The True 'Punjabi'

Mr Chanpreet Singh, the Founder of Sikhs of New York and Turban Day Speaks to Us in a Candid Interview About His Success Mantra, Philanthropy and Lots More!

- Bhavya Gaind

Hailing his roots from the City Beautiful, Mr Chanpreet Singh was brought up in Baltimore and New York. A true Punjabi at heart, Mr Singh has always been connected to his roots in Punjab and that’s what led him to laying the foundation stone of Turban Day. Here’s an insider’s view into his journey!

Take us through your professional journey so far? What inspired you to step into event management?

I started working at the age of 12 at the family owned 7 eleven; while most kids were playing video games, I was playing with cash registers. At the age of 16, I was managing the 7 eleven solely. The journey of events started at my Alma matter Baruch College, where I found the first ever Sikh club and started organizing events which got me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Working hard to initiate brands at Baruch such as Turban Day and Bhangra bash which are now recognized internationally is where I found my passion. Growing from that urge, now we are a team of 40+ freelancers throughout the country and 6 employees; which once started with the vision of 2 people, Monty Kataria and me when we found the company “Desi NYC” 6 years ago. We have been fortunate enough to work with brands such as IIFA Stomp in Times Square, IIFA awards in 2016 and on an ongoing basis with Burberry, Estee Lauder, 21st Century Fox, Hotstar, Saavn and Essel Network. The inspiration was in my blood to do something for myself and my family. After I graduated from college, I did the traditional route and after a few months, I felt useless and was unsure why I was living this robotic life where I am working to live. I would rather Live to Work and do something that excites me to wake up at 6 am and feel great about doing something that truly gives me joy, so events was the answer.