Community Conversation
with Farooq Mitha
NEHA DEWAN
Neha has long been active in both local and national politics. Most recently, she founded and served as the National Director for South Asians for Biden, an organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing the South Asian community to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In 2016, Neha served as the National Co-Chair for South Asians for Hillary and was appointed by Hillary Clinton to the National AAPI Leadership Council.
Previously, in 2015, Neha was appointed as a guest of honor by the Consulate General of India in New York City where she was selected to speak about gender equality for International Women's Day. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Neha chaired the New York Chapter of South Asians for Obama and also served on the steering committee for Lawyers for Obama in New York. For several years, Neha served as an Officer of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council, an organization affiliated with the National Lawyers Council of the Democratic National Committee and comprised of Democratic lawyers and voting rights activists. Similarly, for many years, Neha served as an advisory board member of New Leaders Council, a national organization focused on training and supporting progressive political entrepreneurs. She has also been active in her local community board and political clubs. Neha served as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York in 2012, and now sits on the organization’s Board of Directors.
Mobilizing the South Asian Community & Building Political Power
BALBIR GREWAL
Born in the state of Punjab and raised in Nottingham, England, Balbir Grewal moved to Arizona over 20 years ago and has been involved in Democratic politics and campaigns ever since. Balbir has the distinction of being selected as Arizona’s first Asian American delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. She attributes her selection to Jim Peterson & Janet Napolitano, whom she met at the Indian restaurant that she owned in Phoenix, which was frequented by many state government officials.
She utilized her restaurant to help cultivate relationships within the Democratic Party by hosting events and fundraisers and over the years, enjoyed the opportunity to get involved in supporting people she believed in.
Balbir worked on both of Janet Napolitano’s campaigns, raising over $10,000 for her in her first fundraising efforts. Since then, she has assisted numerous campaigns for candidates in Arizona, including working on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, Phil Gordon’s campaigns for Phoenix mayor, Greg Stanton’s mayoral and congressional campaigns, and Mark Kelly’s senate campaign last year.
Balbir is excited to mobilize the South Asian community in Arizona to turn out the Democratic vote in the state!