MUR“When everyone is included, everyone wins,” said Jesse Jackson. This year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ echoes these sentiments, advocating for a global culture of empowerment through equal opportunity.
In the corporate world, the masterclass – a compact, curated lecture delivered by an expert to a focused group of learners – has emerged as one of the most powerful tools of empowerment. This transformative opportunity enables professionals and executives across the corporate hierarchy to learn the the leading motivational speakers for corporate events in India.
Through intimate engagement with highly proficient domain experts, masterclasses nudge you to challenge and disrupt existing ideas and hone your expertise. You get to build skills and harness professional growth in an unconventional setting outside the office.
For Women’s Day (March 8, 2024), FocusU has curated a series of powerful masterclasses hosted by formidable, highly accomplished female motivational speakers, every one of them a powerhouse in their domain.
Meet The Masters
Here’s a round-up of masterclass speakers for International Women’s Day:
Wg Cdr Namrita Chandi on Leadership & Resilience
As a former Indian Air Force Helicopter Pilot and VP of Indocopters, Namrita spearheaded the transformation of Airbus helicopter sales across India and South Asia.
One of the top female motivational speakers, Namrita is an acclaimed corporate trainer and success coach who has also served as the Chief Ambassador of “The Successful Woman” movement.
With 27 years of leadership under her belt, Namrita’s influence has sparked meaningful personal and professional transformations for those under her guidance.
Areas of Expertise:
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- Sales & Business Strategy
- Emotional Intelligence
- Personal & Professional Transformation
- Women in Leadership
Smita Tharoor on Combating Unconscious Bias
Smita, Founder of Tharoor Associates and co-founder of Culturelytics, is a highly respected authority in the world of diversity and unconscious bias. She is a renowned TEDx speaker and a recipient of the prestigious Global Diversity Leadership Award from the World HRD Congress in 2017.
With over 25 years of experience in corporate, regional, and international settings, Smita specializes in fostering a coaching culture within organizations and transforming training and development companies.
Expertise:
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- Emotional Intelligence
- Leadership and Strategy Development
- Diversity & Cross-Cultural Competence
- Executive Coaching
- Cultural Alignment
Roshani Shenazz on Employee Wellness
Post a vibrant 23-year career in the media and film industry, Roshani’s fight against leptospirosis inspired a life-altering shift towards becoming an inner wellness leader.
An acclaimed international speaker and founder of the social enterprise Meher Roshani Foundation, Roshani hosts transformational institutional and corporate workshops on emotional intelligence, diversity and inclusion, and leadership.
She has been awarded UN iCONGO REX Karmaveer Puraskaar JYOTI and Leadership Excellence at the World HRD & CSR Awards, among others, in recognition of her impact-driven work.
Expertise:
- Organisational wellbeing
- Conscious leadership
- Self-awareness and self-regulation
- Emotional intelligence and D&I
Rhea Mazumdar Singhal on ESG, Climate & Sustainability/ Women On Leadership
Rhea founded India’s first and largest sustainable packaging company in 2010. Ecoware disrupted the food packaging industry with the introduction of 100% compostable, biodegradable alternatives to plastic and Styrofoam. In a significant win, Ecoware partnered with Indian Railways, the largest food service operator in India.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, Rhea worked in a successful commercial role with Pfizer’s Oncology team in the UK. She has had a profound impact through collaborations with organizations like Salesforce, Samsung, FedEx, Accenture, and UNEP.
In 2019, Rhea, one of the top 10 motivational speakers In India, received the Nari Shakti Puraskar, the highest civilian honor for women in India.
Expertise:
- Entrepreneurship
- ESG & Climate
- Sustainable Operations & Profitability
- Women in Leadership
- Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
- The Circular Economy
- Future of Work
Dr Shalini Lal on The Future of Work
Dr. Shalini Lal, founder of the think tank Unqbe, is an organizational thought leader who empowers leaders to prepare themselves for “The Future of Work.”
In the capacity of an advisor and speaker, Dr Shalini has worked with several top leadership teams, including CXO teams, in India and globally, on the mega-trends impacting people and organizations. She has a Ph.D. in organizational science from UCLA, an MBA from IIM-A, and a BA with honors in economics from St. Stephens College.
With a career spanning over 20 years, Shalini has held top leadership roles, including CHRO at Escorts Agri, Director of HR at Deutsche Bank, and Head of Organizational Development at Airtel.
Expertise:
- Workplace 2.0
- Mega trends shaping the world
- Future-ready leaders
- Building a culture of innovation
Shital Kakkar Mehra on Executive Presence, Business Etiquette and Leadership
Shital Kakkar Mehra is the creator of India’s first research-based model, the P.O.I.S.E. formula, designed to elevate leaders above their competitors.
Through a career spanning over 20 years, Shital has trained and equipped over 1,00,000 professionals with the mindset and tools to thrive as individuals and as a part of teams – from executives and leading CXOs to star performers in multinational companies.
A best-selling author, Shital serves on the board of the Third Sector Partners and has driven impact across organizations like Accenture, Aditya Birla Group, and EY India.
Expertise:
- Workplace 2.0
- Mega trends shaping the world
- Future-ready leaders
- Building a culture of innovation
Sophia David on Diversity & Inclusion and Unconscious Bias
Sophia is a TED Speaker, a UN Women Speaker, human rights advocate with a focus on Women & LGBTQ+ issues and a leadership coach with 19 years of work experience. She is a fierce Inclusion & Diversity advocate who goes by the pronouns “she, her and hers.”
She works with one of the top four consulting firms in the world and has served leading organizations, including Salesforce, WeWork, Dell, Microsoft, American Express, and Lufthansa. She is certified by the University of Cambridge, UK, and has a background in Neuro-linguistics and Psychology while holding a degree in Mathematics.
Expertise:
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Gender Equality
- Leadership
- Unconscious Bias
Natalia Cohen on Personal Mastery
Natalia Cohen has lived and worked in over 70 countries over 15 years. Her understanding of team dynamics and the importance of connection and effective communication led her to be part of the first all-female team to row unsupported across the Pacific Ocean.
Natalia and the crew set two world records by navigating 9,000 miles from San Francisco to Cairns in a 29 ft ocean rowing boat. Natalia aims to empower others to reach their full potential, face challenges head-on, push through self-limiting boundaries, and be an advocate for effective change management and adaptability to evolving circumstances.
Expertise:
- Effective Communication
- Teamwork – diversity and strength within a team/high-performing teams
- Leadership
- Mental resilience
- Choice and connection
Deeya Bajaj on Women’s Empowerment
At age 14, respectively, Deeya became the youngest member of a sea kayaking expedition along the west coast of Greenland.
She went on to complete a program in mountaineering from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), climbed Mt Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, in the same year, and graduated from Cornell University as an instructor for Cross Country Skiing and White Water Kayaking, four years later.
Since then, she has scaled Mt Everest, Mt.Kilimanjaro, Mt. Vinson, and Mt. Aconcagua. This explorer-adventurer is a living example of how to survive and thrive through challenges and be relentless in the pursuit of dreams. She is emerging as one of the most inspiring women motivational speakers in India.
Expertise:
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Women’s empowerment
- Sustainability & environmental awareness
The Conclusion
There’s no better way to spend Women’s Day than learning and being inspired by powerful masterclasses hosted by the top female motivational speakers, advocating for a diverse, inclusive, nurturing work culture. Each masterclass is around 45 to 50 minutes and can house 15 to 500 participants.
If you and your organization would like to participate in FocusU’s exclusive masterclass line-up, reach out to us and book your spot. Masterclasses can also be customized to meet your organization’s unique needs.
