March 5, 2010
12
Community
B
Y
B
IDISHA
R
O Y
W
hile International Women’s
Day may be a day of
global celebration of the
economic, political and social
achievements of women past, present and
future, there is no room for complacency
as women still struggle on many fronts. For
women around the world, the symbolism
of International Women’s Day has a wider
meaning: it’s an occasion to celebrate how
far women have come in their struggle
for equality and an opportunity to unite,
network and mobilize for meaningful
change. As far social achievements and
bringing meaningful change in the society is
concerned, she is the perfect “Poster Lady”
for 8 March - Jasbina Ahluwalia, whose
entrepreneurial venture has been named the
Best Business Idea in the Indo-US Business
Journal’s 2009 Women in Business Awards
Supplement “honoring groundbreaking and
trendsetting women who are hallmarks of the
influential South Asian business community
in the United States”.
As a second-generation professional
Indian-American raised in the US, Jasbina
Ahluwalia had an understanding of the
successful blending of the Indian and
American cultures, and of the need for
someone in the South Asian community
who could identify, face and deal with the
challenges posed by professional, social, and
personal lives. It was this understanding
that led to the foundation of Intersections
Matchmaking, the first elite, personalized
matchmaking firm which focuses on selective
South Asian singles in the US. Established in
2007, the matchmaking firm (not online) has
its network across the US in San Francisco/Bay
Area, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia,
Chicago & NYC.
Prior to becoming a certified matchmaker,
Ahluwalia practiced law in San Francisco and
Chicago. Then what was the inspiration to
start this venture? In an interview with Hi
India, Jasbina says, “As a result of my personal
experiences searching for a life-partner as a
practicing attorney, I believed there would
be a demand for a premium service to assist
selective young professionals to navigate this
most important life decision. I noticed many
young professionals had difficulty balancing
their professional life with their personal
life. In particular, this can be a common
issue for young professionals from South
Asian backgrounds, people whose cultures
discourage early dating and teach young
people to first focus on their educations and
other self-development. Despite the great
demand among South Asian professionals
for an elite personalized matchmaking
service, there was nobody meeting the need.
Given my personal, professional and cultural
background and experiences, I felt that I was
in a position to provide a unique value-add
to clients.”
So how different is Intersections
Matchmaking from the other online dating
sites for South Asians? “Firstly, we are
not an online portal. We offer premium
service which is very different from online
dating. Our services are highly personalized,
consultative and feedback-centric. Before
our clients meet any matches, we take details
of their needs, personality and background.
Each match is pre-screened, and a criminal
background check is run before introductions
are made. Our main aim is to expand
our selective clients’ universe of potential
matches,” she asserted.
One of the biggest challenges the
company still faces is to educate the South
Asian community that spending on finding
a right partner is an investment far more
profitable than spending on arranging lavish
engagement and wedding ceremonies. “It
strikes me as short-sighted that many people
choose to spend a significant amount of time,
energy and money on the wedding event
(or events oftentimes in our culture), while
oftentimes not investing those resources on
finding the right partner”, says Jasbina.
This kind of matchmaking really works,
especially among the next-gen Asian-
Americans. She has received an overwhelming
response from single men and women of
South Asian descent of all ages nationwide.
The fact that the firm is fulfilling an untapped
opportunity in the society is by far one of the
primary reasons for the company’s success.
For Jasbina, there is no special experience
or memorable event in this journey as she feels
that “The day to day is the most memorable,
as our work impacts peoples lives.”
What is your biggest achievement so
far? “Creating and evolving a service which
uniquely serves an untapped need in the
community,” she replies instantly. And
finally, she flies off with a message for the new
entrepreneurs or the one who wants to start
his/her own business, “Identify something
you enjoy doing that feeds your soul, and
then figure out how to provide value to others
by doing it.”
Jasbina Ahluwalia
‘Invest in finding a partner, than in pomp & ceremony’
A large number of people attended the Dulhania Bazaar organized at the Renaissance Center in Schaumburg. The event featured displays by vendors offering marriage ceremony services and products
including apparel, jewelry, videographers, catering, disc jockeys and photographers. A scintillating fashion show was presented by Tabarruz. Those who attended said they had benefited tremendously
with an awareness of
products and wedding services available. The organizers said the event was a grand success judging by the attendance and response from the visitors.
March 5, 2010
12
Community
B
Y
B
IDISHA
R
O Y
W
hile International Women’s
Day may be a day of
global celebration of the
economic, political and social
achievements of women past, present and
future, there is no room for complacency
as women still struggle on many fronts. For
women around the world, the symbolism
of International Women’s Day has a wider
meaning: it’s an occasion to celebrate how
far women have come in their struggle
for equality and an opportunity to unite,
network and mobilize for meaningful
change. As far social achievements and
bringing meaningful change in the society is
concerned, she is the perfect “Poster Lady”
for 8 March - Jasbina Ahluwalia, whose
entrepreneurial venture has been named the
Best Business Idea in the Indo-US Business
Journal’s 2009 Women in Business Awards
Supplement “honoring groundbreaking and
trendsetting women who are hallmarks of the
influential South Asian business community
in the United States”.
As a second-generation professional
Indian-American raised in the US, Jasbina
Ahluwalia had an understanding of the
successful blending of the Indian and
American cultures, and of the need for
someone in the South Asian community
who could identify, face and deal with the
challenges posed by professional, social, and
personal lives. It was this understanding
that led to the foundation of Intersections
Matchmaking, the first elite, personalized
matchmaking firm which focuses on selective
South Asian singles in the US. Established in
2007, the matchmaking firm (not online) has
its network across the US in San Francisco/Bay
Area, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia,
Chicago & NYC.
Prior to becoming a certified matchmaker,
Ahluwalia practiced law in San Francisco and
Chicago. Then what was the inspiration to
start this venture? In an interview with Hi
India, Jasbina says, “As a result of my personal
experiences searching for a life-partner as a
practicing attorney, I believed there would
be a demand for a premium service to assist
selective young professionals to navigate this
most important life decision. I noticed many
young professionals had difficulty balancing
their professional life with their personal
life. In particular, this can be a common
issue for young professionals from South
Asian backgrounds, people whose cultures
discourage early dating and teach young
people to first focus on their educations and
other self-development. Despite the great
demand among South Asian professionals
for an elite personalized matchmaking
service, there was nobody meeting the need.
Given my personal, professional and cultural
background and experiences, I felt that I was
in a position to provide a unique value-add
to clients.”
So how different is Intersections
Matchmaking from the other online dating
sites for South Asians? “Firstly, we are
not an online portal. We offer premium
service which is very different from online
dating. Our services are highly personalized,
consultative and feedback-centric. Before
our clients meet any matches, we take details
of their needs, personality and background.
Each match is pre-screened, and a criminal
background check is run before introductions
are made. Our main aim is to expand
our selective clients’ universe of potential
matches,” she asserted.
One of the biggest challenges the
company still faces is to educate the South
Asian community that spending on finding
a right partner is an investment far more
profitable than spending on arranging lavish
engagement and wedding ceremonies. “It
strikes me as short-sighted that many people
choose to spend a significant amount of time,
energy and money on the wedding event
(or events oftentimes in our culture), while
oftentimes not investing those resources on
finding the right partner”, says Jasbina.
This kind of matchmaking really works,
especially among the next-gen Asian-
Americans. She has received an overwhelming
response from single men and women of
South Asian descent of all ages nationwide.
The fact that the firm is fulfilling an untapped
opportunity in the society is by far one of the
primary reasons for the company’s success.
For Jasbina, there is no special experience
or memorable event in this journey as she feels
that “The day to day is the most memorable,
as our work impacts peoples lives.”
What is your biggest achievement so
far? “Creating and evolving a service which
uniquely serves an untapped need in the
community,” she replies instantly. And
finally, she flies off with a message for the new
entrepreneurs or the one who wants to start
his/her own business, “Identify something
you enjoy doing that feeds your soul, and
then figure out how to provide value to others
by doing it.”
Jasbina Ahluwalia
‘Invest in finding a partner, than in pomp & ceremony’
A large number of people attended the Dulhania Bazaar organized at the Renaissance Center in Schaumburg. The event featured displays by vendors offering marriage ceremony services and products
including apparel, jewelry, videographers, catering, disc jockeys and photographers. A scintillating fashion show was presented by Tabarruz. Those who attended said they had benefited tremendously
with an awareness of
products and wedding services available. The organizers said the event was a grand success judging by the attendance and response from the visitors.
Large number of visitors attend Dulhania Bazaar