As we inch closer to ZafigoX Rejuvenation, we’ve been finding it hard to keep some information to ourselves. Mostly because our lineup features amazing women who’ve done admirable things in their lives, and we’re all looking forward to hearing their stories!
Join us at ZafigoX and be inspired by these incredible women (and more to come) as they ignite your inner trailblazer and shape our future as women. This list is by no means exhaustive—do stay tuned as we unravel the full programme.
Without further ado, allow us to introduce; in no particular order:
Dr. Mona Minkara, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Northeastern University
Speaker at ZafigoX Rejuvenation
Dr. Mona Minkara is a blind scientist, adventurer, and storyteller. After losing her eyesight at a young age, Mona became known for her passion, dedication, and commitment to the idea that ‘Vision is More than Sight’.
She serves as an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Northeastern, leading the Minkara COMBINE Lab. She is also the Founder and Creative Lead behind the original YouTube travel show, Planes, Trains, and Canes (PTC).
Independently navigating cities, both ancient and modern, Mona boards planes, trains, buses, boats, and more to experience cultures and make meaningful connections with people all over the globe. Come along with Mona as the blind traveler, as she explores what it means to access the unknown.
Mona founded PTC as a platform to introduce a global audience to diverse cultural experiences of public transportation and inspire reflection on hidden assumptions about disability and independence. PTC is a project that challenges the audience to consider their own freedom in new ways.
Mona Minkara
Planes, Trains, and Canes (PTC)
January Low, Odissi Dancer
Performer & workshop host at ZafigoX Rejuvenation
January Low, born, raised, educated, and currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, specialises in an Eastern classical Indian dance form known as Odissi and has been practising for close to 30 years. Her practice observes how Odissi exists in her daily Southeast Asian female body and investigates various entry points to create different encounters with Odissi, enabling agency for both audience and performer. She is currently under the mentorship of Odissi exponent, Bijayini Satpathy.
Asma Khan, Chef/Owner, Darjeeling Express
Speaker at ZafigoX Rejuvenation
A force in London’s culinary scene and an outspoken activist, Indian-born, British restauranteur Asma Khan has always been a disruptor. Her Michelin Guide-listed restaurant Darjeeling Express, best known for its revolutionary all-female kitchen, has become a favourite of Hollywood A-listers whilst being an oasis and safe space for all women.
Through serving authentic, homestyle food in the heart of London, her restaurant has reached the upper echelons of the food scene whilst, at its core, retaining Khan’s unwavering commitment to grassroots social and environmental causes.
TIME magazine recognised her as one of 2024’s 100 most influential people in the world for her pioneering business ethos. She is the chef advocate for the UN World Food Programme and a member of the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board. Khan has been awarded honorary fellowships by Queen’s College, Oxford University and King’s College London where she also holds a PhD in British Constitutional Law.
Khan was the first British chef to be profiled on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Chef’s Table and has appeared in shows such as Celebrity Masterchef and Top Chef. She is currently working on Tiffin Stories, a six-part series on food and memories. Asma has written two award-winning cookbooks and is currently working on a third.
Asma Khan
Darjeeling Express
We can’t wait for you to meet them at ZafigoX Rejuvenation. Head to our dedicated page for more information and sign up for a weekend of enrichment.
