The deeper we go within, the further we reach out
THE DEEPER WE GO WITHIN, THE FURTHER WE REACH OUT
Madhu Shukla
Founding Partner
Madhu Shukla is a theatre and creative arts- based facilitator in Bangalore. She believes in the power of arts-based practices to live and lead with creativity, purpose and service. She is a story practitioner and co-founder of “By the River”, a storytelling initiative started in 2014 that revels in taking the joy and power of stories to adults, organisations and communities. Since her post-graduation in Acting from The National School of Drama, New Delhi, she has deeply explored the applications of theatre, storytelling and Psychodrama practices to facilitate leadership and personal transformation for over 15 years now. The co-founder of India’s first all-women’s Improv group – The Adamant Eves, she is one of the early members of the improv community in Bangalore. Madhu offers open workshops for groups as well as coaching for individuals- in the areas of emotional wellness and creative confidence.
Vijji Chari
Founding Partner
Vijji Chari wears several hats – a leadership coach, facilitator, researcher and storyteller. With over 20 years of experience, she has led consulting assignments in the area of individual & organizational development. She facilitates growth labs for women on leadership through personal narratives. Vijji is most passionate about creating spaces for individuals and groups for explorations at self and interpersonal levels. In business organizations, she has used storytelling to facilitate themes such as change management, diversity & inclusion and personal transformation. As co-founder of ‘By the River’, Vijji deeply connects with the power of stories and spontaneity to nurture authentic conversations.
Our Collaborators
Sue Hollingsworth
Storyteller, Teacher, Coach
Sue is the Director of the Centre for Biographical Storytelling , a Founding Member of the Centre for Narrative Leadership, a Founder of the International School of Storytelling, Patron of the Amari Storytelling Project in Crete, Greece and a Consultant to Seiba Storytelling in Istanbul, Turkey. In her past avtaar she has been a certified MBA and has also served as a director in the IT industry. She is co-author of the best-selling book The Storyteller’s Way: Sourcebook for Inspired Storytelling (2012)and is currently completing another book on telling true life stories. She has been performing and teaching storytelling for over 20 years. She is an acclaimed, internationally recognised workshop leader ,a coach and she regularly performs programmes of both traditional and biographical stories for adults. Read more about her here and about her work with personal stories here.
Kavya Srinivasan
Theatre Person. Playwright
A writer, theatre performer and storyteller, Kavya is a dynamite of energy! She has been on and off stage for the last ten years. She cares deeply about diversity, reading good books, and Bangalore's heritage. After two years working at a disability not-for-profit, she decided to explore creative work full time. When not on stage, you can find her reading or daydreaming. Read more here
Neharika Vohra
Psychologist, Vice Chancellor - Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University
Neharika Vohra, Psychologist and currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University and on leave from her position as professor at IIM Ahmedabad. Her interests are in the area of leadership, gender, inclusion, and education. She is passionate about travelling and gaining perspectives and feels storytelling and story listening is an important process in the life of humans. She would love to have educators and professionals use stories in their work, and looks forward to hearing and telling interesting stories of people who are invisible. Read more here
Neelcantan Balakrishnan
Facilitator Coach
Neel has stepped into the independent consulting world after a rich experience of 18 years on the corporate side. An avid reader, fitness freak and a divergent thinker, he has played many roles in his corporate role - from Talent Development Head to Innovation Catalyst to Facilitator. Neel primarily works on 'solving business learning challenges' with a business lens. Certified as an ACC coach, Gallup Strength Finder coach, Hogan coach, he is also one of the few Lego Serious Play certified facilitators in India. Neel also generates ideas every time he exhales. Read more here
Christopher Malapitan
Facilitator, Visual Artist
Christopher Malapitan is an independent creative facilitator and trainer based in Brussels. With many years of experience working in creative industries, he supports communities and teams to explore and unlock what drives them. From big-picture thinking to storytelling, from body movement to collaborative arts-based approaches, he applies a unique blend of innovative processes and practices to his facilitation work. He is also the organiser of the Brussels Creativity Lab – a meetup for anyone interested in exploring, questioning and discovering their creativity in a fun and friendly environment. Read more here
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