Sponsors
Many thanks to our growing list of amazing sponsors!
South Asian Herald: southasianherald.com — Our dear friend, T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman, Ph.D., is the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of South Asian Herald. He launched the online news portal in 2024. Dedicated to serving the growing South Asian diaspora in the United States, he covers the full spectrum of our community across the United States, including the achievements and issues of the diaspora, bringing you the latest news to keep you informed.
As an accredited journalist, he has spend years reputation for his covering of the White House, U.S. Congress, United Nations, World Bank, IMF, and the South Asian diaspora. Vishnu has earned special honors from Governors, Members of Congress, State elected officials, and community organizations. On March 8, 2024, the Virginia State Senate officially recognized him with a special resolution honoring his commitment to foreign policy and journalism.
Most recently, he served as the Washington Bureau Chief for News India Times/Desi Talk publications. He has previously worked with publications, including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Tribune, and The Sunday Observer in India. He has also worked as a Contributing Editor for the UN Yearbook at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Stay tuned to see some of our Inkandescent Kids’ articles in his publication: southasianherald.com
Marguerita Cheng, CFP® Pro, founder Blue Ocean Global Wealth
Certified Financial Planner and entrepreneur Marguerita Cheng: MargueritaCheng.com — Rita is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Ocean Global Wealth. She has also been a spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign and a regular columnist for Investopedia & Kiplinger. Previously, she was a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial and an analyst and editor at Towa Securities in Tokyo, Japan.
Rita volunteers for several organizations including: CFP Board Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) hearings, she has also served on the Financial Planning Association (FPA) National Board of Directors from 2013-2015 and is a past president of the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area (FPA NCA).
An avid runner, she recently starred in a commercial for Charm City Run.
Andrea Walton, founder, Concrete Rose Scholarship Foundation
The Concrete Rose Scholarship Foundation: theconcreterosescholarship.com — Born from both lived experience and unwavering belief, this organization believes that brilliance can bloom in even the harshest environments. Founded by Andrea Norwood Walton, a former teen mom who earned her GED and went on to become a C-suite executive, this foundation is rooted in resilience, equity, and global impact.
“We invest in underrepresented students—especially young women of color—by providing scholarships, mentorship, and access to education,” explains Andrea, noting that what sets The Concrete Rose apart its personal connection to your journey.
“This isn’t charity—it’s solidarity. We exist to remove barriers, build bridges, and help the next generation rise, fully rooted and in full bloom.” Stay tune for Andrea’s new magazine, BloomingRose.net.
Learn more here: theconcreterosescholarship.com
IP attorney and author Timothy Trainer
Attorney and author Timothy Trainer: timothytrainer.com — A intellectual property attorney turned award-winning author, Tim specializes in teaching readers about international trade, especially with China. A proud “Army Brat” his book, The Fortunate Son recounts the lives of a group of Vietnam veterans who intersect decades after the war.
Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world. He found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights; the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.
Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains. In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection. In 2025, the sequel, The China Factor, ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list and it was nominated for an award from the Military Writers Society of America. Learn more about him: timothytrainer.com
Attorney and author Christopher Chambers: chrischambersnoir.com — A Washington, D.C. native, a lecturer at Georgetown University, Chair of the International Conflict Resolution Center, and is General Counsel to a not-for-profit benefiting small colleges and HBCUs: Student Housing of America. He’s currently President of Mystery Writers of America-Middle Atlantic Chapter, a board of directors member for Bouchercon: World Mystery Convention, and Private Eye Writers of America. Check out some of the books he has written for Marvel — Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson, and Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda.
Elaine’s Literary Salon — Grown-ups who as kids dreamt of becoming an author are featured at the Salon at Elaine’s Restaurant in Old Town, Alexandria. Hosted by bestselling thriller novelist and co-owner of Elaine’s, Jeffrey James Higgins, the show is a podcast and video series that often celebrates children’s book and YA writers. Check it out!