Theme: Power to Change

We came up with our TEDx theme, ‘Power to Change,' by translating the Sanskrit phrase ‘Parivartan Shakti.' In Sanskrit literature, Shakti can refer to the energy of creation or the universal creative force that transcends the universe at both macro and micro levels. In English, this concept had to be reduced to the simple word ‘power’. However, through the dynamic list of speakers we have carefully curated, we wish to showcase how the power to enact positive change in society is present in each one of us. Money and government support don’t necessarily determine how significant of an impact we can make.

Greenwood High International School
No.8-14, Chickkawadayarapura, Near Heggondahalli, Gunjur Post, Varthur Sarjapur Road
Bangalore, Karnataka, 560087
India

Lalitha Mondreti

Environmental Activist

Lalitha Mondreti is a professional artist-turned-environmental activist. With a focus on sustainable solid waste management, she has been an integral part of public awareness campaigns such as 2bin1bag and SwachaGraha. She started out in 2012 and has since worked with government entities and citizen groups across India to work towards better waste segregation, composting. As a result of their persistent efforts, the Karnataka HighCourt ruled 2bin1bag as a mandatory segregation system to be followed across the city in 2016. Currently her efforts have progressed to promoting efficient community composting practices, through projects such as the SwachaGraha Kalika Kendra which is considered to be India's first composting learning center.

Nandita Aras

Co-founder of Step Up For India

Nandita Aras’s journey began as an actor, performing over 700 stage performances across India before becoming a director. Seeking to understand the world a bit better, she then pursued a doctorate in Political Science from Columbia University, New York, and received the award for the best doctoral dissertation on Religion and Politics from the American Political Science Association. She taught at the University of California, Irvine, before returning to India in 2004 and turning her full attention to education for the underprivileged, an area she has always been passionate about. Nandita is the co-founder of Step Up for India, a not-for-profit organization engaged in creating and implementing programs that enable volunteers and teachers to take government school students to their textbook level in the shortest possible time.

Ruthuparna Sharma

Motivational Speaker

After completing his master’s in Commerce at Christ University, Ruthuparna Sharma quickly delved into entrepreneurship. Besides this however, it has been a passion of his to empower other individuals through motivational speeches and workshops at various institutions and corporations. He has interacted with over 5000 individuals and hopes to help everyone “Dream Big and Bold”. Ruthuparna Sharma also refined his motivational skills while working as an Assistant Professor at Jain University. Outside delivering speeches and workshops, he has also published books such as “In the Rhythm of Silence” and maintains a blog titled “Win the World by Love”.

Shriti Pandey

Founder & Director of Strawcture Eco

Shriti is the founder of STRAWcture, an organisation which focuses on solving the housing problem in India by introducing an innovative way of building houses. Her mission is to of make living spaces more functional, aesthetically desirable, environment friendly and affordable for all. STRAWcture builds houses using compressed agri-fibre panels and Light Guage Steel Framing through designs which are more environment friendly and affordable than traditional construction. Previously she has worked in the USA as a research assistant at NYU and cost consultant. She then moved back to India to work for the State Bank of India as a Rural Fellow where she worked with a group of 400 women from rural background to collectively market their poultry and goat to provide an alternate source of livelihood. Shriti is a Civil Engineer and has studied Construction Management. She aims to create a world where we consume less and create more by reducing our carbon footprint in everything we do.

Suraj SD

Educator, Entrepreneur, and Engineer

A passionate supporter of sustainable electric transport, Suraj founded Competences Factory (CF) in 2017 to build and train resources for the automotive industry. Suraj and his team have delivered over 150 workshops on Electric powertrains, Battery technology, Auto electronics and Motorsports at various universities, colleges, and schools. His course has helped many students to shape their corporate career. Suraj is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering; he has worked with Infosys, HP and ITC infotech, where he was engaged in projects for Mercedes Benz, Fiat Chrysler and Fisher Dynamics USA. His dream is to train and support as many individuals as possible to help them find fitting career opportunities. Apart from this, he likes traveling, playing golf, team building, and meddling with cars and bikes.