Theme: OUR IDENTITY

We at Good Shepherd International School, Ooty, are pleased announce that we have now got the
license to host our independent TEDx event. We will be hosting the first TEDx event at our school on 15 th
November 2022. The key objective of the event is to open up avenues for brilliant speakers from various
fields to deliver their new, thought-provoking, ground-breaking ideas - Ideas Worth Spreading. We
consider this as an excellent opportunity for us to improve the engagement of our community- students,
parents, alumni, etc. sparking conversations and building connections, thereby enhancing knowledge,
fostering collaboration and building a culture of innovation.
The theme for our first TEDx event is ‘Identity.’ Every single person has their own unique identity which
is shaped by various internal and external factors such as society, family, ethnicity, race, culture,
location, opportunities, interests, appearance, self-expression and life experiences. Being a socially
constructed concept, a person’s identity is formed through our interactions with others and in relation
to social, cultural and political contexts. However, in the 21st century, there are many who seem to be
witnessing a challenge to notions of identity. Our identity plays a major role in how we perceive things
and make choices as an individual, which is why we believe that this theme would create a powerful
impact on every one of us.
Currently, we are in the process of curating good speakers and have identified a few of them. Our team
would be delighted to work with anyone interested in delivering a great talk based on the central theme
of ‘Our Identity.’ If you have connections/contacts with any good speakers, or know of anyone who is an
achiever in their own right, please let us know. Kindly mail us through gsistedx@gsis.ac.in; we would
love to get in touch with them. We eagerly await your response.

P.C.Thomas Auditorium
Muthorai Palada, Good Shepherd Knowledge Village
Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, 643004
India

Aman Agarwal

TEDx Speaker, Public Speaking Coach, National level debater and MUNner, Lifelong learner

Aman is a multifaceted individual who has many feathers on his cap. He has taken up diverse roles of leadership, management and teaching from his early school days itself. He is currently a member of SkillSphere Education's core team as a Senior Manager; having evolved from being a freelance trainer to one of its most respected, experienced and competent trainers across India. Apart from conducting teacher training workshops in reputed schools, Aman has extensively trained students in public speaking and life skills across India and the Middle East, impacting the lives of over 25,000 individuals across 110 schools since 2016.

Ankit Bhuptani

TEDx & JoshTalk Speaker, Human Rights advocate and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) professional. LGBTQ+ Rights Activist Founder - @QueerHinduAlliance Awarded DEI Global Leader Delegate - United Nations

He is a TEDx & JoshTalk Speaker, Human Rights advocate and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) professional with 10+ years of experience in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) space, recognized for working well with people from different backgrounds with a primary focus on LGBTQIA+ community. His professional focal points include policy analysis and development, team collaboration, motivation and strategic planning. He has been awarded the ‘Global Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award’ by the World HRD Congress & have addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). As a part of his advocacy work, he has worked with stakeholders including, but not limited to, corporate houses, law enforcement agencies, educational institutes, lawyers and influencers on national as well as international forums. He employs advocacy tools such as public speaking, gender and sexuality workshops, panel discussions, film screenings, webinars and collaborations with brands/celebrities.

Astha Sharma

A Product Owner | Design Thinking Practitioner | Data and Cloud Solution Architect driving automation and innovation in the space of Data and AI

Astha is a fitness enthusiast, who believes in being mindful of what we feed our mind, body, and soul. She is a trained classical dancer, having practiced for about 16 years.. She love outdoor and adventure sports; trekked the Himalayas up to 15,750 ft, ran a full marathon, dived in the sea, done road trips, and traveled well. She plays the role of a mentor at work and in her personal life too. She is a design thinking practitioner. She has 17+ years of professional experience diversified in the field of Data and Interaction Science. She is a Data and Cloud Solution Architect and a product owner of a product she has filed a patent for. She has her own entrepreneurial interests, identified a gap in the market, built a product from scratch, and now lead a team that is solely working on this where am actively pursuing the thought of designing sustainable technology practices. The role I cherish the most on Earth is being a full-time mom to a lovely son

Dr. Tarun Chhabra

Dentist by profession. Author of the book "The Toda Landscape – Explorations in Cultural Ecology". An expert on Toda culture and spent long years learning about this tribal group.

Ooty-based dentist, 49-year-old Tarun Chhabra, is an expert on Toda culture and is possibly one of the few outsiders who can speak their language fluently. Tarun has also joined in the community task of thatching the revered conical temple. He accompanied the tribesmen to the western slopes of the Nilgiri rainforest to collect rattan cane for the job. Today, the Toda way of life is at a crossroads with just about 1,400 traditional tribespeople left. The Toda Nalavaaazhvu Sangam, set up by Tarun in 1992, primarily works to preserve their culture and provide better healthcare. It has rebuilt abandoned temples and migration hamlets where the pastoral tribesmen stay when they take their cattle grazing. Tarun has also set up an NGO, Edhkwehlynawd Botanical Refuge Centre Trust , to conserve the flora and fauna of the land and to re-establish native species and to study the fauna of the area.

Rashi Jain

Ceramic Artist of International Repute. She is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics IAC, NCECA Multi-Cultural Fellow and recipient of Alps Art Academy/Land Art scholarship, Switzerland.

Rashi Jain has trained at The Golden Bridge Pottery, Pondicherry and Valley School, Bangalore. She has exhibited across India and internationally, such as Paper Clay Illuminated, which toured across United States at NEHMA, Daum, Fuller Craft Museums, Porcelain India (Habitat Center, Delhi), Bridges: Indian Contemporary Ceramics (Stainless, Delhi), Earth Matters (Indo Korean Center & Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai) and Jar of Secrets (Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, Solo show). She has co-founded India's first Studio Potters' Market, and co-curates, at The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai. Her work bridges intuitive thoughts arising within, from deep silence, expresses it in symbols, through the experience of the relationship between inner and outer worlds, which flows into figurative, sculptural ceramic forms.

Shefali Chopra

Shefali Chopra is a Story Evangelist, Motivational Speaker, a Positive Influencer, a Theatre Exponent an Organ donor.

Shefali Chopra is the Vice President, WICCI Haryana and Founder of Sal Tree where where she trains people for voice modulation, theatrical expression and effective speaking “ She created quite a stir when she became a storyteller. Shefali has been an involved and evolved storyteller, always finding opportunities to give back to the community. She has been a part of several shows , webinar’s, schools and corporates as a Motivational Speaker, where the emphasis is “One Story Can Change Many Lives “. She has her Youtube channel, Storylines by Shefali Chopra. The connect she makes with people is genuine and beautiful. The idea of inspiring people’s lives through the stories is very close to her heart. Creating Smiles is something she strongly endorses.

Vir Philip

Entrepreneur, life Coach, social activist, motivational speaker & story teller.

Vir Philip is a very prominent youth mentor & trainer, who has been part of various organization like CanSupport, Rotary, MUN’s etc. He is also a very passionate Rotarian & Rotaractor with an experience of 14 years, where he had served at various positions and currently serving as a Vice-President of Rotary Club of New Delhi of RID 3011.Being diagnosed with a learning disability at a very young age, Phillip struggled at school but managed to soar through without giving up. He studied at a Boarding School in the US, before his family moved back to India. The experience, he often says, helped him overcome his weaknesses and identify his strengths. He went to Lynn University Florida to study International Relations and become the Co-Founder and Chartered President of Rotaract Club in 2010 and later on. Vir joined the Commonwealth Games Accreditation Department in 2015. He started his own company as JMD Turf, which is presently working on creating playgrounds & work places water friendly.