Parag Saxena of Rye was recently named as one of four co-chairs for the Democratic National Committee’s South Asian American Leadership Council to provide leadership through the 2008 elections. Saxena was an early investor in Starbucks and is a well known venture capitalist.
He heads Vedanta Capital & New Silk Route Investors, a group that oversees a fund of more than $1.4 billion in investments. Saxena was named #31 on Forbes Midas List in 2008, a survey of the top tech deal makers in the world.
The DNC group will "provide a platform for political engagement and a forum for the exchange of ideas for South Asian American Democrats" including those voters from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Watch for that Maldive vote… According to the DNC, there are more than 3 million South Asian Americans in the US.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Saxena has given over $42,000 in political contributions in 2008 alone. He maxed his contributions to Hillary and tossed a few bones to Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson. So far, Obama has come up dry.
The DNC provided this bio on Saxena, who lives in Rye on Timber Trail near the Westchester Country Club:
"Parag Saxena is Co-Founder and CEO of Vedanta Capital & New Silk Route Investors and former CEO of INVESCO Private Capital, where he was one of the largest global venture capital and private equity managers. He is a seasoned venture capitalist with over 25 years experience and has been listed on Forbes’ annual Midas List of the world’s top venture investors. He has been the President of TIE -TriState since 2003 and is a Vice Chairman of the UN Financing for Development Committee. Parag is a co-founder and member of the executive committee of South Asian American Forum. He was a Co-Chair of South Asians for Kerry in 2004 and currently serves as a Regional Co-Chair of the Obama campaign’s Asian American Finance Committee."
