
[Applause] before I tell you why I’m here let me
before I tell you why I’m here let me
before I tell you why I’m here let me tell you a bit about my journey when I
tell you a bit about my journey when I
tell you a bit about my journey when I was nine years old girls and boys of my
was nine years old girls and boys of my
was nine years old girls and boys of my age had incredible dreams full of hopes
age had incredible dreams full of hopes
age had incredible dreams full of hopes and dreams and visions they said they
and dreams and visions they said they
and dreams and visions they said they want to be astronauts and writers
want to be astronauts and writers
want to be astronauts and writers musicians and dancers I said I want to
musicians and dancers I said I want to
musicians and dancers I said I want to be an entrepreneur a few years later in
be an entrepreneur a few years later in
be an entrepreneur a few years later in life when Indian students start deciding
life when Indian students start deciding
life when Indian students start deciding what they want to become I heard their
what they want to become I heard their
what they want to become I heard their dreams changing now they mostly said
dreams changing now they mostly said
dreams changing now they mostly said bankers and engineers and doctors and
bankers and engineers and doctors and
bankers and engineers and doctors and lawyers I still said I want to be an
lawyers I still said I want to be an
lawyers I still said I want to be an entrepreneur and over the years my
entrepreneur and over the years my
entrepreneur and over the years my conviction only grew stronger and my
conviction only grew stronger and my
conviction only grew stronger and my decision turned into a lifetime
decision turned into a lifetime
decision turned into a lifetime commitment but when I went to law school
commitment but when I went to law school
commitment but when I went to law school nobody from my entire community
nobody from my entire community
nobody from my entire community understood what I did or who I wanted to
understood what I did or who I wanted to
understood what I did or who I wanted to become and contrary to their choices I
become and contrary to their choices I
become and contrary to their choices I began to work with startups in a wide
began to work with startups in a wide
began to work with startups in a wide range of services from legal services
range of services from legal services
range of services from legal services blogging and ethical hacking but somehow
blogging and ethical hacking but somehow
blogging and ethical hacking but somehow I was still not contented with life I
I was still not contented with life I
I was still not contented with life I was constantly torn between what the
was constantly torn between what the
was constantly torn between what the world wanted me to become and what came
world wanted me to become and what came
world wanted me to become and what came naturally to myself it was one of those
naturally to myself it was one of those
naturally to myself it was one of those nights when I woke up and I asked myself
nights when I woke up and I asked myself
nights when I woke up and I asked myself what would you do if you are one percent
what would you do if you are one percent
what would you do if you are one percent more courageous who would you be if you
more courageous who would you be if you
more courageous who would you be if you are one percent more courageous and I
are one percent more courageous and I
are one percent more courageous and I woke up that night and I told myself
woke up that night and I told myself
woke up that night and I told myself that I want to be the bestest highest
that I want to be the bestest highest
that I want to be the bestest highest and the truest version of myself and
and the truest version of myself and
and the truest version of myself and every time I would say that I could feel
every time I would say that I could feel
every time I would say that I could feel the anxiety in me but I would never let
the anxiety in me but I would never let
the anxiety in me but I would never let that control me a few months later I got
that control me a few months later I got
that control me a few months later I got chosen for a fellowship program for
chosen for a fellowship program for
chosen for a fellowship program for social entrepreneurs in Washington DC
social entrepreneurs in Washington DC
social entrepreneurs in Washington DC and that was for the first time in my
and that was for the first time in my
and that was for the first time in my life I finally
life I finally
life I finally found the people who understood my
found the people who understood my
found the people who understood my journey and even though my peers were
journey and even though my peers were
journey and even though my peers were nearly elder by a decade that last room
nearly elder by a decade that last room
nearly elder by a decade that last room of entrepreneurs became my home so when
of entrepreneurs became my home so when
of entrepreneurs became my home so when I came back I realize that many Indian
I came back I realize that many Indian
I came back I realize that many Indian students are unable to pursue exactly
students are unable to pursue exactly
students are unable to pursue exactly what they want to pursue not because of
what they want to pursue not because of
what they want to pursue not because of lack of resources in the country but
lack of resources in the country but
lack of resources in the country but because of less awareness about how to
because of less awareness about how to
because of less awareness about how to pursue a profession there is opportunity
pursue a profession there is opportunity
pursue a profession there is opportunity in every profession there are jobs
in every profession there are jobs
in every profession there are jobs degrees diplomas scholarships available
degrees diplomas scholarships available
degrees diplomas scholarships available in every profession whether you want to
in every profession whether you want to
in every profession whether you want to be an environmentalist or a
be an environmentalist or a
be an environmentalist or a photographer’s a scientist or a
photographer’s a scientist or a
photographer’s a scientist or a historian but we just need to be aware
historian but we just need to be aware
historian but we just need to be aware of it so I began interviewing people
of it so I began interviewing people
of it so I began interviewing people from all kinds of profession beginning
from all kinds of profession beginning
from all kinds of profession beginning from car races of the amount of
from car races of the amount of
from car races of the amount of challenge filmmakers winning green Oscar
challenge filmmakers winning green Oscar
challenge filmmakers winning green Oscar Awards artists inventors musicians
Awards artists inventors musicians
Awards artists inventors musicians entrepreneurs not just to entertain my
entrepreneurs not just to entertain my
entrepreneurs not just to entertain my readers but to educate them about how to
readers but to educate them about how to
readers but to educate them about how to pursue a profession it was then when I
pursue a profession it was then when I
pursue a profession it was then when I started to understand the various
started to understand the various
started to understand the various opportunity that is present in every
opportunity that is present in every
opportunity that is present in every profession and over time I interviewed
profession and over time I interviewed
profession and over time I interviewed more than 300 professionals to form my
more than 300 professionals to form my
more than 300 professionals to form my brainchild martini and more and that is
brainchild martini and more and that is
brainchild martini and more and that is what brings me here in early 2016 my
what brings me here in early 2016 my
what brings me here in early 2016 my team ran a campaign to understand the
team ran a campaign to understand the
team ran a campaign to understand the hurdles that Indian students face while
hurdles that Indian students face while
hurdles that Indian students face while pursuing a career that is when we
pursuing a career that is when we
pursuing a career that is when we understood that nearly seventy percent
understood that nearly seventy percent
understood that nearly seventy percent of the students are unable to post you
of the students are unable to post you
of the students are unable to post you what they want to pursue not because of
what they want to pursue not because of
what they want to pursue not because of lack of resources but because they
lack of resources but because they
lack of resources but because they either didn’t know how to pursue a
either didn’t know how to pursue a
either didn’t know how to pursue a career or their parents weren’t
career or their parents weren’t
career or their parents weren’t convinced our research also show that
convinced our research also show that
convinced our research also show that after three to four years of work
after three to four years of work
after three to four years of work experience professionals who were not
experience professionals who were not
experience professionals who were not satisfied with their jobs either like
satisfied with their jobs either like
satisfied with their jobs either like change their jobs frequently lost their
change their jobs frequently lost their
change their jobs frequently lost their zeal for work or even became insecure to
zeal for work or even became insecure to
zeal for work or even became insecure to their successful counterparts so let me
their successful counterparts so let me
their successful counterparts so let me give you some numbers in 1929 during the
give you some numbers in 1929 during the
give you some numbers in 1929 during the Great Depression of us the rate of
Great Depression of us the rate of
Great Depression of us the rate of unemployment in
unemployment in
unemployment in raised from three percent to twenty-five
raised from three percent to twenty-five
raised from three percent to twenty-five percent for those who still had a job
percent for those who still had a job
percent for those who still had a job their wages decreased by forty two
their wages decreased by forty two
their wages decreased by forty two percent that’s nearly a half later in
percent that’s nearly a half later in
percent that’s nearly a half later in two thousand during the Great Recession
two thousand during the Great Recession
two thousand during the Great Recession 8.7 million jobs were shared in u.s.
8.7 million jobs were shared in u.s.
8.7 million jobs were shared in u.s. besides many other things like fall of
besides many other things like fall of
besides many other things like fall of house’ll income massive burn out of
house’ll income massive burn out of
house’ll income massive burn out of investment money etc the reason why I
investment money etc the reason why I
investment money etc the reason why I say so is because India looks very
say so is because India looks very
say so is because India looks very similar to what us look during these
similar to what us look during these
similar to what us look during these periods we call it the white collar
periods we call it the white collar
periods we call it the white collar unemployment India produces 1.5 million
unemployment India produces 1.5 million
unemployment India produces 1.5 million engineers every year out of which eighty
engineers every year out of which eighty
engineers every year out of which eighty percent is not employed that is a
percent is not employed that is a
percent is not employed that is a massive number and one of the major
massive number and one of the major
massive number and one of the major reason why this is happening because of
reason why this is happening because of
reason why this is happening because of wrong recruitments we are placing a
wrong recruitments we are placing a
wrong recruitments we are placing a person in for the wrong profession I
person in for the wrong profession I
person in for the wrong profession I believe that we are all good at some
believe that we are all good at some
believe that we are all good at some things and we are all bad at some things
things and we are all bad at some things
things and we are all bad at some things if you put an artist on a corporate seat
if you put an artist on a corporate seat
if you put an artist on a corporate seat he is bound to be lost if you tell a
he is bound to be lost if you tell a
he is bound to be lost if you tell a scientist to become a bureaucrat I’m not
scientist to become a bureaucrat I’m not
scientist to become a bureaucrat I’m not sure how far he will learn I believe
sure how far he will learn I believe
sure how far he will learn I believe that we are all good at something but we
that we are all good at something but we
that we are all good at something but we can be better at many other things
can be better at many other things
can be better at many other things equality of professions is not a
equality of professions is not a
equality of professions is not a movement it is not a slogan it is a plea
movement it is not a slogan it is a plea
movement it is not a slogan it is a plea and so this conversation in India is
and so this conversation in India is
and so this conversation in India is very very crucial our professions are an
very very crucial our professions are an
very very crucial our professions are an expression of our personality my
expression of our personality my
expression of our personality my self-confidence and inhibitions and
self-confidence and inhibitions and
self-confidence and inhibitions and bruises is intertwined with everything
bruises is intertwined with everything
bruises is intertwined with everything that I build we need to start molding
that I build we need to start molding
that I build we need to start molding minds for the future and not for the
minds for the future and not for the
minds for the future and not for the past I understand that there is an
past I understand that there is an
past I understand that there is an inherent fear towards every unknown
inherent fear towards every unknown
inherent fear towards every unknown career but believe me when I tell the
career but believe me when I tell the
career but believe me when I tell the youth that there is opportunity in
youth that there is opportunity in
youth that there is opportunity in everything that you want to become but
everything that you want to become but
everything that you want to become but that is a historian or a sign
that is a historian or a sign
that is a historian or a sign or an inventor so before i close let me
or an inventor so before i close let me
or an inventor so before i close let me share a story with you when i went to
share a story with you when i went to
share a story with you when i went to washington for my fellowship my mornings
washington for my fellowship my mornings
washington for my fellowship my mornings were generally begin hustling between
were generally begin hustling between
were generally begin hustling between books and breakfast and sorting out my
books and breakfast and sorting out my
books and breakfast and sorting out my things and one morning in the cafeteria
things and one morning in the cafeteria
things and one morning in the cafeteria I met a lady about 80 85 years old while
I met a lady about 80 85 years old while
I met a lady about 80 85 years old while having a conversation with her she tells
having a conversation with her she tells
having a conversation with her she tells me that she was an international
me that she was an international
me that she was an international entrepreneur back in the 1940s and
entrepreneur back in the 1940s and
entrepreneur back in the 1940s and before I left for the day she told me
before I left for the day she told me
before I left for the day she told me that i usually don’t give free advice is
that i usually don’t give free advice is
that i usually don’t give free advice is but i’m going to give you one and that
but i’m going to give you one and that
but i’m going to give you one and that everything in life happens for a reason
everything in life happens for a reason
everything in life happens for a reason your life might not be easy but
your life might not be easy but
your life might not be easy but eventually you learn how to find fun in
eventually you learn how to find fun in
eventually you learn how to find fun in it that stays with me because i live it
it that stays with me because i live it
it that stays with me because i live it every day so my takeaway for every youth
every day so my takeaway for every youth
every day so my takeaway for every youth in this room is you must begin begin at
in this room is you must begin begin at
in this room is you must begin begin at the beginning begin in the middle begin
the beginning begin in the middle begin
the beginning begin in the middle begin at the ending it doesn’t matter but the
at the ending it doesn’t matter but the
at the ending it doesn’t matter but the most important thing for you is to get
most important thing for you is to get
most important thing for you is to get started never dismiss your dream without
started never dismiss your dream without
started never dismiss your dream without knowing the pathway to your vision and
knowing the pathway to your vision and
knowing the pathway to your vision and when you step out of this room today i
when you step out of this room today i
when you step out of this room today i want you to ask yourself what would you
want you to ask yourself what would you
want you to ask yourself what would you do if you are one person more courageous
do if you are one person more courageous
do if you are one person more courageous thank you
”
Be First to Comment