Dr. Kiran Bedi (born 9 June 1949) is an Indian social activist, former-tennis player and politician who became the first woman in India to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972 and was the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from 28 May 2016 to 16 February 2021. She remained in service for 35 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2007 as Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development.

Academically, she started her formal studies in 1954, she graduated in 1968 with BA (Honors) In English, she also did a law degree from the University of Delhi in 1988 and a Ph.D. from IIT Delhi Department of social science in 1993. She is India’s first woman to join Indian Police Service.

Kiran joined the Indian Police Service in 1972. After completing her training at the National Police Academy at Mount Abu, Rajasthan, she was posted as the Sub-Divisional Police Officer at the Chanakyapuri Police Station in New Delhi and became the first woman in uniform to lead the all-male contingent of the Delhi Police at the Republic Day Parade in 1975.

As president of Mastodon Consulting, Jennifer Tharp works closely with boards, counsel and the executive leadership of large, public companies and startup technology firms to increase fiduciary oversight, transparency and accountability. She has built a reputation for operational excellence, innovative strategic thinking, working with the highest level of integrity and a deep and passionate commitment to customer needs.

She partners with companies worldwide to drive organizational transformation and leverages technology to meet the needs of communities and society. She has developed strategic plans for public companies, municipalities and the state of California.

Ms. Tharp is a long-time PMI volunteer, having served as president of the PMI San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, and is a 2008 Leadership Institute Master Class (LIMC) graduate. She served on the PMI Board of Directors from 2014–2020 as the Audit Committee chair and vice chair, helping guide PMI through global expansion and acquisitions, diversity efforts, rebranding and organizational transformation. She has also served on the boards of a financial institution and strategy organization.

She is an author and editor of the book Sustainability Integration for Effective Project Management, which examines how projects can be executed more sustainably. She is also a popular keynote speaker on six continents on topics including project leadership, privacy and security, diversity, strategy and risk.

Ms. Tharp holds a BSBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, and has taught leadership and project management at University of California, Berkeley. She is an Institute of Directors (IoD) Chartered Director, National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Board Leadership Fellow and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) qualified financial expert.

I been practicing PM for 32 years and I still don’t quite have it quite right. But I’ll keep trying.

I consider myself a ‘pracademic’ – currently Master Lecturer at Boston University, an author, and a consultant, who provides students and clients with a deep, rich learning experience and/or improved results. The ‘prac’-tical part of pracademic comes from a 40-year career in telecom, mainly in engineering and project management. At the University level, my focus is always on on the converting weaknesses into strength while teaching clients/students how to apply learned skills to everyday situations.

I’m the co-founder of EarthPM, LLC, a company devoted to integrating sustainability thinking into project management. His integration of a holistic, global view of project management has resulted in international consulting and speaking engagements in which the focus is the long-term success of projects, with an eye towards ecological and social systems. My blog for PMI’s projectmanagement.com site has become very popular.

My own academic background includes a BSEE from the University of Massachusetts, an MSIE from Purdue University, a mini-MBA from Wharton and a Masters Certificate in International Business Management granted jointly from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and INSEAD of France. Aside from a 32-year career in the PMO of a multinational telecom, I’ve been (in parallel) teaching graduate-level PM and decision making classes at Boston University, having worked earlier at Clark University. I’ve taught at Shenyang University of Technology in China. I’m a former VP of Professional Development for PMI Mass Bay (the Boston area PMI Chapter), and I was on the Review Committee for the 7th Edition PMBOK® Guide, helping to assure that sustainability thinking finally made it into the Standard and the Body of Knowledge.

I’ve presented on the topics of Quality and PM, Sustainability, and PM Competency at PMI conferences in the US, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Canada, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Canada, and The Netherlands, where I also lived for two years on an international PMO assignment.

Examples of Published Works (co-authored):

• Green Project Management (with Dave Shirley, 2011) – PMI’s Cleland Award winner
• Project Workflow Management: A Business Process Approach (with Daniel Epstein, 2014)
• Driving Project, Program, and Portfolio Success: The Sustainability Wheel (with Dave Shirley, 2015)
• Bridging the PM Competency Gap (with Loredana Abramo, 2017)
• How to Facilitate Productive Project Planning Meetings (with Jim Stewart, 2018)
• Responsible Project Management Handbook (chapter of book to be published in 2022)

Shri Umamaheswaran is with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for close to 35 years. He has worked in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of ISRO for 31 years in various capacities including the Project Director of GSLV from July, 2014 and Deputy Director of VSSC in Avionics entity from May, 2017. He was assigned to serve as Associate Scientific Secretary of ISRO at ISRO HQ, Bangalore from May to August 2018 and later elevated as Scientific Secretary, ISRO.

As Scientific Secretary of ISRO at ISRO HQ, Bangalore and Distinguished Scientist of ISRO, he was responsible for the overall Policy, Planning and Programs of ISRO. He was also leading the programme office of Technology Development and Innovation of ISRO HQ.

Shri Umamaheswaran has assumed charge as Director of Human Space Flight Centre, Bangalore on 03rd March 2022.

He has played significant role in drafting the sectoral reforms in Space towards Atmanirbhar Bharath vision and also in drafting the Space Activities Bill. He was the Chair of the High Level Interim Committee in lieu of IN-SPACe functioned in ISRO/DOS to implement the space sector reforms announced by Government of India to enhance participation of private sector in space activities. In this capacity, he was instrumental in providing access to ISRO facilities for testing the space systems from private industries for their space activities, for bringing in a national registration mechanism for Indian space objects and also for launching four student satellites in PSLV.

He has immensely contributed to ISRO’s international cooperation by serving as the co-chair of Joint Working Groups with many space agencies ROSCOSMOS (Russia) JAXA (Japan); ESA (Europe); NSSA (Bahrain); CRTS & CRERS (Morocco); ASAL (Algeria); CONAE (Argentina); MDAI (Kazakhstan); EgSA (Egypt). He has been part of Indian delegation to many International Astronautical Congresses. He also signed the Joint Declaration of Interest for Space Climate Observatory (SCO) at Paris in June 2019 on behalf of ISRO.

He represented India in UNCOPUOS meeting in June 2019 and led the ISRO delegation in APRSAF 2020. He has been elected as the Chair of Working Group on Long Term Sustainability of Space Activities in UNCOPUOS Scientific and Technical Subcommittee. As LTS chair, he is working with UN member countries for bringing out international guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.

During his tenure in VSSC, he was actively involved in the system integration, checkout and avionics of ISRO’s launch vehicles viz, PSLV, GSLV & GSLV-Mk III. He has been the Chief Designer (Integration) of major subassemblies including Equipment Bay of ISRO’s operational Launch vehicles. One of his significant contributions was the design of the mission critical circuits residing in the launch vehicle including the entire pyro chains.

He has successfully accomplished three successive GSLV missions as its Mission Director. He was also the Vehicle Director for the remarkably successful GSLV D5/GSAT-14 Mission with the indigenous cryo stage. He led the Operational Launch Vehicle Team of Avionics Production, Hardware Production, Structural analysis and Control guidance to enable & successfully deliver the products for the increased frequency of PSLV, GSLV and GSLV Mk III missions.

As Deputy Director of Avionics Entity, VSSC he was entrusted with the task of leading a team of young Engineers, for the development of miniaturized avionics. He also spearheaded the induction of Electro Mechanical Actuation Systems in Launch Vehicle control systems.

He is also currently Member of Board of Trustees of International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and member of IN-SPACe Board.

Shri Umamaheswaran is a member of several international and national bodies of engineering and science, including Member for Section 2 on Engineering Sciences of IAA & Member of the Committee on Space Traffic Management of IAA. Fellow of Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) and Astronautical Society of India (ASI), Life Member of Systems Society of India (SSI) and Indian Society for Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (ISAMPE). He was the National Vice President for Indian Society of Systems, Science and Engineering (ISSE) and President of ISSE Bangalore Chapter.

Shri. Umamaheswaran R is chair of ‘A Programme Review and Advisory Committee’ (PRAC) in Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), IISC and Co-Chair of Joint Policy Committee of ISRO-IIT –B, Space Technology Cell.

Shri Umamaheswaran has won several awards including ISRO Individual Merit Award-2013, ISRO Team Award-2006 (PSLV), ISRO Team Award-2014 (GSLV) and ISRO Outstanding Achievement Award 2018. He also received the ASI-ISRO Award for the year 2016. He is recipient of Honoris Causa from the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai (2019). He has received Dr. Biren Roy Space Science and Design Award from Aeronautical Society of India (2019).

His interests include launch vehicle technology, programme management, science and technology related policies. He is a domain expert in in the field of launch vehicle system electrical integration, checkout, ground station, avionics, system engineering as well as in space policy planning.

Sreekanth K Arimanithaya leads the Global Talent and Enablement Services for EY Global Delivery Services (Argentina, India, Poland, China, Philippines, and the United Kingdom). He is also part of the GDS Executive Committee and the Global Talent Committee.

Prior to this, Arimanithaya worked with DXC Technology, where he was the joint managing director and the senior vice president, workforce management.

Arimanithaya was also on DXC Technology’s global executive leadership team. Before DXC, he worked as the head of talent and CIO for Britannia Industries. He has also held various talent leadership positions in Computer Associates, GE and Toyota.

He brings with him over 25 years of experience in both human resources and broader business transformation, extending from human resources management, people supply chain management and organisational development to technology leadership and quality management.

He has played a critical role in delivering business advantage through business-specific change management and transformation in various domains, including manufacturing, FMCG, software and ITES & BPO in a global business environment.

Arimanithaya is also well versed in merger and acquisition talent integration, leadership development, HR shared services, HR analytics and change management. He is a certified Six Sigma Master Blackbelt and Agile Coach.

Anand Malligavad is a lake conservationist who is working towards rejuvenating lakes & reservoirs in the city of Bengaluru to ease the growing water crisis. Anand gave up his corporate career to become a full-time lake conservationist. Through constant efforts, Anand has revived about five lakes in Bengaluru and plans to rejuvenate about 45 more lakes by 2025 to ease the growing water crisis in the city.

Ayham Bicha, a grade 9 student. He is a State Champion in Art of Storytelling, District Champion in Product Launch in 2019. Rashtrapati holder (Bharat Scout and Guides). Winner of several Table Topics in and outside India. Ayham was the Contest Chair for the first ever World Gavelier Championship of Public Speaking 2021. He is also the National Champion of 2021, and the finalist of World Gavelier Championship of 2022.

Ayham is a emerging Anchor and Public Speaker. English Youtuber.

Saveen Hegde is a certified Design Thinking practitioner from Harvard University.

As the Founder and Director of Unbox Experience, a boutique consulting company, Saveen has led consulting engagements on Design Thinking for leaders of 80+ Fortune 500 companies across 20+ countries, which have proven to be highly effective.

He did a project on Design Thinking from Stanford Graduate School of Business and went on to do an Executive Management Program in Neuroscience at the Sloan School of Management, MIT.

Saveen joined Toastmasters International in 2011 as a shy young man. In 2013, he emerged into one the top three humorous speakers in South India & Sri Lanka.

Saveen went on to represent India in the World Championship of Public Speaking and was recognized as one of the top 10 public speakers in the world by Toastmasters International in 2017.

He competed against 33,000 participants from over 100 countries. Saveen was recently invited to represent Region 13 (Southeast Asia) at the coveted Toastmasters International Convention 2020 with over 66,000 registered attendees to speak on the topic – Design Thinking – A Way of Life.

Saveen is a 3 - time TEDx speaker.

Apart from his expertise in Design Thinking and Public speaking, Saveen is an improvisational theatre artist who has done over 300 Live performances in 4 countries for over 2 lakh people.

He learned improv theatre at the renowned UCB theatre in New York. He is also the founder of the Indian Improv Tribe

That’s not all, you can also spot Saveen playing a cameo in two South Indian movies. He is truly an embodiment of his life mantra: LIVE. LAUGH. LEARN.

For over 20 years, Kadri has collaborated closely with Fortune 500 companies, business leaders, and professionals to help them polish their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills through impactful coaching, training and interventions.

With several world records in the fields of public speaking and leadership, he has received international recognition for his humanitarian work. He is deeply committed to transforming young people’s lives and has trained over 3 lakh school children and college students across several countries. His inspirational keynotes have raised funds for AIDS, acid victims, and the education of underprivileged children.

He has been an integral part of Toastmasters for over two decades and has been instrumental in promoting Toastmasters in India and Sri Lanka. He has started and mentored several clubs at educational institutes and in the corporate sector.

Awards and Achievements:

• Guinness World Record Holder: Longest Lesson Learned: 78 hours of nonstop teaching.
• Winner of the International Taped Speech Contest (2000) conducted by Toastmasters International. He competed with 6,500 participants from 65 countries and was the first Indian to achieve this honour.
• Listed in the Hall of Fame, Toastmasters (USA)
• Honoured by Lions Club International for service to humanity.

Kuppulakshmi heads the startups initiative at Zoho, and leads the strategic alliances between Zoho and various startup-ecosystem-builders, enablers, policy makers, Government bodies, etc. She has been part of Zoho's growth story for over ten years, and bridging the gap between businesses and technology has been my core area of work.

She leads a team that works with incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, and other supporters of startups and help them onboard trustworthy, scalable, safe, and affordable software applications from Zoho.

A fan of "explain-it-like-I'm-five" concept.

Kuppulakshmi mentors various startups and guide them on pitching, design thinking, and on using Emotional Intelligence (EI) while hiring new talents, while setting up the vision and culture of the startup.

She is also a sought-after global keynote speaker on topics like (the intersection of) future skills, EI, tech+remote working, and human element of technology.

She is an active volunteer with various socially-impacting projects, and a chief trainer and mentor for Project PUTHRI (puthri.org)—India’s first ever developmental project that seeks to create Career Intentionality among underprivileged girl students.

Also a mentor-volunteer at Team Everest NGO (teameverest.ngo), YSEALI (Young SouthEast Asian Leaders Initiative) (asean.usmission.gov/yseali), and Wedu Global (weduglobal.org).

She has been featured in Makers India—Women Who Make India tinyurl.com/KuppuMakersIndia.