D J Contractor
IFS, Karnataka Forest Services
IFS Deepa J contractor, part of the Karnataka Forest Services is the first female forest officer to be part of the ‘Climate Force Antarctica 2022 Expedition’. Deepa became the third such officer, apart from being the first woman officer to achieve the feat. While training, she developed arthritis and appendicitis that held her back immensely. However, she continued to soldier on and made her mark by reaching the continent.
Conquering the brutal continent of Antarctica, Deepa proved that ‘nothing is impossible’. We need to stand together, united, against all odds whatsoever, lighting our arduous light to fight against climate change.
Mehak Kasbekar
Journalist, Editor-in-chief, Brut India
​Brut India is an independent digital video publisher dedicated to covering the world's largest democracy. As Editor-in-Chief of Brut India, Mehak Kasbekar leads a team of media professionals, producing compelling journalism in new formats and bringing stories from across the country to audiences in India and around the world. A Columbia University graduate, Mehak has closely witnessed and reported on India's evolution over the last two decades across business, policy, politics, and society through her stories. She has worked with multiple media formats, from wire-agency to television, and from print to digital news publishing.
Kalakarah
Graffiti Artists
Turning empty walls into jaw dropping art, Kalakarah is a group of professional graffiti and mural artists based in Bangalore.Their colourful murals are spread across Bangalore, Mumbai, Kochi and even Ethiopia.They don't only work towards beautifying our mundane streets and walls, but they are committed to spreading the spirit of art to children who aren't privileged enough to receive art education, through collaborations with 'Baale Mane'. They give them a chance to tap into their endless creativity and thus nurture young innovative minds.
Dr. Edmond Fernandes
Founder and CEO of CHD Group
Dr. Edmond Fernandes has gone far beyond his duties and achievements as a physician, and officially termed as a "doctor who makes a difference." With his public health expertise, he has been selected as the consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). He is the director of the Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health, an advanced technical co-operation centre with Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), and a member of the Health Task Force, Disaster Management Authority, Government of Karnataka.
Amongst his several contributions to public health, he co-founded Mission ICU, thereby building surge capacity in government hospitals, and was responsible for mandating seat belts in Mangalore.
Diya Naidu
Choreographer, dancer and founder of Citizens of Stage CoLab
She is the choreographer, dancer and founder of Citizens of Stage CoLab. She explores the deep correlations between our needs and desires and the challenges we face in the socio-political realm.
Her work has traversed into areas of gender, feminism, violence against women, role of caste and class in society and the somatic implications of patriarchy. She sees the artist as the key site of integration of worlds and seeks to explore the universe through dance.
