Perception Is Not Reality - About Sanjay Dalal

I would like to share with you a bit more about me, Sanjay Dalal, and give you some real facts...

1. I am a simple & happy family man, father of two growing children in Irvine, and husband to my wife since 1993 (technically 1992 since we got married in the court). We all moved to Irvine in 2007 from Fremont, CA. I love Turtle Rock, Irvine, where we live. I love my children & wife, relatives, my community, my friends and God. I love peace, happiness and well being for all... For more on my story, go to my website: http://www.sanjaydalal.com

2. I am a software entrepreneur, deeply passionate about collaboration software for social networks. I spend more than 10 hours a day thinking, planning, marketing & growing my latest software launch... oGoing. What's going on? http://www.ogoing.com
Further, I only know about computer software and some computer hardware. I do not have any working or professional knowledge of anything else besides computer software, and that too, mainly collaboration software and services. I do like to teach my children different technologies & always ask them to be curious about the latest cool things including cultures & traditions of their friends & families... just like any parent would do.

3. I launched India Business Network last year (2009) to help grow awareness of Indian professionals & businesses, and also in turn, learn about social networking, and the platform on which India Business Network hosts (Ning). Today, India Business Network has about 4,000 global members. India Business Network is a registered non-profit organization. Go to: http://www.indiabiznet.com to learn more...

4. I have failed many times over as an entrepreneur, including my latest failure... Innovation Index Group that managed Innovation Index Fund in 2008. Innovation Index Fund is closed, and is only supporting remaining 4 investors (May 2010 update - my father is not an investor anymore). All 4 investors are U.S. based, and are all friends based in Orange County & Los Angeles Area (who I have met a few times, and know them on a first name basis). There are no foreign investors, no foreign interest, no partners from any foreign countries / cities such as Dubai, Middle East, Africa, Europe in Innovation Index Fund. I am always learning from the failures such as Innovation Index Group... it only prepares me better for my next startup. Case in point: oGoing :: What's oGoing on? (tm) http://www.ogoing.com

5. Show me the money... First, I was successful in Silicon Valley at two startups that allowed me to be an entrepreneur (from the money I made in Silicon Valley). But I also lost money in the stock market (like everybody else, but probably more than I would like). I make money by selling Business Innovation eBook, Apple Innovation Strategy, Innovation Bootcamp, Internet & Social Media marketing, web & mobile application consulting, and investing in stocks (I enjoy it). This keeps me occupied and very busy all day...

6. I love ABAOC (Asian Business Association of Orange County), and am quite grateful & proud to be a board member. I take this job seriously, and would do everything to make ABAOC shine... this is my commitment to the board. I also love TiE Southern California, Irvine Chamber of Commerce and Dean's Leadership Circle, Paul Merage School of Business, University of California.

7. I am looking for partners for oGoing - Enterprise Social Network... if you or someone you know would like to get on the ground floor of a hot new startup that will potentially be a $100 million plus business in five to ten years, this is your chance. Just ask me for a business plan or executive summary, and I would be happy to share it with you... email me: ceo at innovationmain dot com

I love community development & community service... hence, I am active with my daughter's Turtle Rock School PTA & School Site Council, Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine, and take time to volunteer & promote / donate to charities... I was a basketball coach three times for my son's teams, and an art master for my daughter's class.

In 2005, I found out I had Osteoporosis in my lumbar spine. I have been fighting it since, and have made good progress. I am doing much better now... I started a non-profit in 2007 to raise awareness of this: http://www.osteofoundation.org (you can also read my story there)

Hoping this would clear up any perceptions you may have about me... or not ;-)

Now, let's do some business!!

Sincere regards,
Sanjay Dalal, Entrepreneur
Social Media. Internet. Innovation.

www.SanjayDalal.com

direct: 949-288-6880 (Receptionist: 7 am to 5 pm, M-F)

p.s.: I don't spam w. text, email, voicemail

Welcome to Osteoporosis Foundation Inc.

Dear Friends, Family and Well-wishers:

I welcome you to the launch of the Osteoporosis Foundation Inc. non-profit organization and the website at:

http://www.osteofoundation.org/

I look forward to your comments about our new website, our vision, bold mission and goals. Please take some time to browse the website, and tell us what you like, what you don't, and where you would like us to improve.

The blog for the Osteoporosis Foundation is located at: http://blog.osteofoundation.org/

I am excited about the launch of the new non-profit Osteoporosis Foundation, and our overarching mission to stop Osteoporosis before it begins.

I look forward to your support and help towards advancing and promoting strong bone health, reversing bone loss and preventing Osteoporosis, especially in children, tweens, teens, young adults and adults before Osteoporosis strikes.

Here's to "A Lifetime of Strong Bones".

Sincere regards,

Sanjay Dalal
Founder and CEO
Osteoporosis Foundation, Inc.

This entry was posted on 3/27/2007 9:44 PM and is filed under Launch

References:

Launching A New Osteoporosis Foundation

My Story and My Fight against Osteoporosis

Launching A New Osteoporosis Foundation

Dear Friends and Family:

First, I wanted to thank you for your support and faith in my quest against Osteoporosis. Your belief has only helped me climb higher in my fight against Osteoporosis:

"In 2005, I was diagnosed with advanced Osteoporosis, a disabling condition of the bones, also called metabolic bone disorder, where the bones become brittle due to lack of calcium absorption and lose their density. My symptoms included decreased bone strength, extreme pain in lower back and hip joints, and lack of mobility. ... My Story and My Fight against Osteoporosis "

Now, for an update:

Although the cold winter and rains had slowed me down, I am taking full advantage of the early spring in Fremont and the Bay Area. I have begun walking actively in my backyard, and in and around my neighborhood for about twenty minutes daily. Although it is still quite painful to walk downhill, especially on my right knee and my hip joints, I am able to muster up the strength needed each day to walk (which in turn should help me increase bone mass and bone strength). I am thankful to God for looking after me, and my friends, family and my two young children in believing in me, and providing me the motivation to go further and become stronger from within. It is this faith and encouragement, and my own improvement that is now inspiring me to go even further: to help and encourage young adults such as me in their drive against Osteoporosis.

New Osteoporosis Foundation:

I am launching a new Osteoporosis Foundation to promote and help strong bone health in children, youth and young adults, and ultimately stop Osteoporosis. I have come to believe that Osteoporosis can be completely prevented and stopped if we help our children, youth and young adults by promoting good diet, lifestyle, and exercise. And I want to raise awareness, and educate and train parents to help their growing children and youth. I am looking for support and enthusiasm, participation and drive from the community and corporations, government and National Osteoporosis Organization to stop Osteoporosis.

The new Osteoporosis Foundation will be launched at the website: http://www.osteofoundation.org/

The current launch date is March 31, 2007 for the initial informational content at the website. I plan on updating the website with fresh and relevant content, updates and educational materials throughout 2007.

Osteoporosis Foundation’s Vision

To promote and support strong bone health in children, youth, and young adults, thereby preventing Osteoporosis in later life.

Osteoporosis Foundation’s Mission

To stop Osteoporosis by encouraging strong bone health in children, youth and young adults through raising awareness, advancing and disseminating multimedia education, marketing diet, lifestyle and exercise programs, and fostering community participation. To help find a cure for Osteoporosis in young adults under age 40.

The Osteoporosis Foundation will be committed to achieving the mission through worldwide programs of awareness, education and training, interaction, advocacy and research.

The Osteoporosis Foundation asks for your support to realize the vision and achieve the core mission objectives. The Osteoporosis Foundation encourages individuals, foundations, government sources and corporations to help through monetary, time and referral contributions.

In conclusion, I am a believer, and I have come this far in my fight against Osteoporosis. Now I want to join hands with fellow Osteoporosis believers and create a partnership with the larger community so that we can stop Osteoporosis and create a future wherein our children will have strong, healthy bones to last them a lifetime.

Sincere regards,
Sanjay Dalal

My Story and My Fight against Osteoporosis

In 2005, I was diagnosed with advanced Osteoporosis, a disabling condition of the bones, also called metabolic bone disorder, where the bones become brittle due to lack of calcium absorption and lose their density. My symptoms included decreased bone strength, extreme pain in lower back and hip joints, and lack of mobility. I just went to the doctor complaining of pain, decreased strength and mobility. A serendipitous Bone Density Scan (typically not even conducted in people my age) showed that I had Osteoporosis of the lumbar spine, and Ostopenia in couple of other areas. Even my doctor was surprised by the findings. I also discovered I had Arthritis in my knee joints, and suffered from ACL tear in the knee. I was only 37 at that time. I took medical leave from work to first tackle the mobility problem, and determine a sustained plan with my physicians to overcome the Osteoporosis. After advice from specialists at PAMF and USF, sustained physical therapy over six months at local physical therapy centers, strong faith in God, support from Osteoporosis foundation, parents and family, disability benefits for a few months, and healthy diet that now includes adequate calcium, I was able to establish a baseline and regain some of my strength. Importantly, I am somewhat mobile again. Whereas before I even had to use a walking stick to help me with stability and mobility, I could not sit in one place in one position for more than a few minutes without pain, I could not even drive for more than half an hour, now I am able to walk some distance without pain, I am able to sit in positions without much discomfort, and I am able to drive for extended periods (at least couple of hours). I still cannot jog or run or jump or bend forward or bend with my knees or hold heavy objects without intense pain. I sometimes by habit may bend abruptly forward only to realize a lasting pain for a few hours. But I don't give in to pain. I overcome the pain. I am very thankful to God, the therapists and the doctors that I have been able to overcome the mobility problem and regain my strength. Now, I am trying to build myself from within literally with good calcium-rich diet and moderate exercise that typically includes light walk in and around the house, in the backyard, and around my neighborhood.

I learned that Osteoporosis cannot be overcome overnight. It is perhaps like a Diabetes or Blood Pressure or High Cholesterol where maintenance is required over the lifetime. I also learned that it can possibly get worse. It is even called the "silent disease" that can be debilitating with multiple fractures that can essentially make a person bed-ridden for lengthy intervals. So far, I am lucky. And I have God to thank. Most people don’t know they have Osteoporosis until they break a bone. I just need to repeat the Bone Density Scan test every year to confirm on whether Osteoporosis is spreading or maintaining, or by some miracle, perhaps even reversing. There are treatment options available; however, not recommended for men my age yet. Perhaps the medical research will get better, and there will be something available for men by age so that there are no implications of taking something over more than twenty or thirty years. Or better yet, with adequate calcium diet and light exercise, with increasingly weight-bearing training, I may be even able to reverse this condition in a few years. I am hopeful. I am a believer. And I have faith in God. If Lance Armstrong can fight cancer, and come out fully recovered and then go on to win Tour De France several times, I can do better in my fight against Osteoporosis. I also have two young kids who are growing and who provide me every incentive every day of the week to become active, get better physically, and play with them. I have my friends from college and Bay Area who share my passion for Football (we have been playing Fantasy football for the past ten plus years), and bonding with them gives me hope, warmth and confidence. At times, I realize that friends may distance themselves because they perhaps don't know how they can support someone during a time such as this. However, just knowing that they are there and I can even enjoy their company even through the occasional email and phone call at times is enough. I miss the running around and jumping and physical activities with my kids. However, I am very thankful that I am able to walk again, do fun activities with my kids by walking around, and able to take one step at a time, in my fight against Osteoporosis. And best of all, I have only become stronger from within, have become more confident of my abilities, and am determined to reverse this bone disease.

Last week, I was able to go out with my daughter on a Field Trip with her school friends to the Bear Factory in San Francisco. I even chaperoned my daughter and her best friend throughout the trip. We took the BART on the way to the Bear Factory. Then we took a small walk to the local Muni, and then took the Muni to arrive at the final destination. I even got lost as I stopped on the way to buy a camera from local Walgreens, and could not find the way to the Factory. I walked painfully a few blocks and had enough strength to walk back to the Factory (which incidentally was round the corner). The trip tested my limits. I was limping on the way back as I was walking back from Muni to the BART, and in particular climbing down the stairs of the BART station to take the train to Fremont. I was in real pain. The Field Trip tested my resolve to the fullest. But the smiles on my daughter and her friend's faces, and the abundance of fun they had as they made their first bears after selecting the type of the bear, stuffing them with cotton, getting them hand stitched, and dressing them with cool clothes of their choice was an experience that has no equal. A similar experience was when I took my son and his friends to the Field Trip at the Tech Museum in San Jose. Not only the IMAX movie was great as we sat together and enjoyed the climbers of Mt. Everest, but also some of the tech exhibits including the Sphere (this is a huge sphere where you can see Earth, various planets, weather patterns and more - a must see innovative exhibit at The Tech). Experiences like this drive me to do more, one step at a time, and help me build my confidence to fight against Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone, not a disease of the mind. A disease of posture, not a disease of intellect. A speed bump, definitely not a dead end. And when I realized that, I have not looked back. I recently enrolled and completed Professional Certification on Leading Management Teams online with Cornell University. I am a member of the Fremont Technology Advisory Committee for the entire Fremont School District seeking bold new technology initiatives for all the schools. I worked in the capacity of Vice President at an E-Learning company leading their Interactive Learning business. I enjoy playing Bridge with my son and on the computer because it is a card game that engages the mind, and just like chess, has infinite possibilities. I even play Ping-Pong with my son and my daughter (albeit with limited movement) and enjoy every moment of it. And I began this blog on Creativity and Innovation because it is a subject that is near and dear to me. The passion to create new innovations built with creativity and ingenuity driven by a great team in unexplored markets is what keeps me up at night. And the learning that one can have from all the great innovators of our times is infinite. I am actively looking for full-time occupation at an established corporation for the long term where I can lead my creative energies as a team leader, and create new and exciting software and service products built with creativity and innovation.

I came to USA in search of a dream in 1987. I came here in search of greatness, in search of opportunity to excel in what I do. My father sent me here with my sister while I was only 18 and gave me the opportunity to learn and grow, and create a career that will make him and the family proud. I went to school initially at University of Oklahoma, and then the University of Texas at Austin. I graduated with Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering with emphasis on Computer Engineering and Science. I studied hard while I was in school, obtained scholarships that provided me relief in non-resident tuition, and worked my first job as Computer Lab manager teaching students programming languages that provided me money for room and board. I met my wife to be while she was doing her Bachelor's in Accounting. My father also studied in the USA back in 1957, when he was only 21. He graduated with his MBA from Stanford University and later worked here for a few years. My father and my mother got married in Washington D.C. He went back to India since his father passed away, but later came back and studied at Harvard University. Eventually, he settled back in India. Now, my father and mother visit us (my sister and my family) every year in Summer. Their biggest incentive to come back is the grand children that they dearly adore. I am proud and thankful of the opportunity that my father gave me to come to the USA, and that USA has given me at such a young age when I went to school here, the scholarships and beliefs of professors who I studied under, and work occupation by managers who believed in my ability to deliver. As I tell my friends back in India that USA perhaps leads the world in integration of culture, values, work, lives and religion. And I plan on living the dream of my father where I can excel at work, family, kids, friends and relationships, and create new opportunities.

I thank you for reading my story, your belief in me and my resolve, and your encouragement to climb higher. I am a believer. And remember to thank God for great health, happiness and peace.

Update:
Check Osteoporosis Foundation for further information, and learn more about Osteoporosis