The Houston Chapter of WZCC holds dinner events for its members several times a year featuring distinguished speakers from various disciplines. The speakers are carefully chosen for their expertise in topics that help our members in their profession, business, or personal lives. On March 10, 2016 the Houston Chapter of WZCC presented Dr. Bahadur Sarkari, M.D., a distinguished psychiatrist with a long and successful clinical practice in London and the U.S. Dr. Sarkari is double Board Certified − in Adult Psychiatry as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In his one-hour presentation titled: “All You Wanted to Know About Mental Health But Were Afraid to Ask”, Dr. Sarkari kept the audience totally engaged with fascinating myths, facts, and actual cases of the wide variety of disorders that make up mental illness. In a very well organized talk, Bahadur Sarkari exposed the myths and wrong attitudes people have towards mental disorders. The spectrum of disorders that psychiatrists have to deal with ranges from anxiety, the most common problem, to schizophrenia, the most devastating mental illness. For each of eight different disorders, Dr. Sarkari covered its cardinal features and symptoms, along with the treatment and medications that help alleviate them. Particular attention was paid to Alzheimer’s disease and the special problems that mental health creates in the work place. He presented alarming statistics that highlighted the widespread and serious consequences of mental illness, leading to poor job performance, dysfunctional family life, and sometimes even suicide. Typical cases of mental illness that Dr. Sarkari encountered in his practice often brought humorous and astonishing reactions from the audience. Dr. Sarkari’s presentation was very well received, as evident from the animated discussions and questions that followed. WZCC (Houston) is grateful to Dr. Bahadur Sarkari for taking the time to share his knowledge with our members. “WZCC (Houston) helps members succeed as entrepreneurs and professionals through career enhancement, better financial management, and enrichment of their personal lives.”
WZCC – Houston Chapter hosted a Career Conversation session at the Z Camp Texas 2016 held on July 29-31, 2016 at the Zarathushti Heritage and Culture Center in Houston. Participants from various parts of the state of Texas were in attendance. The interactive session was specially designed to help high school and college level students. It was very well received and was a big success. Three speakers, Dr. Benafsha Irani, Ms. Anahita Nariman and Ms. Mitra Khambatta shared their educational and professional experiences with the enthusiastic audience. Dr. Benafsha Irani practices Family Medicine in Houston, Ms. Anahita Nariman practices Corporate Law and Litigation and Ms. Mitra Khambatta is a practicing accountant. The youth got some good learning from the three young professionals on staying committed to their dreams, open to change and studying smart. After the discussion, youth teams presented their views on medical practices of the future, ideas ranging from hologram emergency medicine to bio-engineered orthopedic solutions. WZCC – Houston Chapter is very thankful to the three speakers for providing firsthand information to the young and eager audience and looks forward to hosting another session next year at the Z Camp Texas 2017.
Pradeep Anand is no stranger to the Houston Business and Cultural Scene. He also happens to have many friends from our Zoroastrian Community. For over 30 years, he has helped executives at more than 60 industrial and technology companies develop strategies and tactics that swiftly accelerate revenue and margin growth. His work experience ranges from High-Tech to No-Tech industries: in Oil & Gas, Engineering, manufacturing, Software, Technology and Services. He has published many papers on Oil & Gas, Career Development, Outsourcing, Business Growth/Marketing, India, etc. Pradeep is President and founder of Seeta Resources, Adjunct Faculty at Rice University MBA program; Mentor to Startups/NextGen Employees, etc. He is an Alumni of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and also the author of the book An Indian in Cowboy Country with stories from an Immigrant’s life that many of us are so close to. WZCC Houston Chapter invites you to attend this very interesting talk. Click here for more information
WZCC invites you to Houston to participate in an interesting program on Thursday, April 27, 2017 (A day before the FEZANA AGM), designed for business people, entrepreneurs, professionals and anybody with interest in business, finance, industry, etc. Youth is particularly encouraged to attend. PROGRAM: 10:00 am to 12:30 pm – Visit a Zarathushti owned industrial facility, Coating Industries Inc. – Cll that provides serious corrosion protection for substrate to shipbuilders, chemical companies, major oil companies and industrial plants. We will also visit their adjacent J R Manufacturing facility, a fabricating plant for piping, skids and packages. (Light refreshment included Advanced reservation required. Cost: FREE 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm – Panel discussion on financial sources for starting a new business with speakers from academic and financial institutions – Talk on how to grow your business (topic to be finalized) For more information: Rustom Engineer rustom47@hotmail.com
the Houston area, the areas where rental income and property appreciation could be maximized, how to “run your investment like a business”, real estate do’s and don’ts, the importance of running credit and criminal background checks on tenants, and the risks associated with real estate investment. The next two speakers were Mr. Pankaj Arora and Mr. Kersi Engineer, and they discussed the purchase, refurbishment and sale of residential properties. Mr. Arora has been “flipping” homes for the past five years, whereas Mr. Engineer has been a successful real estate investor in Texas and Nevada for the past 30 years. They discussed how to purchase the “right” property (which is very important), obtaining financing, contracting strategies for home refurbishment, risks associated with such investments, and typical returns that can be expected. They also provided some valuable insights such as the need for being hands on and stay on top of the tasks being performed by contractors, the need for having relationships with contractors and vendors to obtain low prices for services/materials, why it is difficult to maximize return on investment if you are flipping homes on a part time basis, and how buyers focus on the quality of refurbishment of kitchens and master bedrooms. The seminar was very well received and the number of attendees was amongst the highest at a WZCC-Houston event. The attendees not only had several questions for the speakers after their presentations, but they also stayed after the event was over to have one-on-one conversations with the speakers.
WZCC – Houston Chapter Event On October 24, 2019, a joint event with North American Mobed Council (NAMC) was organized at the newly opened Shahi Darbar Restaurant. Ervad Dr. Parvez Bajan spoke on Philanthropy – The Best Virtue According to Zoroastrianism. Ervad Bajan is a sixth-generation priest and serves as head priest of the Seth B. M. Mevawala Fire Temple, Mumbai, which has been managed by his family since the enthronement of the fire in 1851. Ervad Bajan at the age of 65, earned a doctorate in a rare subject, Avesta-Pahlavi, the language of the Zoroastrian scriptures. With the courtesy of NAMC, Ervad Bajan was on a lecture tour starting in Chicago, then Houston and ending with 3 talks in Southern California. Ervad Bajan addressed an audience numbering 40+ including businessmen and professionals, about the virtues of philanthropy. He gave some examples from Zarathushti prayers that emphasize the importance of charity in our daily lives. Quote: “……May charity overcome greediness….. etc.” He also pointed out what our basic prayer clearly spells out that “He who gives assistance to the poor acknowledges the kingdom of God.” Ervad Bajan went on to deliver two more lectures at the Bhandara Atash Kadeh in Houston over the weekend. WZCC- Houston Chapter thanks NAMC for making this event possible.
The World Zoroastrian Chamber of Commerce – Houston Chapter conducted a very successful webinar on April 10 on the “Impact of COVID-19 on your Health and Taxes”. The session was attended by over 75 people and the attendees greatly appreciated the very timely discussion on the impacts of this pandemic to our daily lives. Mitra Khumbatta, CPA and Kershaw Khumbatta, CPA started the session by presenting highlights about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities (CARES) Act and how they impact individuals and businesses. Details were provided about stimulus checks for individuals and how the amounts could vary based on income, and benefits available from the Texas Workforce Commission for unemployed or furloughed individuals. Next, the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance Program provided by the US Small Business Administration were discussed. The participants found these highlights to be very beneficial as there are many aspects to the stimulus package that apply in varying ways. The second part of the webinar was presented by Dr. Sorab Italia and he provided facts about COVID-19 and addressed the many fallacies that are being circulated on social media. He discussed the common symptoms of the virus (with fever being a very common symptom), where to get tested for the virus, the timings of test results depending on where you get tested, the different strains of the virus that have occurred in the past, how patients with the virus are presently being treated, the protective masks and gloves that could be worn, the typical age and personal health of the persons that are severely affected by the virus, the anticipated timing of the virus peaking in the Houston area, and the benefits of getting the flu vaccine even though that will not help with this virus. He also stated a vaccine will be the eventual answer to battle this virus, but it will probably not be available for another year. In addition, Dr. Italia also dispelled rumors about the many home remedies that can supposedly fight the virus. An extensive Q&A session was conducted after the speaker presentations and the meeting participants asked dozens of questions about COVID-19’s health and tax implications. It was evident by the significant number of questions and deep interaction that this webinar was extremely well received by our community.
Plant Visit WZCC North American Regional Meeting on April 27, 2017, started with a tour of Coating Industries, Inc. and J.R. Manufacturing, L.P. owned by our local fellow Zarathushtis and WZCC members, Mrs. Aban Rustomji and her son Mr. Arish Rustomji. Over 50 participants from across USA and Canada were present.
Plant Visit WZCC North American Regional Meeting on April 27, 2017, started with a tour of Coating Industries, Inc. and J.R. Manufacturing, L.P. owned by our local fellow Zarathushtis and WZCC members, Mrs. Aban Rustomji and her son Mr. Arish Rustomji. Over 50 participants from across USA and Canada were present.
The Houston Chapter of WZCC and ZAH are delighted to invite you to a talk on “What You Eat and How You Eat Could be Killing You…and what you can do to stop it!” Dr. Rasi Wickramasinghe, is a Stanford and Johns Hopkins educated Comprehensive Heart and Vascular Specialist. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Cardio Vascular Medicine, Intervention Cardiology and Echocardiography. His clinical interests are heart disease prevention, minimally invasive treatment of coronary artery disease, minimally invasive heart valve replacement, heart disease management, etc. He is a very entertaining speaker, blending humor and knowledge Attending this presentation probably will be the most important decision you will ever make if you are truly concerned about your health and have felt helpless to do something about it. It could well turn out to be the Turning Point in your Life! FRIDAY, September 14, 2018 (No Charge) at Zarathushti Heritage & Cultural Center Light Refreshments 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM Talk 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM Q & A 8:15 PM – 8:30 PM ClickHere for the flyer and RSVP ASAP for headcount. Hoping to see you all, WZCC & ZAH
On October 24, 2019, a joint event with North American Mobed Council (NAMC) was organized at the newly opened Shahi Darbar Restaurant. Ervad Dr. Parvez Bajan spoke on Philanthropy – The Best Virtue According to Zoroastrianism. Ervad Bajan is a sixth-generation priest and serves as head priest of the Seth B. M. Mevawala Fire Temple, Mumbai, which has been managed by his family since the enthronement of the fire in 1851. Ervad Bajan at the age of 65, earned a doctorate in a rare subject, Avesta-Pahlavi, the language of the Zoroastrian scriptures. With the courtesy of NAMC, Ervad Bajan was on a lecture tour starting in Chicago, then Houston and ending with 3 talks in Southern California. Ervad Bajan addressed an audience numbering 40+ including businessmen and professionals, about the virtues of philanthropy. He gave some examples from Zarathushti prayers that emphasize the importance of charity in our daily lives. Quote: “……May charity overcome greediness….. etc.” He also pointed out what our basic prayer clearly spells out that “He who gives assistance to the poor acknowledges the kingdom of God.” Ervad Bajan went on to deliver two more lectures at the Bhandara Atash Kadeh in Houston over the weekend. WZCC- Houston Chapter thanks NAMC for making this event possible.
