Logo Goethe-Institut

Max Mueller Bhavan | India Kolkata

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6:30 PM

Circles Have No Corners: Feminist Leaderschip in Contemporary Workspaces

Panel Discussion|with Avantika Jalan, Kritika Trehan and Rituparna Banerjee, moderated by Paramita Saha.

EmPOWERment. Art and Feminismus in Kolkata | Panel Discussion © Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai | Bombay Duck Designs

EmPOWERment. Art and Feminismus in Kolkata © Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai | Bombay Duck Designs

Feminist leadership in today’s businesses is about creating inspired, inclusive workspaces that empower people across genders. This discussion will explore what it takes to build such environments.

Panelists

The panelists, who are trailblazers leading creative businesses in Kolkata and beyond, will share their experiences, insights, and personal journeys.

  • Avantika Jalan is a social entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the tea industry, working at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, community building, and responsible business practices. She also advises businesses on adaptive reuse of heritage properties and recently founded The Red Bari, a restored multi-use space in Kolkata. Avantika holds a Master’s in Development Practice from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.

  • Kritika is the founder and creative head of Studio Ping Pong, a graphic design studio based in Kolkata and Bangalore. With over a decade of experience, she has worked with clients such as Booking.com, Thirdwave Coffee, Amazon Prime, Oxfam International, UNICEF, and the Goethe-Institut. Her practice spans commercial branding and packaging as well as editorial and publication projects for global social impact organizations.

  • Rituparna Banerjee is a chef and founder of Nutcase Etc., a neighbourhood cocktail parlour that reimagines how bars can feel and function through thoughtful design, conversation-led hospitality and personalised hosting. A computer science graduate with an MBA, she began her career at Oracle before moving into hospitality, and is also the co-founder of Curry Fwd Collaborations, shaping contemporary Indian food and bar concepts globally for over a decade. An alumna of the Women Entrepreneurship Programme at IIM Bangalore, she uses Nutcase Etc. to explore how intimate, intentional spaces can challenge norms and foster genuine human connection.

  • Paramita Saha is a performer, curator, and interdisciplinary arts professional who uses solution-driven thinking, communication, and creative methodologies to shape future-focused communities. She is the Co-founder and Director of Artsforward, where for two decades she has been building an accessible alternative ecosystem for contemporary art, performance, and socially engaged creative practices by bringing the arts into unexpected spaces and fostering critical conversations.