The Puranik Foundation celebrates innovation, education and awareness at the Lotus Innovation Awards dinner
Nearly 400 attendees dined and dazzled at the Post Oak Hotel Uptown for the Puranik Foundation’s Lotus Innovation Awards Dinner.
The Foundation’s mission is to provide educational opportunities that open minds, spark holistic perspectives, and inspire transformation, and three generations of women were there to share that vision.
The gala, held on April 28, celebrated The Energy Project, a semester-long internship program launched by the Puranik Foundation in partnership with HISD’s Energy Institute High School (EIHS), Rice University Energy Association, CleanTech Clubs, Stanford University Raz Professor Ariel, Junior Achievement and TXRX Labs.
The program offers high school students the opportunity to co-create alternative innovations that benefit Houston and solve local energy challenges. The five teams exhibited and showcased their innovative design projects, vying for the People’s Choice Award and a $15,000 grant to kick-start their businesses.
Guests were greeted by the beautiful décor provided by Mandap Creations, inspired by the Foundation’s beginnings under a tree in Pune, India.
The ballroom has been transformed into a colorful and elegant visual showcase of the Puranik Foundation’s impact in India and in Houston. The event also honored Bobby Tudor, CEO of Artemis Energy Partners, for Innovation; Paula Harris, executive director of the Astros Foundation, per Education; and Dr. Bradley Smith, University of Houston School of Psychology, per Awareness.
The Lotus Innovation Awards Gala was made possible with the support of sponsors and guests, including Worldwide Oilfield Machine, Artemis Energy Partners, Gas Tech, Castro and Co., AlliantGroup, LaPriam, Askara, Leela and Nat Krishnamurthy.
Rani Puranik, event president and global CFO and executive vice president of Worldwide Oilfield Machine, dazzled the guests with her singing performance which included a fusion of ‘Colors of the Wind’ and a classic Indian raga called ‘nahi punyachi mojani’. She concluded the evening by asking guests to light their candles during her closing address, demonstrating the power of unity.
About the Puranik Foundation
The Puranik Foundation is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) organization founded 20 years ago. The Foundation operates the Vision International Learning Center, a school in Pune, India that provides free private education to underprivileged children in grades K-12. It owns 27 acres of sustainable land, and the curriculum is enriched with nature exploration, mindfulness practices, critical thinking exercises, and leadership training.
During the summer, high school students, as well as teachers, professors and mindfulness practitioners from around the world are invited to participate in Impact India, a study abroad program hosted by the Foundation at the Indian campus.
Click here for more information on the Puranik Foundation.
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