NEW YORK, NY (TIP): Barbara Tober, the Museum of Arts and Design’s Chairman Emerita and Chairman, Global Leadership Council, and Nimesh Kampani, Chairman of the JM Financial Group, were the honorees at the inaugural Giving Back Foundation Gala held Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.

Actor/director Phylicia Rashad emceed the event. The cocktail reception and dinner were followed by a live auction and entertainment with DJ Logic providing the music, with singer Lara Anderson and Bina Menon’s dance troupe from the Kalashri School performing.

Meera Gandhi, CEO and Founder of The Giving Back Foundation, said, “We are truly delighted to honor Barbara Tober and Nimish Kampani. Both Barbara and Nimesh repsesent the true spirit of “giving back.”

Among the co-chairs were Raymond Bickson; Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi; His Highness Maharaja Gajsingh II of Marwar-Jodphur; Chris and Grace Meigher; TV host Deborah Norville; actor Tim Blake Nelson; Hugh Warrender; designer Elizabeth Emanuel; Patricia Valesquez, singer Priyanka Chopra, Arshad Zakaria and many more.

Live auction items were a couture designer outfit by Elizabeth Emanuel; luxurious vacations at the Taj Hotels and Palaces in India and at Elite Island Resorts in the Caribbean; art by renowned artists such as Tarik Currimbhoy; Qadri from Sundaram Tagore Gallery; Kelli Bickman; Parris Jaru and Juan Bernal; a design consultation with interior designer Clodagh; an exclusive handbag from Samia Kamar of London; a designer pet carrier by Emre Erturk of Emre NY; jewelry by Jyoti Singhvi and photographs by Anders Corr and Daniel Aubry.

The Giving Back Foundation’s mission is education to empower and uplift young people, with a goal to alleviate poverty, illness and suffering, and to support the arts through philanthropy. The Giving Back Foundation, a 501 (3)(C) entity with headquarters in New York and operations in London, Hong Kong and New Delhi, was established in 2010 by humanitarian Meera Gandhi. Contact: Ellen Sweeney ellensweeney@thegivingbackfoundation. net or tel. 212 751 2623 or 917854 5100, or Bill Darnellgala2014@thegivingbackfoundati on.net or tel. 917 593 8617.