NAFL Guest Lecture Series 2023-24 - A guest lecture series piloted in 2023, where parents of NAFL students, and other industry experts, regularly hold knowledge sessions on their respective areas of expertise relating to critical themes across subjects.

Mr Rahul Sharma

Mr. Rahul Sharma of Clever Harvey addressed our grade 9 and 11 students on his journey as an entrepreneur. An inspiring storyteller, he shared his struggles with failures and parental pressures, nudging our students to consider entrepreneurship through his relatable wisdom. Through case studies and interactive discussions, students explored problem-solving strategies across management, business, risks, banking, and product marketing. Encouraging active participation, he engaged our students in brainstorming solutions to real-world issues. The Clever Harvey workshop fostered a supportive environment, enabling students to connect with Mr Sharma and gain clarity on entrepreneurial concepts.

Mr Umar Akhter

Founder of ethnicwear brand Koskii, Mr. Umar Akhter, shared his entrepreneurial journey with senior students, emphasizing the family-led brand's century-old history in retailing artisanal textiles. Koskii, present in Bengaluru and Chennai, sources materials nationwide, collaborating with numerous artisans through third-party manufacturing. Students drew inspiration from Mr Umar's narrative, expressing a revived enthusiasm for revisiting old business ideas following the impactful session.

Mr. Vivek Tholasi

Mr. Vivek Tholasi of Tholasi Prints Pvt Ltd, addressed our grade 9 business students, sharing insights into his family-led printing business. A prominent offset printing company in Bangalore for 40 years, Tholasi Prints offers top-quality printing and packaging services across sectors. Mr. Tholasi covered the printing process, industry standards, packaging, branding, and inclusive policies for their women employees. He emphasized the importance of legal compliance in entrepreneurship, providing a comprehensive overview of running a successful business.

Mr. Parag Gupta

Mr.Parag Gupta unravelled the nuances of product packaging with our Senior School Business students, as part of our ongoing Guest Lecture series. With a spotlight on Amazon's approach, he emphasised packaging as the initial consumer encounter, exploring how thoughtful design shapes consumer perception. Drawing parallels with iconic brands like Apple and Nike, he underscored the significance of recognizable packaging. Mr.Gupta demystified the journey of an Amazon package from order to delivery, offering insights into the distribution environment. A focal point was the dynamic role of technology in packaging, showcasing Amazon's automated processes leveraging machine learning, AI, numerical analysis, robotics, deep learning, and computer vision. The lecture series continues to bridge the gap between academia and industry, providing students with a holistic perspective on business operations.

Mr. Shridhar Mahuli

NAFL parent Mr. Shridhar Mahuli's Digital Detox session for our students aimed to counter the screen-dominated era, fostering healthier relationships with technology. Covering cyberbullying, the session encouraged mindfulness and reduced digital dependency, concluding with students pledging to respect privacy. The focus was on conscious digital use, and not complete elimination.

Biomimicry India

Why don't fish ever have traffic accidents? Have you ever seen a faded peacock? What do sticky lizard feet have that Fevicol doesnt? NAFL Parents,Ms Seema Anand and Mr Prashant Dhawan of Biomimicry India addressed our Middle School Global Perspectives students as part of the NAFL Guest Lecture Series. The session was a call to action to the hungry and restless explorer within each of us, making Biomimicry accessible to us all through thoughtful and whimsical perspectives and case studies.

Ms Anu Seth and Ms Preetha Wali - Pay It Forward

We were privileged to host a Financial Literacy workshop by Pay It Forward, a social enterprise committed to simplifying money management for students. Led by the founders Ms Anu Seth and Ms Preetha Wali, two experts in the financial domain, the session empowered students with crucial insights on how to achieve their financial goals. Students learnt about the impact of inflation on savings and how to effectively navigate this challenge, and how to harness the "Power of Compounding" to make informed, strategic investment decisions. It's essential to make your money work for you, over time! Students were also introduced to the "Rule of 72", a powerful tool to estimate the time needed to double your investments based on the interest rate - a gamechanger in financial planning.

Pay It Forward's mission to bring accessible, jargon-free financial wisdom to young minds is laudable, and we are grateful to them for helping our students on their financial journeys!

Dr. Manu Santhanam IIT-M

On October 6, 2023, we had an uplifting online interaction with a Guest Speaker, Dr. Manu Santhanam, IIT Madras, who was in Eqypt on work but who gladly agreed to talk to school students about India's first 3D printed Post Office in Cambridge Layout, Bengaluru! IIT Madras was closely involved in the technological support for the project with Larsen & Toubro Limited.

Dr. Manu Santhanam, a Civil Engineering expert, is working on cutting edge technology in his field and sustainability. He addressed our Global Perspectives students of Grades AS & AL on how best to align technological innovation with sustainable architecture. Dr. Manu delved into the mechanics and principles behind 3D printing and its potential to revolutionise affordable, rapid housing construction and even move it to extraterrestrial applications. It was an inspiring session on the future of engineering innovation!

Major Deepshika Gupta (Retd.)

NAFL parent and psychologist, motivational speaker, and stress management expert, Major Deepshika Gupta (Retd.), led a ‘Digital Detox’ interactive session with the parents and students of Grades 6 and 7.

Exploring the tricky topic of online habits, digital cravings and how to beat 'the dopamine loop', we also discussed meaningful family time as well as policing our digital wanderings! The biggest insights came when the children were asked what they would like to do with their parents on a No-Gadget Day. We share their responses:

• I'd like us to 'eat together'.
• It would be fun to play a board game together.
• I want to play cricket, badminton, go swimming, enjoy a camping trip with my family!
• I'd love to draw and paint with my mother.
• I want to 'just have a conversation' with my mother!

We can find the answers together and find it we must. The children need us to listen well and listen deep. We need to monitor our own digital habits as the role models, before we set house rules on digital use for our children!

Mr. Manjunath Hegde

Mr. Manjunath Hegde delivered an enlightening guest lecture to our Senior School Business students on the intricacies of the production process in manufacturing industries and operations management. Drawing parallels between business and real-world scenarios, he shared invaluable insights into production methods and techniques, showcasing the practical application of theoretical knowledge. His engaging session urged students to delve into the complexities of the manufacturing world, fostering a deeper understanding of industry dynamics.

Mr. Ravi Kumar

Mr. Ravi Kumar's Guest Lecture on Sustainability in Manufacturing and Export Businesses captivated our Senior School students. Highlighting the significance of environmental concerns and ethical issues, he framed them as both opportunities and constraints for businesses. Mr. Kumar explored globalisation, explaining its reasons and outlining the opportunities and threats it poses to businesses. He also shed light on the rationale behind governments introducing import tariffs and quotas. This insightful lecture series continues to provide a diverse understanding of industry dynamics, fostering awareness of the challenges and opportunities in the business world.

Dr. Anju Gupta

President & Co-Founder of IvyCamp, Dr Anju Gupta is strongly committed to helping build the next generation of entrepreneurs. We are so grateful to Dr Gupta for sharing her considerable expertise with our Senior School students, leading a session on how to pitch an extraordinary business idea. Students gained insights into what makes an entrepreneur, the role of an investor, and how best to pitch an idea to an investor for finances.

Mr. Jitendra B Gopalakrishna

Mr. Jitendra B Gopalakrishna delivered an insightful guest lecture to our Senior Business students on investment strategies and decision-making. Complementing their syllabus, the workshop provided real-world perspectives on financial planning. Mr. Gopalakrishna's session bridged theory and practice, empowering students with practical insights into investment dynamics and equipping them with valuable knowledge to navigate the complexities of the business and financial world.

Dr Uma M Krishnaswamy

We were delighted to host Dr Uma M Krishnaswamy from St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences to address our Senior School students on the eve of Doctors’ Day. Speaking on the importance of a good sleep routine and gadgets that keep us from it, she offered crucial insights on how diet, screen time and dopamine spikes from Social Media come in the way of a good night’s sleep. With her simple and accessible solutions, she set us thinking how best we could put enough distance between our many 'screens' well before bedtime, to implement a calm, no-scroll agenda before bed. Sweet dreams are made of these!