Great Lakes institute of Management, Gurgaon recently hosted its second edition of TEDxGLIMGurgaon event at its Manesar campus.
TEDx is a program of locally organized events that brings the community together to share a TED-like experience. The independently organized event, TEDxGLIMGurgaon, licensed by TED, had 7 luminaries sharing their voices and TED talks videos under the theme of -Odyssey.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Debashis Sanyal, Director, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, shared “I am delighted that we have such distinguished speakers for TEDx talk today. These speakers come from different walks of life and each of them brings his/her own special story filled with unique experiences and achievements. Our speakers for today not only have overcome their struggles in life but have inspired and led a path for hundreds to follow. All of these remarkable personalities are epitome of grit, perseverance and never say die spirit.”
The eclectic list of speakers for TEDxGLIMGurgaon was as follows:-
1. Nidhi Goyal – A disability rights and gender justice activist, who is also the founding member of the non-profit organization Rising Flame, is India’s first female standup comic artist who uses humor to challenge prevalent notions of disability. Nidhi emphasized that disability is a hindrance only when you let it become one, if you are strong willed and ready to face the odds nothing can stop you.
2. Nishtha Dudeja – The winner of Miss Deaf India 2018 and Miss Deaf Asia 2018, she has won numerous medals in Judo and has also been an international Lawn Tennis Player. Nishtha spoke about her struggles and triumphs. She also shared words of inspiration such as. “Life is full of uncertainties. Don’t let difficulties overpower you. So don’t stop even when it seems that you have reached a dead end; rather, give yourself some time and look for an alternative road which may lead you to success”
3. Anmol Rodriguez – A 23-year-old Social Entrepreneur, a childhood acid-attack victim, orphanage resident for 16 years, Instagram influencer and an actor. The multi-faceted Anmol spoke about the journey of her life teaching everyone an important lesson that a true fighter can overcome any obstacle and come out with flying colors with sheer persistence. She inspired the crowd to believe in themselves and not what society has to say and that only we can define our worth and not other people.
4. Lt Cdr Pratibha Jamwal – The pride of the nation, Pratibha Jamwal was amongst an all-woman crew on a circumnavigation mission aboard the INSV Tarini. She shared the intricate details of her voyage, where the crew battled wind speeds of 140 kmph and waves nearly three storeys high. The crew sailed 21,600 miles in 254 days before returning home setting an example that even a category 4 storm and a steering gear breakdown did not break the morale of these brave women.
5. Riya Jain – One of the trailblazers in blogging industry, Riya Jain is a buzzing name amongst social media influencers. She has thousands of followers on her social media platforms where her fans follow her tips and look out for her next post. Riya talked about her passion for blogging and that before getting that one “perfect” shot she would have to go through multiple “imperfect” shots. Riya inspired the audience to step out of their comfort zone and do what people say you cannot do.
6. Dr Umashankar Venkatesh – An educational entrepreneur he is also a favorite professor of the students at Great Lakes Gurgaon where he teaches Marketing. Dr Venkatesh spoke about his choice of picking up a teaching profession over a corporate life. His thought provoking speech included some very important life lessons. He inspired the audience to always follow their heart and not the path with short term benefits. If you are where your heart is, rest of the things will happen on their own. He also gave anecdotes like staying humble and down to earth will take one a long way.
7. Dr Hosne Ara Begum – A social entrepreneur and a womens’ rights activist Dr Hosne is an ideal for many. She not only founded Thengamara Mohila Sabuj Sangha (TMSS), a women-oriented organization in Bangladesh which strives to alleviate poverty, empower women, and improve the socio-economic infrastructure of Bangladesh. She also pioneered a movement for the well-being of transgenders of Bangladesh so that they could live a life of freedom, dignity and independence.