Theme: Avant-garde

TEDxPVGCOET is an independently organized TED event to spread these ideas worth sharing, with the core goal to ignite untouched minds, and spread awareness. In its second iteration, the conference will feature five speakers having experiences ranging across an extensive gamut. The event is completely virtual and because it's online, it's complimentary - purely for the benefit of our community.

Merriam-Webster defines "avant-garde" as an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts. We hope to encapsulate the notion of people who seem ahead of their time, introducing their own forms of art, may they seem unconventional. At TEDxPVGCOET 2021, we're exploring and featuring pioneers in the technology, entertainment, design, arts, music, humanities, business, and sports industries who are pushing the envelope towards making a difference.

PVG's COET
44, Shiv Darshan Rd
Parvati, Vidya Nagari, Sivadarshan Poorgrasta Vasahat, Parvati Paytha
Pune, Maharashtra, 411009
India

Ayesha Billimoria

Athlete, Social Worker

Ayesha Billimoria is a woman of many talents and possesses an innumerable collection of titles: she was named “fastest girl of India” in her teenage years, represented Maharashtra for 17 years as an athlete, holds a three-time national championship in the 200m sprint and has also partaken in rigorous training to prepare for the Olympics. She is the former captain of the Adidas Runners Mumbai crew and has represented Adidas in numerous national and international tournaments. However, Ayesha’s skills are not solely limited to sports; her drive, dedication, and impeccable work ethic has made her one of India’s most influential fitness public figures, author, model, trainer, respected mentor to many of her aspiring followers. In 2016, she started her very own enterprise by the name, “Project Fitgirl,” as an initiative to educate young children studying in government schools in areas such as Maharashtra, UP, and MP, on sports, movement, and life, giving her the name of “Fitgirl India.”

Kuntal Joisher

Mountaineer, Humanitarian, Environmental Convervationist

For Kuntal Joisher, his whole life played out before him when he, along with other mountaineers, was trapped at Camp 2 of Mt. Everest during the devastating avalanche that swept through the encampment triggered by a massive Earthquake in April, 2015. The near death experience triggered in him a storm of emotions which would change his entire life. Kuntal Joisher, 41 years old, is the first Indian vegan mountaineer, hailing from Mumbai, India. Kuntal, a passionate climber, is as adventurous, dauntless, and a risk-taker as they come, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. His expeditions to some of the world’s most dangerous mountains are fiercely driven by a profound personal mission as a vegan champion, dementia awareness advocate, and a humanitarian inspiration.

Priyanka Kasture

Founder, ML India; Entrepreneur

Embarking in 2018, Priyanka has created and leveraged powerful content marketing strategies to build a cumulative follower-base of 500,000 people on leading social media platforms, and built a thriving multi-figure business by monetising her influence. Priyanka is currently fostering Machine Learning India (MLI), India's largest social-media driven machine learning and artificial intelligence community with over 500,000 members. Priyanka’s areas of interest include AI, blockchain, cryptocurrency, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

Shreenand Bapat

Archaeologist, Historian, Lecturer

Dr. Shreenand Bapat is a scholar with a PhD in Sanskrit and an MA in AIHC & Archaeology. He is a curator at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Managing Editor at Annals of the BORI, and guest lecturer at Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth and Chanakya Mandal Pariwar. Additionally, Dr. Bapat has authored 48 research papers and published eight publications. He has made 16 copper plate and two stone inscription deciphers and discoveries. Having over 45 programmes on All-India Radio on Sanskrit and Ancient Indian History and Culture, Dr. Bapat is truly an erudite in his field.

Taufiq Qureshi

Percussionist, Composer, Artiste

Taufiq Qureshi, an ace percussionist, referred to as a game changer, is also an acclaimed composer. Taufiq is recognized for his path-breaking and trend-setting work, as a performing artiste & as a composer on the world music scene. Taufiq has been successful at taking the nuances of traditional rhythms of India to an alternate form of world music. He has pioneered & developed a distinct technique of playing the African percussion instrument Djembe, in the context of Indian rhythmic compositions. Taufiq's albums have been released all over the globe. Some of his accomplishments include the Gold Award for Best Music at the Cannes Ad Film Festival & at the London International Festival for his exemplary advertisement ventures, a feature in a Grammy-winning album, & numerous background scores and tracks for the Indian film industry. He is the worthy torchbearer of a rich legacy of percussion; the son & disciple of the legendary Ustad Allarakha & brother of the maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain.