Monica Ahuja, Founder, AmreekaWaleDesi
Monica Ahuja is a Pakistani-Indian multidimensional entrepreneur and a high-profile member of the South Asian community in the Washington, D.C., and New York City areas. She currently lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. On the clock, she is a Program Manager for a Virginia-based IT firm, and off the clock, she is an entrepreneur, content creator, dancer, model, and founder of the newest cultural and social platform for South Asians in the United States – AmreekaWaleDesi which has a growing presence in metropolitan areas that have a significant population of South Asians. She is also the owner of Let’s Groove Studio, which consists of Let’s Groove 360 photobooth, event planning, event decoration services, and LED standup lit letters.
As an influencer, she has worked with renowned fashion, beauty, wellness, and other brands including Movado, Lenovo, Bumble, Cetaphil, Nectar Sleep, LilySilk, Soap, Glory, Remington, SHEIN, Essie, and many more. She has also created content for hotel brands like Lansdowne Resort & Spa, Graduate Hotel, IHG Hotels & Resorts “Hotel Indigo,” and Canopy by Hilton Moxy Hotel in South Beach, Kimpton Palomar South Beach, Urbanica Hotel in South Beach, Candado Palm in Puerto Rico.
Trained in Bharatnatyam dance in India before moving to the United States in 2008, Monica can dance to any tune and move to any beat! While she considers Hip Hop/Freestyle and Bollywood Dance to be her specialty, she has also dabbled in tango, jazz, and even Ethiopian dance moves. Having choreographed and produced countless dance videos, she believes that collaboration is the key to success in dance as it can give upcoming dancers a chance to have their moment shine.
Naturally, as a passionate dancer, Monica also loves music. She played a lead role in Rahul Sharma’s debut music video – Sun Sada in 2018, Sanware in 2019, Secrets in 2020, and Love Lies & Ego in 2021.
Jason Kazi, Director of Marketing and Community Relations, DCWaleDesi & AmreekaWaleDesi
Jason is a Bangladeshi American, having been raised in Bangladesh and now living in the Washington, D.C. metro area, since 2009. Over the last 7 years, Jason has worked for a number of nonprofit organizations in various fields and media outlets. He is the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for DCWaleDesi and AmreekaWaleDesi.
Jason grows digital audiences for nonprofit organizations through captivating content and data-driven social media engagement. His experience growing up moving city to city and traveling around the world is what drives his passion for making the world a better place for those most in need. Outside of DCWaleDesi, he also serves as a freelance marketing consultant, Marketing Consultant for Kahini Books, and the President of the Young Bengali Professionals of DC Metro group.
Payal Makhijani, Event Coordinator, DCWaleDesi
Payal is an Indian-American community member, who recently relocated to the Washington, D.C. area from San Francisco. Professionally, she is a Senior Associate at PwC. Payal is a seasoned and trained Bhangra dancer who hosts dance workshops in the area.
Outside of DCWaleDesi, she is an Event Coordinator for Events by C and is available for private lessons for your wedding or other events.