30th Anniversary Gala
We’re thrilled to invite you to a special evening celebrating 30 years of our impact—and the next chapter of our journey.
For three decades, SAYA has offered safe and welcoming spaces where young people can learn, grow, and lead, strengthening communities across Queens and beyond. This milestone celebration will honor that legacy while looking ahead to what’s next.
We hope you’ll join us for an inspiring night of celebration, community.
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Premier seating (2 tables – 20 tickets)
Placement of logo on Step & Repeat
On-stage recognition during gala speaking program
Display of company name/logo on all gala materials
Recognition on website
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Premium seating (1 table – 10 tickets)
Placement of logo on Step & Repeat
Display of company name/logo on all gala materials
Recognition on website
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Prime seating (1 table – 10 tickets)
Display of company name/logo on all gala materials
Recognition on website
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Preferred seating (1 table – 10 tickets)
Display of company name/logo on all gala materials
Recognition on website
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Priority seating (1 table – 10 tickets)
Display of company name/logo on gala materials
Website recognition
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Display of company name/logo on gala materials
Website recognition
1 table - 10 tickets
Additional Info
To pay by check, please make it out to South Asian Youth Action and mail to:
South Asian Youth Action
attn: Saphia Najafee
54-05 Seabury Street
Elmhurst, NY 11373
To send your donation through wire or ACH transfer, please email SAYA@saya.org.
South Asian Youth Action is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Contribution beyond the first $425 per person may be tax deductible, as allowable by law. Acknowledgment letters will state the portion of the contribution that is tax deductible.
Our Honorees
Usman Ahmed is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Quetzal Therapeutics. Prior to launching Quetzal, Usman served as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors at Nexus Pharmaceuticals, LLC, where he played a transformative role in the company’s growth and evolution.
He joined Nexus in 2009 as Vice President of Finance and Business Development and quickly rose through the ranks as Chief Financial Officer and ultimately as President & CEO. During his tenure, Usman led the execution of complex transactions, spearheaded operational improvements, and championed cost efficiencies in the highly specialized and challenging field of generic injectables. He was instrumental in building high-performing teams and navigating the organization through periods of rapid change and growth. In 2024, under his leadership, Nexus successfully divested its cutting-edge pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
Before joining Nexus, Usman began his career as an Associate at J.P. Morgan, where he gained foundational experience in finance and investment strategy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from The Ohio State University.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Usman is deeply committed to philanthropy. Usman volunteered at SAYA from 2007-2009, spending his Saturdays tutoring, mentoring, and playing basketball with youth. During this time, he alongside another volunteer, started an annual basketball tournament fundraiser centering unity and community. Though he no longer lives in New York City, he has continued to champion SAYA’s mission and growth.
Entertainment
British-born international superstar and cultural icon Jay Sean helped redefine what global success could look like for Asian artists in mainstream popular music. Emerging in the mid-2000s, he went on to build a career spanning nearly two decades, breaking barriers across multiple international markets and becoming one of the most commercially successful South Asian artists of all time.
Jay made history as the first South Asian artist ever to achieve a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single and remains the only South Asian artist in history to receive a Diamond certification for a single with his global hit “Down.” He is also the first South Asian artist to land a No. 1 Latin single on Billboard, the first South Asian artist to perform on Top of the Pops, and the first Asian artist in history to hold simultaneous Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. During his breakthrough run in the U.S., Jay achieved five consecutive Billboard Top 40 singles, helping establish him as one of the defining international pop and R&B artists of his era.
In 2016, Jay returned to the UK charts with the hit single “Make My Love Go” featuring Sean Paul, and in 2020 returned to No. 1 across much of Europe with the billion-streaming “Ride It” remix alongside Regard, introducing his music to an entirely new generation of global listeners.
Gala Committee
Chair
Sri Murthy
Samidh Guha
Thara Natalie Prashad
Sowmya Rao
Rippi Gill Rangwala
Zarme Shahnawaz
Sheetal Sheth
“I stand up for and stand by the institutions [that] stood up for me or share my values. I know I could not improve outcomes for over 4,000 students per year alone; I have seen this incredible community jointly build SAYA to do just that and more.
There’s much more to do. For decades to come, I want to collaborate further with good people like you…to realize the world we have all been dreaming of, and then some, for generations to come.””
“In the midst of a pandemic of hopelessness and loneliness, SAYA is a space where our youth can say their dreams out loud. Where they can say what they can’t say elsewhere. Where they can experience each other with all their senses. It’s a space of refuge. Of expansion. Of discovery and exploration. Of respite from the heavy responsibilities of home and school. Some youth traveled an hour each way to spend two hours together. To escape to each other in community.
We need that space too. Especially in these times.”