Speakers 2019
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Alejandro Aravena
Principal Architect, Elemental S.A
2016 Prtizker Prize Winner and 2018 RIBA Charles Jencks Award laureate, Alejandro Aravena is a Chilean architect known for his socially conscious proj...Read Moreects that attempt to bridge the economic divide in urban areas. He is known for building “incremental housing” - affordable housing in economically vibrant urban locations, partly backed by government subsidies.
Aravena earned a degree in architecture in 1992 from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. Two years later he established his own practice and undertook some building projects for the university, including the mathematics school, the schools of medicine and of architecture, and the technology centre, a structure that appears to be two buildings conjoined and thus called the Siamese Towers.
Following the Chile earthquake and tsunami in 2010, Aravena was involved in rebuilding the town of Constitución. He built the Villa Verde Housing, a seaside promenade, and the Constitución Cultural Centre.
Instagram: @alejandroaravenaarquitecto
Ambrish Arora
Ambrish Arora founded Studio Lotus in 2002 along with Sidhartha Talwar and Ankur Choksi. Today, Studio Lotus is considered amongst the most path-break...Read Moreing architectural firms in India, with over a hundred national and international awards in its portfolio for a diverse typology of projects, ranging in scale from Master Planning to Furniture Design.
The 60-member team prides itself on its culture of learning and innovation; Its projects seek to go beyond form and function, and critically examine the process of construction and the role of buildings as potential catalysts of change. A symbiotic use of technology and craft celebrates local resources, social and cultural influences, and a keen sensitivity to environmental impact.
Ambrish currently plays the role of Chief Mentor to the team. His interest lies in questioning existing frameworks and creation of new processes, to continually enrich the culture of inquiry and learning within and outside the practice.
Instagram: @ambrisharora & @studio_lotus
Amit Khanna
Amit Khanna graduated from the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi in 2002, followed by an Masters in Sustainable Urban Development f...Read Morerom the University of Oxford.
He is a recipient of the Moira Barrie Award (UK) and held the Kellogg Scholarship at the University of Oxford. He founded and is Design Principal of Amit Khanna Design Associates, a globally recognised multi-disciplinary architecture and design firm based in New Delhi.
Amit teaches at his alma mater with diverse responsibilities related to design, research and theoretical exploration. Through his initiatives in education, he engages in research as a tool for design innovation, both at the school and in the studio. He is an acclaimed and widely published photographer and writes extensively for both online and offline media.
Instagram: @akdaoffice
Amit Syngle
Managing Director & CEO, Asian Paints Ltd
As Asian Paints' Chief Operating Officer, Amit Syngle is the man behind India’s only research based colour trend prediction system. Amit has been re...Read Moresponsible for propelling the brand into a league of its own and has heralded several business initiatives over the last decade. In a first for the brand, Nilaya by Asian Paints collaborated with celebrated couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee to launch a new line of handcrafted wallpapers that highlight authentic craftsmanship with contemporary flair.
Instagram: @asianpaints
Ayaz Basrai
Co-founder of The Busride Studio, Ayaz Basrai studied Industrial Design at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. Known for his innovative...Read More design approach and out-of-the-box solutions, Ayaz specialises in hospitality, commerical and institutional projects. The Goa-based design studio prides itself in creating a set of longer iterative experiments in larger ideas and this approach has been extensively appreciated across all their projects.
When it comes to desgining spaces, Ayaz does not have a distinct signature style and his projects don’t stem from a theme, a choice of colour, flooring or material. His USP lies in doing things the unusual way. Most restaurateurs don’t even give him briefs, only a starting point – and patiently wait until he brings a new innovative idea to life. In a short span of time, Ayaz has completed more than 100 hospitality projects and some of them include a boutique hotel in Goa, the Toit brewery, a hotel in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Khyber restaurant in Dubai amongst many others.
Instagram: @thebusride
Bikram Mittra
Bikram Mittra attained an MA in Design Products from the Royal College of Art, London and a GDPD in Exhibition Design from the National Institute of D...Read Moreesign, India.
He is an Industrial Designer with 13 years of experience and is currently Head of Design for Kohler Kitchen & Bath India. Prior to this, he was the founder of Trampoline Design, New Delhi.
Bikram’s design experience varies from electronics, aircraft cabin design, mobile technology, appliances, packaging, lighting, furniture as well as design research and strategy. He has gained experience in both the UK and Indian markets, being involved in projects from acclaimed brands such as Samsung, Whirlpool, Lufthansa, Nokia, Pentair, and Goupe SEB to name a few.
Instagram: @bikrammittra & @kohler_india
Bose Krishnamachari
An iconoclast and protagonist of our time, Bose Krishnamachari is known for promoting the emerging young talent of the next generation. He studied at ...Read MoreSir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, and then completed his Masters in Visual Art Theory and Practice from Goldsmiths College, University of London. An internationally renowned artist and curator of contemporary art, he is also a gallerist (Gallery BMB, Mumbai) and an art collector. He has been a recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Mid America Arts Alliance Award in 1996, the Charles Wallace India Trust Award in 1999 and the Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi Award in 1985 and felicitated in 2009 with the Lifetime Fellow of Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi.
Bose is also the Artistic Director and Co-Curator of India’s first Biennale – The Kochi‑Muziris Biennale 2012, Director of Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 and President of the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
He has held solo exhibitions in India, UK, Europe, UAE and the US and has curated numerous shows over the years, highlights of which include the seminal exhibition The Bombay Boys (2004), and the traveling project, Double-Enders (2005). Bose has also been guest curator of the Indian Pavilion of ARCO-’09, Madrid.
Instagram: @bosekrishmumbai
Brinda Somaya
Brinda Somaya is a Mumbai-based architect and urban conservationist. After completing her Bachelor of Architecture from Mumbai University and her Mast...Read Moreer of Arts from Smith College in Northampton, MA, U.S.A, she established her firm Somaya and Kalappa Consultants in 1978. Recipient of multiple awards, some of her accolades include Indian Institute of Architects – Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement and the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage award. She was also the first woman to have won the Wienerberger Golden Architect Award for lifetime achievement - a peer award, in 2007. Her projects have also been nominated for the Aga Khan award and she has also been chosen as one of the 100 GLOBAL PUBLIC∙INTEREST∙DESIGN persons working at the intersection of design and service globally.
Over the last four decades, Brinda Somaya has successfully merged architecture, conservation and social equity in projects ranging from institutional campuses and rehabilitation of an earthquake-torn village to the restoration of an 18th century Cathedral, showing that progress and history need not be at odds. Some of these award-winning projects include Campus for Tata Consultancy Services, Banyan Park, Mumbai; Nalanda International School, Vadodara; and Zensar Technologies, Pune. Her firm has recently won the competition for the `Restoration and Upgradation of the historic Louis Kahn Buildings of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A)
Instagram: @snkindia OR @somayabrinda
Chris Precht
Co-founder of Penda and Founder of Precht and Partners, Austrian architect and designer Chris Precht was a professional ski-jumper until the age of 19...Read More before switching his focus to architecture. He believes in having a constant connection to a natural environment and the importance of a balanced relation between humans and nature and this philosphy also forms the core foundation of his work.
After gaining professional exprience with Patrik Schumacher (Zaha Hadid Architects) and Kjetil Thorsen (Snohetta), Chris went ahead and graduated with honours from the Technical University of Vienna. In a short span of time, Chris has become a design sensation and has won numerous national and international awards in Architecture and Design, including the “Emerging Firm of the Year” Award from Architzer, ‘Chinese Architects of the year 2015”, the A+Award 2015 for best Residential Project, AD’s Top100, the "Interior Design Award" in 2014 and the "German Tile-Award 2013”.
The studio was also ranked as number 37 on Dezeen’s Hotlist 400 of the Worlds Best Architects in 2016 and No. 40 in 2017.
Instagram: @chrisprecht_penda
Don Gurney
Don Gurney studied Architecture at Carleton University in Ottawa Canada, graduating in 1988. For the next 11 years he worked for a planning firm in Va...Read Morencouver with large developer groups to masterplan the waterfront lands in downtown Vancouver. He also worked on new town and resort planning projects in various countries around the world.
Don Gurney established his own firm, OpenSpace Architecture, in 1998. It is a boutique architectural and interior design practice based on Vancouver’s North Shore, Canada. While OSA specializes in Timber Frame single family and resort residential projects, they also have a broad range of experience in master planning and infrastructure projects. In 2003, they were hired by Intrawest to design four resort homes in Whistler, a ski resort near Vancouver. Since then they have designed approximately 50 exclusive homes worldwide.
Instagram: @openspacearchitecture
François Gramoli
François Gramoli graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, where he attained a Masters of Interior Architecture. He attained his Bachelor’s...Read More degree in Architecture from Ecole d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville.
He offers various design and consulting services for projects as well. Some of his notable work includes the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club in Brooklyn, a summer villa in South Beach, a winter ski residence in Utah and an upscale Italian restaurant in New Jersey.
François was a Project Manager at Gachot Studios, before moving on to be a Design Consultant at F.C Gramoli. He is currently the Creative Director for WeWork, currently located in their new office in Bengaluru, India.
Instagram: @francois_gramoli & @wework
Gauri Khan
Gauri Khan first expressed interest in interior design as a hobby while renovating her iconic bungalow, Mannat. Later, she went on to do various home...Read More designing projects for high profile clients. With her eponymous label, Gauri Khan Designs, founded in 2013, she has extended her design philosophy to interiors and commercial spaces like retail outlets, restaurants, and even to product design, branding and endorsements.
The Gauri Khan Design store displays furniture composed by Mrs Khan herself as well as various other designers. In 2016, she showcased her designs — a collection of Jaipur rugs created by women weavers of Rajasthan for 'Tattvam' — at Maison et Objet in Paris. She has also associated with international artists including Roberto Cavalli and Ralph Lauren and brought them to the country.
Some of her recent projects include designing a contemporary Mexican restaurant Sancho’s in Mumbai, which is her third restaurant project after Arth Mumbai and Pune. In addition to this, she is also the go-to designer for young actors and has designed homes for Siddharth Malhotra, Ranbir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Alia Bhatt.
Gauri Khan has won many accolades for her work and was recently presented with the Excellence in Design Award at the Hello! Hall of Fame Awards in 2018. She was also featured in Fortune India’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business list for 2018.
Instagram: @gaurikhan
James Law
James Law JP, is a Hong Kong-based architect, technologist , entrepreneur and founder of Cybertecture. Renowned for creating the philosophy in which a...Read More better world is designed with technology to alleviate suffering for mankind, his projects
cover buildings, spaces, technologies, education and social design. Apart from his design firm, James is also the founder of Cybertecture X - laboratory for future research, Cybertecture Academy - design education institution and Cybertecture For Humanity Horatio Law Foundation - a charitable organisation.
Winner of multiple awards, some of his accolades include - the FT Asian Innovation Award, Edison Award for Innovation, Design for Asia Award and HSBC World Architecture Award. He is the architect of the world renown OPod Concrete Tube Housing Project designed to alleviate affordability problems for mass housing; architect for The Pad Tower - the world’s first Apple iPod inspired building in Dubai; and architect for the design of the world’s first commercially run Hyperloop by Hyperloop TT.
James is also the Justice of the Peace Ambassador for the Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a Council Member of World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Design & Innovation.
Instagram: @cybertecture
Kapil Gupta
Kapil Gupta is the co-founder of Serie Architects and Principal of Serie Mumbai. He was also the Director of the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI...Read More), Mumbai between 2003 and 2008. Kapil, on behalf of the UDRI, curated India’s first ever entry to the Venice Architecture Biennale 2006, entitled ‘Bombay’s Land: Between the Relic and the Void’. He was a part of the Indian Team that won a special award and 2nd Prize at the Sustainable Urban Systems Design Competition in Japan (2003).
The work of Serie has been exhibited as a travelling solo exhibition at the Hong Kong University Shanghai Architecture Gallery, Shanghai in 2009 and at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 2010. Some of Kapil’s noteworthy projects include the award-winning Blue Frog Acoustic Lounge and Studios, The Tote, Thanks Boutique, and the Leo Burnett HQ in Mumbai, India. Current projects include the revitalization of four disused factory buildings in Hangzhou, China alongside Nicholas Grimshaw, Bohacky Residential master plan and housing in Bratislava and 440-units of Middle Income Housing in Ruzinov, Bratislava as well as two schools in Mumbai.
Martin Waller
Founder of the iconic décor brand, Andrew Martin, Martin Waller is considered to be the 'Indiana Jones of Design'. Waller has been involved in wide s...Read Morepectrum of design projects all over the world, from movies (James Bond, Gladiator, Harry Potter) to hotels (Mandarin, Firmdale, El lodge) and corporate headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank on four continents. Much of his inspiration is derived from his travels and adventures.
Martin has written 23 books, appeared on television in the UK, US, China, India, Russia and the Middle East. He has written extensively about design for a variety of magazines and has served on the advisory boards of Molton Brown and KLC Design School. In 2017, he was named in The Evening Standard's list of 1000 Most Influential Londoners.
Instagram: @andrewmartin_int
Maximiliano Modesti
Maximiliano Modesti attained a Bachelor in Fashion Design from Studio Bercot, Paris before pursuing an MBA in Fashion Management from Institut Francai...Read Mores de la Mode.
As studio manager at Azzedine Alaia Sas, Maximiliano worked on collection and production planning for Fabric, knit and embroidery research and development, monitoring the in-house atelier and partner factories, and was part of the conceptualisation and set up of the first Alaia retrospective at the Groningen Museum in December 1997 in collaboration with curators Jim Cook and Mark Wilson.
In 1998, he founded Les Ateliers 2M in Paris, a design creation an development studio for fashion textiles. He has been the Founder and Managing Director of 2M Ateliers and Design Pvt Ltd since 2000, focusing on fashion, textile and embroidery design development and manufacturing for international luxury brands.
In November 2013, Maximiliano co-founded design and craft retail store, Jaipur Modern.
Instagram: @max.modesti
Morag Myerscough
Morag Myerscough is one of UK’s most prolific designers and also the Royal Designer for Industry. Her work is characterized by an engaging boldness,...Read More creating specific, local responses to each distinct audience that will see and experience the design, using it to create community and build identity. Morag makes places from spaces that people like to be in, which stimulate and often make you smile.
She creates and curates many different types of work. Morag’s eclectic breadth of work covers the conversion of a train to a café, installations, numerous exhibitions and interpreting buildings. She has designed several exhibits for London’s Design Museum from Archigram to Formula 1 as well as the exterior of the British Pavilion for the 2004 Venice Biennale. She is distinctvely known to put an eclectic graphic sensibility into public spaces, with colour, pattern and big type.
Morag established her successful multi-disciplinary company Studio Myerscough in 1993 and founded Supergrouplondon with Luke Morgan in 2010. She’s been lauded with countless nominations and awards including the Design Museum’s Design of the Year award.
Instagram: @moragmyerscough
Pooja Dhingra
Pooja Dhingra is the founder of Le15 Pâtisserie and Studio Fifteen Culinary Centre in Mumbai. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, she brought her de...Read Morelectable desserts and a beautiful café to the Indian population. She is known not just for her abilities in the kitchen, but also as a dynamic businesswoman and inspiration to women across the country – she was selected by Forbes India for their 30 under 30 list. She has also published two books, a best seller on baking - Big Book of Treats, and The Wholesome Kitchen.
Instagram: @poojadhingra
Raghavendra Rathore
Born and brought up in the epicentre of heritage and culture, Raghavendra Rathore is India’s foremost name in bespoke luxury men’s wear. Trained i...Read Moren Manhattan, at the Parsons School of Design, he worked with DKNY and Oscar de la Renta before launching his own label in 1994 under the Rathore Jodhpur brand.
Raghavendra’s contribution to making designs that are synonymous with Indian heritage and resilient to the fads of fashion, earned him the Chief Minister’s award for excellence in 2012, presented to him by the Rajasthan State government.
Raghavendra Rathore has been recognised for his contribution to Global Fashion. He put the quintessential Jodhpur Bandhgala Jacket on the fashion map. It is now globally accepted as an iconic piece in fashion history from Jodhpur, having found its niche among gentlemen’s wardrobes worldwide.
He is also the only Indian Designer to have fostered a three way strategic alliance with the International Fashion Label, The Ermenegildo Zegna Group, and Reliance Brands Limited
Instagram: @raghavendra.rathore
Regis Mathieu
The vanguard of French lighting company Mathieu Lustrerie since 1992, Regis Mathieu believes his roots have driven him to amalgamate the three traditi...Read Moreons of research, technology and art in the conceptual designs of his chandeliers.
After pursuing an MBA and Diplome De Sup De Co, Regis immediately joined his family business with an objective to craft intricate illuminators and give these ornate pieces the respect and stature they deserve globally. He has been instrumental in realising several iconic chandeliers, reviving antique lighting the world over including in the Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara, the Opera Garnier, The Galerie Des Glaces De Versailles etc. and has also invented a revolutionary LED bulb that reproduces a halo-like effect and colours of a real candle.
Always in search of excellence, he has developed techniques to facilitate the packaging, storage and transport of decorative lights. Today, the maverick wears many hats of an artisan, entrepreneur, expert, car and chandelier collector, designer and philanthropist.
Instagram: @regis_mathieu
Rue Kothari
Rue Kothari studied Economics at the University of West London before pursuing a degree in Photography at University of the Arts, London. She was part...Read More of the Professional Photographic Practice at the London College of Printing Photography at Central Saint Martins School of Art.
Rue worked as Chief Assignment Editor for Landmark Media, before becoming Deputy Editor for HELLO! magazine's Middle East edition in 2006. In September 2008, she was named Editor in Chief of Luxos UAE, a luxury lifestyle magazine.
In August 2011 Rue took up the position as Editor in Chief for Harper's Bazaar Interiors. She is also the Fair Director for Downtown Design, Dubai's premier luxury design and interiors fair.
Instagram: @ruekothari & @downtowndesignd
Rupangi Khosla
Rupangi Khosla is a designer at SCRIPT, a furniture and accessory brand that reimagines urban living. Not only does she design products for the brand,...Read More but also leads research for designing activity-based ecosystems, a core philosophy pillar of the brand. She believes design research powers her thought process and anchors her work, in time and context.
Frequently moving homes across the country, since her early days, has cultivated a nuanced awareness of cultural patterns, human behaviour, and the tangible and intangible context of the place. It has helped her develop an innate understanding of the spectrum of urban living in India.
Studies in architecture from JJ School of Art, Mumbai and an intense furniture design program at NID, Ahmedabad have shaped her ability to think critically about design. Her academic work focuses on the conversations between bamboo craft and industrial design.
Instagram: @scriptonlineind
Saket Sethi
Saket Sethi is the Founder and Principal of Archilogics in Mumbai and Barcelona - a collective of avant-garde designers redefining contextual future l...Read Moreiving from a historical perspective for an international audience.
He is the only Indian architect hosting two TV shows simultaneously; disseminating the latest on Indian design with NDTV GoodTimes “Luxe Interiors” and a celebrity design chat show with a makeover for Fox Life’s “Design HQ” Season 2.
Saket has a Bachelor of Architecture from Woodbury University, LA, studied Digital Design at UC Berkeley and Interior Design at NYU. He interned with Eric Owen Moss, Frederick Gibson and KMD Architects before establishing Archilogics.
Instagram: @archilogics & @saketsethi
Sandeep Khosla
Sandeep Khosla studied architecture at Pratt Institute, New York, and returned in 1995 to establish Khosla Associates in Bangalore. Known for a modern...Read More, contemporary design tone, his projects are a perfect combination of the old classical style merged with the latest trends. In the last 20 years, he has developed a philosophy and design language which has now become the core of the firm’s vocabulary and approach.
Winner of multiple awards, Sandeep was selected by India Today magazine as one of the 50 men and women under the age of 35 from various fields of enterprise who are poised to be leaders of tomorrow. He has been a speaker at several international design conferences like Kyoorius Design Yatra, Goa, 2011; 361 Degrees “Architecture of Purpose”, Mumbai, 2013; Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, 2004 and others. Sandeep was also a judge and speaker at the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors, Singapore 2014, and presented the firms’ work at the ArchMarathon Awards, Milan 2014.
Instagram: @ sandeepkhosla489
Seetu Kohli
Seetu Kohli’s flagship company Seetu Kohli Home operates exquisite showrooms under her company Ace Maison, in Delhi and Mumbai. She is often credite...Read Mored with single-handedly establishing this market for luxury furniture in India. Her most significant achievement has been to officially and successfully bring the world’s most glorious brands of furniture; Fendi Casa, Bentley Home, and Trussardi Casa to India.
Kohli recently added another fleet of brands – Roberto Cavalli Home, Gianfranco Ferre and Etro to her portfolio. Another feather in her cap was getting Ralph Lauren Home to India under her company Seetu Kohli Concepts, and opening a flagship store for the same at Ambawatta One, New Delhi.
Seetu Kohli Home has an expert design team that provides the clients with the best interior design services. Her blue-ribbon team often take over the projects (including a 60,000 sqft sea facing Villa in Tanzania) by offering world class design consultancy services to create interiors that are perfectly suited for the brands she represents. Besides her successful career in designing exquisite homes, Kohli is also a co-chairperson for the luxury task force established by CII.
Instagram: @seetukohli & @seetukohliconcepts
Shalini Passi
Shalini Passi is the founder and director of the Shalini Passi Art Foundation. Her other venture, MASH (My Art Shalini), is an online arts platform th...Read Moreat seeks to overcome hierarchical distinctions between architecture, art, craft, design, and fashion, by eliciting a rich discourse around creativity in modernity.
Shalini is an established art collector and artist, who sits on the advisory board of Khoj. She is also a patron of FICA (Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art), the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and a trustee of the Chennai Photo Biennale.
Instagram: @shalini.passi @shalinipassiartfoundation
Sonali Rastogi
Sonali Rastogi graduated from the School of Planning and Architecture (New Delhi) and The Architectural Association (London) with a graduate diploma i...Read Moren Housing and Urbanism and a second graduate diploma in Graduate Design (DRL).
Sonali is a Founding Partner of Morphogenesis, one of India’s leading award-winning architecture and urban design practices. The practice is the recipient of over 95 international and national awards. Her works have featured in over 750 publications, both international and national.
She lectures and writes extensively, having spoken at the Brown University Arts Symposium, the Design Leadership Summit, New York and the World Architecture Festival, Berlin amongst others.
Working across a diverse canvas ranging from architecture to urban design, landscape and interior design, Sonali is passionately interested in the materiality and craft in architecture, and is deeply invested in the detail of building. A strong proponent of the ‘arts and crafts,’ Sonali is a founder member of Manthan, a platform for creative individuals who seek to share, discuss, engage with and evolve concepts and ideologies. A Fellow of the IIA (Indian Institute of Architects) and the RSA (Royal Society of Arts, UK), she also extends her impact on the built environment as a council member of the Delhi Urban Arts Commission.
Instagram: @sonali.morphogenesis & @morphogenesis.official
Sourabh Gupta
Sourabh Gupta attained his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at CEPT, Gujarat. He is the Managing Director and Principal...Read More Architect of Studio Archohm. Known for his sustainable and socially responsible designs, his projects have been recognised and applauded in India as well as internationally.
Archohm is a design studio offering consultancy for architecture, urban design, interiors, landscape and product design. Spanning across different fields and scales of design, the practice works on infrastructure, township, toll plaza, commercial, retail, institutional, hospitality, corporate, product and residential commissions. Archohm also renders design engineering services.
Following its inception in 1999 in india by the virtue of a design competition coupled with an affinity for a cross-cultural dialogue and global exposure on design, Archohm launched its studio in the Netherlands in 2002 and established an office in Libya in 2009 for its middle east operations. True to the vision of design discovery and exposure, through its various activities such as the Archoforum, Archometer, Archotour and initiatives like Zolijns, Design Factory India, The Design Village and Gomaads, Archohm endeavours to proliferate local and global design communities.
Instagram: @sourabhgupta2607 & @archohm
Tarun Thakral
Currently the Executive Director at CJ International Hotels Ltd, New Delhi that owns and manages Le Meridien New Delhi, Tarun started his career in th...Read Moree Hospitality business in 1986 after completing his Diploma in Hotel Management from Madras. In 1990, he won the French Government scholarship to pursue a two year full time MBA program in International Hospitality Management from ‘Institut de Hotelier Management International’, Paris.
To pursue his hobby and passion in vintage and classic cars, in 1996 Tarun founded Heritage Transportation Trust (HTT) – a registered not for profit trust to promote the preservation of modes of transportation that have been used in India. As its Founder and Managing Trustee, HTT has developed India’s first comprehensive Transport Museum, Heritage Transport Museum, which opened to visitors in December 2013.
Since its opening Museum won many prestigious awards - The National Tourism Award for being the most innovative and unique tourism project in the country, the 2016 and 2018 Travellers Choice Award by TripAdvisor, International PATWA award for innovation at ITB, Germany, the BITB Tourism Excellence Award, SATTE Tourism award for innovation, and more.
Instagram: @heritage_transport_museum
Theresa Millard
Theresa Millard has 30 years of experience, working in manufacturing, product development, sustainability and CSR. She is an experienced facilitator i...Read Moren the field of Design for Environment Sustainability and related innovation workshops and experiential learning. Theresa is the creative force behind the Kohler Innovation for Good social innovation program that leverages the skills and passions of Kohler associates who want to see change in the world.
She also leads the Kohler WasteLAB, believing that taking a nature based abundant view of the world rather than a “lean” approach to waste streams can change how everyone looks at resources. Theresa co-developed the Kohler Design for Environment Program. She has taught multiple biomimicry workshops and classes in both Europe and USA that further explore how we learn in the context of nature.
Theron Carmine de Sousa
Partner, FWC LLP
Theron Carmine de Sousa (TC) is Consulting Director, Business and Brand Strategy at Ferry Wharf Communications LLP, with a presence in Mumbai and Sant...Read Morea Clara CA, USA.
FWC is a strategy and design firm that offers strategic solutions in the Design Thinking space and has a unique model for business and restructuring strategy for product related start-ups. It is essentially a consulting and advocacy firm that combines multi-vertical expertise, where recent work has delivered exceptional results. He has worked as an Independent Creative Strategist and Advisor to a series of international companies as well as The Brand Advisory Council.
His degree in Communication and Philosophy from Denison University, and post-graduate work in Media Strategy, along with his 17 years of experience working with over 40 luxury, finance and hospitality brands have equipped him to be a part of the Advisory Board of JBL Enterprise and Ballard Pier Associates.
V. Sunil
Sunil began his career in India’s foremost advertising agencies, including Contract, McCann Erickson and O&M Delhi. During his tenure as Creativ...Read Moree Director at O&M, he created and launched several major marketing initiatives, including Incredible India.
In 2004, Sunil founded ‘A’, which went on to become India’s most successful independent agency before merging operations with Wieden+Kennedy in 2007. As Executive Creative Director of W+K India, he helped build some of India’s strongest and best-loved brands. He reinvented the low-fare airline model by creating an enhanced level of customer experience at IndiGo, India’s largest low fare carrier.
In 2014, Sunil responded to an urgent government brief by creating Make in India – a brand that instantly turned into a global movement. In September 2015, he moved to a Directorial role at W+K in order to start a new venture – Motherland Joint Ventures Pvt. Ltd. He has helped make art forms more accessible by launching W+K Exp, an art gallery. Sunil has also started two editorial projects: Motherland, a theme-based magazine on Indian subcultures, and www.theindiatube.com, a travel website focused on local insight and firsthand experience of India. He is also a Founder Trustee of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
Instagram: @sunilmotherland
Vojta Malina
Vojta Malina is Vice President of Preciosa Lighting. He has dedicated nearly two decades of his professional career to establishing a strong name for ...Read MoreBohemian craftsmanship across the globe. Having spent a major portion of his life ensuring people understand the craft and complexity of bespoke design, he has successfully executed many large scale projects including the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, Galaxy Macau, Marina Bay Sands Singapore and the Mumbai Airport.
His knowledge of craftsmanship, global business and marketing combined with a strategic vision to convert chandelier manufacturing into a luxury lifestyle has contributed to the tremendous growth in popularity of Preciosa Lighting around the world.
Instagram: @preciosalighting
Yoko Shimizu
Yoko Shimizu is a contemporary artist and biochemistry researcher based in Tokyo, Japan. She studied Biology and Chemistry at Kobe University. Having ...Read Morespent her childhood in the Unites States, she was inspired by New York’s incredible art scene. She began her career as a creative director and consultant at an advertising company, before founding her own creative innovation studio, Lab +1e.
Yoko has received numerous awards for biology-inspired installations that integrate art with science, and has held numerous exhibitions worldwide. She is also a media personality for international art and music programs in Japan, and has been a speaker at global events such as TED, FITC, and Ars Electronica.
Instagram: @yokoshimizuart
