Community Conversations
[In the photo, from left to right: First row – Richaa Volety, Vansh Mookim, Dyuthi Prashanth, Ishika Kumar. Second row – Aditya Naravane, Arnav Gupta, Jiaan Shah]
Planet Robotics
“For Planet Robotics, it was our first time pitching our project at Junior Shark Tank, so we were thrilled, excited and nervous all at the same time. We got valuable feedback from judges, and gained a different perspective about the automobile field. We got to hear spectacular pitches from other teams about ideas that were truly gamechangers. It was such a cool group. The judges were very knowledgeable and gave great tips to everyone, but what stayed with us was that they were so gracious and were genuinely passionate about innovation and young entrepreneurs. We learned so much from just being there. IAGB was very generous in encouraging all the teams. We are super grateful for the opportunity. We highly recommend participating in the Junior Shark Tank to all middle schoolers who do science fair projects in engineering. We also recommend doing it in teams, because you can get a lot done with teamwork.”
~ Aditya Naravane, Planet Robots
“The shark tank experience was amazing, and I learnt a lot. We approached our project from a completely different perspective, and I learnt a lot about how investors might think. I also learnt a lot about the business aspects of our project, and how adding the numbers and the facts can really make your presentation sound more credible and real. I am thankful for all of the wonderful advice we got, and it was a really wonderful opportunity.”
~ Dyuthi Prashanth, Planet Robots
Christa Arun
“It was truly a pleasure participating in the IAGB Republic day virtual celebrations. I participated in Elocution, Essay, and Poetry competitions. It gave me an opportunity to research relevant and current topics that we face today and prepare accordingly. This also gave me an opportunity to experience my own heritage and culture. Thank you to ALL the coordinators and judges for providing this amazing platform and inspiring us. Thank you, IAGB!”
Anna Arun
“I participated in the Storytelling (Fable) competition. The most exciting part of the competition was when I learned what a fable really means and could create one of my own. When I finished narrating, I was so happy because “I DID IT.” Thank you to the host for your cheerful smile and to the judge for your inspiration. There were a lot of kids and everyone did well!”
Cynthia Raj, IAGB Youth Team President
“Last month, as the IAGB Youth team lead, I had the opportunity to contribute to the various annual IAGB Republic Day festivities. By far, my favorite events were the IAGB SharkTank pitch competitions in part due to my love for entrepreneurship and my experience with these sorts of competitions. As I did last year, I dived head-first into the back-end operation. This year, I organized and judged the first-ever Teeny Tiny Sharks Competition in which elementary school students pitched their business ideas. I also worked on the IAGB Junior SharkTank competition for the second year in a row. We had incredibly qualified judges that were keen on sharing their expansive knowledge. I’d like to emphasize that their philosophy is paramount; more than anything, these events are learning experiences at every stage of involvement. Whether you’re competing or volunteering, you stand to benefit from the IAGB Republic Day events. It’s a wonderful volunteer experience for anyone interested!”
Kishan Angadi, IGAB Youth Team Member
“The annual IAGB Republic Day event is always a special one as many events take place that bring everyone in the community together to participate or watch. This year was extra special since there were multiple episodes of the event throughout the month of January, each one more exhilarating. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to be one of the hosts of the Jeopardy event alongside Mr. Sanjay Kudrimoti and Shlok Kudrimoti. Together, we came up with a diverse question set that really brought out the contestants’ A-game. This was also a very beneficial learning experience for me, as I’ve never been a host. The event itself went very well and was very entertaining, and I hope to get an opportunity like this sometime in the future.”
Nithya Rajeshkanna, IAGB Youth Team Vice President
“I have volunteered for 2 years at Republic Day Events. Volunteering proved to be an amazing experience. It gave me exposure to different roles in the IAGB community and I got to meet adult members of the club. I got to help out my community, and it was fun to do! “
Prerna Mathur
“IAGB is a great platform to showcase our talents and take pride in our love for our nation and community! I am very thankful to IAGB, to have given Kalapi USA, an opportunity to present our passion and love for dance in the Republic Day Celebrations 2022. It is amazing how this organization brings together different talents and groups within our community!”
Shilpa Shetty
“‘Jeopardy competition’ was a great experience for myself and my 17 year old son Sohum Atnoor. The event was very well organized and all the categories were very thoughtfully selected for the competition keeping in mind the younger and older generation to make it over all fun for the whole family. Sohum did very well in the sports and video game category as those are his forte and I did very well in the Indian category. We watch the Jeopardy program on TV everyday without fail and are very fond of taking part in any competition related to Jeopardy and Bollywood quizzes. I also participated in the ‘Bollywood quiz’ to win 2nd place! We loved IAGB competitions and the programs organized for Republic day celebrations!”
Kavyashree Mallanna
“Organizing and directing chess events for IAGB has been a pleasure for me. It’s exciting to note that IAGB president Vaishali Gade has actively worked with me and the chess team for the last ten years to help us promote this Royal game. Pandemic did not hurt the IAGB team’s enthusiasm. Post pandemic, we were able to successfully conduct the virtual chess event using the online lichess platform. This attracted players from different states of the US to take part in these exciting rapid Swiss league format matches. Three different age categories of players fought for the top places in a four rounds tourney. Many adult players participated along with their children making it an extra special experience. On behalf of all the players I would like to thank the IAGB team for making the Indian Republic Day event memorable! “