BOARD OF ADVISORS
Takashi Okubo
Chairman of Omi, Furusatokai
Okubo is the Chairman of Omi, Furusatokai, a social welfare organization and a Board Member of Seisen University, a liberal arts institution focusing on women’s education.
He is the former Mayor of Hikone City, Japan and former Council Member of Shiga Prefecture.
He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan.
Dr. Sanjaya Baru
Distniguished Fellow, United Service Institution of India
Sanjaya Baru is an economist and public policy analyst. He was editor, Times of India, Financial Express and Business Standard, and Media Advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He has taught at University of Hyderabad and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore.
He served as Director for Geo-economics and Strategy, International Institute of Strategic Studies, London, and Member of India’s National Security Advisory Board.
He has published over ten books including the bestseller, ‘The Accidental Prime Minister.’
Harald Strotmann
Vice Dean of the Business School, Pforzheim University, Germany
Harald Strotmann is Professor of Economics at Pforzheim University in Germany. Since 2014, he is the Vice Dean of the Business School and is responsible for international accreditation, strategy, and master’s degree programs. He has also been leading the school’s MBA International Management Program since 2009.
Before joining Pforzheim University in 2007, he was Scientific Director at the Institute for Applied Economic Research in Tuebingen (IAW). Over the last 12 years, he has also been involved in a long-term research project in rural Karnataka in the field of sustainable development.
For the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), he serves as a mentor, supporting universities from different countries on their path to international accreditation.n.
Hari Vadlamani CA
Social Entrepreneur
Hari Vadlamani is a Chartered Accountant by qualification and a serial entrepreneur. After developing and exiting ventures in the energy sector, he made a shift towards social entrepreneurship in 2015.
Since then he established two not-for-profit organizations: INDICA and NICE. INDICA focuses on Cultural Education, while NICE is dedicated to Cultural Entrepreneurship.
He seeks to inspire and nurture entrepreneurs and seekers to promote Indic wisdom for the well-being of every being.
Deepanwita Chattopadhyay
Chairman & CEO, IKP Knowledge Park
Deepanwita is responsible for developing the first Life Science Research Park in India and establishing a sustainable innovation and knowledge cluster around a science park through a Public-Private Partnership model. She has deep interest in entrepreneurship, incubation and institution-building.
Deepanwita is the Founder Chairman of Support Elders Pvt. Ltd., a startup committed to providing integrated care for the elderly.
She serves as a Director on the Boards of several management, science and technology, healthcare related institutions.
Maria Luisa Rossi
Co-Founder of Iavicoli & Rossi
Maria-Luisa Rossi boasts an illustrious international design career, marked by her role as the co-founder of the esteemed design consultancy, Iavicoli & Rossi. In this capacity, she has lent her expertise to a diverse array of design endeavors, spanning from interior architecture to the innovative realm of tableware design, with her influence being felt across Europe and Asia.
At present, Maria-Luisa Rossi holds the esteemed position of Global Strategist at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit. Here, she not only successfully spearheaded the launch of a groundbreaking Graduate Program but also served as the Chair and a dedicated Professor. Beyond her institutional role, Maria-Luisa has generously contributed to the design community by serving as an esteemed Advisory Board Member for the Detroit City of Design Research Lab. Additionally, she assumed the pivotal role of Chair for the inaugural Cumulus conference held in the United States, an event of paramount importance, marking the return of the prestigious gathering after a 15-year hiatus. This landmark conference, aptly titled “Detroit 2022: Design for Adaptation,” served as a testament to her dedication to the field.
Maria-Luisa Rossi’s journey through the world of design was initiated at the renowned Domus Academy in Milan, where she pursued a prestigious master’s program in industrial design. It is within these hallowed halls that her passion for design was nurtured, setting the stage for her extraordinary career.
Although Maria-Luisa Rossi hails from her hometown of Florence, Italy, she has cultivated her craft and found inspiration in diverse corners of the globe. Her journey has led her to call Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and now Detroit her home, reflecting the truly international nature of her career and the profound impact she has had on the world of design.
Umakanth Thumrugoti
Artist, Writer and Filmmaker
Umakanth Thumrugoti is a versatile artist, writer, and filmmaker with a distinguished career at Walt Disney Feature Animation. His tenure spanned across iconic films such as Lion King, Pocahontas, Fantasia 2000, Treasure Planet, Chicken Little, and Bolt, among others. Within Disney, Umakanth held various credits on these films, assuming roles such as Technical Director, Lighting Supervisor, Sequence Supervisor, Visual Development Artist, and ultimately Co-Art Director.
In addition to his impactful work in animation, Umakanth has authored notable books, including “Figure It Out: A Thin Book on Figure Drawing” and “Broken Parts – Pies R Squared,” a captivating graphic novel. His feature length live-action children’s film, ‘7 Days In Slow-Motion,’ garnered acclaim at numerous film festivals, including the esteemed Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. Roger Ebert lauded it as “A Bright and Cheerful comedy.”
Currently, Umakanth divides his time between his role as an educator at the prestigious Art Students League of New York and actively engaging in the creation of books in art making and scripts for both animation and live-action films. His multifaceted contributions continue to enrich the world of art and storytelling.
Prof. S. Balaram
Experience as a Designer, Educator, and Author
Prof. S. Balaram has 54 years of experience as a designer, educator, and author. He was a key figure in establishing the National Institute of Design’s new curriculum and was Chairman of Education there. He also founded Design Cells in major Indian cities to support small and medium-scale industries.
He served as the Founder Dean of D.J. Academy of Design in Coimbatore from 2005-2018. An innovator with 4 patents, he has authored 7 books and won numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Award for Universal Design Education from IAUD, Japan, and the Helen Keller Award for Design for the Differently Abled.
Vincenzo Iavicoli
Designer & Professor
Vincenzo Iavicoli is a distinguished designer and professor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where he chaired the Product Design Department for thirteen years. Currently, he focuses on advancing design education internationally.
In his prominent academic background, he has taught at esteemed institutions, including Tsukuba University, Tama Art University, ISIA, Polimoda, and Art Center College of Design. At ACCD, he also held the role of Corporate Liaison Director, overseeing industry-sponsored studio classes. He was honored with the IDSA Educational Award, and continues to conducts workshops worldwide.
Vincenzo holds an MS in Industrial Design from Art Center College of Design and a BFA in Industrial Design from ISIA, Firenze, Italy. His 1984 creation, “The Walking Office,” a Wearable Computer, is included in the Henry Ford Museum’s Design Collection.
