Theme: It's about time

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).

VR Bengaluru
60/2, ITPL Road
Devasandra Industrial Estate, Krishnarajapura
Bangalore, Karnataka, 560048
India

Ally Matthan

Founder, Areev

Ally Matthan is one of the best recognised perfumers in the country having worked with several brands to build recognizable fragrance profiles for them. A deep interest in fragrances led her to acquire a Masters Degree in Perfumery Science and Technology from the prestigious ISIPCA, after spending her childhood years among the perfume vats of her family’s incense stick business. As someone who celebrates stories and the impact they have through fragrances, it came as a natural extension to use sarees to tell the stories that are relevant to India through the #100sareepact. Having run the course of the pact, it became evident that the stories that remained yet untold and were hard to hear were indeed the tales of those who brought sarees to life. The true story of the saree and its journey into our wardrobes remains one that is mentioned in hushed voices. In an initiative to make all saree stories relevant, The Registry of Sarees was founded with textile expert Kausalya Sathyakumar.

Deepa Narasimhan

Diversity & Inclusion Evangelist

Deepa Narasimhan is head of Diversity & Inclusion Dell EMC Asia Pacific Japan. Deepa has been a phenomenal change agent in the society by advocating disability rights and gender equity in various capacities. She has been instrumental in the launching of DERG (Disability Empowerment Resource Group) India network to create an environment of equality in the workplace. She is member of various D&I Forum and is a proactive accessibility evangelist. She wishes to contribute towards building a disabled-friendly society in India – and she wishes to help in building a similar policies as in developed countries like the US.

Soundarya Jayachandran

Performer

Born from the likes of Indian and Western music, 22 year old Soundarya Jayachandran's music can be associated with bluesy rock, pop and soul. She has a professional certificate in vocal performance from A.R.Rahman’s music school. Soundarya has been writing and composing her own music since the age of 15. She went on and recorded a single called "I Don't Need Nobody" in collaboration with Qyuki – an initiative by Shekar Kapoor and A.R.Rahman that promotes artists, musicians, photography etc. She was also a finalist in India’s first English singing reality show called “The Stage” on VH1 and Colors Infinity along the likes of Vishal Dadlani, Ehsaan Noorani, Monica Dogra and Devraj Sanyal. Soundarya was also the youngest panelist on the international entrepreneurial meet “SURGE” held annually in Europe and Bangalore in 2016 and one of the 9 Youth Ambassadors for AUDI INDIA.

Veena Sethuraman

Learning and Development Specialist

Veena Sethuraman is a learning and development specialist working in a Fortune 100 organization by profession and a psychotherapist by passion. Outside of her work hours, you will find her working towards increasing awareness about mental health issues or working with the LGBTQ community to make their voices heard. She likes to observe human behaviours and explore the art and science behind it. She has experiences with trollers and cyber bullies in social media and she surprisingly enjoys responding to them.

Vyjayanti Mogli

Transgender Activist

Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli is a transgender woman with allegiance to a matrilineal hijra dayyaar/haveli (commune). She has worked with some wall street giants as a Learning & Development professional. Along with other hijra and transgender people, she happens to be one of the founding members of the Telangana Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti, an unregistered and an unfunded collective of hijra and transgender people. Vyjayanti works probono with the hijra and transgender community to have FIRs lodged for atrocities perpetrated on the hijra/transgender community, engages with both the community, the lawyer fraternity and the government to build jurisprudence that decriminalises the livelihoods of the transgender community. Vyjayanti currently researches in the intersections of Law with Public Policy at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in its Hyderabad campus. Vyjayanti is a fellow of the International Visitors Leadership Program of the State Department of the USA.