Dr. Carol Folt serves as the twelfth president of the University of Southern California and holds the Robert C. Packard President’s Chair.

Known for always placing students at the center, she is a collaborative academic leader and an internationally recognized life scientist with faculty appointments in biological sciences, civil and environmental engineering, and population and public health sciences.

Since joining USC in 2019, Dr. Folt has advanced academic excellence and innovation; increased accessibility and affordability; elevated belonging and inclusion; driven significant growth in the USC Health System; made meaningful advancements in sustainability; prioritized shared governance; enhanced USC’s winning legacy in athletics with honor and integrity; increased cross-school collaboration; built a new Capital Campus in the heart of Washington D.C., expanding USC’s role within the national conversation; amplified USC’s research enterprise; and established USC’s most comprehensive academic and research initiative, embedding ethics, analytics, and artificial intelligence across the university’s scholarly and creative work.

Dr. Folt currently serves as chair of the Association of American Universities (AAU) Board of Directors.

Prior to USC, Dr. Folt served as chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill and held several leadership appointments at Dartmouth College, including interim president, provost, dean of faculty, and Dartmouth Professor of Biological Sciences.

Dr. Folt is a distinguished scientist whose pioneering research on the effects of dietary mercury and arsenic on human and ecosystem health led to numerous national and global policy changes and consumption advisories.

Dr. Folt earned her bachelor’s degree in aquatic biology and a master’s degree in biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her doctorate in ecology from the University of California, Davis.

Eric Garcetti is a committed public servant, educator, and diplomat. He was confirmed in a bipartisan vote as the 26^th United States Ambassador to the Republic of India on March 15, 2023.

After serving twelve years as a Los Angeles city councilmember, including six as City Council President, Garcetti was elected as the 42^nd Mayor of the City of Los Angeles in 2013 as the youngest mayor in Los Angeles history, and he was re-elected in 2017 with the widest margin ever recorded in his city.

During his mayoralty, Garcetti led Los Angeles through crisis, charted a bold green future, and launched record investments in infrastructure. Under his watch, Los Angeles was named the best run city in America by the What Works Cities initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Garcetti was named Public Official of the Year in 2019 by Governing Magazine. Garcetti oversaw a period of record economic growth and opportunity, won the Olympic and Paralympic Games for Los Angeles in 2028 and left the city with a record budget surplus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Garcetti was praised for leading Los Angeles’ aggressive response, building the largest testing and vaccination sites in the world and adopting many of the earliest public health protections while keeping critical sectors of the economy going.

While Mayor, Garcetti was elected by his global peers to serve as Chair of C40 Cities – a network of 97 of the world’s biggest cities taking bold climate action. At COP26 in Glasgow, he represented the world’s urban leaders delivering the Cities Race to Zero pledge, a commitment of over 1,000 global cities to implement net-zero carbon futures.

Garcetti served as a naval officer in the reserve component for 12 years and was selected as Rockefeller Next Generation Leadership Fellow, an inaugural Asia 21 Fellow of the Asia Society, a Young Fellow of the French-American Foundation, a Rodel Fellow at the Aspen Institute, and a Reboot Fellow. In 2005, he was awarded the New Frontier Award given each year by the Kennedy family and Kennedy Library to a young elected official who embodies President Kennedy’s vision of service.

Garcetti earned a B.A. at Columbia College, Columbia University as a John Jay Scholar and his roommate’s father, William Clark, was a predecessor of his as U.S. Ambassador to India. Ambassador Garcetti studied Hindi and Indian culture and history while at Columbia and went on to earn a Master’s degree at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. After graduating, Ambassador Garcetti was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, studying at The Queen’s College, Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science. While in England, he met his now-wife Amy Elaine Wakeland, who was a fellow member of his Rhodes Scholar class. They have one daughter and have been foster parents for more than a decade.

A fourth-generation native of Los Angeles, Garcetti is a proud card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild and is an avid pianist and photographer.

Banmali Agrawala is currently Senior Advisor at Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd. He joined Tata Sons Private Limited as President, Infrastructure, Defence & Aerospace in October 2017. Subsequently, he also headed Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons including its international offices in ASEAN, MENA, North America, China and the Public Affairs Office, Delhi.

In his earlier role, at GE, he was President and CEO - South Asia, where he was responsible for the American multinational corporation's operations in the South Asia region. Prior to GE, he was Executive Director (Business Development & Strategy) and a member of the Board of Tata Power. A veteran in the Energy domain, Banmali has over 30 years of global experience. He started his career with the Wartsila Group. At the time of leaving the Wartsila Group, he was the MD of Wartsila India Ltd. In the Tata Group, Banmali is the Chairman of companies like Tata Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Tata Advanced Systems Pvt. Ltd., Tata Housing Development Company, Tata Realty and Infrastructure Limited, and is on the Board of Tata Medical and Diagnostics Limited.

Banmali is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Mangalore University and an alumnus of the Advanced Management Programme of Harvard Business School.

Anthony Bailey serves as USC's vice president for Global and Online Initiatives. He is tasked with building the USC brand and coordinating recruitment and study abroad efforts worldwide and represents USC in relationships and negotiations with foreign universities, governments, and other institutions abroad. Bailey has oversight responsibility for USC's international operations and his team manages the university's nine overseasoffices.

In addition, Bailey is the founding dean of USC Bovard College, which supports individuals during key academic and career transitions through master's degrees in high-demand fields, and leads USC Online, which develops, operates and markets online programs across USC.

He is an associate professor of clinical entrepreneurship at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Before joining USC, Bailey built Kaplan International Colleges, a chain of 44 schools with operations in 20 countries through organic growth and acquisitions and led Kaplan's medical and nursing businesses. Prior to Kaplan, Bailey was a group brand manager at the Ford Motor Company, during which time he launched a wholly owned subsidiary in Brazil.

Bailey received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Miami, his MBA from the University of Virginia, and his doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ranjan Banerjee is an internationally renowned teacher, speaker, researcher, and consultant. He is currently the Vice Chancellor of Nayanta University, a new, world class full service University out of Hyderabad. Nayanta is supported by the Confederation of Indian Industries and its founders include several respected industrialists and past presidents of CII. He was earlier the founding dean and professor at the BITS School of Management (BITSoM), a new world class global business school in Mumbai under the aegis of BITS Pilani. He was previously dean of SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR). During his tenure at SPJIMR, the institute reached the FT Masters in Management ranking for the first time and achieved many milestones.

Prior to joining SPJIMR, he was the Founder-CEO of Renaissance Strategic Consultants and has consulted with leading companies like Hewlett Packard, BASF, Vodafone, Pidilite, Legrand etc.

Ranjan has co-authored a best-selling book with R Gopalakrishnan, titled 'The Made in India Manager', Winner of 'Institute of Directors (IOD) Corporate Book Excellence Award' for the year 2021. Dr Banerjee was awarded The IAC award for “Change Maestro and Institution Builder of the Year” in 2019. He was on the global boards of PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education, a United Nations initiative) and was earlier on the global board of GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council).

He is a sought after speaker at national and internal educational forums of bodies like GMAC, AACSB, AMBA, UNPRME and GBSN. He has been on the AACSB Advisory Council for Deans for India.

He is also an accomplished teacher and researcher. His areas of expertise include behavioral economics, design thinking and learnability and he has taught at leading universities across the world.

Ranjan holds a PhD from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, and a BTech from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Elizabeth M. Daley has served as Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts for 32 years, the longest tenure of any Dean at the University of Southern California. Under her leadership, the school has added three new divisions in Animation and Digital Arts, Interactive Media and Games, and Media Arts + Practice; built the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts; established 33 endowed positions; and formed successful partnerships with a variety of entertainment and technology companies. Before coming to USC, she served as director of the film and television subsidiary of the Mark Taper Forum and was a producer for MGM/Television. She serves on the boards of Avid Technology and the Benton Foundation, and is a former chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Media, Entertainment and Information. She is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin, M.A. and B.A. degrees in Theatre from Tulane University, and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Hong Kong Baptist University.

Geoffrey Garrett, a distinguished international political economist, is the Dean of the USC Marshall School of Business, holder of the Robert R. Dockson Dean's Chair in Business Administration, and Professor of Management and Organization. Garrett is a recognized expert in geopolitics, the global economy, and U.S./China relations. He has authored books on globalization, politics, and the global diffusion of democracy and markets.

As dean of the Marshall School, Garrett has been at the forefront of redefining business education and has led transformational investments in new supply chain and risk management institutes as well as initiatives in digital assets, digital competition and the ethics of technology.

Garrett arrived at the USC Marshall School after serving as dean of the Wharton School from 2014-2020. In his native Australia, he was dean of the business schools at both The University of Sydney and The University of New South Wales (UNSW). He's held academic appointments at Oxford, Yale, and Stanford. He holds a BA (Honors) from the Australian National University and an MA and Ph.D. from Duke University where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

Dr. Priya Jaikumar is Professor and Chair of the Division of Cinema and Media Studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She is the author of Where Histories Reside: India as Filmed Space (Duke, 2019), winner of the prestigious BAFTSS (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies) best book of the year award, and of Cinema at the End of Empire: A Politics of Transition in Britain and India (Duke, 2006), among other award-winning publications in film and imperial history, media globalization, feminism, and the study of European and Indian cinemas. Priya has taught and mentored B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. students placed across a range of positions in the global media industry and at leading universities and cultural centers world-wide. She received the USC Mellon graduate mentoring award (2018) and the Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Award (2020). Priya has a Ph.D. in Film and Television from Northwestern University, an M.A. in Communication Studies from The Ohio State University, a postgraduate degree in Advertising from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, and a B.A. Honors in English Literature from St. Stephens College, Delhi. Prior to her career in higher education, Priya was a print and TV correspondent in India.

An education maven and accomplished entrepreneur, Mayank Kumar is one of the sharpest minds leading the edtech revolution in India. Mayank is the Co-founder & MD of Asia's largest integrated learning skilling and workforce development & placement company - upGrad, which within 8 years of its inception, has enrolled over 10 million+ learners worldwide.

Mayank has spent most of his professional career in the education sector and has been involved in deals with over a billion dollars flowing into the sector. He has served as VP-Education at Bertelsmann, Senior Principal at The Parthenon Group, a Board Member at iNurture and has worked at the Tata Strategic Group, advising Tata's strategic direction.

An IIT Delhi and ISB alumnus, Mayank was named the “40 Under 40 Achiever of the year” by Business World Disrupt in 2017 and “BW Education 40 under 40 Achiever” by Business World in 2020.

Divya Modi is an entrepreneur and investor with a deep belief in the power of disruption through entrepreneurship to challenge the old and bring in the new, helping bring benefit to a large cross-section of people. Having worked in a corporate, yet highly entrepreneurial environment as co-owner at a dynamic family-owned business for over 15 years, she has had the opportunity to establish and set up multi-million-dollar projects, bring on board and work with great talent to build successful businesses and establish and collaborate with an accomplished board of directors to deliver business goals. Among some of her leadership roles, she has led the development and successful exit of a healthcare institution, a country wide retail venture, and fashioned the acquisition, turnaround and growth of a financial services player. She extends her financial expertise and operational acumen also to not-for-profit ventures, that have a vision of creating a large level of disruptive social impact in their field of work. She has an MBA from the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, a Masters in Accounting from the University of Southern California, and is a CFA Charterholder from the CFA Institute, USA.

Dr. Kiran Pai is the chairperson of Vidya Nidhi Education Trust, the sponsoring body that governs several distinguished not-for-profit educational institutions under its banner. For over nearly two decades, her work in the field has broken new ground and set new standards for quality education in India.

The portfolio of institutions includes the renowned Vidyashilp Academy, and Vidyasagar Preschools, with a legacy of 28 and 43 years respectively, are both highly sought after in Bangalore and consistently top-ranked in the country. Alongside them, the newly established Vidyashilp Schools houses elementary school students who recently received commendations from the Honourable Prime Minister and President of India for their early achievements in technology. Young scholars from these schools sometimes accept invitations as speakers at Global Economic and Business Summits, even if it means missing school.

Vidyashilp Community Trust, established by Dr. Pai six years ago, is a significant school reform project, with curriculum and infrastructure improvement, for over 3,000 underprivileged learners across 21 economically challenged schools, which continues to thrive.

Dr. Pai serves as the chairperson of Vidyashilp Education Group (VSEG), a specialized educational conglomerate she set up in 2018. VSEG oversees administrative, financial, operational, and infrastructure management across all educational institutions within the trust, supporting their growth and expansion.

Dr. Pai is the co-founder and pro chancellor of Vidyashilp University, a new age interdisciplinary institution. In its second year, the university's red bricked campus is already home to a close-knit, forward-thinking community of exceptional students, researchers and faculty, all driven by their commitment to creating lasting value to the society, the nation and the broader world.

Dr. Pai holds a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D) in Organizational Change and Leadership from the USC Rossier School of Education, where she received the prestigious 2021 Doctoral Distinction Award. She is also an Udyam Shree recipient and is recognized as one of the 50 Innovative Leaders by the World Congress. Dr. Pai is an active contributor to state educational policies. In her most recent project, Dr. Pai collaborated with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) to co-author an invaluable report for state-wide policy recommendations, alongside senior government officials, top industrialists, educationists, and scientists.

Dr. Ishwar K. Puri is Senior Vice President, Research & Innovation at USC and oversees over $1 billion of research and commercialization. He is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering, . Dr. Puri is the author of over 200 archival publications, books and patents that have been cited over 9,000 times per Google Scholar with an H-Index of 54. He is ranked among the top 2% of scientists in the world based on the citations of those who published between 1965-2019 and has founded and mentored startups. He serves on the editorial board of Scientific Reports and is an associate editor of Research, a Science partner journal.

Mr. Anjum Rajabali is a veteran screenwriter, with films like Drohkaal, Ghulam, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, and Raajneeti to his name. He has also been a script consultant and advisor to numerous films including Gangaajal, Mulk, Article 15, Thappad.

In 2004, he designed and created India's first full-fledged screenplay writing department at the Film and Television Institute of India at Pune and was its Honorary Head for 12 years. Since 2006, he has been the Founder-Head of Screenwriting at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai.

He regularly conducts screenwriting workshops and masterclasses in India and has been a guest lecturer in various countries including the US, France, Canada, Uganda, Kenya. He has created several initiatives for Indian screenwriters like national conferences, seminars, fellowships, script labs, and script contests.

He was chosen for the 'Leading International Teacher' 2019 award by CILECT, the association of more than 180 major film schools across the world.

In 2006, he formed the Progressive Writers Group which has been steering the Screenwriters Association (the guild of Indian writers) since then.

Niyati Shah is an entertainment attorney currently working with Prime Videos and Amazon Studios as a consultant in their India Originals business.

She started her consulting with Prime Video and Amazon Studios more than a year ago and drives transactions and documentation for over 100 original titles on the slate. Her work spectrum ranges from negotiating and structuring development deals, production deals, marketing and in film branding deals – the entire lifecycle of OTT content from pitch to launch. She is also an experienced litigator in the areas of trademark and copyright infringement – this experience vastly allows her to mitigate potential risks while developing content itself.

Right before Prime Video and after having worked at law firms for 6 years, Niyati followed her academic pursuit and earned herself a master of laws with a specialization in media and entertainment law from our University of Southern California. At USC, she was an active part of the student bar association and the entertainment law society, bridging entertainment law students to the art and commerce of the sector. She graduated magna cum laude and returned to India to join Prime Video.

Rahul Shah joined AAR in 1991 as a Development Engineer for AAR Engine Component Services in New York and Connecticut, USA. He then rose to the rank of Program Manager, with responsibility for the sales and marketing activities of the Company's engine component repair business. He became Vice President of Sales and Marketing for AAR's Asia Pacific region in 2000. He was promoted to Managing Director of Asia Pacific Operations in 2002 and, with his technical expertise and international business acumen, the business grew seven-fold under his leadership & has now focused his attention on growing AAR's presence in Africa, India and the Middle East, in addition to the Asia Pacific, manages operations, sales, and marketing efforts across these regions from an office in Singapore. He is an accomplished executive with extensive expertise on startup operations, planning growth strategies combined with effectively managing international businesses and providing leadership role on the new business development for commercial and defense aviation globally. He earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, a master's degree in Industrial Engineering and a master's degree in Business, Finance and Marketing, which he applies as he develops strategic programs to meet the needs of AAR's customers around the world.

Monika Shergill is the Vice President of Content at Netflix India where she oversees the development, creation and the acquisition of all Indian language content on Netflix. Under her leadership, Netflix India has delivered several hit series and films such asKohrra, Kaala Paani, Guns and Gulaabs, Khakee - The Bihar Chapter, Delhi Crime, Rana Naidu, Class, Trial By Fire, Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, Jaane Jaan, Khufiya, Darlings, Mission Majnu, Monica O My Darling, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga,the Academy Award-winning The Elephant Whisperers and RRR and the International Emmy winning Vir Das: Landing to name a few. Driving this growth, Shergill led Netflix India to become the fastest growing for the company amongst all markets with the highest net paid additions in 2022

Monika previously led India programming for some of the country's leading networks - Star, Sony and Viacom18. She started her career, spanning over two decades, as a journalist and documentary filmmaker, reporting on various social and environmental issues in India.

As a creative and business executive, Shergill has consecutively featured in various power lists including 35 Most Powerful Women in International Television by The Hollywood Reporter, Variety’s 500 Most Influential Business Leaders, Business World’s Most Influential Women, India Today’s High and Mighty, IMPACT’s 50 Most Influential Women, and Fortune India's Most Powerful Women.

Ritesh Sidhwani, Excel Entertainment's co-founder, has been a key player in transforming Indian cinema. His debut film, "Dil Chahta Hai," secured a National Award in 2001, marking the beginning of a noteworthy career. Ritesh's influence extends globally, integrating international filmmaking techniques into Hindi cinema, earning it widespread acclaim. Another National Award came his way for "Rock On" in 2008.

Over a decade, Ritesh has championed emerging talent, nurturing creativity in over a dozen diverse films, including hits like "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" and "Gully Boy." He spearheaded innovation by establishing a digital content division under Excel, creating India's inaugural original series, "Inside Edge," nominated for the 2018 International Emmy Awards. Following its success, Amazon Prime commissioned acclaimed series like "Mirzapur" and "Made In Heaven."

Originally from a home appliances marketing background, Ritesh Sidhwani co-founded Excel Entertainment with Farhan Akhtar, showcasing versatility and leadership. His extensive filmography includes producing successes like "Don 2" and "Dil Dhadakne Do," while his digital endeavors further cement his impact on India's entertainment landscape. With recent releases such as "Dahaad" and "Bambai Meri Jaan," Ritesh continues to shape the future of Indian storytelling.

Pramath Raj Sinha, Ph.D. is a pioneering force in Indian higher education. He is the Founder & Chairman of Harappa (now part of upGrad), which strives to become India's largest online institution focused on teaching habits and skills critical to workplace success in the 21st century.

He is the Founding Dean and a member of the Executive Board of ISB which rapidly became one of the top 20 business schools in the world. He is also the Founder & Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ashoka University, India's premier interdisciplinary research and teaching university.

Pramath has been instrumental in setting up a wide spectrum of change-based higher education initiatives, including a management program for career-oriented women, an entrepreneurship fellowship for the Himalayan region, and solution-focused design education for the built environment.

He has also been a media entrepreneur, education consultant, and management advisor at the 9.9 Group, which he founded, and a Partner at McKinsey & Company.

Academics are his first love: He received a Ph.D. and an MSE from the University of Pennsylvania and a BTech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2018.

As CEO of ACI Logistix LLC, as well as the CEO of ACI Group, Keith is the visionary and strategic leader of the ACI family of companies, which includes ACI Logistix, ACI Media Services, My District.net and Door Front Direct.

Prior to becoming CEO, Keith worked in a variety of roles at ACI both before and after spending several years as an OEM Partner Business Manager with HP in the Supply Chain side of their Mobile Computing/Desktop Computing divisions.

Keith is a graduate of UCLA (B.A.) and earned his M.B.A. from USC's Marshall School of Business.

Keith's strategic thinking and operational expertise has enabled him to build high-performing teams and stay ahead of industry trends. As a result, ACI has been able to transform itself from a long-time leader in print-media distribution to become a dominant player in the small-parcel logistics industry, playing a critical role in the e-commerce global supply chain.

Mr. Somers participates in several industry associations and boards. He is a past president of AAPS, he is a founding member of Vistage Group 4032, and he is a current board member of the USC Marshall Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Southern California.

Dean Soni received his B.A. degree in Religion from Tufts University, where he also earned an Asian Studies minor and completed the Program in Peace and Justice Studies. He subsequently received his M.T.S. degree from Harvard Divinity School and his M.A. degree through the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He went on to receive his J.D. degree from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where he also completed the Critical Race Studies Program and served as an editor for the Journal of Islamic and Near Eastern Law. He earned his Ph.D. through the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Cape Town, where his doctoral research focused on religion and popular culture. As an undergraduate student, Dean Soni spent a semester living in a Buddhist monastery in Bodh Gaya, India through Antioch University’s Buddhist Studies Program. As a graduate student, he spent months doing field research in South Asia through UCSB’s Center for Sikh and Punjab Studies.

Dean Soni is currently a University Fellow at USC Annenberg’s Center on Public Diplomacy and an Adjunct Professor at the USC School of Religion. He is the author of Natural Mystics: The Prophetic Lives of Bob Marley and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Figueroa Press, 2014) and his writings have appeared in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Crosscurrents, Jewish Journal, and Harvard Divinity Bulletin. He produced the critically acclaimed graphic novel Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap, which is currently being adapted as a feature length film. He also produced and hosted his own radio show on KPFK-Pacifica that showcased music from South Asia and its diaspora.

Dean Soni is a member of the State Bar of California, the American Academy of Religion, and the Association for College and University Religious Affairs. He is on the advisory board for the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement, Journal for Interreligious Dialogue, Hindu American Seva Charities, Future45, and the Parliament of the World’s Religion. Prior to joining USC, Dean Soni spent four years teaching in the Law and Society Program at UCSB. Born in India and raised in Southern California, he has family on five continents and they collectively represent every major religious tradition in the world.

Namratha Sunil is one of the youngest Supply Chain Leaders at Deloitte Consulting.

She primarily serves global clients across Life Sciences and High-tech industry, solving their Supply Management & Digital Procurement challenges ranging from strategy definition, process and policy improvement, and enabling them via digital transformations.

She worked at Deloitte US for 5 years between 2015 and 2020. Thereafter, Namratha moved to Deloitte US-India (USI) in 2020 where she is now a key leader responsible for driving client engagements, overseeing practice growth, and talent development for their Sourcing & Procurement market offering within the Supply Chain practice.

Namratha Sunil earned her Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management at the USC Marshall School of Business in 2016.

Imagine New York, the city that never sleeps and a demanding job that makes sure you don't even think about it. That was Ajai Thandi's sweet, sweet introduction to the bitter-sweet taste of coffee. While Ajai worked as an Investment Banker at the esteemed firm, JP Morgan in New York City, he had downed enough cups of coffee to know good from mud. With his love for numbers and given his experience with caffeine, his childhood friend, Ashwajeet Singh's idea about starting a Cold Brew Coffee company in India resonated with him.

A big picture guy, Ajai focuses on strategy to see that there is enough fire power for the execution of the vision. He keeps the initial passion and innovation in the company alive by keeping a tight grip on the margins and maintaining healthy cash flows.

He also takes care of Sleepy Owl's retail sales and manages a team of sales representatives, who are personally trained by the founders to showcase and promote the product at Modern Trade stores.

Ajai Thandi earned his bachelor's degree in economics at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2013.

Vik is an integral part of the Emcure senior management team. He initially looked at Business Development, and later his role expanded to include Corporate Strategy and Finance. Vik has spearheaded Emcure's inorganic growth over the years with acquisitions of companies in Europe and Canada as well as purchases of key brands and product portfolios, ensuring seamless integration and scale up of these assets. He has also driven Emcure's various fundraising efforts. As a result, Emcure has transformed into a global pharmaceutical company with presence in 70+ countries and over 10,000 employees.

Prior to joining Emcure, Vik worked in Silicon Valley, USA with Agilent Technologies and Ebay/PayPal in various Finance roles.

Vik has a proven track record and expertise in providing value-added business and financial support to multiple companies across different industries. He serves on the Board of Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc., an affiliate of the Emcure Group, focused on the U.S. prescription drug market. He is a co-founder and Partner of the Thapar Vision Fund which invests in early-stage startups and is an active member of Entrepreneurs' Organization.

Vik is a graduate of U.C. San Diego (B.S. in Management Science) and earned his MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business.

Prof. Nick Vyas is an esteemed educator and a vanguard thought leader in supply chain management. As the Founding Executive Director of the USC Marshall Randall R. Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute and the Academic Director of the USC Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management program, he is at the helm of educating and inspiring the next wave of global supply chain luminaries.

His acute insights resonate through influential media outlets like MSNBC, Bloomberg, and many others, where Prof. Vyas is sought after for his adept interpretations of global trade complexities. His talent for demystifying intricate supply chain issues has established him as a media-savvy commentator whose analyses are both enlightening and accessible.

Prof. Vyas's literary contributions, especially "Enterprise Excellence" and "Blockchain and the Supply Chain," delve into the transformative power of emerging technologies and are cornerstones for professionals in the industry.

As a Fellow of the American Society for Quality, he stands at the forefront of quality and continuous improvement disciplines. His legal advisory work is equally respected, guiding leaders through trade practices and supply chain complexities. Prof. Vyas's expertise has been instrumental in advising governments worldwide on crafting and refining supply chain management policies and regulations.

Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar is the Principal Director of Symbiosis Society and Pro Chancellor of Symbiosis International University.

Dr. Vidya holds a Post Graduate Degree in Medicine, a Degree in Law, and a Ph.D. in 'Internationalization of Higher Education in India’. She has been instrumental in bringing in innovative approaches to promote internationalization of higher education in India, particularly in her role as member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for two terms, the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) under the Ministry of Education, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under the Ministry of External Affairs.

She is currently a Governing Board Member of the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) under the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, representing the Education sector.

She is currently serving her 4th term as Chairperson of the FICCI Committee on Higher Education. As a Member of the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) Trust set up by the Ministry of Commerce & Industries, she works to promote the ‘Brand India’ label in overseas markets.