Theme: Nurturing the NeXt

The theme "Nurturing the NeXt '' encapsulates the essence of relentless growth and innovation guided by learnings from the past. It reflects the idea that even after achieving success, great leaders and organisations must consistently nurture and empower themselves, and the next generation of innovators, thinkers, and doers to remain at the forefront of their fields and realise their full potential.

This theme underscores the importance of mentorship, knowledge transfer, and a commitment to fostering an environment where new ideas can flourish. It encourages the belief that while it is important to explore what future's pandora box has for us, it is also important to keep past learnings close to our hearts while we cultivate new seeds of talent, ideas and innovation.

With 50 glorious years of IIM Bangalore, we strengthen the idea of innovating and re innovating to stay at the forefront. With something new always bubbling up, our goal is to challenge and surprise ourselves with what we are capable of, to make the world a better place. Hence, at TEDxIIMBangalore, we aim to explore and celebrate the strategies and stories of those who have effectively nurtured themselves and organisations, fostering a legacy of innovation and excellence. Through our speakers and discussions, we will delve into the diverse ways in which these trailblazers met their ikigai, transformed organisations, and gave back to the society, and how they keep taking innovative paths to continue strong on the marathon named life.

"Nurturing the NeXt" challenges us all to reflect on our role in shaping the future organisations and the future us, emphasising the responsibility and privilege of passing on knowledge, inspiration, and opportunities to the next generation, thus ensuring a legacy of enduring success.

IIMB Auditorium
Main Auditorium, IIM Bangalore, Bannerghatta Main Rd, opp. to Apollo Hospitals, Sundar Ram Shetty Nagar, Bilekahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560076
Bangalore, Karnataka, 560076
India

Anand Kadali

Social Worker and Humanitarian | Co-founder, Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust

Anand Kadali, as the Secretary of Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust, plays a crucial role in overseeing the growth of the flagship Annapoorna Morning Nutrition Prog. Dedicated to providing free daily morning nutrition to over 3 million school children across 24 states and 3 Union Territories in India, the initiative operates in over 40,000 predominantly rural schools. Anand, with a corporate background exceeding 15 years, made a notable transition to full-time community service, leveraging his experience from global organizations like Hewlett Packard, HCL, and Dimension Data, specializing in computer networking and security. Under his leadership, the nutrition program has attracted over 500 volunteers, and collaborative efforts with government officials have led to increased school retention, student enrolments, improved academic performance, and better health profiles among rural school children.

Anant Bhardwaj

Entrepreneur | CEO & Founder of Instabase

Anant Bhardwaj, the CEO & founder of Instabase has worked hard to reach where he is! From rural Bihar to Stanford and then to Silicon Valley stardom, Anant's story is a picture perfect example of the great Indian Startup dream! Anant completed his undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Pune. He then moved to the United States in 2010 to attend Stanford University where he earned a Masters in Computer Science. In 2012, he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue a Ph.D. He dropped out of the Ph.D. program in 2015 to start Instabase, where he serves as the CEO. With the power of artificial intelligence platform and workflow automation capabilities, Instabase solves one of the most acute problems businesses face, intelligent document processing. Instabase turns the world’s unstructured data into insights, instantly. And guess what? Anant & Instabase are just getting started.

Aviral Bhatnagar

VC, Venture Highway | Founder, A Junior VC

Aviral Bhatnagar, the investor at Venture Highway and founder of A Junior VC, has carved a unique path for himself! From the prestigious halls of IIT Bombay to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of India, Aviral’s journey is a testament to the vibrant Indian startup scene. He has made significant contributions to the venture capital field and the startup community. Aviral completed his BTech in Engineering Physics from IIT Bombay. He then moved on to IIM Ahmedabad where he earned an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship. Aviral wears multiple hats, not only as an investor at Venture Highway but also as the visionary founder of A Junior VC. These platforms are catalysts in the startup world, reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurship in India and Southeast Asia. They address a pivotal need – granting startups access to knowledge and resources. Junior VC performs a remarkable feat by unraveling the intricacies of the startup universe, transforming them into instantly digestible insights.

Major Nithi CJ

Army Veteran | Ex-military Intelligence

Major Nithi CJ's remarkable journey encompasses diverse roles, transitioning from an Army Officer to a certified Yoga Wellness Instructor , FIT India Ambassador, and strategic advisor. Her military tenure involved field operations, language interpretation , and intelligence analysis, contributing to decision-making processes, for which she was awarded with the General Officer Commanding in Chief Commendation Card in 2015. Beyond the military, she broadened her expertise as a behavior analyst, non-verbal communication specialist, and graphotherapist. In 2022, she completed her Master's in Philosophy (Defence and Strategic Studies), showcasing her commitment to continuous learning. Major Nithi's professional versatility extends to consulting for military-grade de-risking and serving as a strategic advisor to businesses like The Vardi Store, a Military Upcycling Brand.

Pariksha Rao

Founder and CEO, NuWe.ai | Advisory Board Member, ImpactNutrition | TOl top 20 Successful Indian Changemakers 2023

Pariksha Rao, a resilient entrepreneur, holds an MSc. in Health and Nutrition. She is certified as a diabetes educator, advanced dietary supplements advisor, and nutrigenomics expert. Additionally, she has a postgraduate diploma in Dietetics & Public Health & Nutrition. Adding to her impressive repertoire, Pariksha is also the ex-founder of Lil'Goodness, the founder and CEO of NuWe.ai, a health-based venture, a national advisory board member for the ImpactNutrition platform, and a global leadership panel member for Fight Cancer Global. Her continuous endeavors have earned her a spot in The Times of India's list of 20 Successful Indian Changemakers in 2023. Her book, Well at Heart - Natural Foods to Fight Diseases, and NuWe's recognition as the Best Startup 2023 in Mother & Child Nutrition further establish her position as an extraordinary contributor to the field of nutrition and wellness.

Partha Das

Psephologist & Political Consultant | Founder, Chanakya Consultancy

Partha Das, the seasoned psephologist and political strategist, has etched a distinctive niche for himself in the realm of Indian politics. A proud alumnus of IIM Bangalore and NIT Surat, Partha initiated his career as a product manager at TIMES Media House. However, driven by an innate passion for understanding the intricate dynamics of politics, he pivoted into full-time political consulting. His journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Partha Das, renowned for his accurate opinion polls, showcased exceptional foresight by precisely predicting the outcome of the Telangana elections. This prowess has established him as a trusted voice in political forecasting. Beyond predictions, Partha has been instrumental in shaping electoral outcomes, notably guiding Tejaswi Yadav and the RJD to power in Bihar. His strategic counsel is sought after by prominent political figures, leaving an indelible impact on the political landscape.

Praveen Gopal Krishnan

Chief Operating Officer at The Ken | Writer, The Nutgraf

Praveen Gopal Krishnan has been working for more than five years at The Ken, one of the foremost subscriber based digital publication providing business news.Serving as the Chief Operating Officer, he oversees various aspects of the business, including product, engineering and sales. He’s also the pen (read: the keyboard) behind The Nutgraf, India’s leading paid weekly newsletter, connecting the dots on cause and effect in the business and technology sectors. His lifetime of enquiry went through Electronics Engineering from NIT Trichy and a PGP from IIM Bangalore, along with roles in product management at Myntra, InMobi and journalism at The Economic Times. This is coupled with a stint in a handwriting recognition startup and a theatre company.

Priyanka Mohite

Mountaineer & Scientist | Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awardee

Priyanka Mohite, hailing from Satara, Western Maharashtra, is an extraordinary mountaineer and scientist. In 2022, she made history by becoming the first Indian woman to conquer five peaks above 8000 meters, including Mt. Kanchenjunga and Mt. Annapurna. Her climbing journey began in the hills of Maharashtra, leading to significant accolades such as the Maharashtra Government's Shiv Chhatrapati State Award for Adventure Sports and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award. A hobbyist climber, she achieved feats like climbing Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, Mount Makalu, and Mount Kilimanjaro. Her remarkable ability to balance a demanding scientific career with conquering challenging peaks highlights her unparalleled passion and perseverance. Priyanka Mohite's story serves as an inspiring example of achieving extraordinary heights through intentional steps and unwavering resolve.

Sourav Mukherji

Professor & Dean (Alumni Relations and Development) at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

Sourav Mukherji is a distinguished academic and professor at IIM Bangalore, specializing in Organization Design with a keen research focus on sustainability and inclusivity. A BTech (hons.) graduate from IIT Kharagpur and a PhD from IIM Bangalore, he has a robust background in product management at IBM and Oracle and strategic consulting at the Boston Consulting Group, Mukherji brings valuable industry experience to his teaching and research. His passion for inclusivity and social entrepreneurship is evident through numerous published case studies and papers in both academic and practitioner-oriented journals. Mukherji has been recognized with journals. prestigious fellowships, including the UNDP Fellowship for Research in Inclusive Business Models and the Villgrow Fellowship for Research on Social Entrepreneurship. As an educator, Mukherji teaches postgraduate and doctoral courses in Organization Design, Inclusive Business Models, Strategy Process Research, and Organization Learning.

Srinivasan R

Professor & Chairperson (MBA and MBA(BA) Programmes) at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

Professor R Srinivasan's areas of research include strategies of multi-sided platform organisations; digital public infrastructure & digital public goods; strategy processes in rapid growth organisations and competitive, corporate, & international strategies. He has authored a book on Platform Business Models (also translated in German),which serves as the go-to guide for those looking to leverage platforms and create network synergies, from entrepreneurs to seasoned executives. Srinivasan has been teaching courses on platform business models, competitive strategy, and corporate strategy for MBA and Ph.D. students at lIM Bangalore. He serves as a visiting professor at Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) Germany, teaching courses on Platforms and digital transformation. He co-leads an international executive programme on Leading Digital Transformation, in cooperation with the FAU, Nuremberg and Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Circuits lIS, Germany.

Suresh Bhagavatula

Founder, Headstart Network Foundation | Professor at IIM Bangalore

Dr. Suresh Bhagavatula did his undergraduate from Shivaji University, Kolhapur. He then went on to do his MS in the University of Flensberg, Germany and his PhD in entrepreneurship at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. The founder of Headstart Network Foundation, a venture to promote positive ecosystems for start-ups, Dr. Bhagavatula has ventured into several spheres including women empowerment. Currently he is a part of the IM Bangalore Faculty in the domain of Entrepreneurship. Previously, he worked at the Tata Research and Development Centre as a Process Engineer and in the Krishi Vigyan Kendra as a Micro-entreprise Coordinator. His interest in social networks and entrepreneurship has led him to publish several pieces in various journals on the allied topics. His areas of interest in entrepreneurship are Indian low- and high-tech companies. He is interested in learning how social capital affects team and entrepreneurial performance in the context of social networks.