Lakshmi Pratury is the Co-Host of TEDIndia 2009 and founder of Ixoraa Media, whose mission is to strengthen the ties between United States and India through sponsored corporate, cultural, and media events.
Why you should listen to her:
After two decades in marketing, venture capitalism and social entreprenuership, Lakshmi Pratury turned her focus toward linking her home country of India more tightly with the American community. Her firm, Ixoraa Media, runs meetings and events to spark dialogue and make connections.
Pratury worked at Intel for 12 years as a marketer and evangelist, then moved to a VC firm, Global Capitalist Partners. At GCP, she focused on connecting India's legendary software-development community with US tech. She began to focus more strictly on relationship-building with her move to the America India Foundation, where she founded the AIF's Digital Equalizer program, offering technology education to some 80,000 children and 2,000 teachers in India. She also launched the AIF Summit for social entrepreneurs from India. At Tamarind Grove, she plans events and meet-ups that will more tightly link the Indian and American tech communities.
"Q: What should a multicultural woman do to grow as a leader? A: I have always felt being a woman is an asset, being brown is an asset, having an accent is an asset. The thing that is most intrinsic to multicultural women is that they have great cultural sensitivities. Be comfortable with who you are and understand that you have an edge."Lakshmi Pratury interviewed on Invincibelle.com
