Theme: Offbeats and Outliers

In this edition of TEDx at Shoolini University, the unknown and the unoriginal ideas, thoughts, and stories were discussed, about people who don’t like to necessarily fit in the norms of the society but rather choose to be an outlier

“Be the change you want to see in the world”.

For the change to happen, things need to change, they need to be redefined- the way we live our lives, the way we see things, the way we understand and interpret ideas - changed to something better, something valuable, and something new - through the power of ideas.

Shoolini University
Solan-Oachghat-Kumarhatti Highway
Bajhol
Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173229
India

Anjolie Ela Menon

Contemporary Artist, Padmashree Awardee

"Being the original Maverick the title of this talk fits me perfectly I am indeed the off Beat Outlier." Dr. Anjolie Ela Menon was born in Asansol, West Bengal in 1940. She is among India’s iconic contemporary artists. She is well known for her finely wrought oil paintings, her window series, her work with painted objects, computer-enabled imagery, and glass sculpture. Her work hangs in major museums and private collections globally. Three books and many films have been made about her life and work. She has done several murals in public spaces including one in fiberglass in Esplanade Station Kolkata. She was awarded the prestigious Padmashri by the Government of India and the Chevalier des Arts et des Letteres by the French Government and the Life Time Achievement Award of the Delhi Government in recognition of her contribution to Indian art. She has been conferred the degree of Doctor of Letters by Rabindra Bharati University.

Dr. Ravindra Kohle

Social Activist, Padmashree Activist

Dr. Ravindra Kohle is a Padma Shree awardee for his selfless activities toward the betterment of humankind. Dr. Kolhe was the first person to highlight the problem of malnutrition amongst the Korku tribe. Based on his studies, the government was forced to take remedial measures. This has saved thousands of Kokru children from dying from malnutrition. He constantly struggles and fights against corruption, exploitation of women, maltreatment of tribes, deforestation / illegal tree cutting by the mafia, smuggling of tiger skin, marijuana, etc.

Dr. Ruksheda Syeda

Psychiatrist

Dr. Ruksheda is a celebrated speaker on Mental Health. Her expertise is in the area of Adolescent and Young Adults, Women and Family Psychiatry. Having received numerous international awards including a prestigious WHO Fellowship from South Korea in psycho-social rehabilitation, she has a thriving private practice in Lokhandwala, Mumbai, spanning over 18 years. She serves on psychiatric professional bodies and is the convener of the women’s mental health specialty section of the Indian Psychiatric Society. A passionate advocate of community mental health, Dr. Ruksheda also consults at other centers and works with various NGOs to bridge the gap and provide quality affordable mental health care to all. Her warmth and empathetic communication style have made her popular with the media as a mental health expert for TV, radio, print, and script consultations.

King Sidharth

Designer, Content Creator

Sidharth is a College Dropout who went on to Co-Found A Startup Worth Millions. He is popular for his designs, and philosophy and is a regular speaker at various college events. He is currently heading Product and Design at GrowthSchool, one of India's fastest growing E-Learning platforms, where they create programs to help people up-skill and start non-traditional careers in the internet age. In the past, he has been a part of Headout, Instamojo, Cleartax, and other startups. He has scaled Instamojo design and core product from 100 to 6+ Lakh customers. Sidharth has given 40+ talks, at events like TEDxVBIT, TEDxTirupati, TechSparks, Behance Design Review, college including IIT, BITS Pilani, etc. He is also a content creator and has a youtube channel that has garnered 2 lakh+ views and a vibrant community of over 10k on Instagram and Twitter.

Sadakat Aman Khan

Musician

Sadakat Aman Khan is an Indian Classical Musician from Maldah, West Bengal. He belongs to the Patiala Gharana Lineage. He’s the grandson of the Legendary Sangeet Acharya Md. Yunus Khan and son of renowned vocalist Ustad Sahadat Rana Khan. He was associated with different Bands and Musical Societies like "Cotton Mouth" & "Lyrical VII" and is the founder of "Harmonium Metal". He played his international debut concert at Nanhua University, Taiwan in 2020. He has also played harmonium solo concerts at various prestigious venues in India and also accompanied his father in Harmonium, in his various concerts. One of such is a Whole Night Classical Music Concert organized by Doordarshan Kolkata. He has also accompanied maestros such as Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan, Ustad Arshad Ali Khan, and Ustad Raza Ali Khan to name some. Along with his extraordinary musical career, he is also a renowned writer and has written Basics of Harmonium, 10 Thaats in Harmonium, and Gharanas of Indian Music.

Shreyans Sancheti

Entrepreneur, Co-Founder at BlueLearn

Recently featured in Forbes Asia 30 under 30, Shreyans Sancheti is a graduate from BITS Pilani, Goa. He is very passionate about finance and entrepreneurship. He co-founded Bluelearn which is India's largest student community. Compelled by his own experience while learning finance online, he was confused about where and how he could start learning! This led to the birth of Bluelearn, a one-stop solution for anyone to get access to the best learning resources, mentors, and the smartest group of friends on the Internet! He has managed to raise USD 4 million (~INR 27 crores) in venture capital for Bluelearn as a college student. He has worked for companies like Groww and WorldQuant in the past to kindle his passion for finance. Outside of startups and finance, he is an avid traveler and loves exploring new cities, listening to music, and reading books.

Vaibhav Sonone

Social Activist

Vaibhav Vimal Ganesh is 26 years old and hails from a small village in Washim district in Maharashtra. Vaibhav holds eight years of rich grassroots experience in working with tribal communities across different parts of India including Bihar, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. For the last four years, he has been working with Gond tribes while based with PRADAN in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh. PRADAN is an organization that is working to solve the stubborn, endemic poverty of rural India. Vaibhav is an active, contributing Steering committee member at Janpad Panchayat, Mohgaon block, Mandla district. At PRADAN, Since May 2014, Vaibhav has been regularly organizing a National Youth Camp named ‘Tarunaai’ in the Melghat region of Maharashtra and has also served as a Board Member (Advisor) of the Village Education Committee in Washim District of Maharashtra. For his exemplary work with the Tribal communities, Vaibhav has received various awards.

Vamini Sethi

Mountaineer

Vamini is an accomplished and a very passionate mountaineer, certified skier & a mountain biker on a mission to scale the seven highest peaks of the world. She has summited 4 out of the 7 peaks and has also attempted Mt. Everest in 2019. She holds a Limca record for riding the longest distance in a foreign country. She was the only civilian woman to successfully complete Siachen Glacier expedition in 2016 with the Indian Army and is also a podium finisher for some of the toughest mountain biking races in the World. Vamini is also serving as a senior professional, at a multinational firm (VP, Marsh & McLennan). She aspires to break the stereotype that makes women seem inferior and be an inspiration for women to encourage them to follow their passion. With over 17 years of work experience, she balanced her work life along with promoting women’s financial freedom.