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Newsmakers of the Week JULY 18, 2025 | The Indian Eye 30

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

Arti Hirani Takes Balaji Srinivasan

Helm of Florida Young Builds ‘Network State’

Lawyers Division Near Singapore

NEW YORK, NY

ndian-American tech entrepre-
neur Balaji Srinivasan has taken
Ia bold step toward his vision of
a decentralized “Network State” by
acquiring a private island near Singa-
pore. The former Coinbase CTO and
Stanford-educated engineer is cre-
ating a real-world prototype for his
2022 book The Network State.
The island now hosts The Net-
work School, a three-month res-
idency program blending fitness,
blockchain learning, and startup
incubation. Instagram footage from
resident Nick Peterson describes it
as an “oasis for gym rats and startup
founders.”
Srinivasan envisions digital-first societies built around shared

values like decentralization and tech innovation, which eventually
acquire land and seek sovereign status. His project, launched in
Malaysia in 2024, plans to expand to Dubai, Tokyo, and Miami.

Raised in Long Island by Tamil-origin parents, Srinivasan holds multiple
Stanford degrees and is known for pushing boundaries in biotech and crypto.
ORLANDO, FL With his island experiment, he moves one step closer to reimagining what a
country could be in the digital age.
rti Ajit Hirani has been sworn in as the President of The Florida Bar
Young Lawyers Division (YLD) at the Bar’s 75th Annual Convention, Dharmeshkumar Patel
Abecoming the second Indian-American to lead the YLD. This marks
another historic achievement for Florida’s legal community. Previously, Hirani
made history as the youngest and first Indian-American President of the Or- to Lead South Asian Coalition
ange County Bar Association.
“This is not just a personal honor but a reflection of our changing legal for Jack 2025
landscape,” said Hirani. “I’m committed to making the YLD more accessible
and supportive for young lawyers.”
The YLD plans to launch a new statewide legal job fair this year in col- EDISON, NJ
laboration with The Florida Bar Board of Governors. The initiative aims to
enhance career development and mentorship for lawyers under 36 or within rominent New Jersey community leader Dharmeshkumar Patel has
their first five years of practice. been appointed Executive Director of the South Asian American Co-
Sia Baker-Barnes, incoming Florida Bar President, praised Hirani: “She Palition for Jack 2025, a key campaign group supporting gubernatorial
is a superb leader and dear friend. I look forward to all we will achieve togeth- candidate Jack Ciattarelli. The announcement was made by coalition chairman
er.” Sridhar Chillara at a high-profile community event in Edison.
Hirani practices at Meenakshi A. Hirani, P.A., a family-run Florida law Patel is widely respected for his grassroots activism and will lead efforts to mo-
firm with over 25 years of experience in estate planning, business, and real bilize voter support, especially within South Asian communities across the state.
estate law. Continued on next page... >>

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