Lakshmi Pratury
Encyclopedia
Lakshmi Pratury is the co-host of TEDIndia 2009, host and curator of The INK Conference
and founder of Ixoraa Media, whose mission is to strengthen the ties between United States and India through sponsored corporate, cultural, and media events. She was featured in the list of the 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Asia in 2010. She was a leading force at the American India Foundation
, an organization that raised over 30 million dollars in five years towards development activities in India. Lakshmi has published articles in San Jose Mercury, San Francisco Chronicle
, and Mint
. She has interviewed celebrities, contributed to radio shows, including National Public Radio, and acted in some theater productions. She has also spoken at the TED conference in the US, the DLD Conference in Germany, and at IIM
Bangalore.
, India. She has since lived in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Syracuse, New York
, Portland, Oregon
, and currently travels between her homes in the Bay Area and in Bangalore, India.
She studied at Nizam College
in Hyderabad where she received a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics. She then attended IIT Mumbai, then got an MBA from the Bajaj Institute, India, and a second MBA from Portland State University
, where she minored in Theater Arts.
, which offered technology education to over 80,000 children and 2,000 teachers in India. She also launched the AIF
Summit for social entrepreneurs from India. In 2009, she hosted TEDIndia, and then in 2010 founded The INK Conference
, designed to continue the momentum created by TEDIndia.
The INK Conference
INK is an annual conference held in association with TED. It brings together influential thinkers and doers from around the world and in a variety of disciplines, including art, architecture, dance, design, music, science, social entrepreneurship, sports, and technology...
and founder of Ixoraa Media, whose mission is to strengthen the ties between United States and India through sponsored corporate, cultural, and media events. She was featured in the list of the 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes Asia in 2010. She was a leading force at the American India Foundation
American India Foundation
The American India Foundation is a nonprofit American organization that is devoted to accelerating social and economic change in India...
, an organization that raised over 30 million dollars in five years towards development activities in India. Lakshmi has published articles in San Jose Mercury, San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, and Mint
MiNT
MiNT is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST and its successors. Together with the free system components fVDI , XaAES , and TeraDesk , MiNT provides a free TOS compatible replacement OS that is capable of multitasking.MiNT was originally released by Eric Smith as...
. She has interviewed celebrities, contributed to radio shows, including National Public Radio, and acted in some theater productions. She has also spoken at the TED conference in the US, the DLD Conference in Germany, and at IIM
IIM
IIM may refer to:*Indian Institutes of Management, a group of business schools in India*Alternative name for Mexican pop group Flans for 2002 revival, from initials of names Ivonne, Ilse and Mimí...
Bangalore.
Background
Lakshmi was born in VisakhapatnamVisakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...
, India. She has since lived in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and currently travels between her homes in the Bay Area and in Bangalore, India.
She studied at Nizam College
Nizam College
Nizam College was established in 1887 during the reign of Nawab Mir Mahaboob Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI, in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. It is located at Basheerbagh.-History:...
in Hyderabad where she received a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics. She then attended IIT Mumbai, then got an MBA from the Bajaj Institute, India, and a second MBA from Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
, where she minored in Theater Arts.
Career
Lakshmi worked at Intel for 12 years as a marketer and evangelist. After this she moved to a VC firm, Global Capitalist Partners, where she focused on connecting India's software-development community with that of the US. She then moved to SchoolsOnline and founded the Digital Equalizer program, which became part of the American India FoundationAmerican India Foundation
The American India Foundation is a nonprofit American organization that is devoted to accelerating social and economic change in India...
, which offered technology education to over 80,000 children and 2,000 teachers in India. She also launched the AIF
AIF
AIF may refer to:*AIF , refer List of role-playing games by name*Accredited Investment Fiduciary*Adult Interactive fiction, a game genre*American India Foundation*Anti-Iraqi Forces*Apoptosis inducing factor...
Summit for social entrepreneurs from India. In 2009, she hosted TEDIndia, and then in 2010 founded The INK Conference
The INK Conference
INK is an annual conference held in association with TED. It brings together influential thinkers and doers from around the world and in a variety of disciplines, including art, architecture, dance, design, music, science, social entrepreneurship, sports, and technology...
, designed to continue the momentum created by TEDIndia.