Theme: EUREKA - the search continues....

This conference does not revolve around one topic but is very diverse.
The speakers will be from various backgrounds such as Biotechnology, Indian Police Service, Bollywood, a youth icon, a socialist, an industrialist, etc and they will speak about their EUREKA moments in the particular field.

Ishanya Amphitheatre
Pune, 411037
India

Shiladitya Bora

An Engineering Graduate from L.D. College of Engineering Ahmedabad, Shiladitya Joined School of Cinema Television, Los Angeles City College to pursue a course in cinema. He however dropped out of the course and returned to India. He then pursued his post graduation from Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA/2008). While at MICA he founded an entertainment start-up called Fulmarxx and subsequently the International Film Festival Ahmedabad. This 28 year old in a short span of time has conquered some of the most prestigious achievements which include of him being invited as a guest lecturer amongst bollywood biggees such as Aamir Khan, by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) to share views on contemprary film industry business. He has been the recipent of MICA Award for Creative and Entrepreneurial Excellence 2008 and also been bestowed with the "Star Entrepreneur Award" at the 2nd Indira International Innovation Summit in Mumbai in January 2009. Shiladitya was one of the six finalists from Inidra in the SCREEN category at the BRITISH COUNCIL YOUNG CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS 2010. Shiladitya is also involved with PVR Ltd. India's leading and premier Multiplex Cinema Exhibition Company as a Film Festival and Alternate Programming Specialist

Kiran Bedi

Kiran Bedi, has been India’s first and highest (woman) ranking officer who joined the Ind ian Police Service in 1972. Her expertise includes more than 35 years of creative and reformative policing and prison management. Currently, she has been in the vanguard of a nationwide, India Against Corruption, a movement led by Shri Anna Hazare which compelled the Indian Parliament to pass a unanimous resolution accepting three key demands of Janlokpal Bill, drafted by Team Anna .

Jerry Johnson

A graduate of Communication and a student of Psychology and Philosophy. Now, at 29, Jerry lives as an openly gay, financially independent, atheist, and Objectivist man in Mumbai with his boyfriend of almost 3 years.His studies in philosophy and social psychology for more than 8 years have been instrumental in his self-discovery. While in the US, Jerry also interned with the City of Chicago Mayor's Office for Public Information, which brought him face-to-face in a professional environment with the erstwhile mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, and the current president of the United States Barack Obama.Now, in India, Jerry is currently employed as a Marketing Manager by a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Jerry has appeared on several TV news channels such as CNN-IBN, News24, and NewsX and has been featured in newspapers such as the Times of India and DNA for discussing homosexuality, human rights, and free speech. He has also given interviews on the popular radio station Big FM in Mumbai. Jerry is a published columnist with articles in the Times of India, Out on the Town (a print magazine in the US), and the Atlasphere. His blog has been rated number 7 among the world's top bloggers who write on the philosophy of Objectivism.

Anoj Vishwanathan

Anoj is our man on the field; he builds and maintains relationships with microfinance institutions, social enterprises, and funders from the development sector. A Starting Bloc Fellow for 2010, Anoj co-founded Milaap after working with SKS Microfinance in energy and water services. He has also worked at ReEx Capital Asia, a cleantech investment boutique in Singapore and served as a fellow at D.light Design, developing consumer financing & mapping models for rural electrification. Anoj graduated from National University of Singapore. He is a founder member of the Microfinance Society in Singapore. When Anoj witnessed first-hand the impact of a $10 solar lantern, sold on credit, to the extremely poor in tribal Orissa, it sparked in him the idea for Milaap - to connect with ease the struggling 700 million people of India with prosperous Indians and the Diaspora, thus, creating opportunities that change the playing field for the poor at an everyday level.

Aastha Kankariya

A young leader, an enthusiast and an artist by personality. She started her role as a leader by struggling and initiating the First Individual Girls soccer team of Ahmedabad following that she initiated a few youth environmental movements, Like the Walkathon’10 which was attended by 400 people and was uniquely designed, where the participants were encouraged to walk with their pets along. Civic Sense Drive was also one of her initiation, where a bunch of 40 young volunteers went around the city and gave away ‘Tulsi’ plants to all those people who were smoking, urinating and spiting in public. She believes that change starts from the mind and thought process of an individual, and Pantheism is something she religiously believes in. Besides Photography, Painting, & Poetry; Dreaming, Thinking and Questioning are also her Passions in life. Currently doing her final year of schooling in Ahmedabad, she aims to be a Dynamic Entrepreneur in her following future.

Tanvi Girotra

Tanvi, a student at Delhi University, is leading an internationally recognized youth organization -- Becoming I foundation -- which aims to create a platform for young people to be the change they want to see in the world. Becoming I’s primary project – Project Fiza deals with victims of sex trafficking in a down trodden village in Najafgarh. Through life skills development, alternative employment opportunities and a very personal, non intrusive approach, the organisation aims to break this cycle of forced sex trade and push the oppressed sections towards education and eventually, a better life. The organization's other projects in the fields of primary education, life skills development and youth empowerment work towards bringing young people all across the globe face to face with community development. Tanvi recently won the 'United Nation's Youth Achievement Award' and also served as an International Fellow for the Global Fund for Children last summer in Washington DC. This year she was invited to speak about her work at the UN ECOSOC and at the G(irls)20 summit in Paris. In September 2010, Tanvi was selected as the youngest panellist to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative alongside the Managing Director of the World Bank moderated by Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times. She had the opportunity of sharing this platform with President Obama, President Clinton and other heads of states, world renowned CEOs and Presidents of Organisations. Earlier last year Tanvi represented India at the G(irls) 20 Summit in Toronto and was named a Global Teen Leader at the Three Dot Dash – Just Peace Summit in New York. Having received these opportunities, Tanvi seeks to bring about an evolutionary, non disruptive change through participation. Through Becoming I, she aims to create a group of passionate young individuals who using the power of ‘I’ will go ahead and create a dent in the universe

Monica Dogra

Labeled an Ambassador of “The New India”, Monica Sharma Dogra is a Maryland raised musician, daughter of Kashmiri immigrants, who grew up listening to Hindu devotional songs, ghazals, and the Bollywood hits of Lata Mangeshkar. She the found herself in India, while recording a solo-project with Andre Bettes in New York City, the producer of Madonna’s Immaculate Collection. It was there she met her music partner Randolph Correia, and formed the band Shaa’ir + func (S+F for short). As a solo artist, Monica Sharma Dogra, whom fans also know as Shaa’ir, is a spoken word performer, an active dancer, as well as an actor. Her newest projects include a lead role in Kiran Rao's directorial debut, "Dhobi Ghat", which received 4/5 stars by the Toronto star after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, appearing in concert with the legendary AR Rahman, singing the title track for the film "Break Ke Baad" with Vishal/Shekhar, and presenting the hit new TV Series "The Dewarists" currently airing on Star World networks in Asia.

Shayamal Vallabhjee

Shayamal is a Sports Scientist, Entrepreneur and Lecturer, having Worked with some of the world’s best athletes. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, Shayamal has had the opportunity to work with the Davis Cup & Cricket Teams of India and South Africa. He currently works with a number of top players on the ATP Circuit. Shayamal is equipped with an amalgamation of knowledge and experience, including a degree in Sports Sciences, a postgraduate degree in Exercise Science and a diploma in Sports Management. He is director at Digi-Sports - an organization geared towards the performance enhancement of athletes - and is an exercise consultant to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Shayamal is also a self-published author having written two books on sports science and medicine in cricket. His third and latest book Lessons from the Wild was released in September 2011. While not training elite athletes, Shayamal is an avid distance runner, having participated in 9 marathons and winning a bronze medal at the Comrades Marathon in 2007.

Narendra Goidani

Narendra Goidani, the founder of Life School, has been conducting inspirational training programs for people from all walks of life, for more than 11 years. His main focus is on training people on “EMPOWERED LIVING”. His emphatic long standing ‘Life Value’ has been these three words, ‘Inspire OR Expire’. He endeavors to fill this world with ‘Forces of Goodness’. With this intention every Tuesday he writes an inspirational article named as LIFE SCHOOL MESSAGE (LSM) which has the power to transform lives. He believes a good human being can use this wisdom to transform his life as well as the lives of his loved ones, family and friends. At present more than 250000 subscribers derive growth from LSM. In 2010, he has authored a masterpiece on life christened as “Keep Moving”. Each chapter of “Keep Moving” is life transforming. It covers topics and concepts from real life situations. It contains answers to the most common issues that people face in their day to day lives. It’s a book for anyone and everyone who believes in growing and living an inspirational life. “Anything that stops one from living up to his potentials is a chain that he needs to break.” As one reads “Keep Moving”, the author asserts that the individuals limiting chains will be broken. He believes the youth of this country have the potential to bring India its deserved pedestal in the world. To empower students towards this destination he founded a social initiative - “Keep Moving Movement”. This initiative imparts life transforming training for teachers and students in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujrathi. This project is conducted by a committed force of more than 200 Life School members who are trained to conduct Life Transforming sessions for students of 10th Standard and teachers throughout Maharashtra, India. His call to every good human being is – “Together, lets create a place where we can and we will Explore, Expand and Enrich our lives. Lets create a place where we will lift ourselves and our loved ones. In the words of Steve Jobs of Apple, lets together create a ‘Dent in this Universe’.