Just to comment on some ISKCON mention in this thread, I am not so sure this is the reality in regards to public chanting known as Harinam Sankirtan, as if ISKCON doing such things is part of the "old days" and does not engage with the public as they did in the past. I am also not so sure of the idea that Hindu sects such as this one which are decidedly "dwaita" and Bhakti (devotional with dualism) in nature verse adwaita and "Vedantic" like are taking a back seat to notice by "Westerners", I am not so sure this is true at least in my area of the Northern and Southern Bay Area of California.
One of the big one's as far as ISKCON is ISKCON of the Silicon Valley (as in "computer land" Silicon Valley some may have heard of, a center for high tech and computer development and industry).
Let me just zoom in on the Silicon Valley, with hubs in Cupertino and Mountain View. Here Apple has it's Headquarters. Here, too, ISKCON has one of it's popular "HQ's", ISKCON of the Silicon Valley in Mountain View.
Don't be surprised if some in well-placed positions in Apple Computers are also active in ISKCON.
Yes, it is true, many Indians live in the Silicon Valley because of their contributions to high tech. Many "Westerners" non-Indian as well. Yes it is true, an ISKCON center gets many Indians as visitors now, and if one works in IT and is a Hindu like me, you can detect or ohserve their interest in ISKCON. It is a fact. Now not all Indian Hindus are interested in ISKCON in the Northern Bay Area of California, typically they attend "community center" oriented Hindu temples with heavy guest participation of Indians (but "Westerners" also come). These have often "all sect" orientation, viz Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh (always), Devi (always), even often also Hanuman, these are the "main" often found and many have Krishna, many have the 9 Planets also or Ram.
But these very same Indian Hindus do NOT only attend just one temple that is the community based, they attend MANY temples (even on the same given day, typically weekends) including those that are sect specific such as ISKCON.
The ISKCON center in Silicon Valley (I have visited twice) has a very upbeat following that is about half-Indian and half-Non-Indian (call them "Westerners", whatever you like). They have all the traditional ISKCON activities familiar to Hindus such as temple worship inclusive of devotional singing and dancing, Gita classes, food to share for guests as prashad, etc...
ISKCON in NOT "hiding" from the Harinam public chanting in the streets, either. At least not where I live in the Bay Area. You will see them near Universities, one typical location is the University of Palo Alto and both "Westerners" and Indians are leading the public chanting and not just "whites" as in the "early days". (They are also coming to UC Berkeley etc., but are very active in the Silicon Valley....).
As far as "where Westerners first encounter Hinduism", many do have this first encounter via ISKCON in the Silicon Valley. How? Well, one way is "white" association with Indians in high tech, and ISKCON of Silicon Valley has an effective weave into the fabric of many high tech Indians, the "Westerner" in high tech becomes curious.
Not as prominent in the "early years", but it did exist then, was an ISKCON program(s) of having shared vegetarian food and devotional singing at homes, invites, circuits like that, homes would invite ISKCON and then anyone as guest directly to their home for such "events". This has become very big with ISKCON today, however. You see their ads, in community as well as computer type "hubs" and local flyers and newspapers, etc.. You will see today Indian homes having such events, they invite others including "Westerners". These are ISKCON events, not "Vedanta Society" or advaita centric events.
While this is not "public" propagation of ISKCON to attract attention of other "Westerners" to Hinduism as is public chanting, it is a form of ISKCON propagation nevertheless.
By the way, I have noticed MAHAYANA Buddhists in the Silicon Valley "taking the cue" from ISKCON and now active in the very same type of "home events" and invites in high tech zones and circles.
There is an inroad by ISKCON into the high tech community, there is no question about it.
Didn't mean to go off subject a bit, but ISKCON was brought up and the impression given was a bit off the mark as far as what my eyes, ears and "boots on the ground" reality has observed of late. Have at it with your discussion on advaita and enjoy!