Theme: The Alternate Hypothesis

TEDxSFIT is the first official TED event in North Mumbai independently organized by students of St. Francis Institute of Technology. It is a commemorative platform to voice local ideas that have a global impact and propel a promising change in the community. With a diverse speaker lineup and stories that inspire you to the core, TEDxSFIT aims to instill a spirit of positive social transformation in the audience.

St. Francis Institute of Technology
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rd, Near Bhagwati Hospital, Mount Poinsur, Borivali West
First Floor, New Auditorium
Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400103
India

Anjali Bhagwat

Indian Olympic Athlete + World Number One in 10m Air Rifle in 2002

Anjali Bhagwat is a professional Indian sport shooter. She became the first Indian woman to receive a gold medal at the ISSF World Cup Final. Having encountered shooting accidently while training for the National Cadet Corps, she has represented India in three consecutive Olympics, and has been a finalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In an unprecedented yet historic moment for Indian shooting, she won the ‘Champion of Champions’ title - a mixed competition for leading male and female rifle shooters in the 2002 Munich World Cup final. She still remains the only Indian to have ever won the title. She has set 13 new records in international competitions and has won 55 Gold, 35 Silver and 16 Bronze medals, with 8 new records in national competitions in India. Fondly known as 'Arjuna of India' and 'Indian shooting queen', Anjali has inspired countless young women to take up the sport of shooting.

Ashok Ramachandran

CEO & President at Schindler India

Ashok Ramachandran is the CEO & President of Schindler (India/South Asia) and is also featured on ET's 40underForty list. It is to his credit that he has successfully turned around businesses in Vietnam and Malaysia prior to his Indian stint. Among the greatest contributions he has made to Indian business has been his emphasis on people and culture, including diversity, inclusion, and youth, in an attempt to disrupt an industry that has traditionally manufactured equipment with newer ideas and energy. He is a highly motivated and result-driven entrepreneur with diverse experience in both mature and fast-growing developing markets, he has developed and coached talent, and devised and driven strategic planning. From Academic Failure to Outrageous Success, he believes that understanding the difference between failure and retreating is the key to success.

Jerson Fernandes

Director Of Culinary, Novotel Mumbai + Guinness World Record Holder 2018

Starting as a dishwasher and rising to the ranks of a Culinary director, Mr. Jerson is currently heading the culinary brigade at Accor’s most iconic property- Novotel Mumbai, Juhu Beach. He has been felicitated by the Goa CM and Mumbai Mayor for his culinary contributions as Star chef of the year 2019 by the Indian Federation of Culinary Association (IFCA). In 2018, He was honored with the ‘Guinness World Record' for his contribution to The Largest Display Of Bread Varieties at Brand-Culinary Academy of India Institute - Hyderabad. He was twice awarded the best Executive chef of India by Hotelier India and Food Connoisseurs awards in 2021 and 2022. His journey is a thorough depiction of one’s undying zeal to strive in turning aspirations into reality. His experience in the culinary industry spans over a dozen years with eminent chains. Turning his passion for culinary into a successful career, Mr. Jerson has made an impact in the Culinary field.

Kirthi Ganapathy

Specialist Customer Engineering Leader - Data Management, Data Analytics, AI/ML and Application Modernization at Google Cloud India

Kirthi Ganapathy is a Customer Engineering Leader, managing areas of Data Management, Data Analytics, AI/ML, and Application Modernization at Google Cloud. With over 22 years of experience, she is a highly driven and organized leader with expertise in Solution Architecture / Design, and Consulting in Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud. Excellent communication skills, analytical skills, leadership ability, and being a team person are some of the skills she has developed, perfecting every aspect of what she does. With her love for music and dance, she uses these creative elements innovatively in her professional career. Working towards progressing the current technology beyond its limit is what she believes in, which can be seen through her accomplishments in her career.

Nirmala Pillai

Ex-Finance Advisor from Dept. of Telecom + Artist and Poet

Nirmala Pillai belongs to the Indian civil service , Class 1 services and is an Ex-Indian P&T Accounts & Finance Service Officer. She retired as a Financial Advisor from the Dept of Telecom and IT. As a self-taught artist, she has participated in art exhibitions and Art festivals all over India. Her works have been exhibited at India International Centre, India Habitat Centre, HUDCO Art Gallery, and AIFACS New Delhi. In Mumbai, she has held exhibitions at Nehru Centre, Kamalnayan Bajaj Gallery, Museum gallery, Kalaghoda, etc. She has published several short stories and poems in various leading English print and internet magazines. Her poems and stories have been shortlisted for various awards. She has published three books of poems and one collection of Short stories. Post retirement, she is a full time writer and painter. As a mentor and tutor she helps students overcome academic and personal challenges, touching several lives in the process.