In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Shiv Nadar University
NH-91
Tehsil Dadri
Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, 201314
India

Amrita Mahale

Rocket Scientist turned Author

An alumnus of Stanford University, she had worked with some of the biggest companies in the world by the age of 31. After a decade-long career with Google, Boston Consulting Group, Good Earth and Pocket Gems, she realized that the corporate life was not for her and decided to quit and follow her passion of writing. At TEDxShivNadarUniversity, she will help us answer some of the questions we are afraid to face every day, but which follow us around wherever we go.

Anahita Dhondy

Chef

At 23, Anahita Dhondy was the youngest female chef in Delhi. An alumni of Le Cordon Bleu, London, she did her training from The Bombay Baking Company at JW Marriott. Anahita has fought her way to the top of a male dominated industry, and today is the Chef Manager at NCR's first Parsi restaurant: The SodaBottleOpenerWala. The 'food geek' brings to life the unique flavors of the Parsi cuisine through creative and innovative recipes, drawing inspiration from her great grandmother's secret ingredients.

Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia

Eminent Economist

A Padma Bhushan awardee, Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia is an Indian Economist. She is the Chairperson, Board of Governors of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). She is a B.A. (Economics) from Presidency College, Kolkata, M.A. (Economics) from the Delhi School of Economics and awarded Ph.D. by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is the author/co-author/editor of several books including the book: India’s Economic Reforms and Development: Essays for Manmohan Singh (OUP). Her book, Industrial Growth in India: Stagnation since the Mid-Sixties (OUP, 1985) received the Batheja Memorial Award for the best book on the Indian economy in 1987.

Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman

Programme Director of Special Initiatives, IBM Research India

A person possessing a high degree of technical expertise, Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman is the Program Director of Special Initiatives in IBM Research - India. His life since 2008 has been devoted to research and innovation. Until recently, he was the Chief Scientist at IBM Research - Australia, and before that was Senior Manager of the Next Gen Systems & Smarter Planet Solutions Department, and Senior Researcher at IBM India Research Labs Bangalore. Prior to that, he was a Professor at the Department of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. After having achieved great success in his field, he decided to pursue his childhood passion of music. He currently also manages a huge compendium of Carnatic music resources.

Jagdeep Chhokar

Citizen Activist

Former Director In-charge of Indian Institute of Management, he is a citizen-activist for improving governance in the country. His professional career journey has been more than fun! Before becoming a professor he was an engineer-manager with the Indian Railways, and worked as an international marketing manager for four years. He is a trained lawyer and is one of the founding members of Association for Democratic Reforms. His interests range from human resource management and international business to bird-watching. He has also taught at Universities in Australia, France, Japan and the US. And adding another feather to the hat, he has also contributed chapters to edited books, has written several teaching cases and has been featured in public press.

Karan Singh

Psychological Illusionist

A man who loves to play with the mind, Karan Singh is a psychological illusionist. An experienced TEDx-speaker, he likes to experiment with magic, read minds and detect lies! He is also a flute-blower and piano-player who calls himself an illusion.

Karuna Nundy

Advocate, Supreme Court of India

An advocate of the Supreme Court of India, Karuna Nundy has tackled some of India’s most challenging cases. She fought for justice for the victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, fought for online free speech and has also contributed to the drafting of the anti-rape laws post the 2012 gang rape. She is also a commercial lawyer and has worked at international tribunals, and with the United Nations. Karuna is a graduate of Cambridge University and has completed a fellowship at Columbia University. She is one of India's leading and finest human rights lawyers, who has dedicated her life to protecting others'.

Laura Quinn

Founder, Do One Thing

Laura believes that responsible business decisions can change the world for the better and she works with companies around the world trying to do just that. She’s the founder Do One Thing, a Delhi-based consulting firm, and co-founder of The Coalition, a platform to support creative startups in India. Having lived in South Asia for over seven years Laura now bases herself between New Delhi, London and New York. Previously she spent seven years working at some of the world’s most creative advertising agencies including Wieden+Kennedy and M&C Saatchi. Her clients have included Shell, BG India, Vedanta, Nike, Nokia, Fairtrade Foundation, the British Council and the UK Government.

Pavitra Mohan

Pediatrician, Public health professional

The director of AMRIT health initiative of the Ajeevika Bureau, Pavitra Mohan is a pediatrician and public health professional. He brings extensive clinical, training and research experience of over eighteen years. He has worked for a leading NGO in south Rajasthan and has even worked with UNICEF. On 13th November, hear him talk about why malnutrition levels in India are double than that in Sub Saharan Africa!

Pernia Qureshi

Fashion Entrepreneur

Pernia Qureshi is a 27-year-old Indian fashion entrepreneur whose foray into films has been lucky. As the woman behind Sonam Kapoor's chic look in the critically acclaimed movie Aisha (2010), Pernia oozes exuberance and is the quintessential stylist. A trained Kuchipudi dancer and a disciple of the renowned Raja Radha Reddy, Qureshi started her career in New York as a fashion stylist and costume designer. Apart from having worked as a stylist for Harper’s bazaar, Elle and Conde Nast, her website, Pop-up Shop showcases the works of over 100 designers.

Ramesh Menon

Journalist, Corporate Trainer

The Managing Director of Indian Legal and Views on News, Ramesh Menon is an author and award-winning journalist. He is also a documentary film-maker and corporate trainer. He has thirty-nine years of varied media experience with newspapers, television channels and the new media. Hear him talk about the thrills of journalism on the 13th of November and have the experience of a lifetime!

Raul Villamarin Rodriguez

Terrorism Analyst, Cognitive Expert

Co-CEO at IRIANS, Raul Villamarin Rodriguez is a Criminal Intelligence Officer at Interpol and Mossad, Neuroscientist, Psychophysiologist who is rated Asia's Top Expert in the Science of Detecting Deception and among the Top 25 Globally recognized authorities on Deception, Detection, Psychophysiology, Fraud Examination, Business Communication, Fraud Analysis, Analysis Of Emotions, Emotional Footprinting, Criminal Profiling and Analytical interviewing. Raul is relevant experience in several cases regarding criminal and terrorist organisations such as ISIS and Boko Haram. In addition, he is involved in various international organisations such as Rotaract Club, Rotary International, UN Youth, the European Union and BNI (Business Networking International)

Udayan Baijal

Filmmaker/Producer

Udayan Baijal is a producer at Jamun with a background in international feature films, documentaries and commercials. At Jamun, Udayan is working towards developing original cross-media content, tools and business models for filmmakers and digital artists. He has worked as first assistant director on international films including Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark 30, Christopher Nolan's Batman – The Dark Knight Rises, John Madden's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Udayan worked as the Visual Effects Assistant Director on the India leg of Ang Lee's Life of Pi. He has also worked in post-production as an assistant editor on Slumdog Millionaire in London and in digital distribution at Emerging Pictures, New York. While at Emerging, Udayan developed a keen interest in alternative distribution and marketing strategies for independent content.

Vaibhav Mehta

Travel Photographer

A travel enthusiast who loves to indulge in creativity and portray his journey through images, Vaibhav Mehta is a photographer and filmmaker. He not only works on films and documentaries but also engages in workshops portraying his art. He specializes in lifestyle/interiors photography for leading brands in the country.