Holiday Gift Ideas

14 Austin South Asian | December 2022 5 Affordable Holiday Gift Ideas With A Personalized Touch

Are you struggling to find thoughtful gifts for everyone as you make your holiday shopping list? Well, it’s time to get personal!

By giving a personalized gift, the recipient will feel special knowing it was created and picked just for them. Here are a few customized gift ideas that they’re sure to love that won’t break the bank.

1. Make Their Holidays Magical with Video Greetings. Perfect for spreading holiday cheer, SmashUps from American Greetings are highly personalized, smile-inducing, shareable videos.

There are options for everyone, like a message from Santa that calls the recipient out by name and location, or a customized winter greeting delivered by a talking penguin.

SmashUps can check the box for holiday greetings, or you can include a digital gift card to fulfill your gift giving needs.

With a subscription, you’ll unlock access to all of American Greetings’ digital offerings, meaning you can send unlimited SmashUps year-round. Subscriptions are $6.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

2. Photo Finish. Photos are a simple and affordable way to personalize gifts. Start by choosing your favorite pic with the recipient and then determine how you’d like to deliver it.

Whether it’s in a unique frame, or printed on a personal item, such as a mug, blanket, keychain, phone cover or even an ornament for their tree, the recipient will know how much they mean to you each time they view it. 3. Initial Thoughts. While not everyone wants to be in pictures, adding personalization to a gift item by using your recipient’s name, initials or monogram, can be a great alternative.

And with a wealth of online sites, from boutique stores like Marley Lilly to major retailers like Amazon offering this service, you’ll have endless options—at various price points— to meet your shopping needs.

4. Eat, Drink and Be Merry. They often say the way to the heart is through the stomach. So, whether it’s a foodie friend or a family member who has it all, making their favorite meal, treat, drink or dessert can be the ultimate thoughtful gift. Plus, it can provide you quality time together as you deliver the delicious treats to their home or host them at yours -- that is… if they’ll share!

5. Write a Message by Hand. In an age where everything is digital, seeing a loved one’s handwriting— whether it’s scribbled by a child or printed by a grandparent—can be a special memento and unique way to customize a gift.

Gift ideas could be handwritten messages and affirmations; a recipe book of your family favorites; or your handwriting could be inscribed onto a gift item like a keychain, picture frame or necklace.

Just remember, it’s the thought that counts. And luckily many personalized gifts don’t have to be costly to be remembered. (StatePoint)

Indian-Origin Entrepreneurs Who Are Making Waves In America

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As per Fortune, the individuals on this year’s list are creating and seizing opportunities.

They are empowering others. They are exploring new treatments for diseases that affect millions.

“They’re connecting people. They’re building upon their successes as athletes and entertainers.

They’re trailblazing in their industries. And they’re even building new ones.”

The ’40 under 40′ list is divided into five categories - ‘Venture and Startups’, ‘Culture and Society’, ‘Finance and Crypto’, ‘Tech and Innovation’, and ‘Health and Bioscience’.

Kanav Kariya, who is the president of Jump Crypto, has been included in the ‘Finance and Crypto’ category; while Ankit Gupta, who is the founder and CEO of Bicycle Health, has been included under the ‘Health and Bioscience’ category.

Kanav Kariya, who is 26 years old, is the president of Jump Crypto. He has been featured in Fortune’s ’40 under 40′ under the ‘Finance and Crypto’ category.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign. Kanav Kariya started as an intern at a Jump Trading startup incubator for crypto companies, but last year, the company handed him the reins of its rebranded, 170-person digital assets division, Jump Crypto.

Since then, he’s overseen billions in investments in the crypto space and helped position the company as a major player in Web3. Kariya told Fortune that he wants Jump Crypto to be a “key infrastructure builder that is part of the furniture of the industry as it scales”.

Even as the crypto downturn rages on, Kariya’s Jump Crypto is undeterred. In just about a year, it has invested in more than 100 crypto companies.

Ankit Gupta, who is 25 years old, is the founder and CEO of Bicycle Health.

He has been featured in Fortune’s ’40 under 40′ under the ‘Health and Bioscience’ category.

He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, with a Bachelor’s in computer science engineering.

He then did his Master of Science (MS) in computer science from Stanford University, with specialisation in machine learning. Founded in 2017 with a single clinic in Redwood City (California), Ankit Gupta’s Bicycle Health aims to provide specialised telehealth services for opioid use disorder.

Before this company, Gupta was co-founder and chief technology officer of Pulse News.

In 2020, government regulations were relaxed to allow for more opioid-treatment medications to be prescribed online.

Since then, Bicycle Health has expanded to 29 states, treated 20,000 patients, and raised $83 million in venture funding, according to Fortune.

Bicycle Health says, as per Fortune, it has a 40 per cent higher rate of retention than standard inperson clinics, as well as a lower cost for many patients, owing to the ease of access via telehealth.

The company received $50 million in funding in June 2022. (Courtesy: https://www.news18.com/)