Theme: Flip the Script

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
- William Shakespeare

When we talk about the future, we seek comfort in words like fate or destiny. We find solace in knowing that our life is written in the stars like words against the inked sky. It is this relinquishment of power over our story that adds a full stop to accomplishments.
Be your own director to steer yourself in the direction you want. Write your own dialogues instead of letting society dictate what should be said. If we truly strive to bring about a change in the world, to inspire millions, and to incubate growth, it is time we start wielding the pen to the script titled Life.

“Encore” and standing ovations follow the plays that flipped their script around and didn’t let conventions define the climax of their stories.

TEDxBITSGoa 2019 cherishes people who flipped the script around and proudly presents their unscripted life stories.

Auditorium, BITS - Pilani, Goa Campus
Near Dabolim International Airport
Zuarinagar
Goa, Goa, 403726
India

Elena Fernandes

A half-Indian, half-Peruvian supermodel, Elena Fernandes has featured in multiple magazines including Vogue India. She made her acting debut in Kapoor and Sons which released worldwide and has been seen alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi since then on screen. A law degree holder, she is actively involved in several welfare projects benefitting children and animals.

Franz Gastler

Franz Gastler is an American citizen who grew up in Minnesota but has lived in Ormanjhi, Jharkhand since 2007 where he was an English teacher. He started Yuwa in 2009 to combat social problems that plague young girls in India. Now one of the largest soccer programs in the country, Yuwa has received endorsements from Nike, Coca-Cola, and the United Nations. Franz has also been the recipient of several awards with the likes of Microsoft and NDTV acknowledging his contribution.

Gayatri Parameswaran

An Erasmus Mundus Scholar with an MA in journalism, and a Gold Medalist as a Bachelor of Mass Media at the University of Mumbai, Gayatri Parameswaran has documented under-reported issues in over 25 countries. She has dealt with issues like witch hunting in India, the war raging in Syria, politics in Myanmar and slavery in Iraq to name a few. With human rights and the environment as her area of focus, she aims to educate the public about the harsh realities of life. Gayatri uses the emerging power of VR to get her messages across and is a part of Oculus VR for Good Creator’s Lab 2017. Her work has appeared in international media outlets such as Al Jazeera English, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Weekendavisen and The Caravan and she has been nominated for the Venice Award for Best Virtual Reality.

Hormis Tharakan

Hormis Tharakan, an Indian Police Service officer of the Kerala cadre, was chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), from 2005 to 2007. He is also the former Director General of the Kerala Police, a member of the National Security Council and was also the Chief Advisor of Strategic Affairs. Mr. Tharakan had helped in setting up the Nuclear Command Authority of India and played a significant role in ending the Nepalese Civil War.

Jagdish Chaturvedi

Dr. Jagdish Chaturvedi is an ENT Surgeon, medical device innovator, author, and also a stand up comedian! Popularised by his YouTube channel, he performs all over the country while simultaneously running a private ENT clinic. Since 2010, he has co-invented and developed 18 affordable medical devices addressing the unmet needs in the Indian healthcare system.He is also recognized as one of the 35 innovators under the age of 35 by the MIT technology review 2016.

Karishma Boolani

Karishma Boolani is a sports scientist who has graduated with a degree both in Behavioral Neuroscience & Psychology from the University of Melbourne and a Sports Science degree from Bond University in Australia. She is responsible for developing FOCUS which is a fitness improvement and assessment program for children that has been implemented in 185 schools around India. She was the head of the KOOH Sports lab and is now the founder of HUMANICS, another sports science company. Karishma has also been the President of the Australian Alumni Association and has even worked with the Australian Olympic Team.

Kirti Kulhari

Kirti Kulhari is an actress and model who started off her career with theatre, and TV commercials with several well-known brands. She entered the film industry in 2010 and shot to immense fame after the release of Pink. She has acted in Khichdi: The Movie, Indu Sarkar and Uri: The Surgical Strike to name a few. She will be appearing in the movie Mission Mangal alongside Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Vidya Balan and Taapsee Pannu.

Prateep Basu

Prateep Basu, graduate from the first batch of IIST, has been always fascinated by space exploration programs. His work is greatly inspired by methods of ISRO, and hence, is focused on solving local problems faced in India. His startup, Satsure, makes use of space exploration technology like Satellite imagery to revolutionise the agricultural sector, which still remains the largest primary sector in India.

Vilas Nayak

Vilas Nayak is a self-taught speed painter from India who started painting at the age of 3. He shot to fame by being a finalist of India's Got Talent, and went on to participate in Asia's Got Talent and, subsequently, the Grand Talent world stage. He has performed in over 23 countries all over the world and was the winner of the ‘EC live quotient Most Innovative Act Award’ in 2012. He has also performed in front of the United Nations General Assembly and during the NBA halftime show.