2020 D&I in India Best Practice Conference

Dramatist Anonymous (Dramanon) was founded in 2000 by Ramakrishna Shenoy and the late Chandan Shatapathy, both faculty at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) to serve as a common platform for the diverse student body of Manipal to meet, express and share. Dramanon now operates out of 3 cities – Bengaluru, Hyderabad & Manipal and since 2000 has staged 25 productions and more than 250 shows both nationally and internationally.

Due to medical complications at birth, Hitesh Ramchandi was born with Cerebral Palsy and grew up with severe co-ordination, mobility and speech challenges. Whilst medical professionals were pessimistic about his future, Hitesh remained determined to overcome his challenges to create an extraordinary life. Today, Hitesh is an author, national Paralympic footballer, a Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP) Practitioner, Transformational Coach and Inspirational Speaker. His key message is one of personal empowerment – not just for those with disabilities, but for all: ‘During adversity you can either give up or get up’. His book, 'Better Than Normal' talks about his life, overcoming challenges and living with Cerebral Palsy, and his innovative reinvention by turning his weaknesses into his strengths.
Hitesh is ambitious: “My dream is to inspire 50,000,000 people by just 1% to live a better than normal life!”

Kate Vernon is Executive Director at Community Business. Since 2005, Kate has played an instrumental role in building Community Business as an organisation, driving its strategy forward and establishing its position as a leader in advancing responsible and inclusive business practices in Asia.

A recognised authority on diversity and inclusion in Asia, Kate has authored extensive research and developed a variety of benchmarks and tools to help companies promote more inclusive workplaces in Asia - including Asia’s first LGBT Workplace Inclusion Index. A strong advocate of ‘adopting an Asian lens’ to the discussion of D&I, Kate is passionate about the need to better understand local market dynamics in order to develop an approach that resonates with key stakeholders.

Prior to Community Business, Kate worked for 12 years in the private sector, holding senior international marketing positions for global companies such as Reed Elsevier, Aspect Telecommunications, Cable & Wireless and PeopleSoft. Kate has always had a passion for Asia and holds a first class degree in Chinese Studies from Durham University. After spending 8 years in Hong Kong, she now lives with her family in England.