Theme: Dwell and Conquer

TEDxIIMKashipur is back with another thought-provoking edition of TED, Dwell and Conquer.

For the past eight years, we have hosted our flagship Annual TEDxIIMKashipur Conference, sharing with our community the insights and experiences of corporate executives, bureaucrats, academicians, artists, engineers, accomplished entrepreneurs, and many other dignitaries.

"Dwell and Conquer” emphasizes the significance of self-awareness, resilience, and the exploration of one's own potential. This theme encourages a deep introspection, both literally and figuratively, inspiring us to appreciate the environments we often take for granted. It invites us to pause, reflect, and draw inspiration from the world around us and within ourselves to overcome obstacles and make meaningful contributions to society. It’s not just about contemplating, but also about harnessing those thoughts to conquer new horizons by propelling forward with renewed energy and purpose.

To this line, we bring you yet another exuberant lineup of prominent speakers to share their excerpts with us.

IIM Kashipur Auditorium
IIM Kashipur
Bazpur Road, Kashipur
Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, 244713
India

Ashwani Dhawan

Ashwani Dhawan is a dynamic and visionary leader who has been steering innovation and driving change at the helm of Broadway. His extensive academic background, coupled with a relentless pursuit of innovative solutions, has made him an inspirational figure in the world of business. With a track record of achievements and a forward-thinking mindset, he has redefined the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President at Broadway Infotech. Ashwani Dhawan's intellectual foundation is grounded in a diverse academic background that spans continents and disciplines. His academic journey continued with an MBA at the University of Canberra from 1997 to 1999, which laid the groundwork for his strategic thinking and leadership skills. He earned a Post Graduate Diploma in IT from the University of Technology Sydney, bringing a global perspective to his leadership. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kurukshetra University, a testament to his commitment to academic excellence. Ashwani Dhawan's knack for tackling tough challenges is the key to his leadership style. His urge to turn what seems like obstacles into opportunities is a major driving force behind his success. Ashwani Dhawan's career path led him to a pivotal role as the Chief of Innovation at Broadway Infotech. With a thinking hat that never comes off, he has dedicated his professional life to reimagining how we approach everyday challenges. His tenure at Broadway Infotech has been marked by pioneering solutions, disruptive technologies, and a continuous drive for improvement. His leadership has brought about a culture of innovation that has elevated Broadway Infotech to new heights in the industry.

Ella D' Verma

Ella D’ Verma is an Indian model and an artist. Her life has been a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and unwavering determination. While she was assigned male at birth, Ella’s journey of documenting her own transition has led her to become a celebrated social media influencer, content creator, and model, breaking barriers and challenging societal norms. At 18, she was the first face of transgender experience for India's largest intimate wear brand Zivame, she was crowned 1st Runner up at the Miss Transqueen India pageant and she was one of the youngest to be honored with the Swadesh Sammaan. In addition to her modeling and pageant accomplishments, Ella also served as a judge in a fitness competition. Her presence in the fashion and beauty industry has not only broken barriers but also helped raise awareness about the transgender community’s struggles and achievements. Her success served as an inspiring testament to her determination and the larger LGBTQ+ community’s progress in India.

Gaurav Kejriwal

Mr. Gaurav Kejriwal, an IIM Calcutta graduate, is a seasoned analytics and data science professional. Currently serving as the Vice President at EXL Analytics, he has over a decade of extensive experience in strategic consulting, statistical modeling, and machine learning. His areas of expertise span across marketing, risk, and product analytics, and have a proven track record of driving impactful business outcomes through data-driven insights for the clients. He is a sought-after thought leader in the analytics space and has led numerous successful engagements for clients across various industries. Driven by a profound passion for knowledge sharing, Mr. Kejriwal endeavors to empower and inspire aspiring data scientists and analytics professionals through various engagements.

Harshita Motaparthi

Harshita Motaparthi is the Founder of Mile Active - a young Activewear brand that launched in 2023. After graduating from Law School in 2020, Harshita decided to follow her passion of starting her own business but she was sure it had to mean something and come from a place of true passion. Being active and into fitness for several years, she identified a gap in the Indian Activewear market and decided to take the leap of faith. The goal ultimately is to build a community-based brand that stands the test of time and become a one-stop-shop for women's Activewear.

Jyoti Jha

An HR-turned-Author, Jyoti Jha is an MBA by qualification and has been associated with corporates like Infosys and Whirlpool in the past. After almost a decade of globe-trotting, she pursued her compelling passion of expressing through words and embarked upon the journey of exploring the field of literature. A Storyteller, Columnist (The Literary Mirror), Co-Founder (Today Digital News Magazine), and an esteemed winner of ‘The Times of India Write India Season 3’, she has authored the books, ‘The Realms of Human Emotions’, ‘Around The World Through My Lens’, ‘Aanandi’, and 'Heart's Sanctuary & Other Stories'. Speaker at the Times LitFest, Global Literary Festival Noida (AAFT-Marwah Studios), IITs, and IIMs, and an honorable Jury Member at the Kashiyatra IIT BHU, Jyoti Jha is a proud winner of several literary awards and accolades. Her books have garnered much appreciation from readers, prominent media houses, and the literary fraternity. She contributes to both Hindi and English literature. Her Hindi book ‘Aanandi’ has been adapted for theatrical representation by Saimona Creation under Let’s Inspire Bihar and has been picked up to be made into an audiobook by Pune-based Zankar Studio. Her poems have been published in the International Anthology and Literature Festival Anthology. Her upcoming book is on Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is also working on translation of Sahitya Akademi Winner Dr. Avinash Biniwale’s literary work ‘Iran- Paarashyaanche TeerthKshetra’ from Marathi to Hindi.

Kanishk Agrawal

Kanishk Agrawal is a senior business leader with 20+ years of experience. His mission is to create innovative products that can help solve real-world business problems. He harnesses his expertise in various domains to drive successful product deliveries while cultivating an environment of collaboration and excellence. He enjoys developing user-centric products, the foundation of which is empathy. His primary areas of interest are Innovation, Digital Transformation, Design Thinking, and Business Agility. He is passionate about technology with research interests in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Quantum Computing, Sustainability - Green IT/Green IS, and Multiverse. Kanishk is on the Forbes Technology Council, MIT Technology Review Global Insights Panel, and World Economic Forum professional member. He was recently recognized as one of “India’s 40 Under 40” dynamic leaders for 2023, Insight Success. He was also named one of the “Top 50 Authors and Researchers of India” by Fox Story India, among other accolades. An alumnus of BITS Pilani and IIM Calcutta, he is currently pursuing a doctorate from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

Major Prajakta Desai

Major Prajakta Desai is a shining star in the Indian Army's Corps of Army Aviation. In her 11-year career, she's broken barriers, becoming the first woman officer in the Indian Army to qualify as a UAV Observer Pilot. Hailing from Mumbai, she overcame financial challenges to join the army, excelling in her training and service in various challenging terrains across India, including during critical incidents. But her impact goes beyond her military service. Maj Desai is a dedicated mentor to youth, offering guidance for those aspiring to join the armed forces. She also promotes animal welfare, rescuing and caring for distressed animals. Looking to the future, her aspirations include establishing classes for underprivileged students and creating a sanctuary for stray animals, all while continuing her impressive journey, which has also seen her in the spotlight on national television and participating in beauty pageants.

Nitish Raj

A Literary Critic turned Author, Nitish Raj is the Co-Founder of Literia Insight and Editorin-Chief at The Literary Mirror. An eminent speaker at prestigious institutions like IITs, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kashipur, and NIT Silchar, Nitish is the Host of a unique Talk Show ‘The Lit Talks’. Having been published and featured at multiple prominent media houses of both national and international repute, he has been invited as Host to International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research, Mumbai, and as Guest Poet at International Poetry Conference, Tunisia (Africa). He has been featured in the prestigious The CEO Magazine as an Entrepreneur for ‘The Lit Tour’, an initiative to celebrate and bring Books, Drama & Screen together and he has been a panelist at the highly prestigious Ahmedabad International Literature Festival and Kalinga Literary Festival. Living by the mantra “If you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go long, go together”, Mr. Raj has crafted his art to become a guiding force for new and existing authors. Mr. Raj has not only made a mark for himself in the field of literature with his absolute dedication, but he has also inculcated his entrepreneur skills, knowledge and expertise, and industry experience to serve the literary world. He has ventured into the world of production through a production house Kaali Entertainment. His prowess as a producer is seen in his short film ‘Zindagi’ which is based on the rising tendency of suicide among youngsters. The film has won awards both nationally and internationally.

Vadhan

Sai Chandravadhan Bommadevara writes under the pen name of "Vadhan". He is an English writing Indian author with five published books. It is his intention to unravel the stories, mysteries, poignances and wonders of India, one thriller at a time. A lawyer by qualification, Vadhan started his career as a constitutional lawyer, working and learning from some of the top lawyers of India. He transitioned to regulatory compliance services back in the year 2000 and is considered a pioneer of regulatory compliance services in India. Currently, Vadhan is an executive director in one of the big four global consulting firms, leading regulatory compliance services for multinational and transnational corporations across 70 + countries. He loves sports, movies, music, mountains and the ocean and of course, reading. His wife, his toughest critic, is an artist and candlemaker. His son is a budding movie and theater actor and daughter, working in an accounting firm abroad, is an amateur gamer and artist. His four extremely playful canine children live with him.

Vartul Mittal

Vartul Mittal is a leading Technology & Innovation Specialist and a seasoned Digital Transformation leader. He has been honored with the following eminent awards in Digital Business Transformation & AI: Twice the Top 100 CIOs by Foundry and CIO India, 2022 and 2023 Top 40 under 40 Data Scientists – 2021 by Analytics India Magazine 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟏𝟎 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 by CIOLook Special Achievement Award in Artificial Intelligence at 1st AICRA (All India Council for Robotics & Automation) Global Summit & Awards’19 He has 17+ years of strong Global Business Transformation experience in Management Consulting and with Global— Capability Centers with a remit to drive understanding and deliver Business Operations & Technology Strategy solutions globally. Throughout his spectacular career, he has not only worked with Fortune 500 organizations such as IBM, Barclays and Coca Cola India but has also held several esteemed advisory positions like on the boards of Amity, MIT Technology Review, Forbes Technology Council, etc.