They came, they saw, they conquered.....
The panelists and the Katalysts did exactly that at the Sixth Annual Convention held on 5th
September in Goa, with the theme, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
“I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference”
The Katalysts come from difficult circumstances yet they are the trail blazers. The theme of
the convention could not be more relevant as they have overcome hurdles to win many
accolades both in academic and extra-curricular activities. They are ambitious, talented,
responsible citizens and leaders. The panelists and guest speakers were perfect role models
for them.
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Every year Katalyst organises national convention in Goa, where students (the Katalysts) from all the
centers get an opportunity to congregate and interact with one another. It also provides a platform
for the budding women leaders to hear leaders from various sectors who are invited for the panel
discussion and with the mentors and supporters who attend the convention. During this convention,
the prestigious Katalyst awards are presented to students who have invested time and effort in
the program and excelled to be the role models for their peers and juniors . The event ends
with performances from talented Katalysts.
This year, we invited transformational women leaders from various sectors to share their journey,
challenges and success, to inspire these young women. It was an awe-inspiring evening, with
eclectic mix of panelists from corporate, Defence and education sectors followed by donors and
mentors, addressing 50 plus Katalyst girls who are from financially challenged background yet
pursuing academic dreams vide Engineering and CA.
1. Ms. Vedika Bhandarkar – Independent Director, ex VP and MD of Credit Suisse, ex MD of
JP Morgan
2. Wing Commander Anupama Joshi – Director of Personnel, Doon School, One of the first
12 women in Air Force. She also fought for equal rights for women in Air Force and won
the case after 7 years.
3. Ms. Chitra Jain – Teacher and Educator, Greenlawns High School
They also got to interact with our donors, Ms. Aparna Chaudhary from DLF Foundation and
Mr. Gopal Jain of Gaja Capital. The trainers and mentors who help us with our key
interventions, Niranjan Waghmare and Mr. Dwarkanath, were also present to motivate the
Katalysts.
The Katalysts walked away with messages of being perseverant, fearless and having no
regrets and are motivated to relentlessly work towards their own personal and professional
goals.
The panel discussion was followed by the Katalyst Awards function, when awardees from
among these 50 odd Katalyst girls stood up to speak leaving the audience dumbfounded.
They deserved the Best Katalyst, Prestigious Placement, Badi Didi, Ideal Mentee, Miss
Perseverant, Miss Rookie and Best Alumni Awards.
The evening turned magical with scintillating performances by Katalyst girls from all the
centers. The audience was riveted by melodious voice of some girls and by graceful and fun
dance of the others.
“It was indeed a delight to be a part of Katalyst’s 6th Annual Convention and I must
congratulate you and your team on the success of the programme. I am heartened to see
the quality and impact of the programme and your growing numbers. My interaction with
the DLF Scholars from Pune and Bangalore left me touched and contented. I am confident
that you are grooming them into leaders of tomorrow and that they will play an important
role in shaping the society and the credit goes to the efforts put in by Katalyst.” – Aparna
Chaudhry, Deputy Manager, DLF Foundation
“The Katalysts have reinforced my belief that economic status has no bearing on one's
intellectual ability, all they need is the desire, zeal, exposure and opportunities. And now I
have faith that India will have many women leaders, way beyond the 4% at senior
management level as Mckinsey report has plotted it! The convention has reminded me of
my role, my team's role and all our stakeholders' role in creating these women leaders!” –
Poorvi Shah