Talking with a TED Fellow- Ashwin Naidu
Inspiration strikes in spontaneous ways and I would have never imagined a couple of months ago that I could ever have the privilege to speak with a passionate world changer, Ashwin Naidu.
Besides his impressive accomplishment of being a TED Fellow, Ashwin is a dedicated environmentalist who is the President of Fishing Cat Conservancy. You can watch his TED talk online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahD6A6o-gws. His talk is focused on the concept of having a License to Save. I can talk about his many academic achievements, but I know that he would not want me to do that because he is one of the most humble people I have ever spoken to. Although he is brilliant, he never flaunts about what he has accomplished.
I have never been more inspired than I was when I got off of the phone with him. Great leaders not only support you, but also challenge you to BE BETTER and do MORE. And that is what I learned from speaking to him.
I thought Muskaan had a simple mission- donate toothbrushes to the underprivileged in India. But I realized that I will be donating 35,000 PLASTIC brushes twice a year. Mr. Naidu pushed me to think of an environmentally friendly way to continue my mission. Moving forward, we have to think about getting biodegradable brushes or implementing a recycling program to encourage proper disposal.
Mr. Naidu talked about the importance of being humble throughout all of my endeavors. Only then can we learn and grow. One of the main things that really stuck out to me, and something that I try to advocate for as well, is the fact that “We already have the license to save” (this is what his Ted Talk was about). In a similar way, although right now I do not have a PhD, D.D.S, or M.D. I can still make an incredible difference in the world. Muskaan is a way for everyone to get involved, because you do not need extensive education to understand the issues present in the oral health care policy in India. The only “requirement” is humanity. We do not need titles to understand the problems surrounding oral hygiene in India. And that gives each and everyone of us incredible power.
Although this phone call was one of the many discussions I hope to have with Mr. Naidu, it has become a large source of inspiration for truly directing Muskaan to be more environmentally friendly. I am so blessed to have such an inspirational social entrepreneur to look up to in my life.
(For more information about Ashwin Naidu check out these pages: https://snre.arizona.edu/people/ashwin-naidu)
