Education
Weekend Unwind with: ReachIvy founder & chief education officer Vibha Kagzi
Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind – a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.
In this week’s session, we have ReachIvy founder & chief education officer Vibha Kagzi.
ReachIvy.com is a premium online education and careers advisory for students founded by Vibha Kagzi who holds MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
She founded ReachIvy.com with the objective of providing intensive guidance on study abroad and careers from experts who have first-hand knowledge of what it means to earn a degree from a top school and lead initiatives at prestigious companies/organisations.
So, without further ado, here it goes…
Your mantra for life
“Empower Your Path: Break Barriers, Ignite Dreams”
So, picture this: my life in a nutshell, all wrapped up in this little phrase. It’s like a reminder to tackle challenges head-on, grab those chances with both hands and nurture those big dreams like they’re precious little seedlings. My own story of rocking the education and career game? Yep, that’s my pep talk right there. And you know what’s the real juice? Guiding and pumping up the youth with a glimmer of hopes and dreams in their eyes – it’s like my life’s mission in a nutshell. So go on, let’s keep hustling, learning, and dreaming big.
A book you are currently reading or plan to read
I plan on reading “The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment” by Eckhart Tolle, a popular self-help and spiritual book that focuses on the concept of mindfulness and present-moment awareness, and “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” by Sheryl Sandberg is a book that addresses issues related to women in the workplace, leadership, and gender equality.
Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
When the pandemic hit, I rolled with the punches and crafted a fitness routine that jived with my values and crazy schedule. Tough times, huh? But my motto was my guiding light: “Adapt, Strengthen, Thrive: Nurturing Body and Mind.”
And you know what that’s all about? Embracing the curveballs, shaking hands with change, and giving my body and mind some much-needed TLC. It’s like a harmony of sweat sessions and zen vibes that kept me rocking even in the stormiest of times.
Your comfort food
My comfort food leans towards the flavours of South Indian cuisine. Absolutely delicious!
A quote or philosophy that keeps you going when the chips are down
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
This quote reflects the idea that setbacks and challenges are a natural part of any journey, and what truly matters is the determination to persevere in the face of adversity. It aligns with my proactive and resilient approach to my career and life’s pursuits.
Your guilty pleasure
Indulging in my hobbies is my delightful guilty pleasure. I am all for deep-sea diving too!
The last time you tried something new
Every day, I embrace the thrill of experimenting with fresh approaches to everyday tasks.
A life lesson you learned the hard way
In my playbook, tough times? They’re like the universe serving up a challenge and me saying, “Challenge accepted!” I’m all about turning adversity into a launchpad for growth. Yup, you heard that right. Every bump in the road? It’s my golden ticket to upping my game, both personally and professionally.
And you know what? It jives with my education mission and helping students tackle obstacles like champs on their way to nailing those goals. It might sound like a motivational poster, but it’s real stuff. Challenges? Meet my stepping stones to success.
What gets you excited about life
Life’s my playground of excitement, powered by my passion for education and career guidance. Seeing students shine and evolve, shaping their tomorrows? That’s my buzz. Committees, boards, and events? They fire me up for sharing knowledge and lighting up young minds. And then there’s my yoga, diving, and wanderlust for new cultures – pure zest! Growth? It’s my life’s fuel, keeping everything vibrant and alive.
What’s on top of your bucket list
Central to my aspirations is a profound goal: to expand the boundaries of primary education, extend my company’s footprint to new nations and uplift young minds. It’s a vision that resonates with empowering the next generation and cultivating positive transformation on a global canvas.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be
Hey, there Vibha! Don’t think, don’t worry too much about the future, just embrace the journey as every challenge is a chance to grow, and anything you enjoy doing, do it with passion and will be fruitful. You got this!
One thing you would most like to change about the world
One aspect I’d earnestly consider refining in our world is ensuring universal access to top-tier education, irrespective of background or circumstances. The concept echoes my deep-rooted commitment to mentoring students and propelling them toward their aspirations. The symphony of these ideals harmonises perfectly with my fervent desire to leave a meaningful imprint on the tapestry of young minds.
An activity that keeps you motivated and charged during tough times
Jumping into a mentorship or getting up on that speaking stage – those are my jams! I get to dish out my knowledge, light up some inspiration, and who knows, maybe sprinkle some positive vibes into people’s lives (fingers crossed, and a bit of a hopeful chuckle). Guiding and supporting others through the tough stuff? That’s my secret sauce for a turbocharged sense of purpose and the oomph to tackle anything head-on.
What lifts your spirits when life gets you down
When life decides to throw me a curveball, I find my spirits soaring by connecting with awesome students and seeing their triumphs. And hey, a change of scenery does wonders too – exploring new places, soaking in different cultures – it’s like a soul recharge! Oh, and yoga, my trusty sidekick, helps me find my zen when things get crazy. Life’s a ride, and I’m here for the adventure!
Your go-to stress buster
When stress starts knocking, my trusty sidekick is yoga. Yep, I’m a certified yoga trainer, and hitting the mat is like pressing the reset button for me. It’s my go-to for shaking off the craziness and finding that inner zen. Life’s too short to stress, right?
Everyone has been turning their selfies into cartoon characters on social media lately. Our recent piece on how people are creating animated WhatsApp avatars for free proves just how fast these tools are catching on.
But beyond all the fun filters and fast effects, there’s a larger narrative at play here, and that is that AI is revolutionising the way people edit photos. What used to take hours or even days in the past can be done in minutes with a few clicks, and you don’t need to have advanced design skills to get the job done either.
Here’s a look at some of the best AI tools that are making photo editing faster, smarter, and more enjoyable whether you’re a creative or simply someone who is looking to have some fun with your photos.
- Photoshop’s AI Photo Tools: Speed and Precision
Most people know Adobe Photoshop as the go-to program for editing images, but its latest AI features take things to a whole new level. Photoshop’s new AI-powered features can automatically identify faces, exposure, and colour issues, fixing them with the click of a button. The neural filters are especially clever, enabling you to smooth skin, modify facial expressions, swap backgrounds and even manipulate lighting to make everything look more natural.
With the integration of these new tools, what used to take a seasoned editor 30 minutes can now be accomplished in seconds, freeing up your time so you can focus on the creative side of things. Whether you’re editing portraits, creating graphics or resizing images for social media, Photoshop’s AI photo tools help to achieve that clean professional finish without the hassle of manual tweaking. It’s one of the best ways to give your photos a polished, cohesive look, even if you don’t consider yourself a pro yet.
- Lightroom: Simplify Bulk Edits and Maintain Consistency
If you’ve ever wondered how photographers maintain the same feel across hundreds of shots, Adobe Lightroom is the answer. Adobe Lightroom is an industry-standard photo management and editing app built for speed, helping you organise, adjust, and fine-tune large batches of images without getting lost in layers or complex tools. Most if not all professional photographers use Lightroom to edit photos before the final shots are sent on to their clients.
Like Photoshop, Lightroom’s built-in AI editing tools can be used for a wide variety of applications, including automatically detecting your subject and adjusting the exposure, colour and tone so every shot looks balanced. You can even apply the same “look” to an entire collection, making it great for projects that rely on consistent visuals – think wedding photos, product shots for an eCommerce website, or social media posts.
And speaking of social media, Lightroom is especially useful for content creators who want a clean, uniform look to their Insta grid or feed without spending hours editing each image individually. In short, Lightroom keeps your workflow simple, but your results professional.
- Sensei-Powered Auto Tagging and Smart Search
Organising photos can become messy and annoying quickly, especially if you have hundreds of folders full of similar shots. That’s where Adobe Sensei comes in. You might not have heard of it by name, but you’ve probably used this tool without even realising you have. How so? Because Adobe Sensei is the AI engine that runs quietly in the background across Photoshop, Lightroom, and other Adobe Creative Cloud apps. This innovative AI engine is programmed to facilitate a wide variety of processes, including facial recognition, recognising objects, and sorting your photos automatically.
Alongside being used for auto tagging elements in images, Sensei is also adept at using image metadata to organise your photo library, and make it even easier to find specific shots with typed search prompts. Say goodbye to searching through dozens of files trying to remember what you named them — just type in something like “beach” or “red dress” and your shot will pop up instantly. For anyone who shoots a lot or manages content libraries, Adobe Sensei’s generative AI engine makes organising photos simple and stress-free.
- Adobe Firefly: Intelligent Background and Object Replacement
Sometimes you take a great photo, but there’s one thing that ruins it. Maybe it’s an awkward background, an annoying photobomber, or a sky that just looks a bit blah. That’s where Adobe Firefly comes in. With this generative AI tool by Adobe, you can simply highlight the problem areas in your images and type in what you’d like instead, and it will make the changes for you. You could trade a dull sky for a sunset, introduce a gentle blur behind your subject or eliminate distractions entirely.
But it’s not just about fixing mistakes. Firefly is also fantastic for experimenting. You can change the feel of a shot, create atmosphere, or build new visuals for marketing and social media all without starting again from scratch. It’s an easy trick that makes photos look more purposeful and artistic, even if you’re starting off with something that looks average.
- Camera Raw: Smarter Corrections Right from the Start
Every photographer or creator knows that editing starts well before you get to the fun filters. Camera Raw’s built-in AI tools quietly sort out the basics so you don’t have to. These innovative AI tools fix lighting, balance colours, and pull detail back from shadows or overexposed spots. It even cleans up grainy low-light shots and straightens out lens distortion without much effort on your end.
For photographers and hobbyists, using Camera Raw’s AI tools just makes image processing easier, particularly for images that require only minor tweaks and adjustments. The attention to detail of Camera Raw’s editing tools makes autocorrecting blemishes, red eyes, and other small details across digital photography quick and efficient, supporting photographers and content creators in getting their image assets publication-ready.
- Adobe Express: Quick Edits for Social Media
Finally, not every photo edit has to be a full studio production. As this tool’s name suggests, Adobe Express is designed to be quick: you can trim, crop, and colour-correct your posts for social media in a matter of minutes. The AI auto-adjust tools detect the subject and optimise brightness, sharpness, and background balance without you having to do much.
Adobe Express is perfect for influencers, small businesses or creators who post daily content, stories and want to remain active on social media without having to spend hours editing content. You can create multiple versions of one image for different social media platforms and keep everything looking cohesive across your feed. It’s simple, practical, and exactly what you need when you want to share something polished without overthinking it.
Use these AI Tools to Elevate your Photo Editing
Editing photos has never been easier. With AI taking care of the technical fixes like lighting, colour, and cleanup, you get more room to focus on the creative side. Whether it’s for work, social media, or just something fun to share, these tools help you turn everyday photos into something worth keeping.
What really matters is experimenting and finding what feels right for your style. The tech is there to make the process faster, but the creative choices are still all yours. So have fun, experiment, and you just might be pleasantly surprised with the results!
