Sangita Desai

Sangita Desai 

Born and raised in Bengaluru, Sangita moved to Mumbai with her family in 1971. While pursuing her degree in English Literature from Sophia College, she realised her passion for fashion, and later went to study fashion at the American College of London in 1989. She was one of a handful of Indians who came back with a degree in fashion from an international institute.

Her debut as a fashion designer in India coincided with Malaika Arora’s modelling debut. “My collections sold out at India’s most premiere fashion stores - from Melange in Mumbai, Ogaan in New Delhi, Elahe in Hyderabad, Folio in Bengaluru, and Elan in Ahmedabad. My dream to get into the international market was realised when I successfully started exporting to the UK.

I designed costumes for The Vareli ad campaign for Aishwarya Rai, Ms Asia Pacific Shweta Menon, and Manpreet Brar - a Miss India contestant who represented India in the Miss Universe contest. I also dabbled in some movie costume designing and did some ad campaigns as well,” she says. However, things took a bad turn in 2006 when the horrific Mumbai floods washed away her entire studio with her entire life’s work. “That’s when I made a 180 degree switch and joined my father’s essential oils business. I started from scratch and went on to build the export division of the company and front-ended client relationships with Dabur, Reckitt Benckiser, Paras Chemicals, Ranbaxy, ULL, and Cipla. 

A lover of all things natural, I started to export all-natural Indian essential oils such as Peppermint, cedarwood, lemongrass, and Palmrosa, and under my guidance, the essential oil business saw a multi-fold increase and also saw the business attract large multinational players as customers,’ she says. In 2017, Sangita coupled her knowledge of aesthetics, natural essential oils and business management to launch Raw Nature Company.

She is the co-founder of Raw Nature Company that offers a range of safe, botanical grooming solutions for men, which are cruelty-free, vegan, and free of any artificial colours, artificial fragrances, and harmful chemicals. When the going gets tough, the tough get going may be a cliché to some, but for those who have faced challenges at every step on their way to the top, it is a mantra to live by.

However, she faced a setback in 2006 when the Mumbai floods washed away her studio. Unwilling to let nature thwart her ambition, Sangita joined her father’s essential oil business and worked to grow the business manifold. The skills she gained led her to start Raw Nature Company in Mumbai, which offers a range of botanical grooming solutions for men and women; her products are cruelty-free, vegan, and free of any artificial colours, artificial fragrances, and harmful chemicals.

IFTKHAR ALI

IFTKHAR ALI 

On the day of my convocation, when I received my degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, the entire auditorium was applauding for me. I knew it was one of the greatest memories of my life, to be cherished forever,” recalls 36-year-old Iftkhar Ali, Founder of New Delhi-based ALIQAN Technologies.

Hailing from the beautiful city of Agra, life was not easy for Iftkhar, who was diagnosed with polio at the age of one. When it was time for him to make one of life’s most important decisions — choosing a career path — he was discouraged from aiming too high and denied admission into medical colleges because of his disability. 

Today the founder of a two-year-old startup, Iftkhar even has it in him to employ someone who once told him even an MBA wouldn’t help him land a job. Prior to launching his own IT solutions company, he had worked with HCL and TCS as a business analyst. He also worked with IMS India as Centre Operational Head and further went on to lead operations for another IT company for two and a half years.

His entrepreneurial mindset restrained him from settling for a cosy corporate life, thus leading to the birth of a venture of his own. Reaching this milestone was filled with hardships, with his disability being the most obvious one. Hailing from Agra meant career guidance was also hard to come by. When he approached a friend preparing for CAT for guidance, he was laughed at. Many around him said he wouldn’t get a job after MBA and that he should go for a reserved government job or open a medical shop instead.

I strongly believe that disability is a mindset and anybody who can dare to dream can work hard and see them turning into reality. To be able to make something for myself on my own and be independent has always been my agenda. My parents have been the strongest pillars of my life and they have supported me unconditionally and instilled in me the belief that I can achieve anything. My company is named after them,” says Iftkhar.

ALIQAN Technologies counts HCL, Wipro, Shiv Nadar Foundation, Allizhealth, The Football Link, Airwhizz, and the Indian Air Force among its clients. Iftkhar’s future plans include scaling up operations in services, launching two more product companies, and venturing into the education sector.

He hopes that our country realises the plight of disabled citizens and makes the environment more disabled-friendly by making places better accessible to them. His greatest desire is to assist the physically challenged by helping them stay focused, confident, and motivated.

" Iftkhar Ali says disability is just a matter of perception."

Sreelakshmi Suresh

Sreelakshmi Suresh

Sreelakshmi Suresh was born 1998 .She is a web designer from Kozhikode, Kerala, India.She is mainly known for her work designing websites in India which gained her media coverage as early as 2006.Sources have named other individuals as holding the titles of World's Youngest CEO and World's Youngest Web Designer.

According to her father, Suresh Menon (lawyer, Calicut Bar Council) and mother Viju Suresh, she started using computers at the age of 3.She was designing by the age of 4 and had designed a website by 6.Sreelakshmi Suresh attends Presentation High Secondary School and designed her school's website, which was inaugurated by Binoy Viswam, Forest Minister, Government of Kerala, on 15 January 2007.Her own startup, eDesign launched in 2009.

The title of World's Youngest CEO and World's Youngest Web Designer has been liberally assigned to a number of individuals by various news media and sources.Some media have named Harli Jordean the "World's Youngest CEO" at age 8 and other sources, including the Press Information Bureau, have named Ajay Puri as the "World's Youngest Web Designer.

She was honoured by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (India), by conferring her the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement in 2008.The award was presented to her by Sonia Gandhi in a function held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on 5 January 2009.She has also won the Golden Web Award (U.S.A), Sixty Plus Education Award (Canada), Feeblemind's Award of Excellence (UK), Webmasters Ink Award (U.S.A.) and Penmarric Bronze Award (Canada).Other awards include Global Internet Directories Gold Award (USA), WM8C Stamp of Excellence Award (USA), 37th Texa's Web Award (USA), American Association of Webmasters Merit Award, Thomas Sims Greves Award of Excellence (UK), Moms Global Award for inspirational Website 2006-07 (UK), ProFish-N-Sea Charters World Class Website Award (Brazil), Wadeshi Science Movement Excellence Award 2007 (India) among others.

Mansukhbhai R. Prajapati

Mansukhbhai R. Prajapati

Mansukhbhai prajapati from gujarat began as a simple potter. in 2005, this potter was credited for a ground-breaking green innovation-mitticool, a refrigerator that runs without electricity. it took him four years to get the combination right. in 2010, he found himself on the forbes’ list of top 7 rural entrepreneurs.

mansukhbhai raghavjibhai prajapati is a famous rural innovator in india known for his earthen clay based functional products like:

1. Mitticool
2. Non Stick Clay Tawa
3. Low cost water filter

He is the holder of the Indian patents for these products, that boast high efficiency and an eco-friendly nature.He was born in the Prajapati family belonging to the village Nichimandal of Morbi, Rajkot. He had exposure to the clay tradition since his childhood, as this was his family’s traditional profession. Mitticool was featured recently at a conference organized by the Centre for India & Global Business, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK in May 2009. Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte (BSH), Germany, one of the world’s largest home appliance companies have also written to GIAN and showed interest in the product.

Mansukhbhai joined Jagdamba Potteries as a trainee in 1985. As he picked up the tricks of the trade, a business idea sparked in his mind. He decided to start an earthen plate manufacturing factory by deploying a tile press rather than the traditional potter’s wheel. Mansukhbhai quit his job, borrowed 30,000 from a moneylender and bought a small piece of land to set up a workshop at Wankaner. When a businessman came looking for a vendor who could supply clay water filters, Mansukhbhai impressed him with an innovative terracotta filter with a ceramic candle and bagged an order worth Rs 1 lakh. Then, in 2001 Gujarat was hit by a massive earthquake. This was the inspiration that finally lead him to the refrigerator made out of clay. Mansukhbhai hit the jackpot with an unusual addition of sawdust and sand, which makes the soil porous and the interiors cold.

It keeps the water cool. Vegetables kept inside it can last up to a week,” stated Mansukhbhai. He also produces water filters, pressure cookers, and non-stick tawas made out of clay. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam named Mansukhbhai as a ‘true scientist’, for his amazing inventions.

Patrick Henry Hughes

Patrick Henry Hughes

Patrick Henry Hughes  was born March 10, 1988 Upon his delivery, the medical staff noticed physical anomalies. These were diagnosed as bilateral anophthalmia with pterygium syndrome and congenital bilateral hip dysplasia .He is an American multi-instrumental musician from Louisville, Kentucky who was born without eyes and without the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, making him unable to walk.

His father, Patrick John Hughes, introduced him to the piano at the age of nine months. Patrick has studied piano in the years since and later began the study of trumpet. He has two younger brothers, Jesse and Cameron.

Patrick Henry's national fame began in 2006 while a student at the University of Louisville. At the suggestion of Louisville's marching band director, Dr. Greg Byrne, Patrick Henry joined the Louisville Marching Band, playing trumpet while his father pushed him in his wheelchair through the marching routines.

In I Am Potential, Hughes and his father share their extraordinary journey and describe the eight critical lessons at the heart of their success. Simply and candidly written, I Am Potential is an inspiration for anyone facing their own challenges “At the end of the day, can you look back and say to yourself, Today, my mother would be proud of me because I gave it all I had"? If you can, you will have had a very good day."

Srikanth Bolla

Srikanth Bolla

A boy was born in a poor farmer’s family… he was born blind. Everybody around were coming and saying this blind son never would be helpful for you and he is going to be aburden for you as he grows and they suggest them to kill that boy. Unconditional love towards their child, parents grew up him very affectionately. His parents are financially poor but they had a rich heart.At the age of 5, he joined in a local school. He wasn't getting anything and they made him to sit at the back. Everybody makes him cry by saying blind. He got depressed mentally and left school.

His Father took his son to farm, in the farm also he is unable to anything because he can’t see anything. But, he wants to study. His father knows it and asked many people for his son’s education. Somebody said about blind school. He joined in the blind school and completed his 10 standard with an outstanding score.

After 10 th standard, he applied for intermediate and got rejected because of his blindness. He didn’t get any opportunity to pursue further. He filed a case on the intermediate board. The case runned for 6 months. Finally, he won, joined intermediate course and performed outstandingly.

He wants to do engineering in the IIT’s . He applied for all IIT’s and got rejected once again. They have said there is no entrance for blind people to get admission in the IIT’s. He didn’t get discouraged. He searched a lot and finally knew about American universities which offer courses for blind people.

He applied for the universities in USA and got four offers from world’s top universities. He perused his higher education in MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), one of the world’s greatest universities. He completed his education from there. He got offered many jobs with great package. He rejected all of them and said my country is waiting for me.

He returned to India, opened a startup, named BOLLANT INDUSTRIES in Hyderabad. His company has 80 Cr. turnover, provided employment to many people and offering 3000 poor students free education, food and accommodation every year.

Since inception in the year, 2012, under our larger mission, we have created employment opportunities for millions of differently-abled people, most of them being unskilled and uneducated.At our manufacturing units situated in Hyderabad, Nizamabad and Hubli, we produce beautiful, eco-friendly, disposable and compostable products. Besides, we also offer packaging solutions.

At Bollant, everyone counts. We believe that we will have an impact not only on an individual but also on the economy, environment and society at large.

Jessica Cox

Jessica Cox

Jessica Cox (born 1983 in Arizona) is the world's first licensed armless pilot, as well as the first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association. She was born without arms due to a rare birth defect.

Jessica Cox graduated from the University of Arizona in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in communications

Jessica Cox flew in a single engine airplane for the first time via Wright Flight in 2004. Jessica earned her pilot's certificate on October 10, 2008, after three years of training, and is qualified to fly a light-sport aircraft to altitudes of 10,000 feet. She received her flight training through an Able Flight scholarship and soloed under the instruction of Parrish Traweek

Born without arms, I became fascinated by the limitless ways the human body can adjust to a variety of circumstances. I utilized dormant physical traits to adapt and use my feet the way people use their hands. As I learned to conquer physical barriers, I developed mental skills that allowed me to go on to achieve the seemingly impossible in my own, unique way.

Jessica is best known for becoming the first armless pilot in aviation history. Her achievement earned her a Guinness World Record medal, invitations from six continents, and featured on tv programs like Ellen, Inside Edition, Fox and Friends, Oprah Winfrey Network, CNN, CBS Evening News, and the BBC.

J.K Rowling

J.K Rowling

Joanne Rowling  ( born 31 July 1965), better known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author, film producer, television producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist.

She is now a billionaire, the first author to become one. Her fantastically original story is now a household name with blockbuster movies, theme parks, and even a wildly popular fan-based podcast called MuggleCast. In her most painful moments living just above poverty, Rowling might not have been able to see the empire she’d soon create. But she did see her story and it moved her. Despite the many difficult circumstances she faced at the time – she channeled her pain to create an even better story.

She is best known for writing the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has won multiple awards and sold more than 500 million copies,becoming the best-selling book series in history.The books are the basis of a popular film series, over which Rowling had overall approval on the scripts and was a producer on the final films.She also writes crime fiction under the name Robert Galbraith.

Vishen Lakhiani

Vishen Lakhiani

Vishen Lakhiani was born January 14, 1976 is a Malaysian-born entrepreneur of Indian descent,author, and speaker. He is the co-founder and CEO of Mindvalley, and the author of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind.

Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He went to a Malaysian government school for most of his life. After graduating from high school, he moved to the United States, where he studied computer engineering at the University of Michigan.

Founder of Mindvalley, an award-winning education movement with over 10 million students worldwide. New York Times bestselling author of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, now translated into 25+ languages. Founder of A-Fest and Mindvalley University, two major global events in the field of personal transformation. Speaker and activist working to evolve the core systems that shape our lives - including education, work, politics, parenting & spirituality.

Mindvalley is an educational technology company co-founded by Vishen Lakhiani and Michael Reining that publishes products focused on personal spiritual development and lifelong learning, such as the meditation app Omvana. Founded in New York in December 2002, Reining and Laklihani were forced to relocate Mindvalley to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2004 when the United States declined to renew Lakhiani's work visa.Today, Mindvalley positions itself as an education company that offers teaching programs on mindfulness, meditation, personal growth, fitness, and health.