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Newsmakers of the Week DECEMBER 26, 2025 | The Indian Eye 26

NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

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

SREEKANTH AKKAPALLI RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

FIA Taps First Telugu-Origin Congressman condemns anti-

President for 2026 Indian graffiti at NYU library

hicago. IL: US Congressman
Raja Krishnamoorthi on Sat-
Curday strongly condemned re-
ports of antisemitic, anti-Indian and
racist graffiti found inside a library at
New York University.
In a statement, Krishnamoorthi
reacted to reports of hateful graffiti,
including swastikas and slurs, discov-
ered at the Bern Dibner Library in
Brooklyn, part of New York University.
“The hateful graffiti discovered at
NYU’s Bern Dibner Library, includ-
ing antisemitic symbols and slurs targeting Indian students and other communi-
ties, is deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable,” he said.
The Indian-American lawmaker said acts of hatred and intimidation have
no place on college campuses or in society at large.
“Acts of hatred and intimidation have no place on our campuses or any-
where in our society,” Krishnamoorthi said, adding that the incident must be
thoroughly investigated. He also called for unity against hate and discrimina-
ew York, NY: The Federation of Indian Associations of USA (FIA NY- tion, saying efforts must be made to confront antisemitism, anti-Indian hate,
NJ-CT-NE), the largest premier grassroots nonprofit organization es-
Ntablished in 1970 representing the Indian community across eight states racism and all forms of bigotry. “We must remain united so every student can
learn and live free from fear,” he said.
of the East Coast, has announced its 2026 leadership team. The organization University authorities have not yet released further details on the investiga-
has completed its annual internal review and selection process, led by the in- tion into the graffiti incident.
dependently appointed 2026 Election Commission consisting of Alok Kumar,
Jayesh Patel, and Kenny Desai. The Commission’s recommendations received DHIRAJ PATKAR
full board approval, and the newly confirmed 2026 Executive Team will assume
office on January 1, 2026. Executive appointed
Sreekanth Akkapalli was unanimously selected to lead the 2026 Execu-
tive Team, succeeding outgoing President Saurin Parikh. Continuing in their Chief Product and Technology
roles from the previous team are Vice President Priti Ray Patel and General
Secretary Srishti Kaul Narula. As part of this year’s restructuring, the Election Officer by MedSpeed
Commission and FIA Board streamlined the Executive Team and will expand
the Council. Shah Accountants, an independent CPA firm, will serve as the or- lmhurst, IL: MedSpeed, a leading provider of same-day logistics services
ganization’s treasurer. to the health care industry, has announced the appointment of Dhiraj
Akkapalli is a distinguished entrepreneur whose portfolio spans real estate EPatkar as chief product and technology officer (CPTO). In this new role,
development, technology, media, and diaspora engagement in both the United Patkar will oversee MedSpeed’s product vision, technology strategy, and digital
States and India. His business ventures encompass multinational software de- capabilities to advance solutions that boost productivity, service delivery, and
velopment, transit technology consulting, life sciences, IT and cloud computing, customer outcomes.
sports manufacturing, and premium furniture design, demonstrating both stra- “I’m honored to join MedSpeed at such an important moment for health care
tegic vision and strong operational leadership. logistics. Our industry is becoming more complex, but technology is opening new
In his remarks as President-Elect, Sreekanth expressed gratitude for the possibilities for supply chain innovations that put patients first.” Patkar said. “We
Board of Trustees’ support, noting that he felt “blessed and happy” to receive are investing in AI and creating integrations within our operations to deliver break-
their confidence. He thanked Chairman Ankur Vaidya for welcoming him into through value solutions for our customers that improve the patient experience.”
FIA and helping him find “a larger family” within the organization, and extend- Patkar brings more than two decades of experience leading product strate-
ed his appreciation to the Board, Trustees, advisory members, and executive gy, digital transformation, and technology development across payer, provider,
colleagues for their warm reception. and health care services organizations. He previously served as senior vice pres-
Recognizing the historic significance of becoming the first individual from ident at AVIA Health, where he built and scaled a high-margin, high-growth
his home state to hold this position, he affirmed his commitment to serve with product portfolio serving digital health companies. His leadership experience
integrity and purpose. Akkapalli assured the Board and the wider FIA commu- spans product strategy, engineering, and customer experience roles at Expion
nity of his dedication to advancing the organization, strengthening its flagship Health (HRGi) and Health Care Service Corporation (BCBS). Patkar also
initiatives, and developing programs that foster deeper community engagement. Continued on next page... >>

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