Theme: EDGE - Explore Discover Grow Engage

As a University home to more than 35,000 students, Manipal University is interested in presenters who have an extraordinary story to share, presenters who are on the cutting edge in their field, presenters who will inspire an audience and whose ideas will make the world a better place. To better explain the concept of EDGE:

EXPLORE investigate, examine, analyze, delve into, scrutinize, research, traverse, inspect, tour
DISCOVER devise, disclose, identify, invent, unearth, observe, recognize, reveal, ascertain, originate, pioneer
GROW advance, cultivate, develop, mature, multiply, produce, sprout, amplify, augment, heighten, ripen, stretch
ENGAGE enlist, bespeak, captivate, charter, commission, enchant, enroll, fascinate, pledge, commit, reserve, prearrange, retain, secure, enthrall

#EDGE

MIT Library Auditorium
Manipal Institute of Technology
Manipal, Karnataka, 576104
India

Avani Awasthee

Environmental Conservationist

Winner of a TERI competition, ambassador of TETRAPAK, a strong advocate of woman empowerment and an explorer of the Antarctic, Avani is one of our speakers at TEDxManipalUniversity and will talk about the much under threat, Environment. She has started many initiatives to protect and develop ecosystems around her and her expedition to the Antarctic has made her undertake her initiatives with even more gusto. She has learnt and experienced the dangerous pace of environmental degradation, which she has made the motive of life to prevent. “It is us who need the environment, the environment doesn’t need us” is her mantra for life and advocates it passionately.

Dwiref Oza

Student + Poet + Professional Speaker

A third year student at MIT and a poet by night, Dwiref is the Head of Debate and Poetry at MIT's literary club, LDQ, has been a featured poet at Soul Slam Manipal and is also a Slambassador for the Airplane Poetry Movement. He will be talking about the disconnect of this generation with itself and how creative expression is vital to self discovery in a world of hard numbers and machines.

Ganesh Nayak

Cyclist + Teacher

A stereotypical engineering job at the age of 34 got him to ask himself, is this all he really wanted? He then realised, that the biggest adventure one can ever take is to live the life of his dreams as the purpose of life is to live it, to taste the experience to utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. What we have in store for you is one of the most inspiring stories you've ever heard of. He is a smoker who quit, the cyclist who didn't; cycling his way to TEDx, Ganesh Nayak.

Geeve George

Student + Technology enthusiast

Geeve, a prodigal programmer and techie, is just 16 years old. At such a young age he's already worked with the MIT Media Lab to help develop new technologies. He constantly strives to bridge the gap between health and technology and advocates open-sourcing ideas. His talk is packed with descriptions about his projects and how to get solutions to various everyday (or daily-life) problems. To demonstrate his genius, he wishes to operate a digital microscope and a communication device, both of which will be wearable and extremely easy to use.

Lohit Sahu

Entrepreneur

From thinking out of the box since his childhood to being awarded with "The Star Entrepreneur of the year" for 2012 at the 5th Indira International Innovation Summit, the story of Lohit Sahu's journey of founding Phyzok is a marvelous one indeed. He'll be talking about how education in India has improved since the arrival of flipped classrooms and how he plans to take it further. So look forward to one of the hottest Indian entrepreneurs joining us in India's hottest student town.

MS Valiathan

National Research Scholar

A former president of the Indian National Science Academy, Dr. Valiathan has contributed to the advent of the medical technology revolution in India. Awarded the Padma Vibhushan ushan in 2005, he has done nothing but strive to improve medical technology. His quest for knowledge ranks him at par with the most revolutionising minds of the country. At TEDx, he will be talking about his experience with the first ever replacement of the heart valve, and why it is important to not give up on something if one's passionate about it, no matter how difficult the path is.

Padmanabh Pandit

Art enthusiast

Padmanabh is an engineering student, who has experimented with art forms ranging from poetry and design, to filmmaking and photography. His idea revolves around the co-existence and interdependency of art and technology in today’s world, and how innovation lies in their boundless intersection.

Sabyasachi Sengupta

Motivational Speaker + Banker

Investment banker, economist and speaker extraordinaire, Mr Sengupta moved to the Netherlands from Kolkata in 2008; at the height of the international recession. Having worked in over seven major banks across Europe and Asia, Saby is now an acclaimed motivational speaker. His talk will be centered on the importance of networking and how it can be harnessed to produce enhanced results, thereby adding an EDGE to one’s life.

Sanah Rizvi

Motivational speaker

An avid reader and writer, with an unmatched passion for psychology, Sanah Rizvi wants to explore mindsets and behaviors like never before. Her goal is to fully understand success and achievement, and the different versions of the definition of success.

Tushar Lall

Composer

Tushar is a Mumbai based artist. He is the founder of the uniquely creative project called "The Indian Jam Project" a fusion based group that attempts to 'Indianise' western music. At TEDx, he will be talking about his journey in the field of music and how he intends to improvise western music with an Indian classical touch and also emphasize on the fact that music has no boundaries in terms of culture and instruments.