Join Us in Making History

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Thank you for your interest in The Indian American Dream Gala, taking place on April 4, 2026, and the historic exhibition it will help bring to life. This evening marks a pivotal moment for the Tenderloin Museum as we triple our size and deepen our commitment to telling the full story of the Tenderloin—especially the contributions of communities whose impact has too often gone unrecognized.

Indian-American hoteliers are central to the Tenderloin’s history and to the evolution of the American hospitality industry. From early SRO hotels to national leadership, these families transformed entrepreneurship into opportunity, resilience into legacy, and local effort into lasting national influence.

The gala offers sponsors a unique opportunity to help launch the first permanent Indo-American Hotelier History Exhibition in the United States. Inspired by Mahendra Doshi’s Surat to San Francisco, the exhibition will open in our newly expanded museum in 2027, and your sponsorship ensures this extraordinary history is permanently honored and shared.

Katie Conry

Executive Director, Tenderloin Museum

kconry@tenderloinmuseum.org

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION

Tenderloin Museum (Uptown Tenderloin, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.

Sponsors

We are so grateful to our gala sponsors for their support.

Anchor Investors

Mansi Goyal and Varish Goyal

Opening Day Sponsor

Foundation Builder

The Vernon Family

Cornerstone Contributors

Marni and Raj Khanna

Key Contributors

Maneesha and Nitin Chandra
Ros Medina
Ketan & Hema Vasanji

About the Event

To mark this historic moment and help bring the exhibition fully to life, the Tenderloin Museum invites you to a special evening of celebration and support.

Join us for an elegant evening honoring the pioneering journey of Indo-American hoteliers. Sponsors and guests will:

be among the first to preview this landmark exhibition,
enjoy curated elixirs and elevated cuisine,
and participate in an exclusive silent auction in support of the museum’s mission.

Cocktail attire requested.

Event co-chaired by Sumati Patel-Pareek and Jaya Patel.

Presented by: Tenderloin Museum & Indo-American Hotelier Exhibition Funds Development Committee, with support from Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), and the Bhartiya Mandal Foundation.

About Us

The Tenderloin Museum tells the story of one of San Francisco’s most misunderstood yet vital neighborhoods—a longtime haven for artists, immigrants, LGBTQ activists, and working-class residents.

Our mission is to celebrate and preserve the history and spirit of the Tenderloin, uplifting the voices that shaped its cultural legacy. Through exhibitions, walking tours, and public programs, the museum welcomes more than 5,000 visitors each year.

This work is made possible through partnership. As the museum grows, we are committed to expanding whose stories are told—ensuring that historically underrecognized communities are permanently reflected in San Francisco’s cultural record and in the broader American story.

In 2025, the Tenderloin Museum marked its 10th anniversary by breaking ground on a $3.7 million expansion, which will triple its size and deepen its capacity to present ambitious, community-centered exhibitions.

And, for the first time in U.S. history, the story of Indian-American hoteliers will be permanently celebrated.

About the Exhibit

From San Francisco’s early SROs to leadership across the nation’s hospitality industry, Indian-American entrepreneurs transformed both the Tenderloin and the American dream.

The groundbreaking exhibition, set to open in 2027, is inspired by Mahendra Doshi’s book Surat to San Francisco and honors their resilience, entrepreneurship, and family legacy.

The Indo-American Hotelier Exhibit explores how San Francisco’s immigrant families built a foundation for an entire industry.

This will be the first and only permanent Indo-American Hotelier Exhibit in the United States — ensuring that this extraordinary history is preserved and celebrated for generations to come.

Indo-American Hotelier History Committee

The Indo-American Hotelier History Committee is composed of esteemed leaders in the hotel industry, includes representatives from the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). The Indo-American Hotelier History Exhibition at the Tenderloin Museum is fully supported by AHLA, and endorsed by the AAHOA and AAHOA Charitable Foundation Boards.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT:

“To celebrate our remarkable achievements in realizing the American Dream and our well-earned leadership in the American Lodging Industry, we, the Indian American Hotelier Committee, in collaboration with the Tenderloin Museum, present this exhibit. It is dedicated to recognizing, honoring, and revering the pioneers and foundational figures of Indian American hotel history.”

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Mike Amin
Hitesh Bhakta
Sam Devdhara
Ramesh Gokal
Mike Leven (honorary member)
Jaya Patel
Kamalesh (KP) Patel
Sumati Patel-Pareek
Fred Schwartz
Robert Stuckey

The Indian American Dream

By Uptown Tenderloin Inc

The Indian American Dream

A gala benefiting the upcoming Indo-American Hotelier History Exhibition at the Tenderloin Museum