Episode Premiere: December 11th, 2008

Time: 8 pm / 7 pm Central

Network: FOX

As many of you know, my episode for Secret Millionaire premieres today. After I sold BlueLithium to Yahoo last year, I also signed a 3-year non-compete. So I decided to make a list of all the different things I wanted to do outside of “business.” One was to write my memoir, “The Dream”, and another was to develop reality-based television shows that could inspire people. In November 2007, I signed up with William Morris to explore both of these projects.My agent introduced me to a group of producers of who were doing a show at FOX called “Secret Millionaire,” And who asked me if I wanted to be on the show. I was skeptical at first but I liked the premise: Going undercover and helping people that have no expectations. In February, I was cast as the first Secret Millionaire and began filming the show. Surprisingly enough, this ended up becoming one of the best experiences of my life.

You sometimes wonder why certain things happen to you – especially at certain points in your life. Perhaps, this was God’s way of reminding me that no matter how successful I become – to never forget where I came from. This type of neighborhood was familiar territory for me because more than twenty years ago, when my parents came to the United States from India, we lived in the projects of East San Jose.

During the week I filmed the show, I spent most of my time at two charities. St. Anthony’s Dining Room (soup kitchen), and Raphael House (a woman’s shelter). At the soup kitchen, I stood in line, ate food with the homeless, and helped out in the kitchen. Through this, I met some incredible personalities. At Raphael House, I was fortunate that I was able to volunteer there. Since, it was a battered woman’s shelter and I was a man. Nevertheless, I met some amazing women who had one main goal in life, which was their desire to be great mothers. I’m very close to my grandmother, mother, and sisters and saw my emotional journey begin to take over. I realized how grateful I am for family and how blessed we all are in this world.At the end of my journey, I donated over $100,000 to the charities and to 3 individuals with whom I had developed an emotional connection. I also realized deep down inside, even though I am only 26 – that philanthropy is going to be a big part of my future. This show also goes beyond money. The gifting, while it was monetary – the emotional impact was far greater. It helped renew hope in humanity.

At the end of the day, philanthropy is not measured monetarily but based on the time and commitment someone offers. I hope we all continue to do our part and offer a hand. These are hard times in America. At times like these, it is good to help those who have less than you.

For more information about the two charities I mentioned above you can visit:

St. Anthony’s Dining Room: http://www.stanthonysf.org/

Raphael House: http://www.raphaelhouse.org/