Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande, one of the area's best-known Indian entrepreneurs, is one of the forces driving the burgeoning new philanthropies. Deshpande, who founded Cascade Communications Corp. and later sold it for $3.7 billion in 1997, created the Deshpande Family Foundation, which gives grants to groups, including many that work in India, with innovative projects. Deshpande also brought Akshaya Patra to America, giving the foundation free office space, after he was impressed by the group's work in India.