TEDxRIIM Pune

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Amresh Pratap Yadav

  Employer Branding + Recruitment Marketing + Storyteller

  Amresh Pratap Yadav brings over 11 years of experience in Employer Branding, specializing in transforming corporate cultures into engaging and employee-centric workplaces. With a visionary approach, he focuses on enhancing employee experiences and positioning organizations as employers of choice. He holds a Master’s degree from the University of Leicester, UK. Prior to his corporate journey, Amresh founded two startups—Leczon.com and HappyRailing.com—where his entrepreneurial exposure highlighted the need for meaningful cultural change in organizations. His work has earned him recognition as a 40 Under 40 leader by World Brand Affairs, a feature in Forbes India Digital, and the Creative Employer Brand Leadership award by Asia’s Leading Brands & Leaders. Currently, he serves as General Manager – Employer Branding, driving innovative workplace practices.

• Angel Konthoujam

  Gender Equality Advisor

  Angel Konthoujam is a Gender Equality Advisor at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmBH, with nearly a decade of experience in advancing gender- responsive environmental and development initiatives. Her work spans agricultural resilience, rural development, and immunization programmes. At GIZ, she currently supports two projects: strengthening gender-responsive forest ecosystem management in North India, and a transnational coastal restoration initiative across the Sundarbans delta in India and Bangladesh. Angel holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge and is a recipient of the Cambridge Chevening Scholarship and the Nehru Trust for Cambridge University Award. Previously, she served as Gender Technical Advisor for India and Bangladesh at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and as a Gender and Equity Consultant with Gavi in Geneva and UNICEF in New York.

• Jai Kelkar

  Medical Director (Ophthalmologist) + Marathoner

  An Ophthalmologist with over two decades of experience. Currently serving as Medical Director at the National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO), Pune, one of the very few Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited eye institutes in India. She balances clinical excellence with leadership, teaching, research, and community service. As a mentor she has guided 30+ postgraduate students and fellows, and under the International Council of Ophthalmology Fellowship and trained international fellows from Africa. Her academic contributions include 45+ peer-reviewed papers and case reports in indexed journals, multiple invited lectures at national and international conferences, and the publication of “Eye Care for Kids”, a book designed to raise awareness about children’s eye health. Beyond medicine, she is passionate about sports and fitness – having completed two full marathons, including the Chicago World Major Marathon in 2019 – and finds balance through painting as a creative outlet.

• Koustav Banerjee

  PGDM Student + Finance + Cricket Enthusiast

  Koustav is currently pursuing Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) at Ramachandran International Institute of Management (RIIM), Pune. He is a first year student (Batch 2025-27) specializing in the area of Finance. He has a strong interest in understanding how finance influences real-world decisions and long-term value creation. Beyond academics, he is passionate about public speaking, leadership, and self-growth. His hobbies include sports (avid cricket enthusiast since childhood), photography, and writing, which help him stay disciplined, creative, and observant of different perspectives. He enjoys expressing ideas through words and visuals, and believes these interests shape his ability to think critically and communicate effectively. He aspires to grow into a well-rounded professional who combines analytical thinking with creativity and purpose.

• Pramod Athalye

  Mindfulness Teacher + Mentor to Social Entrepreneurs.

  Pramod Athalye has over 25 years experience with US MNCs in finance, strategic marketing, and asset management. His last position was VP, GE Commercial Finance. He then co-founded Bourton Consulting India, serving clients in strategy execution and operational excellence. As a member of Pune International Centre (PIC), he has mentored many social innovators over the past eight years. Pramod is a mindfulness teacher certified after a 2-year structured program by two renowned wisdom teachers, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through the Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley, and SoundsTrue. He aspires to help others benefit from mindfulness, as he has. He offers talks and short courses based on his own diligent practice and experience over the past ten years. Pramod holds an MBA, UC Berkeley, and BTech, IIT Madras.

• Sahil Nayar

  HR Disruptor + Certified Happiness Coach + Mountaineer + Biker

  Sahil Nayar is an HR disruptor, who loves blending data with intuition, strategy with storytelling, and innovation with impact. Whether he’s shaping talent strategies, mentoring future leaders, or challenging the status quo, he does it with wit, wisdom, and a relentless drive to transform the way we experience work. An award-winning HR professional, an author, a podcast host, and a Certified Happiness Coach, he’s been recognized over 50 times for his contributions to the field. When he’s not decoding workforce dynamics, you’ll find him on a mountain trail or cruising through Mumbai on his Royal Enfield.

• Sanjay Phadke

  Entrepreneur + Avid Trekker + Voracious Reader

  Sanjay is an engineer-turned-entrepreneur with over two decades of experience spanning global finance, technology, and venture innovation. He spent nearly 20 years at leading global institutions such as JPMorgan before transitioning into entrepreneurship, inspired by the transformative potential of technologies like the iPhone, Tesla, and AI. Sanjay has more than a decade of experience in strategizing and building innovative digital products across fintech, healthtech, climate tech, and deep-tech domains. He has been involved early in several breakthrough ventures in areas such as NBFCs, renewable energy, drones, and semiconductors. A global citizen raised in Maharashtra, India, Sanjay is an avid trekker, lifelong learner, and passionate about creating long-term value through technology-driven solutions.

• Smita Patil

  Fitness Consultant & Pilates Teacher

  Smita Patil has 35 years of experience in the fitness and exercise industry. She is a science graduate with a certification from Gopikrishna Piramal Hospital, Mumbai in Sport Science and Exercise Prescription; Health Club Management from Babson University, Boston, USA and Pilates certification from Reebok University. She currently runs her own Pilates Studio, Happilates, in Pune and teaches Fitness for Performing Arts @ Flame University, Lavale, Pune. She takes personal training for people categorized as a "Special Populations” to enhance strength and mobility. Besides this she is a runner and a triathlete, with many podiums to her credit. As a 67-year-old athlete, she has been healthy & strong all her life since she took health as the true wealth. Additionally, spreading this awareness through her work & workshops has also been her endeavor as she lives, talks and walks what she preaches.

• Sushant Kumar

  HR Leader + Career Coach + D&I Ambassador

  A seasoned HR professional with 12+ Years of experience across various organizations like EY, Tata Technologies, Siemens, WNS and HCL to name a few. As a TA Leader He is responsible for designing and executing Lateral, Leadership and campus hiring strategies, enhancing employer branding, and conducting HR analytics. Passionate about Travelling and doing adventurous activities like Sky diving, Trekking. Spend most of the weekends mentoring and advising college students in the field of business analytics and Human Resource. Visiting faculty at top B-schools like IIM Jammu, IIM-Udaipur, IM Rohtak, IIT-K, BITs, Great Lakes, TAPMI, NMIMS, Goa Institute of Management, and few others. Received multiple accolades and awards from various HR forums and industry bodies, such as Young HR Leader of the Year 2022, Emerging HR Leader Award-2023, Indian Achievers Award-2022, Top 200 HR leaders in 2023.

• Vibhawari Deshpande

  Actress + Writer + Director

  A versatile and acclaimed Marathi artist celebrated for her significant contributions across theatre, film, and television. Hailing from a family deeply rooted in the arts, her journey began with acting and writing in college drama, with her talents further honed through workshops with the legendary theatre personality, Satyadev Dubey. With a career spanning more than two decades, she is known for her powerful performances in Marathi cinema as well as impactful characterizations in Hindi films and web series, earning both critical acclaim and a dedicated following. Beyond acting, Deshpande is a proficient writer and director across different media, including literature, television, cinema, and OTT platforms and has been associated with theatres in Berlin and Dusseldorf. She spearheads the activities of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) in India through her organization, the Rainbow Umbrella Foundation.