The GES 2017 agenda consist of breakout sessions, master classes, and workshops. Three networking sessions are planned in the schedule to enhance opportunities to interact with other GES 2017 participants.
Breakouts – Panelists will discuss key themes, innovative industries, and other aspects of entrepreneurship that are being highlighted in GES 2017. Capacity of 300-350 people.
Master Class – Master class sessions are immersive, and typically focus in depth on a certain topic. Capacity of 150 people.
Workshop – Workshops invite more hands-on, interactive conversations on a chosen topic between the panelists and the audience. Capacity of 40 people.
Agenda
DAY 0: Tuesday, November 28
4:00 – 6:00
Plenary Session: Be the Change: Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership: This panel features speakers who are opening doors for women entrepreneurs in their countries and communities. The session will highlight entrepreneurs whose businesses provide women with opportunities to grow and lead, and who are outstanding mentors to women and women-led organizations.
Moderator
- John Chambers, Cisco, Executive Chairman
Panelists
- Ivanka Trump, United States, Advisor to the President
- Nirmala Sitharaman, Government of India, Defense Minister
- Marcus Wallenberg, Saab and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) Group, Chairman
- Sibongile Sambo, SRS Aviation & SRS Petroleum, Managing Director
DAY 1: Wednesday, November 29
9:00 – 10:15 Plenary Session
We Can Do It! Innovations in Workforce Development and Skills Training: Boosting women’s participation in the workforce is an important first step to accelerating economic growth. Increased access to skills training, education, and career counseling are powerful means to improving women’s lives, the communities they represent, and their countries’ economic potential. Innovators in workforce development and training will discuss what works and what more can be done to open doors for women in the workplace.
Moderator
- K.T. Rama Rao, Government of Telangana, Minister for IT E&C, MAUD, Industries & Commerce, Mines & Geology, Public Enterprises and NRI Affairs
Panelists
- Cherie Blair, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, CBE, QC, Founder
- Chanda Kochhar, ICICI Bank, Managing Director & CEO
- Ivanka Trump, United States, Advisor to the President
- Karen Quintos, Dell EMC, Chief Customer Officer
10:15 – 11:15 Networking & Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Catalyst Pitch Competition
The GIST Catalyst pitch competition provides featured startups from India, the United States, and other countries around the world an opportunity to elevate their businesses by showcasing their pitch, furnishing feedback from high-level judges, and affording opportunities to win entrepreneurship resources.
11:15 – 12:30 Breakout sessions, Master Classes, and Workshops
Breakout: Money Counts: Attracting Private Equity: In this session, panelists will talk to entrepreneurs about how they can tap into private equity. What works? What doesn’t? How do you use private equity to achieve sustainable growth?
Moderator:
- Priya Rajan, Silicon Valley Bank, Early Stage Practice, Director
Panelists
- Gopal Srinivisan, TVS Capital Funds, Chairman & Managing Director
- Ray Washburne, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, President and CEO
Breakout: Future of Cinema: While arts and entertainment are attractive to people, many lack a full understanding of the business behind the industry and how to successfully and profitably tap into the creative economy. In this session, delegates will learn from panelists who are turning art and entertainment into sources of revenue, jobs, and wealth creation.
Moderator
- Subhas Chandra, Essel Group, Chairman
Panelists
- Onyekachi Stephanie Linus Idahosa, Next Page Productions, CEO
- Aditi Rao Hydari, Film Actress
Master Class: She Means Business: Mentoring and Networking: Panelists discuss the vital roles coaches, mentors, and sponsors have played in launching and scaling successful businesses, and how they found these important contacts.
Moderator
- Susan Chodakewitz, Nathan Associates Inc., President & CEO
Panelists
- Sumithra Gomatam, Cognizant Technology Solutions, EVP and President of Cognizant Digital Operations
- Vanitha Narayanan, IBM India, Chairman
Master Class: Easy Entrepreneurship: Public Sector Perspective: Countries prosper when entrepreneurs and investors flourish. What policies or programs can governments put into place to help entrepreneurs thrive? Public sector officials discuss their efforts to improve country competitiveness and create opportunities for growth and investment.
Moderator
- Jonathan Ortmans, Global Entrepreneurship Network, President
Panelists
- Jovita Carranza, U.S. Government, Treasurer
- Anders Samuelsen, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister
- Aruna Sundararajan, Government of India, Secretary to Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Master Class: Innovations that Bridge the Digital Divide: Online platforms allow greater participation of women who had previously not engaged due to financial, cultural, and time constraints. This panel will address how new generations of women are further revolutionizing the field by creating innovative products and inspiring a wave of women who make a difference through coding.
Moderator
- Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Info Edge India Ltd, Founder & Vice Chairman
Panelists
- Anousheh Ansari, Prodea Systems, Co-Founder & CEO
- Radha Kapoor, DO IT Creation, Founder & Executive Director
- Roya Mahboob, Digital Citizen Fund, CEO
- Rajan Anandan, Google, Vice President South Asia and India
Master Class: Under the Microscope: Investing in Healthcare Startups: Life science/healthcare attracts more venture capital than any other sector except for IT. Hear from a panel of experienced investors about their motivations for investing in the sector. What are the characteristics of an investable startup? Given the long life cycles of healthcare advances, how long are investors in this field willing to wait to see returns? Is it sufficient to possess great science/technology, or do investors want more in the healthcare field?
Moderator
- Marie Josephine Tania Fernandez, Midissia Therapeutics, President and CEO
Panelists
- Neeraj Bharadwaj, Carlyle India Advisors Pvt Ltd., Managing Director
- Tiffany Wilson, Global Center for Medical Innovation, Executive Director
- Dr. Ramesh Byrapaneni, Endiya Partners, Managing Director
Master Class: The Business of Winning at Sports Entrepreneurship: In 2015, venture capital firms invested more than $1 billion in sports tech startups. From data analytics to advances in material technology, the future for sports entrepreneurship has never looked brighter. Hear from leaders in this field to learn how they are succeeding in this exciting sector.
Moderator
- Harsha Bhogle, Cricket Commentator & Journalist
Panelists
- Pullela Gopichand, Indian Badminton team, Chief National Coach
- Sania Mirza, Tennis Champion
- Chatri Sityodtong, ONE Championship, VP of PR and Communications
- Mithali Dorai Raj, Indian Women's Cricket Team, Captain
Master Class: AgriTech Matters: Feed Billions by Harvesting Technology: With endless possibilities and challenges, the time is now for women to be at the forefront of agriculture. Panelists will discuss how technologies are helping communities to farm strategically and improve yields while using fewer resources.
Moderator
- Ritu Verma, Ankur Capital, Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Panelists
- Ramana Gogula, Stanley Black & Decker, Vice President for Clean Technologies
- Sivakumar Surampudi, ITC Ltd., Group Head - Agri & IT Businesses
- Maxim Pasik, WaterGen, Executive Chairman
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch and Networking
1:30 – 2:45 Breakout Sessions and Master Classes
Breakout: Capital Success: Crowdfunding and Bootstrapping: This session will provide insights on these funding models as well as strategies to engage potential investors based on a startup’s current needs and projected growth.
Moderator
- Ram Reddy, Global Industry Analysts, Chairman
Panelists
- Vikram Gupta, IvyCap Ventures, Founder and Managing Partner
- Shanti Mohan, LetsVenture, Founder & CEO
- Yeoni Fok, SparkRaise, Founder & CEO
Breakout: “If I Knew Then What I Know Now:” Making mistakes is inevitable when starting a business, but hearing from those who have already navigated the challenge of starting a business can help entrepreneurs avoid learning some lessons the hard way. Panelists discuss the lessons they’ve learned over their careers, and how they propelled their businesses toward success.
Moderator
- Geetanjali Kirloskar, Kirloskar Systems Ltd., Chairperson
Panelists
- Vikas Khanna, Celebrity Chef
- Rajashree Natarajan, Cognizant Foundation, COO
- Doug DeVos, Amway Corporation, President
Master Class: Meet George Jetson, Modernizing Mobility Infrastructure: Poor infrastructure, such as difficult roads and long wait times at borders, have a clear impact on businesses trying to reach their markets. Entrepreneurs are developing innovative ideas to address these problems, which in turn better connects cities and promotes access to capital. Panelists will discuss how businesses resolve infrastructure challenges and how to identify future technology innovations.
Moderator
- Carlo Ratti, Senseable City Lab Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Professor / Director
Panelists
- Deepak Garg, Rivigo Service Pvt. Ltd., Founder & CEO
- Jan Oliver Roehrl, Bosch Ltd, CTO & Regional President for Diesel System
Master Class: Easy Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneurs’ Perspective: What policies or programs have been put into place to allow entrepreneurs to thrive? Entrepreneurs who were successful in entering the U.S. and other global markets discuss how opportunities were shaped by various laws, policies, and trade agreements.
Moderator
- Rohinton Soli "Ronnie" Screwvala, UpGrad, Founder
Panelists
- Sandra Jonsdottir, Platome Biotechnology, CEO
- Christine Souffrant Baah Ntim, Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE), Partner & COO
- Srikanth Bolla, Bollant Industries, CEO
Master Class: Water Everywhere: Managing a Scarce Resource: This session will discuss how entrepreneurs are using innovative technologies to help cities and countries manage this scarce resource. Learn more about the business opportunities in this important marketplace, with annual revenues exceeding $700B.
Moderator
- Maxim Pasik, WaterGen, Executive Chairman
Panelists
- Bartholomeus de Jonge, Si Technologies International B.V., CEO
- Vikas Shah, WaterHealth International, COO
- Anand Shah, Sarvajal, Founder
- Parameswaran Iyer, Government of India, Secretary to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
Master Class: Payment Platforms: What’s the Next Game Changer? The introduction of digital payment platforms revolutionized monetary transfers as a low cost technology that enables mobile-to-mobile financial transactions. How has marketing to underserved areas of the banking sector, including women and underserved populations, resulted in economic benefits? FinTech disruptors will discuss the business models that fuel this major innovation, and what the next evolution of digital payments might look like.
Moderator
- Lisa Mather, PayPal, Vice President & Chief International Counsel
Panelists
- Dr. Ruth Patricia Goodwin-Groen, Better Than Cash Alliance/UNCDF, Managing Director
- Sachin Bansal, Flipkart.com, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder
Master Class: Retooling Learning and Schooling: Technology and computing innovations are changing the classroom environment. Panelists will discuss how the educational technology market is changing the learning experience, and identify opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs alike to contribute to this multi-billion dollar market.
Moderator
- Rukmini Banerji, Pratham Education Foundation, CEO
Panelists
- Mukul Kanitkar, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, National Organizing Secretary
- Vivian Lau, JA Asia Pacific Limited, President
- Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, Indian Men's Cricket Team, Former Captain
Master Class: Grassroots Grows: Women in Emerging Markets: This panel explores how women entrepreneurs have successfully secured new opportunities in emerging markets and highlights the cultural opportunities and challenges for women entrepreneurs scaling businesses in South Asia.
Moderator
- Su Shan Tan, DBS Bank, Managing Director and Group Head, Consumer Banking and Wealth Management
Panelists
- Anjali Bansal, ABS Advisors, Founder & CEO
- Otara Gunewardene, Otara Foundation/Embark, Director
- Pratibha Singh, New Delhi High Court, Judge
- Kathryn Kaufman, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Managing Director, Global Women’s Issues
2:45 – 3:45 Networking and Pitch Competition
3:45 – 5:15 Breakout Sessions and Master Classes
Breakout: Byte into a Better Future: FinTech Disruptors: This session discusses solutions ranging from M-Pesa to digital banking, and how they are helping women and the unbanked contribute to the global economy.
Moderator
- Rajiv Behari Lall, Infrastructure Development Finance Group; Founder & CEO
Panelists
- Diana Louise Patricia Layfield, Google, Vice President of Next Billion Users
- Adhil Shetty, BankBazaar.com, Co-Founder & CEO
- Upasana Taku, Mobikwik, Co-Founder
Breakout: From the Drawing Board to the Boardroom: Creative Entrepreneurs: The aspiring director who can’t get her film distributed to theaters. The screenwriter who can’t get a meeting with an investor or production company. The fashion designer who is seeking customers. This panel will discuss the challenges faced by creative entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on women, and how those challenges can be overcome through technology and networking.
Moderator
- Rasmus Wiinstedt Tscherning, Creative Business Cup, Founder & CEO
Panelists
- Anita Dongre, House of Anita Dongre, Chief Creative Officer
- Rohini Dey, Vermilion Restaurants, Founder & Owner
Masterclass: Getting on the Grid: Providing energy solutions to communities living off the grid presents a multitude of opportunities in a mostly untapped market. In this workshop, panelists will share views on the nature of the market to identify emerging technologies, business models, and financing sources that are enabling new strategies to leapfrog the traditional ways of expanding access to reliable, affordable energy.
Moderator
- Harish Hande, SELCO Foundation, CEO
Panelists
- Piyush Mathur, Simpa Energy, CEO
- Ravi Kailas, Mytrah Energy, Chairman
- Sara Vakhshouri, SVB Energy International, President
Master Class: Building Your Customer Oriented Brand:
Moderator
- Priya Nair, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Executive Director – Home Care
Panelists
- Shivani Malik, Da Milano Leathers Pvt. Ltd., Marketing Director
- Priyanka Mittal, KRBL Limited, Director
- Lisa Srao, I Brands Beverages Pvt. Ltd., Chairman & Managing Director
Master Class: Easy Entrepreneurship: The Investor Perspective: What policies or programs have been put into place to allow entrepreneurs to thrive? Investors will discuss how legal and regulatory environments have influenced their decisions to fund entrepreneurs.
Moderator
- Tom Hyland, Aspada Investments, Co-Founder & Partner
Panelists
- Graeme Johnson, Armenian Gas and Power Enterprises, CEO & Founder
- Vineet Chandra Rai, Aavishkaar IntelleCap Group, CEO & Founding Partner
- Anjali Bansal, ABS Advisors, Founder & CEO
Master Class: Go For It: Tapping Alternative Financing Solutions: Entrepreneurs worldwide find themselves unable to access traditional sources of funding through conventional banking systems. This panel focuses on alternative sources of financing, including philanthropies, foundations, and other solutions, helping entrepreneurs to realize their investment potential by focusing on atypical capital.
Moderator
- Sanjeev Aggarwal, Helion Advisors Pvt. Ltd., Senior Managing Director
Panelists
- Steven Nordlund, The Boeing Company/HorizonX, President
- Yonathan Parienti, Horyou, Founder & CEO
- Priyanka Chopra, Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship, COO
Master Class: Better Health without Breaking the Bank: How Low-Cost Innovations are Revolutionizing Healthcare: In recent years, the emergence of a new generation of low-cost, point-of-care technologies has transformed the healthcare industry, and is now poised to revolutionize the field of global health in lab environments, homes, and treatment centers. This panel will explore emerging global health technologies that improve patient access to better outcomes and quality of life and provide treatments for communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Moderator
- K. Chandrasekhar, Forus Health, Co-Founder & CEO
Panelists
- Anand Madanagopal, Cardiac Design Labs, Founder & CEO
- Chrispin Kambili, Johnson & Johnson, Global Medical Affairs Leader
- Priya Tandon, Tenacity Global Group, Inc., Founder and India CEO
Master Class: The Missing Middle: Making the Leap: The funding gap known as the “missing middle,” where outside financing in unavailable for those companies in the mid-stages of growth, affects many entrepreneurs. Panelists will identify opportunities that are targeted towards those businesses.
Moderator
- Venktesh Shukla, Monta Vista Capital, Managing Director
Panelists
- Vani Kola, Kalaari Capital, Managing Director
- Lavanya Nalli Ramanathan, Nalli Group of Companies, Vice-Chairman
4:30 – 5:15 Fireside Chat with Miss World Manushi Chhillar, conducted by Rohinton Soli "Ronnie" Screwvala, Founder, UpGrad
DAY 2: Thursday, November 30
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Breakout Sessions and Master Classes
Breakout: Capital Success: Seed Funds to Venture Capital: This session will provide participants with insight into seed funds and venture capital as alternatives to conventional financing. What are the characteristics of an idea worth investing in?
Moderator
- Rema Subramanian, Ankur Capital, Managing Partner & Founder
Panelists
- Andrew Tsao, Silicon Valley Bank, Managing Director of Global Gateway
- Nandini Tandon, Tenacity Global Group Inc., Founder & CEO
Breakout: Beyond Returns: Investing in Emerging Markets: Panelists debate whether impact investing in emerging markets results in lasting return on investment, or is just philanthropy, and discuss how external markets are informing emerging market opportunities.
Moderator
- Ankur Sahu, Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd., Managing Director & Co-Head Asia Pacific, Merchant Banking Division
Panelists
- Amit Midha, Dell EMC, President Asia Pacific & Japan Commercial
- Kirsten Lund Juergensen, Pfizer, EVP, President of Pfizer Global Supply
- Rajan Navani, Jetsynthesys, Vice Chairman & Managing Director
Master Class: Harvesting Change through Entrepreneurship: Tackling Global Agricultural Challenges: Across much of the world, agriculture remains the most important sector to national economies, providing jobs and livelihoods to a majority of people. During this session, entrepreneurial ecosystem members will discuss how they have tailored their goods and services locally while tapping into the vast resources of the global agricultural development community.
Moderator
- Roee Tamari, Herodium Investments Ltd, CEO
Panelists
- Dan Bryant, Walmart, Senior Vice President for Global Policy and Government Affairs
- Anil Jain, Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., Vice Chairman & CEO
- Mark Kahn, Omnivore, Founding Partner
- Ritu Verma, Ankur Capital, Managing Partner
Master Class: The City that Never Sleeps: Cities of Tomorrow: What will the cities of tomorrow look like? Panelists will discuss whether they can be sustainable, and what threats and opportunities are available as cities become smarter and get on the digital grid.
Moderator
- Anjana Menon, Content Pixies, Founder & CEO
Panelists
- Amitabh Kant, NITI Aayog, CEO
- Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist
- Priyanka Bakaya, Renewlogy, Founder & CEO
Master Class: Diversifying Supply Chains: Linking Global Commerce and Women-Owned Businesses: Women-owned businesses are vastly underrepresented in global supply chains. Although many companies have made commitments to address this gender gap, room for improvement remains. This session will offer strategies on how companies can adopt procurement policies that promote women-owned businesses, and how women-owned businesses can become a part of global supply chains.
Moderator
- Sumita Ghose, Rangsutra, Founder and Managing Director
Panelists
- Angie Cooper, Walmart, Senior Director Global Public Policy
- Virginia Littlejohn, Quantum Leaps, Co-Founder & CEO
- Rahamatu Wright, Shea Yeleen Health and Beauty, Founder & CEO
Master Class: Innovation Hubs: Skilling the CEOs of the Future – Incubators: This session will explore the roles, opportunities, and business models of incubators that focus on industries that employ women. Participants will also learn how incubators can both help and hinder their enterprises.
Moderator
- Jayadeep Krishnan, T-Hub, CEO
Panelists
- Joshua Mandell, Halcyon, Director of Policy & International Programs
- Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, IKP Knowledge Park, Chairman & CEO
- Dr. Aliza Inbal, Pears Program for Global Innovation, Director
Master Class: From the Lab to the Market: Connecting Science to the Entrepreneurship World: How do you profitably transition that great innovation from the lab to the commercial marketplace? Leaders in this field offer top tips.
Moderator
- Anuradha Acharya, Mapmygenome (India) Ltd, CEO
Panelists
- Ramesh Jagannathan, NYU Abu Dhabi, Vice Provost & Managing Director
- Sonam Wangchuk, Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, Founding Director
Master Class: An Audience of Billions: How to Break into Big Emerging Markets: Understanding how to build a brand that resonates with a local market and compete effectively is critical to scaling your business. Panelists will discuss their experiences in building their businesses in spaces with high barriers to entry but potential for great rewards.
Moderator
- Merrill Joseph Fernando, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Chairman
Panelists
- Bikram Bedi, Amazon Internet Services Pvt. Ltd., Head – India Region
- Sean Blagsvedt, Babajob.com, Founder
- Sangita Reddy Konda, Apollo Hospitals Group, Joint Managing Director
10:15 – 11:15 Networking and Pitch Competition
11:15 – 12:30 Breakout Sessions and Master Classes
Breakout: Knowing the Future: How Artificial Intelligence will Shape Tomorrow: What innovations are being made in AI? Do these technologies represent opportunities, or are they a threat? How should companies, society, and governments work to ease concerns? How can entrepreneurs take advantage of AI opportunities? Panelists will discuss these cutting-edge issues.
Moderator
- Rama Kalyani Akkiraju, IBM, Distinguished Engineer
Panelists
- Elizabeth Gore, Alice, Chairman & President
- Shubha Nabar, Salesforce, Senior Director of Data Science
- Nivruti Rai, Intel India, Country Head
Breakout: Own Your Message: Effectively Using Traditional and Social Media:
Moderator
- Kallie Puri, India Today Group, Vice Chairperson
Panelists
- Piyush Pandey, Ogilvy & Mather, Executive Chairman & Creative Director, South Asia
- Teresa Nelson Carpenter, Reel Muzik Werks LLC, President and CEO
- Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Prasar Bharati, CEO
Master Class: Reimagining the Future of Health: Panelists will offer insights into global health challenges and forecast tomorrow’s commercial health opportunities in robotics, deep learning, 3D implants, and others. How will technology enable advancements in this critical sector?
Moderator
- Barath Shankar Subramanian, Accel, Principal
Panelists
- Shashank Navalurkar Dattatreya, Practo, Founder & CEO
- Samina Vaziralli, Cipla, Executive Vice Chairman
- Mukesh Bansal, CureFit, Founder
Master Class: Pitch to the Rich: Key Messages to Deliver to Investors:
Moderator
- Stephanie Marrus, University of California San Francisco, Director of Entrepreneurship Center
Panelists
- Bhavish Aggarwal, Ola (ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd), Co-Founder & CEO
- Kristina Davison, iEurope Capital LLC, Co-Founder & Managing Director
- Deep Kalra, MakeMyTrip.com, Founder & Group CEO
Master Class: How to Fail Better: Failure is part of any entrepreneur’s journey. However, the role of failure and how one reacts to it varies. Participants learn how to capitalize on their failures, particularly in attracting funding, employing smart marketing, and building a customer base.
Moderator
- Claudia Mirza, Akorbi, CEO
Panelists
- Lerato Motsamai, PETROLINK, Founder & CEO
- Jaxay Shah, Savvy Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., Managing Director
- Leticia Gasca Serrano, Failure Institute, Founder & Managing Director
Master Class: The Reality of the Future: How Technologies are Shaping Experiences: Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and other technologies are grabbing headlines. Are they only usable within the gaming industry? When will high quality AR and VR content and equipment be available to the masses? Are they just a passing fad?
Moderator
- Anand Gandhi, Memesys Lab, Founder & CEO
Panelists
- Jessica Rovello, Arkadium, CEO
- Judith Okonkwo, Imisi 3D, Founder
- Ashutosh Jhaveri, Facebook, Vice President of Business Development - Facebook & Oculus
- Maxine Chapman, Manufacturing Technology Centre, Associate Director
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch & Networking
1:30 – 2:45 Breakout Sessions and Master Classes
Breakout: E-Commerce as a Critical Tool in Scaling Entrepreneurship: The rise of e-commerce presents unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurs, both as a channel for selling their products, and as a way to create the underlying infrastructure to enable e-commerce (payment platforms, logistics, and websites). Panelists will discuss the role of e-commerce in building businesses.
Moderator
- Radhika Aggarwal, ShopClues.com, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer
Panelists
- Ankiti Uday Bose, Zilingo, Co-Founder & CEO
- Ashish Hemrajani, Bigtree Entertainment, Founder & CEO
- Ritesh Agarwal, Oyo Rooms, Founder & CEO
Breakout: Developing the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: What are the key elements of a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem? Panelists will discuss the roles entrepreneurs, society, and governments play in creating and sustaining these healthy ecosystems.
Moderator
- Ramesh Abhishek, Government of India, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
Panelists
- Christine Duhaime, Digital Finance Institute, CEO
- Amit Ranbir Chandra, Bain Capital, MD & Head of Indian Operations
- Ravi Kailas, Mytrah Energy, Chairman
- Patricia G. Greene, U.S. Department of Labor, Director of Women’s Bureau
Master Class: Success! Keeping and Nurturing Women in STEM: Panelists will discuss their efforts to promote greater representation of women in STEM and to keep them in the STEM pipeline. Women who have successfully created STEM-focused entrepreneurial ventures will discuss what has enabled their rise to the top.
Moderator
- Hema Vallabh, WomEng & WomHub, Founder
Panelists
- Dr. Tessy Thomas, India Defense Research and Development Organization, Director
- Rama Kalyani Akkiraju, IBM, Distinguished Engineer
Master Class: The Language of Entrepreneurship: Investors and entrepreneurs will discuss the language of entrepreneurship, which is essential to selling ideas and securing funding.
Moderator
- Upasana Taku, Mobikwik, Co-Founder
Panelists
- Udit Harish Sheth, MD TransStadia & JMD Setco Automotive, Founder
- Loretta McCarthy, Golden Seeds, Managing Partner
- Sibongile Sambo, SRS Aviation & SRS Petroleum, Managing Director
Master Class: The “Enterprise” of Space: Advances In and Applications of Space Technology Are Driving Economic Growth Around the World: Advances in and applications of space technology are driving economic growth around the world. This panel will showcase the pivotal role of small to medium private enterprises in the space arena and underscore the potential of entrepreneurship to drive innovation and opportunity.
Moderator
- Danielle Wood, MIT, Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences & Director of Space Enabled
Panelists
- TS Shobha, Antrix – Commercial Arm of India Space Research Organization, Executive Director
- Karthikeyan Govindhasamy, Planet Labs Inc., CTO & EVP of Engineering
- Anousheh Ansari, Prodea Systems, Co-Founder & CEO
Master Class: The Missing Middle: Increasing Your Presence: Once a company is growing, the people, operations, and systems that previously brought success can become obsolete. In particular, entrepreneurs often struggle to find the right people – investors, mentors, team members – to expand their businesses. This session will discuss how to cultivate operations at every stage of development.
Moderator:
- Sushma Rajagopalan, ITC Infotech Ltd., CEO & Managing Director
Panelists
- Deep Kalra, MakeMyTrip.com, Founder & Group CEO
- Arjun Gupta, Swaaha, Founder
- Devita Saraf, Vu Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Founder & CEO
2:45 – 3:45 Networking & GIST Catalyst Pitch Competition
3:45 – 5:15 Closing Plenary Session
Breakout: When Women Win, We All Win: Promoting Inclusive Environments for Women Entrepreneurs: Women entrepreneurs face barriers that disproportionately affect their ability to start and grow businesses. This session will bring together actors that support, promote, and fund women entrepreneurs. Participants will share how they have been able to provide women with “seats at the table.”
Moderator:
- Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
Panelists
- Mark Green, USAID, Administrator
- Dipali Goenka, Welspun India, CEO & Joint Managing Director
- Kristina Davison, iEurope Capital LLC, Co-Founder & Managing Director
- Lerato Motsamai, PETROLINK, Founder & CEO
- Manish Sabharwal, TeamLease, Chairman
Pitch Competition Awards Ceremony
5:30 – 8:00 Closing Reception