Rarebirds

She started as an aspiring doctor. She landed up a seat in a pharmacy college. She went on to secure an MBA in marketing. Post that, she joined an FMCG company in a metro city, only to shift base to her hometown, with work in a construction firm’s office.  She went on & published a book titled ‘Me to Mommee’, just a year after her child’s birth.  But it was only some time ago that she found her true calling -

Storytelling.

That’s her venture, passion & profession, today : Tell Tales – Where stories come to life! Yup. The movie of ‘3 idiots’ should have had her as an opposite-to- Rancho-kind-of-character, who landed up in her current field after multiple hop-skip-jumps! That’s how fluffy her hat of myriad experiences in various sectors is. But she believes that no experience ever goes in vain, as the learnings come to use in the most unforeseen ways of life.  Combine that with the world’s most powerful muse, one’s imagination, and you get a person who can go on & on with words!  Aarti Khatwani Bhatia says ‘Hello, everyone!’ Oh, no, don’t run away because I just wrote over a 100 words quoting myself in third person!  Please wait, as it is just about to get even sillier!  Who gained anything by being serious, anyway?  No woman with an office bag in one hand, & a diaper in the other; that’s for sure!

Now, let’s talk stories.

What is the last story you remember having heard? (No, the ones on Instagram don’t count.)

What is the last story you remember having narrated? The answers to these questions are so close that your vision is blurring them out. Remember watching something on the television or on a streaming platform, last night? THAT is the last story you heard.  Easier still, remember talking to your friend, family member or colleague just a few minutes ago? THAT is the last story you narrated.  Remember reading the last few lines around reviving your story-memory?  THAT is yet another a story I just shared with you!

Storytelling is probably the simplest, yet the most amazing, form of art.  It is simply putting words out in an expressive, emotive manner.  Which is why my declaration in the form of Tell Tales (a storytelling platform for adults) applies to one & all – There is a storyteller in each one of us.  You just need to bring them out by making your stories visual through narrating videos.  There is much more to share, but I will save that for later. For now, I am Aarti Bhatia.  And this is my story. Well, so far, that is!

A dynamic, flexible and results oriented product development, operations professional & entrepreneur. Collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders and learning about the needs of new sectors from scratch to bring innovative ideas and business success.  Have worked on a number of product launches in the US, Europe and Middle East.  Spent two years spent in Paris working at Ledger.com helping to scale operations revenues from $10M to $90M.  Spent five years in Dubai on Product capacity at Careem, Starz Play, and Yahoo!.  All this has given me the ability to put on wider lenses when getting an idea off the ground. Addressing all types of issues from finance, HR, sales and marketing.   Have good speaking and understanding  of Arabic, French and German (elementary).

On leaving the Horn of Africa country after the war, gained degrees from the UK in BSc Economics & Social Policy and Post Graduate in Computing. His first technology job was with French online price comparison, Kelkoo.com. In 2004, it was acquired by Yahoo! for $650mn. At Yahoo!, he had the opportunity to work for one of the early Internet giants. 

During my 10 years at Yahoo! I have been involved in a wide array of product developments in London, California, and Dubai. In Dubai, I also worked for Careem which has wholly been acquired by Uber for $3.1bn. More recently in Paris for Ledger.com who provides security and management of digital currencies an exciting new arena. And now, I return to my roots with a Cars Marketplace project (Gawaarida.com) dedicated to Somalia... New time, new challenges but the same heart and energy to make a difference,”.

Proudly Moroccan, The foundation of my education and understanding is built on a unique Geopolitical and Societal diploma completed in the early stages of my growth. This prepared me for an approach not only with a business mind but with a political understanding too. I have grown from financial consultancy experience, language expertise and a large amount of political work to a strong passion in the world of Technology. With my Oxford University Blockchain Strategy Knowledge of the Blockchain Ecosystem/
Innovations in Value Transfer/Decentralized Apps and Smart Contracts/Transforming Enterprise Business Modules and the Blockchain Frontiers as well as my vast understanding and experience in the political and financial arena - my approach to the development of this new technology is unique given my established networks and full stack strategy. I am driven by the desire to succeed and make a difference in all I do - that said, I intend to actively be a part of supporting the education and development.

Abi Begho (nee Ajose-Adeogun) is the Director and Public Health Project Manager here at Lake Health and Wellbeing. She manages all our projects and the day-to-day running of this small not-for-profit company.

She holds a BSc. in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham, a MSc. in Clinical Biochemistry with Molecular Biology from the University of Surrey and a Masters in Public Health from King’s College.  She started her career in the pharmaceutical industry working firstly for the biotech company, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and after four years at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Abi accepted a position at the multinational Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis where she worked as a Scientific Associate at the Novartis Horsham Research Centre in West Sussex.

After five years of working in the pharmaceutical industry Abi decided to explore a different side of research by becoming a Scientific Programme Manager at the National Cancer Research Institute based at Cancer Research UK and then after the project came to an end, Abi worked for Ovarian Cancer Action as a Healthcare Project Manager, has acted as a consultant for charities such as Paul’s Cancer Support Centre and returned to Cancer Research UK to work on their Health Professional Engagement Facilitator programme.

Abi founded The Lake Foundation in 2013 to address the health inequalities that exist in the UK. She relocated to the beautiful twin island state of St Kitts and Nevis (where her mother is from) at the end of 2017 and reformed The Lake Foundation as Lake Health and Wellbeing in St Kitts in February 2018.

Abiodun Anani is a Professional Marketing Strategist with over nine (9) years of cross-cultural experience in marketing, Branding and events. With outstanding achievements in delivering innovative solutions, and facilitating efficiency.  She began her marketing career at Oracle in 2011, an experiential marketing company as a Marketing Executive. Where she hosted several product demonstrations, activation and events. Abiodun then moved to Holidays and Host in 2018 where she served as Head, Public Relations and Marketing a luxury lifestyle company.  During her stay at Holidays and Host she played a lead role in the success of The AMTF Trade Fair which had over 20,000 participants, she’s also the creative director of Mainland Children Funfair.

She’s currently a Growth Marketer at PML Advisory Limited, where she oversees marketing, sales and business development departments and works directly with the management group to help ensure continued growth.  She’s known for sharing professional marketing content to help marketing enthusiasts and business owners accelerate in today’s competitive market.  Abiodun holds an accounting degree from National Open University of Nigeria.

ADANNA AUSTIN is a renowned Caribbean Business Coach, Strategist and Consultant, based in Trinidad and Tobago, she has also been operating across the English-speaking Caribbean Region for the past two years. Adanna has supported more than 500 entrepreneurs across three key markets to develop a winning mindset, with clients reporting as much as 25% in new business growth, 50% increase in profitability and 35% in new sales and clients. Adanna works one on one with entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level, she is highly sought after because of her wealth of experience, her dynamic approach and genuine interest in seeing her clients grow the business of their dreams. Adanna is also an avid Writer having contributed to many regional publications including Caribbean Beat (Trinidad & Tobago), Maco Magazine (Barbados/Trinidad & Tobago), SHE Caribbean (St. Lucia) and Shabeau (Barbados). In January 2016 she started a Blog and has written 42 articles educating her readership on how to set SMART goals, identify ideal clients, boost productivity and performance, and develop strategies to generate increased revenue.  Having worked across a wide array of Sectors, Adanna has held several senior positions in finance, banking, education,

publishing, advertising, FMCG and recruitment. She has also worked in the United Kingdom and most recently across ​Government in Trinidad & Tobago at the Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago, and the Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman.   ​As the Business Owner and Founder of Marketing Dynamics Business Solutions,  Adanna provides business coaching and support to small and medium-sized firms covering marketing plans, advertising, strategic partnerships, media schedules, event planning, social media and branding. Her clients say that she is accessible, connected, willing to share, has a love of teaching, and holds them accountable. (Testimonials are attached.) Managing one of the most active business mentoring Facebook groups in the Caribbean Region, Dynamic Business Strategist, Adanna provides a platform for over 1,000 entrepreneurs from across the globe to network, test business ideas and work together to develop their growth strategies. She provides daily motivation and inspiration to this group of micro, small, medium and large enterprises in a highly competitive and challenging global business environment.

​She also organises several mastermind eventsproviding a forum for entrepreneurs to network and build their confidence, knowledge and expertise.  Adanna is also an active volunteer, mentoring youth entrepreneurs involved in start-ups across all sectors from technology to food and beverage. In 2016, she became a mentor with Women Innovators of the Caribbean Acceleration Program (WINCAP TT) 2016 as well as Youth Business Trinidad & Tobago (YBTT).

Adeshina is the CEO/Co-founder for One Kiosk Africa, where he focuses on inspiring the team towards achieving a sustainable e-commerce model for Africa. Adeshina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Bowen University and post graduate diploma in Entrepreneurship from the Lagos Business School. He is driven by his commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. He has shown high level of commitment in driving positive change, promoting sustainable development goals and capacity development through various programs in Nigeria, Africa and the Globe. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts UK, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management; a member of the Institute of Management Consultant and several other associations. He actively participates voluntarily in facilitating courses on innovation and creativity for fresh graduates in partnership with the Knowledge Exchange Center (a Nigerian Nonprofit Organization) focus on bridging the knowledge gap of fresh graduates and creating job opportunities for all. He is also a mentor with the Tony Elumelu Foundation where he supports various emerging entrepreneurs across Africa. Adeshina started his career in 2011 as an intern at Abel Aiyedogbon and Co, where he served as an audit assistant and shortly upon graduation took up other appointments with Stanbic IBTC Asset Management, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Pioneer COO of Proville and now CEO/Cofounder of One Kiosk Africa. Adeshina has engaged on various local and international platforms among which include but not limited to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) 100 African Startup Initiative and Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Ain Earle introduces the brand, The Fashion Arch to the fashion fraternity.  The Fashion Arch is a brand consulting entity aimed at assisting designers with branding, quality control, promotions as well as ensuring their work is well-known and accepted by clients, buyers and retailers. The brand will also assist boutique owners with new products, store design and quality control.

Ain aims to be the leading and most reliable provider of branding services to fashion designers and creatives.  Her passion and upbringing in learning to support and appreciate products and services created and sold by her fellow men have given her the right tools to get her on her way.

An avid supporter and advocate of Trinidad and Caribbean fashion coupled with her educational background in Tourism and Hospitality Management, she thrives on attaining quality service, awareness and acceptance of local talents and products.   Because of this passion and being introduced to the local fashion scene some years ago she always thought that more could be done to raise awareness of and respect for the designers around her. Hence she and two other colleagues started Racked – The Fashion Market, an inclusive shopping experience, exposing fashion and accessories designers and their unique, quality products, all 100% designed and made right here in Trinidad & Tobago, or by a Trinbagonian living abroad. This event has solidified her interest in assisting with producing new experiences for networking with clients and buyers and guaranteeing that there is continued brand profitability through her committed service. She has served on the board of the Fashion Association of Trinidad and Tobago and is currently a board member of the Caribbean Fashion Arts Feature Festival. ​FA curates, creates and promotes a brand story that produces a connection between each piece/product/service and its customer. The Fashion Arch prides itself in bridging a gap for designers by enhancing their marketing and branding foothold while assisting with opportunities for new business and partnerships.

Ajay Mittal in his current role is a Director, India and South Asia (Climate Change Programs) for Earth Day Network, Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 75,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy.  Ajay is a member of the Global Shapers community an initiative of the World Economic Forum and also part of the Climate Action Steering Committee of Global Shapers Community.

He was trained to be a Climate Reality Leader at Brisbane, Australia in June,2019 and has also been recognised as one of the EE 30 Under 30 leaders 2019 cohort by North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). The award recognises young leaders using environmental education to build sustainable communities.  In 2017 he initiated the movement called Kolkata Clean Air (KCA). Kolkata Clean Air started as a campaign has slowly taken shape into being a fast growing organisation by the name of Active Citizen For Sustainability (ACTS) that works towards building a model for citizen state partnership towards building a sustainable city.  Ajay still volunteers his time as Co-founder and board member at ACTS.

Ajay is also a voluntary director at Project Life Force (PLF) which is the largest organisation working on voluntary Blood donation in Kolkata, India. Ajay has played a significant role in growing the organisation since its inception 6 Years ago. PLF has organised over 300+ Camps, with 180+ Organisations and has Facilitated over 60000+ Units of Blood via camps and city's only 24/7 Helpline touching 1,50,000+ Lives Positively. Over 800+ Volunteer have been part of this movement.

He is also on board of several city based NGOs that includes HIVE India, Y-East , SwitchON to name a few. He is passionate about scaling social solutions using technology, innovations and simplicity.

Alan  is the co-founder and owner of Brands Of (alongside his brother). They were both studying abroad when they experienced the nostalgia many do when abroad. This was the beginning of their company, Brands Of, a startup company committed to exporting goods from Latin American countries and providing a drop shipping-plus-fulfillment service from Puerto Rico.

Brands of looks to supply consumers especially the Latin-American diaspora with the brands and products they love from their home country while enabling local entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to export. We are building the largest quality based catalog of Latin-Americans products and brands “The concept of Brands of started with Brands of Puerto Rico. In the first days of March 2014 Puerto Rico’s bonds degraded to junk because of the ongoing economic crisis, parallel to this a greater number of Puerto Ricans started moving to the continental USA looking for more opportunities. We saw this as a great opportunity for the local entrepreneurs to start exporting their products and brands to satisfy the growing market outside of Puerto Rico created by the diaspora. Since our background is based on technological entrepreneurship, it was natural to us to create a platform where the diaspora could buy the products they miss while supporting the brands they love.”

Ali Aflah is the Co-Founder of Bright Minds Education; the leading online tutoring service in the Maldives. Aflah takes pride in integrating technology into teaching in order to nurture interest amongst young students from an early age. Moreover, he uses a multitude of tech to encourage efficient and fun learning aiming to showcase that Online learning is an equally beneficial method of learning as opposed to traditional methods. Ali Aflah is also a firm believer that high quality education is something that should be accessible to all students that have a passion for learning. In this way, he launched Bright Minds Education for free initially. Even afterwards, he made sure that the prices offered were the lowest in the Maldives. In his pursuit he has taught students in over 35 islands in the Maldives, and he states that this is only just the beginning.

Ali Qadir 李卡 is from Quetta Balochistan, the southwestern province of Pakistan. He is a postgraduate student of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA). Currently, he is doing his master degree in Applied Economics majoring in International Trade from College of Economics and Management, NUAA. He has been living and studying in Nanjing, Jiangsu since 2014. Since very young age, he has been deeply concerned about the global challenges and he is passionate about taking voluntarily actions on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. He is the founder of ‘From Compassion To Action (FCTA)’. FCTA is an independent group of international student and expat volunteers, from various countries with different skin colors and diverse languages, but maintaining the same belief, that is, turning compassion into action and contributing to society with love.  Since its inception in 2016, FCTA has been voluntarily organizing several projects on achieving the goals of SDGs 2030 in Nanjing, Jiangsu and Anhui province of China. Besides organizing volunteering projects, Ali Qadir has also done numerous talks on creating the sense of responsibility among people to get concerned about the global challenges and voluntarily start taking actions on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Alice was born in Chad and raised in Abidjan and Lille.  She has lived and worked in London and currently resides in Zurich.  She is the Founder and CEO of Ayoka Deco, a platform designed to make the work of young black artists around the world available to everyone.

Miss Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is a trade and development consultant and founder of Caribbean Trade Law & Development, a consulting firm specialising in international trade and development consulting. She is also a Consulting Legal Researcher with FRANHENDY Attorneys. Alicia is passionate about issues dealing with the development of Caribbean and other small states. Her professional career includes extensive trade research and consulting for private individuals, NGOs, and international organisations. ​She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Political Science (First Class Honours), a Masters of Science (M.Sc.) in International Trade Policy with distinction and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) with Upper Second Class Honours. She also holds the FITT Certificate in International Trade credential. Alicia is a member of the Ottawa-based Forum for International Trade Training (FITT), the Michigan-based Academy for International Business and the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA). She is also the CARIFORUM Representative/Trade Expert with the Brussels-based African, Caribbean & Pacific Young Professionals Network (ACP-YPN).  Alicia is multilingual and is conversational in French, Spanish and Portuguese. When she is not hard at work, she is spending time with her loved ones, reading, exploring other cultures or travelling the world!

I am trained to Masters Level as a Fine Artist in London and New York City,

where I exhibited my artwork in various galleries, wrote freelance art criticism

and designed websites plus many other gigs too numerous to list.

I also worked in retail and as an advocate for vulnerable adults. In 2013,

when my Pomeranian passed away, I took a business course and decided

to combine my lifelong love of animals with my creative skills by starting

Chacharocks.

I am also a trained animal communicator and I live with Ronnie my

​adopted greyhound.