CDMN Node Ryerson’s DMZ to Host Nine Entrepreneurs from India this Summer

By Andrea Wahbe on Jul 12, 2012 / Categories: CDMN News, Featured

Yesterday, Ryerson’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ) announced that it would welcome the first group of international fellows into its downtown Toronto hub this summer. The Indian fellows will join the DMZ from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), and the Indian School of Business (ISB Hyderabad).

During their four-month term at the DMZ, the nine selected entrepreneurs in seven teams will focus on developing forward-thinking and innovative digital products and services for launch in India while learning with and alongside the DMZ’s other 39 teams.

“I have always believed that great things come from innovation and the sharing of ideas. These fellowships are a wonderful opportunity to bring some of the best, brightest and most entrepreneurial students from India together with Canadian entrepreneurs and innovators to learn, to innovate and to explore new digital business opportunities together,” said Ryerson University President Sheldon Levy when he announced the fellowship program with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry during a speech at the IIT Delhi in August 2011.

Although this is a first for the DMZ, Ryerson has an extensive history of international collaboration with more than 100 partner institutions in over 30 countries. “Technological innovation knows no borders,” said Valerie Fox, executive director of the Digital Media Zone. “We’re pleased to host our first international fellows, expanding the DMZ’s scope and reach while learning from one another.”

Here’s a list of DMZ’s first Indian fellowship participants:

• Sharanya Haridas, founder of That’s so Gloss, India’s first web’zine and community exclusively for and by young women aged 13 to 25
• Celestine Preetham, founder of TravelNet, a mobile app and Internet-based service that aims to reduce traffic congestion and increase the use of public transport and ridesharing in India
• Siddharth Kumar Thakur, founder of ScanBox, an online study tool helping students to electronically convert their paper-based notes and assignments
• Visweswaran Gowrisankaran, co-founder of My IndiEye, a mobile GPS video tour company that helps tourists get the most out of their travel experiences in India
• Abhishek Gupta & Saurabh Kumar, co-founders of Zumbl, a chat-based portal enabling strangers to interact, engage and converse with one another without revealing their identities
• Alok Nikhil Jha & Ankur Khera co-founders of Ticket Zone, an online ticketing portal where users can buy, sell and gift tickets and passes for movies and public events in India
• Avnish Gaur co-founder of AskMePrice, an online price search engine that allows consumers to compare prices instantly for a variety of everyday products for sale in India.

As Ryerson’s strategic international partnerships continues to develop, so does Ryerson’s reputation. The DMZ will host additional visiting international entrepreneurs from China and Israel in the coming months.