Padma Prasad Hegde (L) and Rajiv Laoria (R) are now part of Folks Magazine’s Editorial Board.

Panaji (GOA) December 29, 2012 – U. Mahesh Prabhu, Founder and Editor-in-chief of Folks Magazine (www.folks.co.in) a premier online publication, currently in its fourth year of publication, has today announced induction of two eminent personalities into its Editorial Board: Rajiv Laroia and Padma Prasad Hegde (P. P. Hegde).

Both, Mr. Hedge and Mr. Laroia will be part of Folks Magazine’s editorial board which already consists of several distinguished personalities including Dr. Navaratna Srinivasa Rajaram (mathematician & historian), Stephen Schwartz (distinguished journalist), Narendra Nayak (noted rationalist), Dee Woo (internationally acclaimed Chinese Economist), Dr. Richard Benkin (noted Journalist & writer), Dr. Koenraad Elst (distinguished Belgian historian), and Dr. Ashish Chopra (Culinary historian & conflict management expert).

About PADMA PRASAD HEGDE (P. P. Hegde)

Padma Prasad Hegde, popularly known as P. P. Hegde, is most sought after practicing advocate at Honorable Karnataka High Court and Honorable Supreme Court of India. Hailed for his passion for justice, his legal skills and arguing stewardship in defending his clients in civil, criminal as well as family affairs are known to be “formidable”. His law firm PP Hegde & Associates, headquartered in Mangalore has its offices in Bangalore as well as New Delhi. He has also served as the youngest Vice-Chairman of Karnataka State Bar Council, where he currently serves for a record 2^nd time in a row as a Member.

He’s also Editor-in-chief of Karnataka Civil and Criminal Reporter (KCCR) whose mission is to provide in-depth report and insight into the latest judgments issued by Honorable Karnataka High Court as well as Honorable Supreme Court of India.

Besides he takes keen interest in projects that can “add value to society and nation – at large”.  As a person with concern for failing morality among country’s youth he happened to found YUVA SHAKTI.

In 2012, he was elected, unanimously, as National President of a respectable upcoming think tank – YOUTH FOR NATION.

About Mr. Rajiv Laroia:

Rajiv Laroia is a serial entrepreneur who has developed three start-ups in the Healthcare and Real Estate domain through strategic collaborations with several institutions including Boston University, Tenet Healthcare, Fallon Healthcare and Philips Medical. Over the years he has, also, raised multi-million dollars in private equity – almost single handedly. Prior to his entrepreneurial initiatives, he has served as senior executive with Kaiser Permanente, northern California (a $4 billion Company) and Fallon Healthcare System ($700 million Company) where he successfully translated operational, market and customer needs into winning processes, strategies and products. He was also a member of the Board of Fallon Clinic (a $250 million Company) which, at the time, was ranked number one Health Care System (along with Fallon HMO) in the USA by US News and World Report and Newsweek Magazines.

Rajiv is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and licensed real estate advisor in California and Massachusetts respectively. He was the Chair of the Real Estate Committee of Massachusetts Society of CPAs and a past member of the Board of Directors of several real estate trade associations such as GBAR and the Massachusetts Association of Real Estate Professionals. He has also held memberships in the Medical Group Management Association and American Medical Group Association. Rajiv holds an MBA degree in Finance and Information Systems. Additionally, he is adjunct faculty at University of Houston, Clearlake and gives seminars on Knowledge Transfer to CPAs and other professionals in Massachusetts, USA and New Delhi, India. He also mentors other entrepreneurs and has hosted “business open house” for executive MBA students from Switzerland in collaboration with the Swiss Consulate in Boston.

Rajiv is a strong believer in community involvement and has served on Boards and Committees of various Boston based non-profit organizations including the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA is ranked 31st on the List of Most Visited Museums in the World), United India Association (UIA), Boston Athenaeum  (oldest private library in the USA), Boston World Partnerships, Lions International Boston Host Club, Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE), TIE and the Indian Association of Greater Boston (IAGB). As a member of the Board of Overseers of the MFA and Chair of CATALYST, MFA’s global audience development initiative, Rajiv played an integral role in the launch of MFA’s $400 million Art of the Americas Wing in October 2010.

In 2012, Rajiv founded Promisso Foundation in New Delhi, India. The goal of the Foundation is to enhance the lives of its beneficiaries through better access to healthcare and education. He also started “World Travelers in New Delhi”, a social club for travelers from around the world with an interest in New Delhi. Present membership represents thirty countries. Rajiv is a member of the Delhi Golf Club and Delhi Gymkhana Club.