Hi Reddit! I am Kiran, Executive Director of SALDEF, a national Sikh American advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. At SALDEF, I oversee programs related to policy, research, education, civic engagement and youth leadership. I was previously a volunteer for SALDEF conducting Sikh Awareness training around the country for schools, law enforcement and state/local government. I was also active in the gurdwara (Sikh House of Worship) teaching Sikh history and kirtan (religious music) classes.

Before joining SALDEF, I was the president and CEO of an environmental consulting firm in New Jersey. In 2014, I was selected as ”Small Business Person of the Year” by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). I represented the State of New Jersey at National SBA conference in Washington, D.C. I was also selected among the Best 50 Women in Business by NJBiz and listed among the top 40 Entrepreneurs under 40 by NJBiz the same year. In 2018, I was named among the top 50 most influential people of color in New Jersey by ROI-NJ. I was also involved in founding two non-profit organizations related to civic engagement and interfaith relations.

April is Sikh Awareness Month so ask me anything about:

-The work we do at SALDEF

-What it means to be a Sikh and Sikh American

-Current issues that affect Sikhs

-The history, culture, and beliefs of Sikhism

-How you can support your Sikh neighbors

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EDIT: Thank you everyone for writing in - this has been a wonderful conversation! I have to log off for now. In the meantime, for more on Sikhism, follow SALDEF (@sikhamericans) and Faith Counts (@myfaithcounts) or go to www.saldef.org or faithcounts.com.