APURVA CHAMERIA Head, Partnership Solutions/ Startups/ Venture Capital at Google India
Apurva Chamaria is the Head of Startups and VC at Google India. Apurva has served in C level roles at global organisations like Ranbaxy, HCL Technologies, RateGain, Tech Mahindra and now at Google.
He was ranked as a top 10 angel investor in India by Economic Times in 2019 having invested in startups like Innov8, Josh Talks, Dukaan, Goat Brands, Sheroes, Inc 42, Chqbook, Blu Smart, Kawa Space. Apurva has invested in 100+ startups and is a Limited Partner (LP) in VC firms like 9 Unicorns and Gemba Capital. He is also on the IC of SIDBI which is a fund of funds and Venture Catalysts, an early stage fund. He was selected as the “Entrepreneur in Residence” for Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs in India for 2022-2024. Apurva serves on the start-up steering committee for IAMAI. He is also the author of two best selling books on startups published by Bloomsbury and Penguin Random House.
He has done his MBA from IMI, Delhi and PG in Advertising & PR from IIMC, New Delhi. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School. In 2020 he was made a fellow of the All India Management Association (AIMA). He has served on many advertising juries and is a Campaign Asia 40 under 40.
ROSHAN ABBAS Managing Director, Red Lion
One of India’s finest orators and storytellers, Roshan Abbas is a polymath. A TV & radio host; producer; event manager; creative director; film & theatre director; CEO; angel investor; serial entrepreneur; author; actor and public speaking coach.
Roshan founded and led Encompass (now Geometry Encompass) as Managing Director into becoming India’s largest, most awarded experiential marketing agency. He was also an initial investor in and continues to be a mentor-partner at The Glitch. Both ventures have been acquired by WPP.
Roshan has won seven national-level awards for TV and radio. In 2015, he co- founded Kommune – a performing arts collective for storytellers. He also helped conceptualise Spoken festival, bringing together performers from across the world for storytelling, poetry, spoken word, and song.
Roshan continues to inspire by sharing his life lessons on communication and storytelling with entrepreneurs, corporates, artists, and anyone looking to discover a unique voice!
ELSIE NANJI Managing Director, Red Lion
Elsie has created ideas and images over the last 4 decades, with a unique aesthetic, that has blurred the line between art and commerce. Working within a cultural and social context over the last 40 years, she has shifted her focus from advertising to pure design in the world of graphics, environmental branding and interiors.
She feels fortunate to have worked, and to continue working, with some of the greatest minds in photography, film, creative writing, art, design and architecture. Hers is a journey constantly leading to new ideas, executions and installations for major brands, corporate offices, museums and homes. In March 2024, Elsie was recognised as one of the 100 most influential architects and interior designers taking Indian architecture and interior design into the future. Ever since her shift into Interior spaces, she has won this award for the last 7 years consecutively.
SHONALI BOSE Director, Producer, Writer
Born in Kolkata, Shonali has an MA in Political Science from Columbia University and an MFA in Directing from the UCLA Film School. She has written and directed three feature narrative films – Amu, Margarita with a Straw and The Sky is Pink. All three films had critically acclaimed theatrical releases in India and North America amongst many other countries and won major international awards (including at Sundance and TIFF and three Indian National Awards). Shonali’s short film RaatRani, opened Modern Love Mumbai for Amazon.She just finished shooting an 8 part Series for Amazon Prime – Ziddi Girls – which will release later this year. She also just made her first documentary film “A Fly on the Wall” about her best friend’s death through physician assisted suicide. She is currently in prep on a family comedy film with an A list star. She is the Showrunner and Director of a Limited Series on Parveen Babi which will go on the floors next year. Bose lives between Los Angeles and Bombay and is most proud of being the mother of her two sons – Ishan and Vivan.
MUKUL DEORA Founder & CEO, LAVA Media Filmmaker & Startup Incubator
Mukul Deora is an Indian entrepreneur, filmmaker, musician, and artist. As the founder and CEO of Lava Media, he leverages technology to shape culture – from award-winning movies to community building apps. Mukul developed and produced the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated global hit film The White Tiger, and is an accomplished multimedia artist with 2 solo shows and performances at TED, The Tate Modern (London), and The Serpentine Gallery (London). His previous business ventures include packaging technology, real estate, and digital content storage.
KIRTI POONIA Managing Director, Caimera. inc
Kirti is a pioneering entrepreneur, known for her innovative work at the intersection of fashion, technology, and social impact. She founded Caimera.ai, redefining fashion photography with AI. As co-founder of Relove, she drives circularity in fashion by enabling peer-to-peer resale marketplaces for brands. Kirti’s leadership transformed India’s largest Apparel & Lifestyle Marketplace, scaling artisans from 350 to 27,000 and increasing revenue tenfold. With a background in Tata Administrative Services (TAS), she brings diverse expertise from six Tata companies. Kirti’s impactful contributions have earned her accolades like the Business World Women Entrepreneurship Award and recognition from Niti Aayog as a top entrepreneur driving change in India.
SONIA DUBEY DEWAN Founder & CEO, Indian School of Image Management
Sonia Dubey Dewan, AICI CIP is India’s Top Image Consultant. She is the founder
of the Indian School of Image Management (ISIM) and an acclaimed Entrepreneur, Educator, and International Keynote Speaker.
Ms. Dewan boasts 14 years of experience in Image Management, Personal Branding, and Executive Coaching across 17 countries, Impacting and Inspiring the lives of over 300,000 participants including C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and politicians. As the Founder of India’s first accredited Image Institute, she has trained 400 global image consultants and soft skill trainers. Her work is regularly featured on TV channels, in newspapers, and in magazines. Ms. Dewan believes in the power of investing in oneself, encapsulated in her quote: “You’re your most valuable asset, start investing in it today.” Through her elegant, exuberant, and practical style of presentations, she aims to inspire her audience to recognize their potential and take action toward their personal and professional goals.
Gunjan Arya CEO, Only Much Louder
Gunjan is the CEO and Board Member of OML Entertainment, a new media and entertainment company that partners with creators and platforms that participate in culture. With its roots in creator management and artist representation, OML’s operations today includes an award-winning content studio that packages and produces a record number of scripted and unscripted shows for OTT platforms, and a global brand solutions business.
Gunjan has been working in the field of media, marketing and design since the age of 16 and started her brand consulting company ‘Design of Information’ in 2009, which won several coveted awards globally. Gunjan has been part of OML since 2015, and was instrumental in building OML’s global creator network over the last three years that now operates across 20+ countries and 700+ content creators that helps artists, brands and platforms build equity.
Gunjan is an alumnus of the Schools of Communications and Visual Arts at Emerson College in Boston, with further education from Harvard Business School. Her time off-line is best spent cooking with her husband or at the barré.