CityMasala.com

CityMasala Team

Editor and Publisher
		Chhaya Sanghavi Bold and candid, Chhaya wears a different hat every minute of the day. "I want to add a little 'masala' to your life", is her response when asked what CityMasala is all about. Her vision is to make CityMasala an enjoyable necessity, an important part of every reader's life. With a background in journalism, sales, marketing, and public relations, her life revolves around her son, Shiv, and CityMasala. She is a positive thinking 'go-getter' who enjoys a chilled Sam Adams, a good book, shooting pool, and cheesecake. She swears that she does not ignore people; she just does not remember faces! Humble yet strong, quiet yet witty, Chhaya is a dynamic entrepreneur who wants to make a difference in the south Asian publishing world.


STAFF PHOTGRAPHER
		Sanjay Puranik Sanjay is the latest addition to CityMasala’s team and is our staff photographer. His photography interests range from product photography to fashion photography and has been known to spend hours wondering around town or in one of Florida’s state parks trying to get that shot. He is also a member of the Florida Museum of Photographic Art and is a regular volunteer at the downtown museum.
Junior Graphic Designer
		April Stern April loves to design. With an inherent eye for fashion, she tends to do really well with design even when she dozes off every few hours. April is a hard working girl and her creativity shows in her work.

Content Contributors
		Shahnaz Husain She became the first woman in 107 years to receive the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award from the Success magazine in USA. The pioneer of Ayurvedic beauty care, Shahnaz Husain needs no formal introduction. She has taken India’s Ayurvedic tradition to every corner of the globe and her very name is the biggest brand in Ayurvedic Skin Care. Today, she heads the largest organization of its kind in the world, with a chain of over 400 franchise clinics, shops, schools and spas worldwide, as well as Ayurvedic formulations for skin, hair, body and health care. Trained for ten years in cosmetic therapy and cosmetic chemistry, she adopted the principle of “Care and Cure". Shahnaz Husain joins the CityMasala team to share her beauty tips and secrets for timeless beauty


		Anushree Nakkana Strong and level headed are two words that describe Anushree. She is unafraid to touch topics that may be slightly unconventional and aspires, as a writer, to challenge readers (particularily first generation South Asian Americans) to engage in discussions involving personal and professional issues in the South Asian Community, honestly and openly. Her motivation to write stems from her desire to expose real issues facing a generation that has grown up caught between east and west, tradition and modernity. Boundaries are lacking in her writing and that’s what makes it so unpredictably delicious; You never know what to expect, except that it will be thought provoking, entertaining, and that you will be waiting to respond. She has a BA Magna Cum Laude in Anthropology and a minor in African Studies from University of Florida where she is currently finishing up her first year in Law School at Levin College of Law. Her interests include writing, reading (fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi) watching movies (Hindi, English, other foreign) keeping up with current issues, designing clothes, traveling, trying new cuisine, and volleyball. She also enjoys spending time with her beautiful family and amazing friends. Anushree strives to live life to it's fullest by following her mother's example of leadership, heart, and independence.

		Ashish Jain Ashish came to the US for his second Masters degree in Marketing and Business Management. He has been part of the restaurant/ hotel industry for a number of years where he has had the opportunity to enjoy and partake of a variety of brews, concoctions and potions. H e has been the proud owner of many different restaurants and has consumed every kind of alcoholic drink imaginable. He has even brewed his own beer, wine, liquors and flavored alcohols. This has given him the in-depth knowledge required to write the Daru Ka Nasha column. Coupled with the wealth of his experience at alcohol consumption and brewing, as well as the philosophies he holds dear at each stage of consumption, he hopes to refine, educate and expand the desi drinking palate through his column.

		Judi "Simi" Silva Simi is a true Indophile (in the apparel, music, food, culture, etc. departments) An avid Bollywood fan, she has even performed a couple of filmi dances with a local dance troupe. Her current enrollment in a Hindi language class has been a challenge but well worth it (someday she won’t need the subtitles!!). Expressing her thoughts (mostly through her writing) on everything Indian, is one of her favorite things to do. She is the author of ‘Journey into the Soul’ and ‘Postcards from Goa’ (in the process of being published). She is also the co-author of the “Bollywood” script My India … Passages Through Time (currently with a producer). Being an voracious reader of books written about India and by Indian authors, Simi has written reviews and interviewed several authors. She hopes that the readers of CityMasala appreciate the wit that she tries to mix in with her articles.

		Maulik Trivedi Dr. Maulik Trivedi is a board-certified psychiatrist. He has lectured audiences and authored articles on topics ranging from child-development and parenting to Meditation and Stress Management. He is a regular speaker for national and local civic organizations such as the Federation of Families, NAMI (The National Alliance for Mentally Ill) and CHADD (Children and Adults with ADD). Dr Trivedi enjoys helping people recognize and realize their innate potential. Through a holistic approach in his practice of psychiatry, he guides his patients toward happier and more successful lives. He treats children, adolescents and adults in the Tampa-Bay area. Dr. Trivedi is an avid student of yoga philosophy and particularly of meditation. He lives with his wife and two children in Valrico. In his spare time, he enjoys ‘learning how to play’ from his children.

		Neelofer Syed Ms. Syed obtained her law degree from Punjab University Law College in 1994 and her Masters Degree (LLM) with honors from the Stetson Law School in 2004 where she was awarded the Dean’s Award, the highest award given by the law school. Ms. Syed has also served as an Intern with the Office of Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. While engaged in active practice of law in Pakistan Ms. Syed successfully argued cases all the way through the Pakistani Supreme Court. In addition, she was very involved in human rights activities, especially in the area of rights for women, children, and laborers. These included serving as the Human Rights Coordinator for the Province of Punjab, as Secretary of the Punjab Chapter of the Pakistani Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy, as a Director of Rugmark International, an organization dedicated to eradicating child labor, and as a collaborator with Fair Trade where she designed and implemented a micro credit program in Sialkot, Pakistan, designed to provide supplementary income to skilled laborers in the sporting goods industry to reduce the incidence of child labor. Ms. Syed is listed in a Who’s Who of American Universities and Colleges and has been featured in the national legal magazine National Jurist as well as several newspapers. She is a recipient of the Woman of Achievement award from the Women on the Way organization.

		Nidhi Chinani Born in India and raised in California, Nidhi Chinani is a bi-cultural girl. She has been drawing since she was eleven years old, starting with lead pencil and moving onto pen and ink. Nidhi graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2002 with a degree in literature. She enjoys the combination of the written word and illustration from the Indo-American perspective. In her free time, Nidhi loves playing with Uma and Zimmy - her cats, volunteering, and listening to Wilco.

		Roshni Mulchandani Roshni was born and bought up in Hong Kong during the British rule but spent nearly every summer as a child in the city of Mumbai. For most of her adolescent years, she felt lost and unsure of what career path to choose. Her calling came to her much later than expected, but she is now happiest when she is lost in a world of words. Her areas of passion include politics, cricket, fashion and Bollywood. She believes that each day is a new opportunity to turn her life around and achieve a goal she sets every morning. She understands her social responsibilities as a citizen of the world and hopes to eventually migrate to India to help the country move forward. A good bag of chips, a soda and a good Hindi movie makes her day complete or a good win by the men in blue—the Indian cricket team. Yes, she is a glory fan!

		Savneet Singh I discovered the world of freelance writing 4 years back and am currently exploring the endless possibilities associated with it! I am an author and editor of books on subjects like Science and Environment. I own post graduate degrees in both Environment and Education. My niche is Science, Environment, Self growth, Health ,Yoga, Spirituality and anything else that interests me. I am currently located in Santa Ana(near LA). I have a strong inclination for spirituality and practices meditation & yoga everyday. I enjoy reading and writing about the environment and life related stuff. I feel great to be linked with Citymasala. I wish Citymasala good luck.

		Shahnee Zaver Actress and producer Shahnee Zaver is a classically trained dancer and model who turned to acting and successfully carved out a niche for herself in the Film and Television industries in Canada. She then headed East to New York City to further her acting studies. She currently splits her time between New York and London working as a producer and an actress and has several projects in the works.


		Sheniz J. Sheniz Janmohamed is a young freelance writer, poet and spoken word artist. She holds an H.B.A. in English Literature and Religion from The University of Toronto, Canada, and she is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Creative Writing at The University of Guelph, Ontario. She has been published in a variety of journals and magazines, and is a regular contributor for Anokhi Magazine. Sheniz is happy now to be a part of the CityMasala Team as their Book Review Specialist. She is addicted to lattes, poetry books fashion,...and of course, Bollywood!

		Tirusha Dave - Entertainment Editor Having worked in the South Asian music industry for nearly five years, Tirusha Dave has created quite the name for herself. Not only is she a publicist for some of the biggest music names out there – such as RDB & Nindy Kaur – but she’s also had the opportunity to interview the “Who’s Who” of Bollywood like John Abraham & Malika Sherawat. And if that wasn’t cool, she’s also rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in the music scene such as R&B sensation Jay Sean. A published writer in six different countries, Tirusha’s goal is to shed light on the South Asian media & entertainment industry – always keeping our readers in the loop of the hottest sounds, films, fashion, and much more!

		Tracey Porpora With more than 18 years of experience working as a journalist, freelance writer and editor, Tracey Porpora writes effective and engaging stories covering a wide variety of topics, from profiles about inspirational women, to how-to and feature articles about dating and relationships, to in-depth business and national real estate trend pieces. Since 1999, Tracey has enjoyed a successful freelance writing career that has included writing news, features and analysis for dozens of consumer and trade magazines, as well as major daily newspapers.