TEDxThiruvananthapuram

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Capt. Litty Chacko

  Historian and Researcher

  Capt. Litty Chacko is a distinguished academic, writer, speaker, and researcher at St. Joseph's College, Irinjalakuda. Her expertise spans various fields, including academics, heritage preservation, and environmental protection. For over two decades, Ms. Chacko has conducted independent research on the life and works of the medieval Indian mathematician, Sangamagrama Madhavan, and the Kerala School of Mathematics. Her work has led to the discovery and preservation of numerous unpublished manuscripts and texts. Notably, she found and published a significant 12th-century stone inscription from the Irinjadappilly Mana, the ancestral home of Sangamagrama Madhavan. She also specializes in various South Indian scripts and ancient writing materials.

• Dr. Methil Devika

  Dancer Researcher

  Dr. Methil Devika is a world renowned Mohiniyattam dancer, dance creator and researcher academic who magnum opus Sarpatatvam documentary was nominated for the Oscars.

• Dr. Somanath S

  Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation

  Dr. Somanath is the brilliant aerospace engineer who led the Indian Space Research Organisation as its chairman during the prestigious Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 missions.

• Nizamudeen A IAS

  Director, KILA

  Nizamudeen A is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (2018 batch). His career in public service began in 1998 when he joined the Kerala Government as a Soil Survey Officer. Since then, he has held several key positions, including Land Use Commissioner for eight years, Director of the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre for five years and Mission Director, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. At present, he serves as the Director General of the Kerala Institute of Local Administration and Managing Director, IMPACT Kerala Limited. He has been honoured with the National Water Award, the Jal Prahari Award, and several other state and central awards for his pioneering work in watershed-based development and geographic informative systems.

• Sajana Chandran

  ATC

  Sajana Chandran retired from the position as Joint General Manager (Air Traffic Controller) at the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Trivandrum International Airport, Kerala. He was Air Traffic Controller (ATC) for the last 30 years serving at various airports, including Chennai, Dibrugarh, Varanasi, and Trivandrum. Sajana Chandran’s artistic experience includes acting in approximately thirty plays, notably including productions such as NEELAKKUYIL and AA MANUSHYAN NEE THANNE and directing ten plays including Crossbelt and Pujamuri. Furthermore, he has acted in 1600 episodes of Malayalam mega TV serials such as Chembarathi, Shyamambaram etc.

• Santhy Balachandran

  Screenwriter, Actor

  Trained as a visual anthropologist, Santhy has made her mark as an inspiring screenwriter with Malayalam film industry's biggest hit, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra

• Seeram Sambasiva Rao IAS

  Special Secretary, IT & Electronics, Govt of Kerala

  A graduate from IIT Madras and experienced officer in the Indian Administrative Service, Sambasiva Rao has spearheaded numerous innovative projects during his stint as an administrator in Kerala including Namude Kozhikode, KFON and Ente Bhoomi. Currently he serves as Special Secretary for IT & Electronics, Government of Kerala.

• Shinomol Palathanath

  Race Director

  A marathon runner reshaping the culture of endurance sports and community wellness in Kerala. Since embarking on her running journey in 2016, she has completed 21 marathons, 45 half- marathons, and 19 ultra-marathons, including some of the toughest endurance events in India such as the Ladakh Marathon (2019 & 2020) and the 110 km Malnad Ultra, Karnataka - her longest run to date. Her impact extends further as a three-time ambassador for SBI Green Marathon (2017, 2018 & 2019), championing sustainability through sport. Shino also played a vital role in conceptualising and supporting the Golden Peak Half Marathon, a high-altitude (1000m elevation) race in Trivandrum, where she has been deeply involved from its inception in 2017 through 2023. Her journey illustrates how running can become a catalyst for both personal transformation and collective well-being.