The Kitchen

02/12/2025

“Political leaders outline governance, planning and civic priorities” : The Kitchen’s Nov 2025 : Election Special Edition, Thiruvananthapuram in association with Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Whtzup.city & Trivandrum Management Association (TMA)

The afternoon opened with The Dialogue – Election Special Edition, featuring the three powerful leading candidates:

- Adv. K. S. Sabarinathan (UDF) – UDF Candidate Mayor Candidate, KPCC General Secretary & Former MLA
- Adv. S.P. Deepak (LDF) – CPIM Candidate, CPI(M) Leader & Kerala University Syndicate Member
- Adv. V.V. Rajesh (BJP-NDA) – NDA Candidate, State Secretary, BJP.

The session was moderated by S.N. Raghuchandran Nair, President of TCCI and TMA.

In a balanced, protocol-compliant discussion, the candidates addressed key issues shaping Trivandrum’s future:

• Urban mobility and traffic planning
• Integrated waste management systems
• Infrastructure gaps in the capital
• Administrative transparency
• Investor and business-friendly reforms
• Quality of public services and citizen engagement
• Long-term civic master plans aligned with Trivandrum 2030

All three leaders highlighted the need for coordinated governance, stronger institutional mechanisms and sustainable planning to accelerate Trivandrum’s growth as a capital city competing with emerging metros.

Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce & Indutry Whtzup.City Trivandrum Management Association Kerala Startup Mission Ammini Solar pvt ltd RuralBeads TechnoparkToday Headstart Kochi Saju Soman .deepaksp Sabarinadhan K S

28/11/2025

Session 2 – LeadersTalk
A luxe leadership evening featuring trailblazers from defence, media, and startup ecosystem.
Speakers:
• Col. Thomas Mathew – Instructor, NSG; Former Infantry Battalion Commander; Former Cluster Head – Adani Ports; VP – Strategic Initiatives & Leadership, Acsia Technologies
• Ashok Kurian Panjikaran – Head of Business Linkages & Startup Cycles- KSUM
Moderator: Saju Soman

28/11/2025

BlackCircle Edition (By Special Invite Only) Session, Networking with Socials 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | RSVP & Tickets Only — Non-transferable Entry
Tickets : bit.ly/tknov2025tvm
Session 1 – FoundersTalk
Powerful founder journeys, global business experiences, and strategic insights.

Speakers:
• Chitra K.S – Director, CDS Global Trading | Former Senior Freight Specialist managing Diplomatic Cargo for UN & US Military (Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan)
• Abhinand V Nair – Founder & CEO, A-Team Soft Solutions (India / US / Australia)
• Anjana Gopakumar – Co-Founder, Eat at Tvm / Scrbl
• Aslam Kunjumoosa – Co-Founder, Eat at Tvm / Scrbl
Moderator: Saju Soman

28/11/2025

Session 3 – Fireside Chat (4:30pm)
Unfiltered and intimate conversations exploring digital influence, entrepreneurship, content culture, and personal journeys.
Speakers:
• Anjana Gopakumar – CEO, Scrbl; Celebrity Food Vlogger & Influencer
• Ritu Sarangi – Model & Celebrity Fashion Choreographer | Royal Miss India S4 2024 | Miss Lulu Halal Beauty Queen 2024
• Shijo Parakadan (sp_arkz_) – Social Media Celebrity & Creator
Moderator: Saju Soman

28/11/2025

Session 2 – Brands of Kerala (4pm)
A celebration of Kerala’s most admired businesses shaping innovation and local excellence.\

Ticket Link : bit.ly/tknov2025tvm
Discount Code: WHTZUPCITY500

Speakers:
• Ajisha Bhasi – Founder & CEO, ZenturioTech (Technopark)
• Aslam Kunjumoosa – Co-Founder & COO, Scrbl & Eat at Tvm
• Richin R Chandran – Founder & CEO, Richinnovations (Technopark)
Moderator: Saju Soman – Host & Organiser, The Kitchen; Founder & CEO, Lifeart Group; COO, Virtual Medias

28/11/2025

Session 1 (2pm Networking & 2:30pm onwards) – The Dialogue (Election Special Edition): A timely political discussion with leaders presenting perspectives on challenges, development priorities, civic master plans, and manifesto-led vision for Trivandrum’s future.

Ticket : bit.ly/tknov2025tvm
Discount Code : WHTZUPCITY500

Moderator:
• S.N. Raghuchandran Nair – President, Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TCCI); President, Trivandrum Management Association
Speakers:
• Adv. K. S. Sabarinathan – UDF Mayor Candidate | KPCC General Secretary | Former MLA
• Adv. S.P. Deepak – LDF Candidate | CPI(M) Leader & District Committee Member | Ex-General Secretary, KSCCW | Syndicate Member, Kerala University
• Adv. V.V. Rajesh – BJP-NDA Candidate | Senior Leader & State Secretary, BJP

This dialogue aims to empower business leaders, professionals, startups, and citizens with clarity on future opportunities and development pathways.

26/11/2025

BlackCircle Edition | Panel 2: LeadersTalk ✨
The BlackCircle Edition continued with a powerful LeadersTalk panel — an exchange of ideas on leadership, innovation, creativity, and the future of entrepreneurship.

🎙️ Our Speakers:
Philip Thomas – Country Head, World Design Council (UK) | Ex-Advisor, Media & Entertainment Skill Council (Skill India) | National Committee Member, FICCI (AVGC-XR) | Founder CEO, of Media & Design LLP.
Chinnu Chandni – Indian Actress, Malayalam Film Industry.
Laxmy M Krishnan – Director & Leader, Technology Innovation Lab, Wipro (Bengaluru).
Wing Commander Ragashree D Nair D Nair – Indian Air Force Veteran, Serial Entrepreneur, Investor, Mentor & Director, Nutmeg Products (P) Ltd

💡 The panel explored thought-provoking questions:
- How do you see Kerala/India evolving as a hub for the creative economy, cinema, art, culture, innovation, and entrepreneurship?
- What leadership qualities are essential in navigating today’s uncertain times?
- What is your advice for the next generation of business leaders in this room?

The dialogue was rich, diverse, and deeply insightful — blending perspectives from design, cinema, technology, defense, and entrepreneurship. A heartfelt thank you to our panelists for inspiring the room and to our curated audience for elevating the conversations with meaningful engagement.

26/11/2025

BlackCircle Edition | Panel 1: FoundersTalk ✨

The maiden BlackCircle Edition by The Kitchen opened with an inspiring FoundersTalk session, where visionary entrepreneurs shared their journeys, challenges, and bold visions for the future.

🎙️ Our Speakers:
Dan Jacob : Co-Founder, Smokies Hamburger.
Jack Ben Vincent : MD, Jack Constructions (P) Ltd | Chartered President, Rotary Club of Trivandrum Metropolis | Treasurer, BAI (Tvm Chapter).
Roshni Binu : Founder & CEO, Educ Kshetra | IT Education Pioneer & Mentor.
Amal Arjun : President, All Kerala Esports Federation (AKEF)

💡 The conversation touched on turning points, scaling challenges, and advice for the next wave of founders. Each speaker brought unique perspectives — from building iconic brands and pioneering education to scaling esports and leading in construction.

This session set the tone for the evening: authentic, insightful, and forward-looking. Big thanks to our curated audience of founders, leaders & HNIs for engaging with powerful Q&A that enriched the dialogue.

20/09/2025

The Kitchen, Kerala’s premium networking community, marked its 10th Anniversary Year with the launch of the maiden BlackCircle Edition on September 15 at Hilton Garden Inn.
Unlike typical business meets, the BlackCircle Edition was positioned as a closed-door, invite-only circle of influence, limited to 25 handpicked founders, entrepreneurs, HNIs, and thought leaders. The evening blended high-level networking with deep, insightful conversations, creating an elite space for collaboration and vision building.

The event opened with the FoundersTalk panel, where business leaders shared ground realities from their sectors:

18/09/2025