GD Goenka University organized 1st TEDx Talk

The 1st edition of TEDxGDGoenkaUniversity opened to an overwhelming full house from people across domains. The program featured 13 speakers who have been a catalyst for change in the society, sharing their stories focusing on the theme “The Butterfly Effect”. “The Butterfly Effect”, says that a tiny change in the state of the system can make a significant beautiful difference in the lives of people.

Nasir Khan, the youngest Sarpanch of a Muslim village in Haryana, shared his journey and dream of making a 100% literate village.” Education is the way to power, I have tried to be instrumental in facilitating education in my village with small things like installation of solar power panels and construction of toilets on schools which has increased the enrolment rate of students in schools.” Pooja Pradeep, founder of ‘Letters of Love’ the global youth-led initiative to make a difference to refuge crisis talked about making a difference in people’s lives. With projects like Seeds of Love, Empathy centric curriculum, Pen Pal Project she wishes to create a typhoon on happiness in the world by connecting communities in the thread of love and empathy.

“This inaugural edition of TEDx was designed to explore the power of ideas, creation and innovation to bring together a diversity of people, cultures and concepts to create real-world change. It was aimed at inspiring one and about how as individuals and as a community we all have the capacity to stimulate change if we dare. We can build a better world through purposeful dialogue and seizing an opportunity to take action.” Prof. Dr. Shrihari, Vice Chancellor, GD Goenka University said while addressing the media.

TEDx events include a mix of live presenters and a screening of TED Talks videos intended to spark deep conversation. Dr. Vishal Rao, Bangalore based Oncologist, displayed a low-cost voice box (AUM) which allows throat cancer patients to speak even after their surgery. He said” Innovate for an individual not for a market. One needs to develop a good yearning to solve a problem.” He believed that “Speech is a right and not a privilege”, thus he decided to make AUM an affordable, accessible and affable product which could convert the food pipe into voice box. His butterfly moment came from the noise of silence which was affecting many in our country post throat cancer, thus he wanted to awaken the world with their voice. He has extended his wings to initiative like Copyleft, which is a corollary opposite the popular concept of Copyright. Here ideas are encouraged to shared, developed and disrupted to bring in beautiful changes.

Nitesh Yadav, a 16 year old android app developer, has worked on connecting villages with technology using AI, Gauri Angrish, Founder and CEO at CAREDOSE, has worked on a medicine management venture that uses proprietary technology and packaging to ensure and track medicine adherence in patients, while building big data for healthcare entities and public health programmes. Other speakers include Prema Iyer, Lifestyle coach Magan Kalra, a renowned business growth coach, Shinjini Kulkarni, a Kathak dancer and actor, Ayush Agrawal, Social entrepreneur and founder of EkkPahel, Vaneet Chaudhary , Pranic healer and musician to name a few.

The enriching session were divided into three sessions and the groups were devised in reflective and proactive way. They cut across disciplinary boundaries and sparked conversation and connection.