Taj Inner Circle keeps hosting memorable evenings for its members be it about food, cocktail making or talks by distinguished speakers. Recently I got the privilege to attend an evening where three change makers Ritesh Malik, (founder of Innov8), Rishi Mukherjee (co-founder of Scoop Whoop) and Subir Malik (co-founder of Parikrama Band) shared their unforgettable journeys through pictures accompanied by a ten minute talk.
The best part about the experience was that the talk was organised in the cozy and comfortable atmosphere of Rick’s Bar at Taj Mahal Hotel which made the rendezvous intimate and interactive. It was less of a speech and more of a conversation.
Ritesh Malik shared his visual journey through some interesting pictures starting from his childhood. He was a trained surgeon who quit his job to pursue a field he knew nothing about. He created an app called Alive which was later bought by the Times group. His shared workspace concept Innov8 took off big time and he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs today.
In his presentation he also shared the 9 qualities a person needs to possess to be successful- Action, Learner, Confident, Humble/Hustler, Enthusiastic/Optimist, Majestic Dreamer, Innovator, Strategic Thinker and Tinkerer which together form ALCHEMIST (the change maker).
Rishi Mukherjee of Scoop Whoop also shared his journey through a string of photographs describing his days in Web Chutney and how he along with a bunch of other enthusiastic youngsters started Scoop Whoop. I found his talk rather interesting because I’m an ardent follower of Scoop Whoop’s stories. Started in an old farm house, away from the city, it’s now a big online content creating firm with more than 200 employees.
Rishi himself is a humble, down to earth person who considers not only big fishes like Buzzfeed but even a small time blogger as a competition. I totally agree to his view because in today’s social media behaviour where shared content is on steroids, content is king and unless one delivers on this front he/she will fade away without a trace.
Subir Malik’s journey was musical (of course), exciting, emotional and nostalgia inducing. After all he is the co-founder of India’s one of the liveliest Hard Rock Band. Their music is largely inspired and influenced by the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors.
During my college days we always wished Parikrama performs at our annual fest but that didn’t happen. The most surprising thing about this band is that since the time the band started i.e. year 1991, it has not released even a single album till date. They still believe in giving out their music for free and all their songs are available for download on their website.
I feel privileged as I got the opportunity to not only listen to the speakers but also talk to them. I’m already looking forward to Taj Inner Circle’s next event.
