Theme: Crush the Cliche

Void. Valley. Barrier. The reasons might be many to not call that stranger, a brother. As we plunge head first into the pool of dizzying chaos of the universe, we are threatened not just by the enemies of fire and water but will be wrecked by the "the usual", "the regular", "the conservative" and ultimately "the cliche". But the horizon of hope is still bright. A skyward fall of realizations is all that it takes to realize that a stranger is a friend that you haven't met yet.

Visvesvaraiya Hall
Muthoot M George Block, Muthoot Institute of Technology and Science
Varikoli, Kerala, 682308
India

Akin Babu Joseph (OMM)

Akin Babu Joseph, an admin of OMM, speaks on how the culture of memes opens up unconventional conversations. He recounts their journey from being an Instagram page that began as a platform for Malayali meme-makers to the most followed Malayalam Meme Page with over a quarter-million followers. Akin discusses at length about how they leveraged their social media clout for a larger cause-to fight depression.

Akshat Agarwal

An engineer by degree, a Business Analyst by profession, a blogger by passion, a social activist by choice, Akshat Aggarwal always brims with ideas coupled with an unquestionable zeal for reaching the pinnacle of success. This Global Goodwill Ambassador (India) is riding on the wave of opportunities and has been lending a helping hand to the underprivileged children as a Pro-bono volunteer for over 8 years. The Rohingyan crisis, one of the worst episodes of the refugee crisis of the past decade prompted the world to do not just what is easy but more importantly what is right. Akshat Aggarwal talks about employing technology to transform the lives of the Rohingyan refugees. He speaks at length about how the unique ability of humanity to rise against all odds coupled with the fruits of technology helps us reimagine a better future.

Manu Jose

"Everybody is a genius. If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will forever think it’s stupid.” –Albert Einstein This quotes amply summarizes the lacunas of the Indian education system that fruitlessly tries to fit generations of artists, philosophers, scientists, teachers etc into the same shoes. Manu Jose tries to address these issues with a combination of theatre and unconventional educational interventions. Manu prompts the question of not just "whys", but also "why nots" and helps one to look beyond the realm of conventional pedagogical methods. At TEDxMITS, Manu speaks at length about the clichés we harbour, that denies the younger generations what the 21st century has to offer them

Nayana Shyam

Nayana Shyam has done what millennials have always dreamt of –curated her dream, that too without safety nets to cushion her fall. This self-made honey soul directed her way to the hearts of millions of youngsters with her advertisement for FilterCopy, Nykaa and LifeStyle. But the journey of this blazing female has been interspersed with episodes of insecurities, nervousness and absolute cluelessness. Nayana narrates her journey through unchartered territories in pursuit of her dreams and ambitions while battling imposter syndrome.

Sharan Nair

Evolution has bestowed Homo Sapiens with a unique ability, to crack jokes and enjoy them. Sharan Nair, the Kochi based, “Granny-loving” youngster is then probably at the helm of it. He has tickled the funny bones of Indians with his Netflix series “Granny Reacts”. Having shot to fame with his Instagram prank videos, Sharan hit the jackpot when he collaborated with Netflix and the rest is history. But it wasn’t always this way. Sharan recounts and humorously narrates his tale of battling his inner demons to scale the heights of success. This ‘internet favourite’ speaks at length about embracing the inner spirits, the importance of channelling your energy for the right purposes and finding his voice through his content.

Sleeba Paul

Sleeba Paul, a machine learning engineer, talks about his attempts to write the 5th Gospel employing the power of AI and Machine learning. This humble attempt tries to debunk the twisted dogmas used by people to spread hatred than sow seeds of love and brotherhood while interpreting the Holy Texts of different religions. Among his many commendable projects, the jewel on his crown remains the Microsoft funded project, Auria Kathi -"World's first Artificial Intelligence Poet Artist ". Auria Kathi- an anagram for "Al Haiku Art", lives in the "cloud", conjures up images, writes poems and maintains an Instagram account.

Teena Kondody

Teena, an art tutor from Manganam, gently reminds us of the greatest virtue of empathy as she speaks at length about her travels, realizations, and dreams that shaped her. Before her current stint as an art instructor, she was on a silent crusade through the slums of Chennai as a facilitator of needs and later went to work in the blind schools of Olassa. These astounding transitions have left profound impressions on this 27-year-old and she hopes and urges each one to be the candle that spreads light and the mirror that reflects it.

Wg Cdr M A Afraz (Retd)

Our nation owes a debt to the fallen valiant soldiers that we can never fully repay and yet their stories get buried under the barrage of news and we seldom remember the trauma undergone by the loved ones. Wing Commander M A Afraz, Founder of HonourPoint, an online memorial for all the martyrs of our armed forces, recounts his overwhelming and heart touching experiences as he goes about resurrecting the fallen soldiers in the virtual space.