Dipen Gada, founder of Dipen Gada & Associates (DGA), is celebrated for his minimalistic, innovative designs that blend aesthetics and functionality. Since 1993, DGA has become a leader in civil and architectural planning, recognized by prestigious platforms like Forbes, AD, and Elle Décor.

Ridhi Khosla Jalan is a social media influencer and TEDx speaker, gaining 650,000 followers in a year. Known for her insights into design and creativity, she collaborates with top brands like Boca Do Lobo and Kohler and has been invited to significant events, including India’s Power Talks with Kérastase.

Sumessh Menon is the founder of Sumessh Menon Associates, a high-end interior design firm. Known for his innovative, experimental designs, his firm creates bespoke residential and hospitality interiors globally. He has been recognized as one of India's Top 10 Hospitality Designers and has won multiple awards.

Suresh Eriyat is a pioneering Indian animator and filmmaker, founder of Studio Eeksaurus, with over 500 films to his credit. His work blends Indian cultural heritage with contemporary storytelling, earning international accolades like the Annecy Cristal, while mentoring the next generation of animators.

Dr. Srinivas Daketi is presently working as Assistant Professor in School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada, India. He is an architect-planner with more than 25 years of experience in academics, research and industry in the field of Architecture and Planning. He has completed his Bachelor of Architecture from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad and Master of Planning with specialization in housing from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India. He has achieved his Doctorate degree from School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada on the topic impact of occupation on rural housing. His areas of Interest is Culture, Rural Housing, Vernacular Architecture and Adaptive Reuse. During his tenure as Practicing architect, he was involved in more than 100 residential, commercial, retail and interior Projects. He was also a member of an International project, Building Inclusive Urban Communities, a project funded by Erasmus by European Union. He has received prestigious awards like Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakirishnan Best Faculty Award in 2021 and Indo Asian Distinguished Architect Award in 2020. He was a Member of India Institute of Architects (AIIA), Member of Council of Architecture, India (COA) and Associate Member, The Institute of Town Planners, India (AITP). He is co-author for two books with titles: Design of housing options for the different agro-climatic zones in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Documentation of Traditional Housing Typology for the poor, based on building material usage in the state of Andhra Pradesh. He has published almost 50 research papers in addition to being key note speaker, chairing the conference sessions and receiving best paper awards.

Graduate of the National Institute of Design Ahmedabad in Industrial Design ( Furniture ) . Graduated in the year 1985 and moved to Bangalore which was the garden city with absolutely loveable weather . Not too many design professionals were present in Bangalore at the time .

Founder partner - Tessaract Design 1985 - 1995 . Tessaract Design was a design firm involved in the area of product design and Retail design in the days when neither of the two professions were even known . Worked on a plethora of products and retail spaces with a modern and flexible approach . Worked with Enfield motorcycles , Elgi products for the first table top model of the idli mix grinder , which has now been copied everywhere by almost manufacturers

Brought modularity and ease of set up with a scientific approach to designing retail spaces . Most other designers at this time were working on retail as interior design. Tessaract was the first design firm to change the way retail design and environment was perceived in India . Managing director - Ecospace Furniture 1994-1995 Founded Ecospace within the scope of Tessaract to focus on the aspect of furniture . However due to lack of own manufacturing the venture did not do well . India at that time did not have facilities where one could outsource furniture manufacturing, in volume and in good quality Left Tessaract Design in 1995 to focus on the first passion - To design furniture

Kiri Design - 1995 - 1999 Founded Kiri Design , a Design consultancy in the area of Graphic design and Retail spaces . As a pure consultancy Kiri Design did a lot of work in the area of Retail Graphics and spaces . Corporate identities , and other areas of graphic Design . Kiri Design continues purely as a graphic design firm providing design solutions to clients across the globe . Quetzel Design 1999 - 2018 The first love of Furniture always beckoned and Quetzel Design was set up with the intent of design and manufacture of contemporary furniture . The company set up a state of the art manufacturing unit in 2000 , using hight tech german and Italian machines using CNC technology that was used to manufacture furniture focussing on design for the Indian consumer . Worked largely with wood from all parts of the world . Quetzel has been known for great furniture that grows with you and your home . Quetzel was one of the first design / furniture companies to be selected for Venture funding by one of the first Venture funding companies in the U.S Draper International Bill Draper the father of Venture funding concept was personally involved in the arrangement. Planning of the factory layout for efficiency and buying the right machines was critical in Quetzel delivering large projects . With an initial turnover of sixty five lakhs in the first year we grew the business to a turnover of fifty crores . Present

Verendra Wakhloo is the principal architect of Matra Architects & Rurban Planners in New Delhi. With over three decades of experience, he has co-founded platforms like 'Indian Arch Dialogue' and 'Unplugged Talks', promoting contemporary architectural discourse. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including the ID Honors - Architect of the Year 2024.

Jeremy Smith is a globally recognized architect from Aotearoa New Zealand, known for his exploration of architecture’s response to changing environments. His book Unfinished and Far Far Away examines the intersection of landscape and design in the climate crisis, earning accolades from UNESCO and the World Government Summit.

Dung Ngo, publisher of August Editions and founder of AUGUST Journal, has over a decade of experience in architecture and design publishing. Formerly a senior editor at Rizzoli, he has contributed to monographs for renowned architects and serves on the Board of the National Design Awards.

Mauricio Rocha is a celebrated Mexican architect, founder of Taller Mauricio Rocha, known for his context-sensitive designs. His work, blending local materials with modern technology, has won prestigious awards, including the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize, and is showcased in global collections.

Marlon Blackwell, FAIA, is a renowned architect with over 30 years of experience, known for his iconic designs. His firm has won over 180 awards, including the 2020 AIA Gold Medal, and he has been honored as a lifetime member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Martin Klaasen is an award-winning lighting designer with over 45 years in the industry, primarily in the Asia Pacific region. As the creative leader of Nulty Lighting Group, he has won numerous international awards and is dedicated to educating others through platforms like "Light Talk" and the Virtual Lighting Design Community.

Milinda Pathiraja, co-founder of Robust Architecture Workshop (RAW), is a distinguished architect based in Sri Lanka, with multiple international awards. He has been featured in the Venice Architecture Biennale and was nominated for the Swiss Architectural Award, with his academic research earning several prestigious accolades.

There is never a boundary between the architecture and its surrounding nature in Waro Kishi’s architecture.

His exquisitely designed architecture using steel and glass Kyoto-based architect Waro Kishi has embraced the dynamic interplay of the ancient capital’s historic culture and contemporary Modernism through four decades of practice and teaching both in Japan and around the world.

Since he became independent, he has been winning numerous awards, starting with “Commercial Space Design Award in Excellence” (Japanese Society of Commercial Space Designers) in 1983, “SD Review Award” for Kyoto Historical City Expo event space (Kajima Institute Publishing) in 1987 and “Award for Townscape of Kumamoto Prefecture” for Yunoka Bridge in 1991. Then he reached the “gateway to success” in 1993 by winning “Japan Institute of Architects Award for the Best Young Architect of the Year”. Moreover in 1996, he won the most prestigious architectural award in Japan, “The Prize of Architectural Institute of Japan” for House in Nipponbashi, fully establishing himself as Architect.

Along with his activities as an architect, he began his career as an educator in the same year as he established his own office. Through his whole career, he has been trying to make a contemporary interpretation of those two cultures through his architectural works and also, through his academic position in several Japanese universities and some foreign universities, he had been teaching his principle in his design studio. He continues as Professor at Kyoto University of the Arts from 2016 and is still active as Architect/Educator to this day.

Biography
Born in Yokohama, Japan, 1950/　completed post-graduate course of Architecture, Kyoto University, 1978/ established Waro Kishi + K.Associates/Architects in 1981/ The Prize of AIJ for Design in 1996/ Commendation of the Jury, Dedalo Minosse International Prize in 2006/ Gold Award, 16th Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards in 2008/ Professor, Kyoto University of the Arts