Celebrating a Decade of Impact: Thank You for Joining IWF’s 10th Anniversary Gala!

 

On April 26, 2025, we proudly celebrated 10 incredible years of Indian Women in Finland ry (IWF) at our 10th Anniversary Gala — a night of elegance, recognition, and community spirit at the beautiful Loi Loi Rooftop. Your presence made the event truly unforgettable.

🌟 An Evening of Dignitaries & Celebration

We were honored by the presence of our distinguished guests:

  • H.E. Mr. Hemant Kotalwar, Ambassador of India to Finland

  • Ms. Mervi Heinaro, Deputy Mayor, Economic Development, Sports and Culture, City of Espoo

  • Mr. Mayank Goel, Head of Chancery, Embassy of India

  • Ms. Manya Goel, Spouse of Head of Chancery

  • Ms. Milla Ovaska, Head of International Affairs, City of Espoo

  • Anna Storgårds, Specialist, Career Services

  • Cecilia Naadensua Quarshie, CEO, Ceci Educare Oy

  • Johanna Ahtiainen, Training Manager, FiBAN

  • Nora Haapala, Attorney-at-Law

  • Daryl Seager, Techcoach & Women’s Leadership Coach

  • Hitomi Tabuchi, Specialist, Member NGOs

  • Melissa Arni-Hardén Arnden, Senior Advisor, City of Espoo

  • Regina Ainla, Diversity Manager, Work in Finland

Thank you for gracing the occasion and showing your support for our vibrant community.

🏆 Celebrating Excellence – 2025 IWF Awards

We were thrilled to recognize Indian women making an impact across fields:

Community Builder – Sana Sadiq
Cultural Ambassador – Ramya Srikalyanaraman
Social Impact – Navami Gopinath Shajehan

Trailblazers

  • Entrepreneurship: Shweta Singh

  • IT: Packia Sheela Varadhan

  • Research: Assa Aravindh

  • Academia: Aksa George

  • Talent Acquisition: Reena Jha

  • Technology: Olga Garg

  • Content Creation: Saaima Aziz

  • Healthcare: Soumya Velpula

  • IT Leadership: Priya Tandon

Honorary Award – Shefali Arora

A heartfelt thank you to our jury – Hitomi Tabuchi, Daryl Seager, and Manya Goel – for their careful evaluation and commitment to recognizing excellence.

💐 Felicitation & Gratitude

We took this special moment to recognize and felicitate those who have shaped IWF’s journey:

👑 Founding Team

We honored the visionaries who laid the foundation of IWF: Ramya Sriram, Swathipriya Kumar Nagalakshmi, Shalini Parthiban, Vasupradha Muthuraman, and Uma Jagadees – your courage and commitment sparked the beginning of this vibrant community.

💼 Current & Former Board Members

We celebrated the tireless efforts of our board members over the years:

Prerna Bhushan, Madhu Chopra, Vishnu Kranthi Indukuri, Mini Sharma, Kit Srinivasan, Suneeta Kadali, Shalini Chandrasekaran, Sivaranjini Ramasamy, Sujata Sule, Seema Jeeva, Leolin Sushma, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sofiya Utge, Vaishali Doshi, Mitali Chattopadhyay, Tejashree Budihal, Rishu Nagpal, Ruchi Sahita, Archana Krishnamoorthy, Ramya Menon Ramesh, Shalini Kannan, Shalini Parthiban, Sujatha Sule, Renuka Natrajan, Swathipriya Kumar Nagalakshmi, Ramya Sriram, Vasupradha Muthuraman, Sunayna Agarwal — and many more who have supported flagship events like Utsav, We Care, India Day, Garba, Holi, Kidathon, Women’s Day, Mentorship, and beyond.

🙌 Dedicated Volunteers

A warm thank you to our active and long-time volunteers for their selfless dedication: Yatri Shah, Zama Ferin, Praveena Mohanraj, Visalakshi Ganesh, Vijayalakshmi Veeraiyan — thank you for contributing thousands of hours to strengthen our mission.

🎶 A Night to Remember

We danced to the beats of Last Counter and DJ Devil, indulged in an exquisite curated menu, and captured timeless memories with Sudhanshu Photography. A perfect setting, delicious food, and your smiles made it a night to cherish forever.

💖 From All of Us at IWF

To everyone who attended, performed, volunteered, spoke, supported, and celebrated — thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your love and commitment to IWF have made the past 10 years possible — and we look forward to many more milestones with you.

Here’s to a decade of connection, empowerment, and unforgettable memories.
With gratitude,
Team IWF
www.iwf.fi