for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Inland Revenue (IRS) as an auditor.

Returned back to India in 1979 for what was an intended vacation, and & came back with only one gift - an amazing, beautiful & extraordinary bride (Neera) who has a story unto herself .  The journey began thereafter with a move to Orlando, Florida as owner/operator of two-family hotels in the shadows of Disney World. The same hotel field then led to a move to Toronto, Canada where the family was blessed with the birth of their only child Sumeet - now a budding IR Doctor in NYC., who also has an amazing wife in her own field of international entertainment as a producer/director of movies.

Vijay continued and pursued the hospitality career on his return to the USA for Hilton Hotels for almost 24 years. He served at two of the largest Hilton properties Hawaiian Village (2,500 rooms), Hilton Atlanta (1,224 rooms) in the capacity of (Operations/Assistant manager). With the specialized niche as a hotelier & third generation family realtor he expanded and pursued his career as a licensed Real Estate Broker/owner of Lotus Property Investments, LLC., licensed in both Florida and Georgia. Practicing in commercial real estate, with a greater emphasis in International Investments (EB5 Visa) representing clients from India, China, United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Germany, South Africa. 

Since the transition to Real Estate has been nominated industry awards as Broker of the Executive and the Presidents club. Also became the recipient of the Broker of the month (Dec 2018) for the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, and currently serving on their board for Diversity & Inclusion in the Real Estate industry. Other membership/affiliates: British American Business Council (BABC);Belgian American Chamber of the South (BACoS).

Vijay with a passion and love for football (aka soccer), coached & follows his beloved Liverpool team in the EPL. Supports the SITS (Soccer in the Streets) foundation to help under-privileged children in low income areas about not only the game but life-learning skills and a foundation in life. He has a huge passion for travelling, meeting people, and of course there is the art of espousing wit & a sense of British humor when opportunity strikes .

Things you did not know about Vijay: 

Has seen and met three US Presidents- Which ones? 
Has travelled over six of the seven continents- Which one has he not travelled?
Has travelled through 41 states- Which ones has he not travelled?
Has been known to write poetry.....no best sellers yet 

My Real Estate mantra, which will seed its own ROI.............

"Where there is integrity, there will be trust. Where there is trust, there will be success"

Amanda Hammett

Millennial Translator

Amanda Hammett, Known at the Millennial Translator®, Amanda barnstormed North America delivering over 800 keynote speeches in 5 years to 1,000,000+ charged up Millennial and Gen Z’s ready to take on the business world! Amanda’s deep understanding and work in the trenches with Millennials and Gen Z’s led corporation executives to pursue her as THE expert in helping them connect to the very audience they were struggling to understand.

She is a sought-after international speaker who “wows” audiences with her interactive and humorous approach to some of the more frustrating parts of the business world...recruiting and retaining top talent. Amanda’s signature keynote was described by one CEO as “cranium- opening” and by one CFO as “the impetus to make much needed change”.

Amanda’s audiences vary from as small as ten C-suite executives to as many as 5,000+ Millennials and Gen Z’s ready and willing to learn more. Amanda believes that if you do not understand the next generation, you cannot keep them as employees OR as customers. For this reason, she focuses on breaking the cycle of misinformation by re-educating her audiences through the use of her own trademarked framework, The Collision CourseTM, developed and refined through research conducted by her company, Core Elevation, Inc. and her experiences with various organizations around the world.

Her global clients include Fortune 500s such as Cisco Systems, ADP, Valvoline and Emerson as well as leading global industry associations such as the Global Association of Association Executives, Women Business Enterprise Network Council and the European Vending Association.

Amanda is the Co-Founder and CEO of Core Elevation, Inc. She is the host of the popular business podcast, Next Generation Rockstars as well as the author of two books. Amanda shares her home in Atlanta, GA with her Gen X husband, Gene and their Gen Z son.

Paula Washburn

Trane Technologies

Paula Washburn is the Associate Manager Supplier Sustainability and Diversity at Trane Technologies.  Over the past few years, she has participated in the USPAAC -SE Pitch competition, NMSDC conference, and supplier training for Trane Technologies. She has over 20 years of experience in procurement for top fortune 500 companies like Motorola, Sony Productions and Allied Signal Aerospace.

Ito Otu

Logitech

Itu Otu is the Global Supplier Diversity Lead at Logitech, responsible for developing, implementing and prioritizing a robust supplier diversity vision and strategy across the enterprise to meet the company’s business objectives, including, growing the population of diverse suppliers within the company’s portfolio and increasing diverse business partnerships across all business units while cultivating positive relationships and building goodwill within the diverse business community. 

Itu is a 25 year veteran of supplier diversity. He joined Logitech in November 2020 after a five year career at Wyndham Destinations as the senior manager for supplier diversity, seven years at Mars Chocolate North America as the manager for supplier diversity.  Prior to joining Mars, he had a lengthy career at the Walt Disney World Resort where he progressed through several roles within Merchandising, Accounting, Finance, Minority and Women Business Development; and Minority Business Relations.  He was instrumental in positioning Walt Disney World Resort as a choice destination for multicultural convention businesses. 
 
For his efforts and the resulting impacts in the diverse business communities, he was awarded the “America’s Top Champion of Diversity” in 2011 by DiversityBusiness.com,  “Top 30 Champions of Supplier Diversity” by DiversityPlus Magazine in 2014 and very recently, the Ambassador for Supplier Diversity by Minority Business News USA.

In the past years, he has served on the boards of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, United States Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce NE and SE respectively and the New York/New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Rust College, Hollysprings, Mississippi and Master of Business Administration degree from Nova University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Itu is married with two wonderful children.

Patricia Karam

Mission Recruit

As the CEO & Founder of Atlanta-based Mission Recruit, Patricia is driving force introducing human design to corporate America. With more than a decade of experience working with Fortune 500 companies nationwide, she launched Mission Recruit with the vision of delivering best-in-class services by combining the sophistication of a large recruiting company with the heart and personalization of a smaller staffing agency. Her extensive background in the industry started with a corporate recruiting career with a global leader in the IT staffing industry before transitioning to national staffing, as well as positions in strategy and philanthropy. Her strong entrepreneurial spirit is a result of her parents’ influence, immigrants from the Philippines, who taught her life’s most important lessons – and above all – the significance of giving back. Most recently she became a member of the Forbes Human Resources Council.