vaibhav chhabra

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Founder / Chief learning officer
Photo of Vaibhav at Makers Asylum
Photo credit / Image credit
Maker's Asylum

Vaibhav Chhabra is a Mechanical Engineer turned Carpenter and Educator. A Boston University graduate, he began his career at MIT Media Labs’ EyeNetra, developing portable VR-based eye diagnostic devices. During this time in India, he saw the need for accessible makerspaces and founded Maker’s Asylum in 2013, India’s first community makerspace.

Maker’s Asylum fosters open innovation, hands-on learning, and interdisciplinary prototyping, empowering individuals with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Vaibhav also teaches at IDC-IIT Bombay and Judge Business School, Cambridge, and serves as an advisor to the Museum of Solutions. He holds leadership roles with Young Indians (CII), the World Economic Forum, and the French President’s Young Leaders Club, driving global innovation and education.

Sessions

Climate Collapse Kitchen: A Food Emergency Hits Berlin! Makers Unite

vaibhav chhabra, Cesar Jung-Harada, Lili Petkovics

Summary
2030. Berlin faces a climate-driven food crisis — crops have failed, supply chains collapsed, and food is scarce.
At a solar-powered makerspace, you have 1 hour to prototype a survival tool using scrap, maker tech, or digital fabrication.
Common good
Digital rights
Platforms
Future & Utopia
Makerspace
Workshop
English
Conference

From Disaster Response to Readiness: When a crisis hits, can local makers and manufacturing be ready to respond?

Andrew Lamb, Susan Long, vaibhav chhabra, Theresia Njodzeka, Eric Nitschke

Summary
COVID demonstrated the enormous potential of localised manufacturing to address supply chain disruptions. But it also highlighted the gaps. As crises become more prevalent, what can be done before they happen, to ensure there is a resilient community of makers, of all generations, ready to respond?
Climate crisis
Health
Foreign affairs
Participation & Access
Loft
Panel
English
Conference