Theme: Why Not?

It was maybe night when Ambedkar sat down to write his first book. Two centuries apart, it was summer in England when an apple hit Newton. Hitler probably didn’t know what time it was when he sat down thinking in jail after his political failure. It probably was winter when we first noticed how life was never fair. Seasons, continents, and ages apart, we all instinctively had the same question in mind: why?

Set in different parts of the world with no common link or culture, people throughout history held a device to most surprises life or science threw; a device we still use to navigate through every day; a device that humanity has collectively shared since time immemorial: the question ‘Why?’

The same question or emotion that plagued our childhood years and has continued ever since also bred in the minds of all mad scientists, artists, rulers, cats, and the revolutionaries alike: the question ‘Why?’

Unanimously throughout history, humanity seems to agree on a solution for this question: When you have no answers, you know there is no choice but to try and find out.

What if there are actually two questions?
What if we tell you that there are two equally common first reactions to every problem?
What if we tell you that the alternative to ‘Why’ is a deceivingly modest ‘Why not?’
What if we tell you that there are people who are living answers to this question in itself, and that you might be one of them?

From when man first settled down along the banks of a river, to an impulsive last-minute ticket for a movie, to a midnight confession: what if our most memorable decisions were the only answers you had to the complex question of Why not?

And thus, we discover another answer, one we’ve always known but seldom verbalize: When you have no excuses, you know you’d have to take that leap of faith—because why not?

Join us, as we explore the world of unexplored paths and unconventional answers with the theme for TEDxPSGTech 2022: Why Not?

PSG College of Technology
PSG College of technology, Avinashi Rd, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641004
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641004
India

Akash Muralidharan

Food Designer

Food design is a multidisciplinary field that seeks to innovate, influence or question the ways in which humans connect with food. Akash Muralidharan, one of our speakers for TEDxPSGTech is one such innovator with a love for food and architecture and a passion for understanding its impact on culture. Putting a creative twist to unearthing recipes and dishes that were once part of everyday cuisine, he aims to innovate solutions for those wanting to incorporate tradition into their cooking style. With a master's in Food Design and Innovation from the University of SPD Milan in 2019, Akash has been an integral part of creating products that challenge the perspectives we take towards food and bio-sustainable packaging. Through various media channels like blogs, YouTube, and Instagram, Akash is exploring the Why Nots surrounding food, culture, and innovation.

Dr. Geetha Manjunath

Founder and CEO of Niramai Health Analytix

Dr Geetha Manjunath is the founder and CEO of NIRAMAI Health Analytix. She has led the company to develop a groundbreaking, non-touch AI solution for detecting early-stage breast cancer. Their device does it in a manner that is non-invasive, privacy-sensitive, highly accurate, and works for women of all ages. Developed using patented ML algorithms, the Why Not solution developed by this TEDx speaker can be used as a diagnostic tool in hospitals, and for large-scale screening in rural and semi-urban areas. She also holds a PhD from IISc, Bangalore, and has received national and international recognition for her 25+ years of experience in IT innovation. Dr Geetha Manjunath is the ultimate role model for any student looking toward leaving impactful and sustainable change in the field of science, come watch her in action at TEDx PSGTech, 2022.

Mrudula Joshi

Founder, Ullisu

Mrudula Joshi is the founder of Ullisu, a comprehensive platform that enables an individual to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle and make sustainable consumer choices. The Ullisu Store, one of her entrepreneurial endeavours, sells products such as DIY ingredients, self-care products, and stationary, made fully waste-free. She started as a content creator on Instagram, and her work is still known for being a realistic journal of an attempt at reducing our polluting impact on the planet. She encourages people to adopt a circular economy through her social media as a zero-waste enthusiast. As the feature done by UnMathSchool reads, “Mrudula is an Earther on her way to making some great investments in the future of her planet.”

Pradeep Kumar

Singer, Song Writer, Music Director

Pradeep Rangaswamy Kumar is an Indian playback singer and music director who has worked in Tamil language films. If you are a Tamil speaking person or somebody from Tamil Nadu, it is most likely that you are a huge fan of this TEDx speaker’s soft and lyrically rich compositions like Aagayam Theepiditha and Nee Kavithaigala. Pradeep Kumar is an Indian playback singer/songwriter. Even with a background in audio engineering and Carnatic music, Pradeep Kumar wanted to ask himself the question, Why Not pursue western music and make music for Tamil language films? This is how he began to work with acclaimed composers like Santhosh Narayanan, and created multiple heartfelt and lasting compositions. He also went on to acquire the Best Tamil Male Playback Singer Award at the South Indian International Movie Awards for his song Aagayam Theepiditha.

Sowmiya Shasu

Trans Visibility Activist, First Transgender Lawyer in the Nilgiris

Ms. Sowmiya Sasu is a lawyer based in Niligirs, and is reportedly the first transgender lawyer from the place. Born in Thanjavur, she decided to settle down in Udhagamandalam as the city gave her a sense of comfort and safety. In 2016, she decided to pursue Law from the Trichy government’s Law college. With ambitions of becoming a judge one day, she is currently pursuing study of criminal law while also writing a book on her challenges faced as a transwoman, aiming to highlight how the community can move forward in ensuring that transpersons can live a life of dignity.