November was a stirring month across the globe with the US elections and the events leading up to it and along with it, Bihar elections took place closer to home. With the economic activity getting back on track, we are hoping for exciting times ahead. SpeakIn founder, Deepshikha Kumar says, "With the environment changing by the minute, it's important to connect with thought leaders and constantly reinvent ourselves." Keeping this in mind, SpeakIn's array of live sessions such as the SpeakIn Leadership Program are carefully designed to cater to the current needs of leaders who are keen to build personal and professional excellence. SpeakIn, in this monthly feature, curates the top voices that have shaped the conversations globally. Read below for more:
Kamala Harris
Popularly referred to as the "female Obama", Senator Kamala Devi Harris is the first Black and Indian-American women vice president of the United States. On this historical moment she said in her victory speech, "But while I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last, because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities."
Nitish Kumar
Known as "Sushasan Kumar" for his focus on governance, Nitish Kumar, was in the headlines throughout the month as he was sworn in again as Chief Minister after being elected as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar. On his victory, he tweeted, "The people are our lord. I salute them for the support which enabled the NDA to get a majority. I am also thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the cooperation I have been receiving."
Rajnish Kumar
Formerly the Chairman of India's largest bank, the State Bank of India, Rajnish Kumar has an inspirational tale of humble beginnings as a probationary officer in a small town in UP. In a recent interview about the banking sector, he stated: “The public sector lender had put its bad loan devils behind it, despite the impending stress that COVID-19 would likely bring the financial system.
Tahira Kashyap Khurrana
An author, writer, filmmaker, theatre director and former university lecturer, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana is an active voice that's breaking the stigma associated with breast cancer being one of the survivors of it herself. In an interview about her latest book The 12 Commandments of Being a Woman, she remarks, "Writing is something which has been a very big source of joy and bliss and my solace. It's my comfort zone. And I've been doing that ever since I was a kid."
Vir Das
One of the top standup artists from India and known globally, Vir Das is known for his content that takes on the uniqueness of human behaviour and over-imagination. On his upcoming series of live stand-up sessions, he says, "I never planned to put another comedy special out this year. But since when does 2020 care about our plans? The charity special was conceived as an experiment."
Shantanu Moitra
Award-winning music director, Shantanu Moitra, is a musical maestro who is known for his compositions for 3 Idiots, Parineeta, and Lage Raho Munnabhai. He embarked on a spiritual quest of a 100-day long journey through the Himalayas and composed a concert around it, about which he jokingly says "The reason I became a music composer was to pursue my passions without asking for leave."
Vikram Sathaye
Vikram Sathaye is a well-known stand-up comedian, cricket presenter, humorist and host of the famous chat show What The Duck with Vikram Sathaye. In his book, How Sachin Destroyed My Life but gave me an All-Access Pass to the world of cricket, he quotes, "Unfortunately, whatever Indians have not been able to achieve in their lives, they wanted Sachin to achieve it for them. Now that is what I call pressure."
Soon Yu
Soon Yu is an international speaker, award-winning author on innovation and design and Forbes contributor who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine and New York Times. On iconic brands and storytelling, he explains, "What makes companies iconic is the fact that they don't create new product lines or franchises on new, "shiny" ideas. And it is a tough decision they make."
Surekha Kothari
Known for intriguing hypnotherapy, NLP and Reiki sessions, Surekha Kothari professional hypnotherapist and Reik expert at her Body Mind Soul Centre in Chennai. She recently launched her book, Dharma by Design, globally on which she adds, "It is time now for us to reflect, introspect, reform and reconnect with each other. Because if we think that we are not responsible for that is happening in the world, we are wrong."
Sudha Menon
Sudha Menon, an author and a writing coach, has five bestselling books to her credit about great inspirational leaders and their struggles. She also founded Writing With Women about which she elaborates, "Even though we make up half the world's population, women get very little opportunity to voice an opinion or express themselves. When a woman writes, she not only tells her story but also the story of the society, gender dynamics and status of women in society."