Theme: Past - Present - Future

TEDxChandigarh Conference brings together world's leading thinkers and doers to give you peek into the minds of extraordinary people. Our aim is bring world class intellectual experience to Chandigarh and North India. We want to give you access to these geniuses and their “Ideas Worth Sharing” so that you can inspired and make a dent in the universe.

Indradhanush Auditorium
Sector 5
Panchkula, Haryana, 134108
India

Acharya BalKrishna

M.D. of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd & co-founder of Patanjali Yogpeeth Haridwar.

Acharya Balkrishna is the founder of Patanjali Products - पतंजलि उत्पाद- the fastest growing FMCG company in India. Acharyaji is a versatile genius and a multi-faceted personality whose great knowledge of Ayurveda has turned the ancient practice of YOGA into a multi-billion dollar industry and put YOGA on the global stage. Honored by the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi as an "Ayurveda expert", Acharyaji has published more than 41 research articles in both National and International journals and has 31 patent rights. As the head of the medical institutions functioning under the aegis of Patanjali Yogpeeth, Acharyaji focused on the research and development of Ayurveda to make it successful with the modern medical science. With a multi-crore business in hand, of which he holds a 94% stake, Acharyaji still doesn't take home a single penny as salary. Instead, he devotes his time practicing YOGA and overseeing the titanic rise of India's 2nd largest FMCG brand- Patanjali.

Arundhati Bhattacharya

Ex-Chairman, State Bank of India

Arundhati Bhattacharya is the first woman to be the Chairman of State Bank of India. In 2016, Arundhati was listed as the 25th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes Magazine. Arundhati is methodical, competitive and does not hesitate to speak her mind to power. A revered thought leader, Arundhati has led over 2 lac employees of the 211 year old organisation-State Bank of India. In 2016, Forbes named Arundhati the 5th most powerful woman in Finance. In the same year, she was ranked among the FP Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine. She was named the 4th most powerful women in Asia Pacific by Fortune. In 2017, India Today magazine ranked her #19thin India's 50 Most powerful people of 2017 list. She has worked in corporate banking, treasury, retail, opening new businesses, HR and investment banking. Arundhati's insight on life is as unparalleled as her experience on Indian economy.

Dr. Laura A. Jana

Pediatrician, Author

Laura A. Jana, MD is world's leading pediatrician, media spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and award-winning author. With more than 20 years of experience in pediatrics, parenting, early education, public health and media/communications, she most recently served as Director of Innovation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and has a faculty appointment at Penn State University’s Prevention Research Center. In addition to her acclaimed 'Heading Home With Your Newborn', 'Food Fights', and three children’s books, her most recent books – 'The Toddler Brain' and 'Jumping Into Kindergarten' – both focus on the 21st century skills needed to succeed in today’s world, and how they can best be fostered during the foundational first five years of life. To everyone seeking the best possible environment for their child's brain development, Dr. Laura Jana's insights have been nothing short of life-changing.

Dr. Satinder Sartaaj

Sufi Poet, Singer, Composer, Actor and Scholar

As they say about Sufis, “It is the message, not the man, which is important to the Sufis.” Stirring the souls, energizing the bodies, liberating the minds and healing the hearts of over millions across the globe, Dr. Satinder Sartaaj is a multi-talented artist, songwriter, singer, composer, and poet. Sartaaj recently made his acting debut in a Hollywood historical drama film - 'The Black Prince'. He is a widely followed artist and performs live 'Sufi’ concerts worldwide. After his Masters and M.Phil., Sartaaj completed his PhD with specialization in Sufi poetry. Though too young to analyze the innate pleasures derived from the natural phenomenon, his yearning to delve deep into the creations gave birth to religious and Sufiana thoughts in his young mind which eventually led him to complete a certificate course and Diploma in Persian (Farsi) language. Not only that, Dr. Satinder Sartaaj also taught Music at Punjab University for 6 years.

Dr. Urvashi Sahni

Founder, Study Hall Educational Foundation

Dr Urvashi Sahni is the World Economic Forum's India Social Entrepreneur of the Year, 2017. She is a women rights activist and educationist working for over three decades. Dr. Sahni is an Ashoka Fellow, a non-resident fellow at the Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution, USA and is currently a member of Chief Minister's Advisory Council, Rajasthan. Dr. Urvashi also founded Suraksha, a women rights organisation; DiDi's - a social enterprise for sustainable livelihoods for women and the Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF). Through its schools and outreach initiatives, SHEF has trained 24,000 teachers and impacted more than 5 lakh children, most of whom are girls from disadvantaged communities. SHEF directly provides education to over 4000 students. Dr. Urvashi is a leading expert in school governance, curriculum reform and teacher training with a special focus on girls’ education.

Eric A. McAfee

Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist and Philanthropist

Mr. McAfee is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and philanthropist. He has founded and funded more than thirty companies in renewable energy, oil & gas, networking equipment, enterprise software, medical devices and agriculture through McAfee Capital, Cagan McAfee Capital Partners and Berg McAfee Companies. He has founded seven companies that were taken public, including Aemetis, Inc. (Nasdaq: $200 million revenues), Pacific Ethanol (Nasdaq: $1 billion revenues), Evolution Petroleum (NYSE) and Procera Networks (Nasdaq). In 1986, Mr. McAfee graduated as the Dean’s Medalist from the Fresno State University business school. He lectured as the 2001 Entrepreneur in Residence at FSU and earned the business school Alumni of the Year Award in 2002. Mr. McAfee served as a 2007 Entrepreneur in Residence at The Wharton School MBA Program. He is an alumni of the Stanford Graduate School of Business (1993 Executive Program) and is a 2004 graduate of the HBX - Harvard Business School.

Jahan Geet Singh

Dhol Player, Law Student

Jahan Geet is the youngest female 'dhol' player from India who has been playing this instrument from the young age of 12. The heavy dhol which has traditionally always been hanging around the necks of men did not scare the passionate Jahan as she ventured into the hitherto male bastion by choosing this form of traditional music. She has performed in 100+ stages across the globe. Her videos have garnered over 20 million views on social media. Jahan has been featured in global magazines and on national TV. Currently, she is pursuing her law degree from a Panjab university. Jahan Geet is an extraordinary person with very interesting ideas.

Jessi Kaur

Author, Founder - IGS Now, Director - Kaur Foundation

Jessi Kaur has served two terms as the Fine Arts Commissioner for the city of Cupertino in California. Jessi is the Co-Founder of International Institute of Gurmat Studies, is the founder of In Global Synergy Now and is on the board of Kaur Foundation. She works closely with CXO’s of Silicon Valley to deliver talks on Effective Hiring, Stress Management and Communication Skills. Jessi has written three children’s books that are used as diversity education and enrichment literature in several public schools in US and Canada. She has featured in TV shows and award-winning documentaries. Her essays on self-empowerment, ethical communication, social justice and other topics have been published in online and print journals. Jessi has founded NGOs, served on the boards of educational ventures, and traveled extensively opening doors to dialogue and discussion.

Magic Singh

Magician

Where East meets West, Magic Singh epitomizes wondrous magical entertainment for all. One of the UK's finest talents, Magic Singh is the stage name for Amardeep Singh Dhanjal, who started performing at the age of eleven. Whether performing close up table magic or a dynamic stage show, his unique and contemporary visual magic both captivates and amazes audiences across the world. At the tender age of fifteen Magic Singh became a member of 'The Young Magician's Circle', a club for talented magicians aged between 12–18 years old. Now, he is also an Official member of the prestigious Club - ‘The Magic Circle’.

Maninder Singh

Senior Software Developer, Traveller, Foreign Policy Enthusiast

Maninder is a traveller, explorer, foreign policy enthusiast and a techie who has travelled to over 25 countries. Maninder currently lives in Boston and works with Akamai Technologies as a Senior Engineer. Maninder Singh started his journey from a small village. His family was affected by the turbulent black days in Punjab. He had a difficult childhood as he lost his father at the tender age of 4; he credits his success in life to his hardworking mother. After completing his graduation from Panjab University, Maninder went on to do his Masters at Northeastern University, USA. Maninder's life story is phenomenal. According to him - "Believe in the sky, land has borders but sky belongs to all. Go after the sky and dream big.”

Sawan Madman

Artist

Sawan did his graduation in Sculpture. He represented India in a Pan-Asian design reality show called HP Space in Singapore in 2009, telecast on Channel V and Star World. Later worked on Sikh Comics based on lives of Sikh gurus as a colorist. Also worked on the biographical graphic novel on Gopabandhu Das of Orissa. In 2012, he won a Harley Davidson in an all India competition. Painting, photography, poetry are some of the tools he uses to express himself. Traveling, meeting new people, understanding their psychology and behaviour fascinates him. He has been doing wall murals/graffiti from last few years. Recently he was featured in BBC documentary -Dangerous Borders: A journey across India and Pakistan, as a street artist.

Shubhi Sachan

Sustainable Materials Researcher & Designer

Shubhi is inventing the future by investigating the past. Shubhi Sachan is a waste material designer and focused on making waste materials come to life again — the rebirth of materials that were once exiled to towering landfills or incinerators. From turning rice-husk into a skin cleanser and ink, industrial waste into mainstream materials and launching her own fashion label - Shubhi has done it all! Shubhi Sachan, born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, studied Textile Design at New Delhi before moving to London for her M.A in Textile Futures. Shubhi has worked for several years as a designer for clients like Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, ESCADA etc. Shubhi went on to put together a fashion lab which was featured at Lakme India Fashion week in 2017.

Somveer and Jaspal Anand

Founders, Pindfresh

Somveer and Jaspal are the Founders of Pindfresh, a hydroponics-based green company that offers solutions for growing vegetables and herbs without the use of soil. The father-son duo are urban farmers who have created systems for households and offices to grow their own food and live a healthy life. Somveer is an engineer and an MBA graduate who has previously worked for over 8 years as a banker in New York. When his father, Jaspal fell sick, he came to the realisation of the life-threatening impact of pesticides in everyday life which led to the idea of growing home-made, healthy food using the techniques of Aquaponic- ultimately founding Pindfresh. Jaspal is also an engineer and a retired Merchant Navy Officer who partakes in adventures- even going to Trinidad and Tobago to be a fisherman! In 40 years of his career in the Merchant Navy, he has travelled the world living in 5 of the world's continents before settling to practice the art of Aquaponics.

Varnika Kundu

Professional DJ and Electronic Music Producer

Varnika is a professional DJ, and an Electronic Music Producer. She was involved in where she was chased and she has now taken her high-profile stalkers to court. Varnika is a fearless speaker and advocates for women safety and empowerment in India.