The Here and Now
As a cultural entrepreneur, she is the Founder and CEO of Ixoraa Media, whose mission is to strengthen the ties between United States and India through sponsored corporate, cultural, and media events

Pre-Ixoraa
Lakshmi Pratury brings with her a varied and rich experience that spans for-profit enterprises, venture capital and nonprofit organizations. Her career crosses entrepreneurship's of all kinds.

As a social entrepreneur, Lakshmi was a leading force at the American India Foundation, where she was part of the management team that raised over $30M in five years to channel towards development activities in India. She was the founder of the Digital Equalizer program, which brought technology education to over 100,000 children and 2,000 teachers in India.

Prior to AIF, Lakshmi was a partner at the venture capital firm Global Catalyst Partners. At Global Catalyst Partners, she established relationships between GCP, the development community in India, and key executives in India. Prior to GCP, Lakshmi was with Intel Corporation for twelve years and had various roles in marketing, marketing communication, advertising, and evangelizing the developer community. Lakshmi holds a Bachelors degree in Mathematics from Nizam College, India, attended IIT, Mumbai, got an MBA from the Bajaj Institute, India and a second MBA from Portland State University, with a minor in theater arts. Lakshmi has published articles, interviewed celebrities, contributed to radio shows, and acted in local theater.

The Here and Now
Anu brings, to Ixoraa Media, her passion for promoting inter-cultural activities and her dedication to community service. As a Partner in the venture, she is an early investor and truly believes in the value proposition that Ixoraa Media offers.

In her role as Conference Director, Anu will oversee all Conference related activities under the Ixoraa Media umbrella including Aamra Grove and also oversee the overall management and implementation of Lakshmi’s Lounge.

Pre-Ixoraa
Anu Sethuram is a philanthropist committed to community service and has supported several private education ventures in India. She is Co-Chair of the Community Partners Program at the India Community Center in California and is involved in promoting inter-cultural awareness in the local community. Anu has been an active sponsor of CRY (Child Relief and You) and has funded education projects to provide basic resources and education for the children of construction workers. She has also supported Sutradhar, a resource center in Bangalore, and helped in the setting up of an early childhood resource center. Additionally, she is the Co-founder of Anuradha Foundation, a private nonprofit foundation, which promotes education and community mental health awareness in India.

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Sheena brings the Gen Y perspective to our Ixoraa Media team. Currently she is focused in the area of Lakshmi’s Lounge and on the Silicon Valley Club under Special Projects. Sheena has been granted admission into the prestigious London School of Economics and will be enrolling in the Fall of 2008.

Sheena currently handles all activities related to the Silicon Valley Club project and also manages our Database. She uses her innovative approach to market Lakshmi’s Lounge in the Bay Area.