What does an 8th grade Rubik's cube champion, one of Goa's most celebrated & internationally acclaimed fashion designers, an industrial designer turned inventor and a Sanskrit scholar have in common? Well, they've each held the stage & captivated audiences with their stories on the big red dot at last year's TEDxPanaji event.
Returning to Goa for its fourth edition, TEDxPanaji is an independently organized TED event lead by a passionate team of +80 local volunteers with the aim of sharing a TED-like experience with a local audience & context. Held at Kala Academy on Sunday March 8th, 2020 from 2-8PM, the event believes that the power of ideas can indeed change the world for the better and promises to showcase stimulating ideas by speakers & performers of diverse fields from across Goa & India.
So what can we expect at this year's event?
"The theme for TEDxPanaji 2020 is 'RUSH', which signifies the emotional unrest that precedes powerful action.
The event hopes to capture & spread the power of emotions that led to impactful actions & achievements of the speakers, sparking deeper discussions & connections among the audience."
With 11 speakers at this year's TEDx event, audiences can look forward to a diverse range of talks & performances covering everything from robotics & drones, to cancer survival, protest as art, waste management, rhythmic gymnastics and more. A truly inspirational event, co-organizer & head of TEDxPanaji Dattaprasad Shetkar, advocates the potential of such a platform as "a life changing event and hopes the people of Goa will make the best of this opportunity to be personally inspired by ground-breaking ideas".
Plus, in addition to the speakers, members of the audience will have the unique opportunity to also pitch their own ideas for a chance at 60 seconds on the big red circle.
The TEDxPanaji 2020 speakers include:
Baadal Nanjundaswamy
From the installation of a crocodile model in a pot-hole to walking over potholes, dressed as an astronaut- street artist and civic activist- Baadal Nanjundaswamy has multiple viral protest ideas to his name. Find them on Insta: @baadal_nanjundaswamy
Dr. Rajah Vijay Kumar
A serial inventor with 32 plus inventions to his credit, Dr. Rajah Vijay Kumar invented the 'Cytotron' after 30 years of research. Acknowledged by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as a breakthrough device in treating cancer of the liver, pancreas, and breast; the invention is on the threshold of redefining cancer treatment.
Karishma Parker
Dr. Karishma is not only an Orthodontist and a single mother to a 6-year-old but also a professional body-builder & sculptor. During a difficult phase in life, she discovered body-building and in her 4-year journey of using physical molding for mental strength, went on to win 3 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medals at national bodybuilding competitions. Find them on Insta: @karishma_parker
Chandana Bala Kalyan
Garnering more than 2 million views in a matter of months, for her Indian classical take on the Jazz composition, “Take Five”, Chandana Bala Kalyan has redefined Carnatic music. Hailed as a vocal gymnast who traverses scales and moves between genres as diverse as Carnatic, Hindustani, Sufi, and Jazz; her signature style of music is earning her accolades the world over. Learn more about Chandana & her work here.
Wilma Rodrigues
Former journalist turned 'socialpreneur', Wilma Rodrigues is the Founder of Saahas Zero Waste, one of the top social enterprises in India. Saahas provides end-to-end waste management solutions and Wilma has been the driving force behind developing a unique model that is not only effective but also scalable. Wilma’s goal is to implement as many zero waste campuses as possible.
Ruby Ahluwalia
Ruby Ahluwalia is the founder of Sanjeevani- Life Beyond Cancer, an organisation that works on cancer prevention, early detection, counselling and rehabilitation. A cancer survivor herself, Ruby’s experiences led her to create a unique training module where cancer survivors can train to be cancer caregivers.
Prathap N.M
Be it saving a life in Africa or providing flood relief materials to areas in Karnataka, Prathap N M, known as the Drone Boy of India has a drone for every situation. Awarded the Albert Einstein Innovation Medal from CeBIT, the ‘Young Scientist' title from multiple countries and many other accolades, this young scientist has been invited to over 87 countries to showcase his inventions.
Saipranav Gandhi
Saipranav Gandhi is a child prodigy in an unusual field- LEGO robotics. This ten year old conducted his first workshop on ‘learning from toys’ for kids, at the age of six and has never looked back since. Having won multiple awards at robotics competitions and LEGO leagues at the regional & national level, this young robotics enthusiast, is just beginning his exciting journey in the field of STEM.
DJ Ignatius Camilo
A champion of sustainable living, DJ Iggy, a self taught hustler from Goa, went from his humble beginnings at beach shacks to playing his signature music across the world. After successfully playing at gigs in India, London, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Bangladesh, Nepal and Croatia; Iggy returned to his village in Goa and founded Cirrus, a community that combines the two unlikely worlds of partying and sustainable living. Find him on Insta: @iggythebastard
Varsha Upadhye & Students
The first International rhythmic gymnastics judge from India, she has also set up the first rhythmic gymnastics academy in the country. Post the Commonwealth Games 2006, where she was a judge, Varsha vowed to fill the void of full-fledged early life training for the sport in India. Her students today have gone on to represent the country at world championships and Commonwealth Games. Students of Varsha will perform rhythmic gymnastics live for the first time ever in Goa. Learn more about Varsha & her work here.
TEDxPanaji is also set to feature unconventional music performances that complement the thought-provoking nature of the event. This year ‘Suraj Pinge & Group’ will be putting up a special performance. Passionate about Ghumat aarti, a devotional folk music form in Goa, Suraj is a folk music mentor to more than 23 ghumat aarti & experimental music groups. They will be putting forth an amalgamation of folk & world music at the event. Additionally, speaker Chandana Bala Kalyan will be mesmerising the audience with her unique style of music and there will be a special performance of rhythmic gymnastics by 12 students of Varsha Upadhye.
About TED
"TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED Conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes or less. Many of these talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Good all, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman."
TEDxPanaji
Date: March 8th, 2020
Time: 2PM to 8PM
Location: Kala Academy, Panjim
Rs 500 for Students, Rs 1,000 for Regular & Rs 2000 for Patrons
All information & images kindly provided by the TEDxPanaji team and sources from the @tedxpanaji Instagram & Facebook pages respectively.
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