About the Donors

Suren G. Dutia is a passionate advocate for entrepreneurship and an executive with extensive and successful multi-industry leadership experience, including Internet/e-commerce, document management software, medical instrumentation and other varied high technology businesses. Suren served as President and CEO of Xscribe Corporation, a publicly traded company in San Diego for over 10 years. In addition, Suren held a number of leadership positions with Boston-based Dynatech Corporation for 7 years. Prior to working in the private sector, Suren spent 10 years in the non-profit and public sectors. Suren recently completed 4 1⁄2 years as CEO of TiE Global based in Silicon Valley. With 56 chapters in 13 countries, TiE is one of the largest nonprofit organizations involved in fostering entrepreneurship globally. Suren also founded the San Diego chapter of TiE in 2000 and served as its President for 3 years.

Suren served as the Wells Fargo Advisors Visiting Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis in 2012 – 13, and still serves the Skandalaris Center as a Senior Fellow and also a member of its National Council. He is also Senior Fellow at the Kauffman Foundation. Suren is an investor in a number of ventures and is currently serving as a board member in three start-up ventures. Suren has a B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and B.A. in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis, and holds an MBA degree from the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas.

Jas K. Grewal had a 25-year banking career with positions of increasing responsibility with First Interstate Bank of California and its successor entity, Wells Fargo Bank, in both the San Francisco Bay area and San Diego specializing in private and personal banking. In 1992, Jas was one of 12 individuals statewide to receive the prestigious President’s community reinvestment award for her design and implementation of a houseboat loan program in Marin County while serving as a Bank Manager at First Interstate Bank.

During the past 30 years, Jas has volunteered her time for numerous community projects. She embodied the spirit of service starting with her first fundraiser at age 14 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Among her many community involvements include serving on the board of Board of Bread & Roses, a non-profit organization located in Northern California; Trustee for the San Diego Sikh Foundation; and Trustee of the La Jolla Town Council from 2000-2004. Jas was a founding member of the TiE South Coast Chapter in 2000 and was on the Executive Committee for 3 years, Program Chair for 4 years, Charter Member Event chair for over ten years and champion of the organization’s Young Entrepreneurs Program, including raising funds for this important initiative.

Jas is actively involved with the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) and was a Trustee for six years that included serving on Executive, Finance, Investment and Audit Committees. Jas is co-founder and Chair of the Committee for the Arts of the Indian Subcontinent, a support group of the Museum as well as past office holder and current member of The Asian Arts Council, another support group at the Museum. Additionally, she has served in a number of positions, including as President, of Soroptimist International’s (SI) chapter in La Jolla. SI is a worldwide organization for professional women, with NGO status at the UN, working to advance human rights and the status of women. She also has served as the community representative on the UCSD Human Protection Program’s Research Board for seven years.

Jas has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and a Master’s Degree in Banking & Finance from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.