Speakers

Tanmay Bakshi fell in love with computers at five, released his first iPhone app at nine, and now at just 13 years old is working with IBM on artificial intelligence.

The Canadian teen has become a global force in programming and commands more than 20,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel that teaches computer coding. Tanmay names Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as an inspiration — "especially his passion and dedication towards his work" — and is now most excited by how artificial intelligence can be used in health care. He has joined a collaborative project that includes IBM and aims to help a quadriplegic woman in Canada who cannot communicate. He is interested in generally sharing his knowledge about these sorts of technologies with the rest of the community and of course through things like open-source technology and so much more.

Tanmay has toured the world to spread the word on computer programming, including giving public lectures and joining forum discussions, which has meant he has left traditional school in lieu of home schooling. Tanmay’s mum Sumita said despite the different lifestyle and obvious gift, he was still very much a normal child.

India's First Transgender Band with members Asha Jagtap, Bhavika Patil, Chandni Suvarnakar, Fida Khan, Komal Jagtap, Ravina Jagtap & Curator Shameer Tandon

Ms. Yasuko Shimizu is the Chief of Mission for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in India and the Maldives. She took up her post in June 2016.

Ms. Yasuko has been serving with UNHCR for more than 20 years. Prior to her current assignment, she  was the Deputy Chief of Mission, UNHCR India since July 2015 and Deputy Representative, UNHCR Yemen between 2013-2015. She was earlier the Senior Field Coordinator for Rakhine situation,

Myanmar. She has served in various capacities in UNHCR HQ in Geneva and for many field operations such as Afghanistan, Kosovo, Albania, Russia and Uganda. Ms. Shimizu joined the United Nations in 1994 and was first deployed in Geneva. Previously, she also worked in Japan, Ghana and Hawaii. She is a national of Japan and holds a PhD in Policy Studies.