Theme: Weathering the Storm

Woodstock School is an accredited, non-profit, residential, co-educational, international school in the foothills of the Himalayas. Considered amongst the finest schools in the country, Woodstock School was established in 1854.

Our theme, "Weathering the Storm" is a phrase that represents the ability to succeed, against all odds. Our goal is to bring together a community of diverse people, diverse ideas and diverse worlds.

Reach out to us at TEDx@woodstock.ac.in

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).

Hanifl Centre
The Mall Rd, Landour
Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, 248179
India

Ashoke Chatterjee

Professor

Prof Ashoke Chatterjee received his education at Woodstock School (Mussoorie), St Stephen’s College (Delhi University) and Miami University (Ohio). He has a background in the engineering industry, international civil service, India Tourism Development Corporation, and 25 years in the service of the National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad) where he was Executive Director, Senior Faculty, Distinguished Fellow and Professor of communication and management. In 1985 he received the Sir Misha Black Award (UK) for his contribution to design education. An author and writer, his books include “Dances of the Golden Hall” on the art of Shanta Rao and “Rising” on empowerment efforts among deprived communities in rural Gujarat. Prof Chatterjee continues to assist design education and is an Adviser at Ahmedabad University’s Centre for Heritage Management.

Devika Cariapa

Children's author

Devika Cariapa is an alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi. After a Masters’ degree in Archaeology from the Deccan College, Pune, she went on to work as a research fellow at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Delhi, where she was in charge of the prehistoric art gallery. She traveled with scholars from all over the world to historical sites with a focus on the exploration, conservation and cataloguing of prehistoric rock art sites of India. Making it her mission to spread awareness of our rich archaeological heritage, particularly among the young, she wrote India Through Archaeology: Excavating History. Using a visually vibrant format, the book encourages children to explore stories from Indian history through the lens of archaeology. Her latest work, India Through People: 25 Gamechangers, is about twenty-five courageous men and women who left behind an imprint on the course of modern India.

K. Krishnan Kutty

Executive director

“Kutty” joined Hanifl Centre of Woodstock School in 2009. He has trekked extensively across the Himalayas and is an accomplished mountaineer having summited numerous peaks in the Indian Himalaya. Kutty is passionate about experiential education in the outdoors and continues to design curriculum and treks for Woodstock students and staff. Kutty is actively involved in developing new programmes and works closely with US Universities in designing and delivering their “Study Abroad” programmes. His vision for training Trekking Guides in rural areas led to the Centre’s pioneering effort in courses being taught in Hindi. Before joining the Hanifl Centre, Kutty worked for 20 years with US-based outdoor school and was their India Director. Kutty has worked in Kenya, Chile, Alaska, Wyoming and the Indian Himalaya, primarily teaching mountaineering and backpacking courses.

Pernia Qureshi

Indian stylist, fashion entrepreneur and classical dancer

Pernia Qureshi is one of India’s leading style icons and fashion entrepreneurs. A stylist with Harper’s Bazaar, Elle & Conde Nast in New York & New Delhi, Pernia ventured into designing costumes for Bollywood, namely the film ‘Aisha.' She created and launched Pernia’s Pop-up Shop in 2012, India’s first true fashion e-commerce website that showcases over 500 designers and delivers worldwide. Spearheaded by Pernia Qureshi, PQB is a representation of the style and design she loves. Featuring eight labels including the eponymous label, Pernia Qureshi, the designs are produced in-house. Pernia started this venture to create a personalised experience for clients and give them what they love. Pernia's first fashion style guide ‘Be Stylish with Pernia Qureshi' gives guidance on how to understand and hone one’s personal style. A formally trained Kuchipudi dancer, Pernia embodied her talent into the courtesan she played in Muzzaffar Ali’s film ‘Jaanisaar.'

Priya Prakash

Healthcare entrepreneur

Priya Prakash is a healthcare entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of HealthSetGo with a vision to build a healthier India. Under her leadership, the organization, in a span of 4 years has become India's largest healthcare organisation for schools which currently operates in over 77+ cities across the country, impacting 250,000 students and parents. She has been recognised as Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia - Healthcare & Sciences and has been the recipient of the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards and Unilever Young Entrepreneur Award. Priya is the Founding Curator of the Gurgaon Hub of the World Economic Forum GSC, a member of the Future Generations Commission on Health and Climate Change and an Advisory Board member of the ASSOCHAM Healthcare Council in India. Additionally, she’s a State Level Olympic Weightlifting Champion, avid health blogger and has been featured in various national and international publications for her work.

Stephen Alter

Author

Stephen Alter is the author of twenty books of fiction and non-fiction. He was born in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand and much of his writing focuses on the Himalayan region, where he continues to live and work. His honours include a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Fulbright award. His most recent book is Wild Himalaya: A Natural History of the Greatest Mountain Range on Earth. His memoir, Becoming a Mountain: Himalayan Journeys in Search of the Sacred and the Sublime received the Kekoo Naoroji Award for Himalayan Literature in 2015. His most recent work of fiction, In The Jungles of the Night: A Novel About Jim Corbett, was shortlisted for the DSC South Asian Literature Award in 2017. He was writer-in-residence at MIT for ten years, before which he directed the writing programme at the American University in Cairo. He is the founding director of the Mussoorie Mountain Festival.