Padmashree Balram | Eco Warrior, Bangalore Eco Team

A biochemist turned citizen leader has spent over a decade transforming Bengaluru’s waste systems from the ground up. Her work embodies a hopeful vision for climate action and sustainability, showing how knowledge, determination, and leadership can tackle the global climate challenge.

A TEDx speaker, and continues to advocate for strong policy implementation and behavioral change. Her resilience, adaptability, and hands-on leadership have made her a recognized force in environmental sustainability—one who tirelessly inspires others to contribute to a greener, more sustainable future

Dr Rima Ghose Chowdhury | President & CHRO, CSR Leader, Datamatics

Dr. Rima holds a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Technology and a Ph.D. in Leadership from DY Patil University. Trained in Gallup Strengths Coaching in the UK, she has received numerous HR Excellence Awards, including ‘India's Greatest CHRO 2023-24 by Asia One and '50 Most Influential HR Tech Leaders' at the World HRD Congress.

As President & Global CHRO, CSR Leader, Dr Rima Ghose Chowdhury leads Datamatics People agenda globally, with operations in the US, India, the Middle East, Europe, and the Philippines. A firm believer in the balance of Hi-Tech and Hi-Touch culture, Dr Rima is an active proponent of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the workplace, and is also a workplace social systems designer focusing on holistic Wellbeing of her staff.

Dr Rima leads various Transformational Leadership Programs at Datamatics, bringing breakthrough performance amongst senior leaders and high performers in the organization. She is also the creator of the Datamatics Diversity Charter (DDC), with initiatives like (Wo)Mentoring, ‘Coffee Cake Candid Chats’, and ‘Welcome Back' to promote dialogue for an inclusive workplace that nurtures differences.

A seasoned HR leader and Practitioner with over twenty-five years of experience in Corporate and Academia, Dr. Rima has been instrumental in building Technology and Leadership capabilities in enterprises like IBM, Sony Pictures, and Quinnox. In the past, she held the position of Professor and Head of Department – HR, at a reputed B-school in Mumbai, with an additional responsibility of leading and facilitating Management course delivery for the Indian Defence forces.

Dr. Rima has been an International Mentor for Middlesex University London, and is also a trained Trainer by Sony Pictures, UK on Energy Project, a flagship intervention of Sony Group to promote wellbeing for staff. As a Trainer and Facilitator, she has delivered over 5,000 person-hours of training in Leadership masterclass, HR Analytics, Enhancing Personal Effectiveness & Mentoring.

She has received numerous HR Excellence Awards, including ‘Global Women in Leadership’ Awards by the Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade (GCPIT), Confederation of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (CIMSME), India's Greatest CHRO 2023-24 list by Asia One, '50 Most Influential HR Tech Leaders', at World HRD Congress.

Jayesh Parekh | Co-Founder,Sony Entertainment Television

& Managing Partner,Good Protein Fund

Jayesh was a Co-Founder of Sony Entertainment Television, a major multibillion-dollar television network of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

He was a Managing Partner for Jungle Ventures Fund, a pan-Asian venture capital technology fund in Singapore.

Jayesh is a Managing Partner of Good Protein Fund, a VC fund in Singapore that invests worldwide in Alternative Protein deep-technology startups.He is on the Advisory Board of a nonprofit Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital in India which performs over 140,000 cataract eye surgeries every year, 80% of which

are free of charge to the patients. Jayesh spent over 12 years in IBM and was part of the team in Singapore thatbrought IBM back to India.He holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from MS University of Baroda and a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He completed The University of Texas at Austin’s Tower Fellows program.Jayesh is a published author of a book: ‘What Shall We Do With All This Money? Inspiring Perspectives on Wealth’.

Nidhi Dhanju | HR head at Michelin India

Nidhi Dhanju holds a 2004 - 2007 PhD in Human Resource and Organization Development at University of Minnesota.

Dipak Sanghavi | CMD, Nilon's Enterprises Private Limited

Mr. Sanghavi - a Polymer Engineer with a Leadership course from IIM-A took the reins of the company at the mere age of 24 yrs. With his vision, dedication, focus and sharp strategies, he along with his team, led the company from Rs.8 Cr to more than Rs.450 Cr within a decade and a half.

Under his guidance, Nilon’s has built itself from a pickle company to a food solution company and is presently placed between Number 1 to 3 on a national scale in almost 8 categories. His passion for food has made him deliver the finest recipes to the consumers not just in India but across the global diaspora. The company now boasts of three large state-of-the-art manufacturing plants on a global scale.

Today, Nilon’s has become a professionally driven, data-centric, global scale business, yet carefully bound by the spirit of entrepreneurship along with its spirit to deliver love and passion along with its products.

He strongly believes that “Don’t enter the business with the thought that you own it. Learn from those around you. You can turn your ambitions into reality only if you take people along. The most important ingredient for a successful business is to put the right people on top. Once you have that, the rest falls into place.”

Sanjay Tripathy | Co-Founder & CEO,BRISKPE-

Sanjay Tripathy, a distinguished Stanford GSB alumnus, is the Co-Founder and CEO of BRISKPE, a pioneering cross-border payment startup specializing in serving MSMEs. As a seasoned fintech entrepreneur, his core mission revolves around revolutionizing B2B cross-border payments through the strategic deployment of cutting-edge technologies, including AI, and innovative payment pathways. His vision encompasses the delivery of cost-efficient, rapid payment solutions coupled with seamless accessibility, comprehensive payment tracking, and robust compliance mechanisms.

With over 30 years of illustrious experience spanning six diverse industries, Sanjay stands as one of India's most decorated marketers. His expertise spans the realms of Marketing, Sales, E-commerce, Digital, Partnerships, and Strategy, making him a versatile leader. His influence extends across various industry verticals, including FMCG, Consumer goods, Telecom, and financial services, across multiple regions including India, South Asia, and North America.

Sanjay is a renowned thought leader, particularly in the Digital, Marketing, E-commerce, FinTech, and Insurtech domains. He is a frequent keynote speaker at industry gatherings and startup events. Beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits, he has also thrived as a successful Angel Investor, with investments in over 20 startups.

His contributions extend to nurturing more than 30 startups, aiding them in scaling up and establishing sustainable business models. During his tenure at Agilio, his previous company, he executed disruptive strategies, collaborated with government entities, and ensured 100% regulatory compliance across diverse domains. Moreover, Sanjay has lent his expertise as an InsurTech and FinTech consultant to prominent firms such as McKinsey, BCG, and various analyst and venture capital funds.

Shailendra Jain | Bret Wheat Endowed Professor at Michael G. Foster School of Business, Mrs.Shalini Jain Associate Professor of Management,Director MBA Program Milgard School of Business, University of Washington

INTRODUCTION :

Shailendra Pratap Jain is Bret Wheat Endowed Professor of Marketing and International Business at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle. He has held faculty positions at Indiana University’s Kelley School, University of Rochester’s Simon School, Cornell University’s Johnson School, University of Western Ontario’s Ivey School, Cambridge University’s Judge School, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and BITS School of Management, Mumbai. Well-known for his widely published scholarship in consumer psychology, Dr. Jain has extensive publishing and editorial experience in top marketing journals and has won many executive and graduate (MBA) teaching awards. Prior to his academic career, he worked in corporate sales, brand management, and advertising and is associated with several noted marketing campaigns.

Shalini Sarin Jain is an Associate Professor of Management and the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Milgard School of Business, University of Washington, Tacoma. Her research on social issues in management examines business’s social, ethical, and stakeholder equity strategies and their implications on financial and social performance. She has published articles on gender representation and compensation parity in top management, corporate response to mandatory CSR regulation, and how system justification beliefs predict observer expectations of transparency, response to and sanction of allegations of sexual misconduct, and choice between sustaining livelihoods or saving lives during COVID. Dr. Jain teaches courses in business and society, ethics, and CSR at the undergraduate and MBA levels and has extensive industry, government, and non-profit experience.

Harjeet Joshi | Former Chairperson & Managing Director, Shipping Corporation of India Ltd, Inland Managing Director,India Ports Global Ltd , Director (Finance)Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.

Harjeet Joshi is the former Chairperson and Managing Director of the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., the largest national shipping company in India. As a motivational and creative leader, Harjeet played a crucial role in empowering every individual in the organization to enable them to deliver efficiently and creatively towards organizational goals. In addition, Harjeet also held the charge of Director (Finance) at the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

She has also held the additional charge of Managing Director, India Ports Global Limited, and Chairperson, India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone.

Prior to her association with the Maritime Industry, Harjeet was working in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) where she was leading the finance division responsible for all financial activities and decisions in the largest gas producing asset, an Exploration Business group and in engineering services which handled the largest capex and investment plans of offshore construction projects. Harjeet also has intense overseas project experience in the acquisition of overseas acreages in ONGC Videsh Ltd, the 2nd largest Indian E&P Company.

After completing her M.Com from Delhi University, Harjeet earned an MBA in Financial Management and HR Management from IGNOU. She is a Fellow Cost and Management Accountant from the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.