We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Pranav Kulkarni a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Pranav, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

As a passionate advocate for leveraging technology to solve real-world problems, I co-founded SafeR Mapping, a non-profit organization that creates optimal routing software for safe refugee relocation using AI mapping. When we first started, our goal was clear: to create “The Google Maps for Refugees” and help internally displaced persons find safe haven from conflict and violence around the world. To do this, we had to figure out how to turn our idea into a reality. One of the first steps we took was to assemble a team of experts in various fields, including technology, research, outreach, and project management. With SafeR winning the Intel Global AI Impact Award early on, we gained the backing of Intel India, where we received strong guidance and support. Along our journey, we faced many challenges including how to integrate the latest AI mapping technology into our system and ensure that our routing software was accurate and up-to-date. Despite these challenges, our hard work paid off, with SafeR’s currently being backed up by Intel India, an MIT EECS Faculty Professor, the World Economic Forum AI/ML lead, and advisors from the United Nations. Our current goal is to partner with United Nations organizations/subdivisions to amplify SafeR’s reach to a greater magnitude.

Pranav, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! I’m Pranav Kulkarni, a researcher, businessman, and entrepreneur. I am interested in applying technologies such as blockchain and AI/ML to revolutionize other fields, including finance, business, marketing, neuroscience, humanitarian causes, and more.

I am the author of “Sensory Science: How Brands Use Sensory Marketing to Capitalize on Consumer Behavior,” a strategy and marketing book that is ranked top 20 in the market research category on Amazon (September 2022). Additionally, I have 2 research publications in the fields of blockchain and marketing, one of which I presented at the Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research (November 2022).

My current interests include quantitative finance, mathematics, game theory economics, corporate strategy, venture capital, corporate marketing and branding, investment banking, management consulting, algorithmic trading, macroeconomics, and risk analysis.

I’m passionate about amplifying the impact I can make by leveraging technology to solve real-world problems. I co-founded SafeR, a non-profit organization creating optimal routing software for safe refugee relocation using AI mapping. We are backed by MIT and Intel, published in the “Times of India” newspaper, and have won the Intel Global AI Impact Award.

I currently plan on pursuing a college degree in mathematics. To back this up, I am working on 2 math research papers, one of which is a novel mathematical concept, pending acceptance to an international mathematics conference. More than the mathematical understanding itself, I most of all like the creative process involved which tests critical thinking and intrinsic creative ability.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I co-founded SafeR, I knew that I was embarking on a challenging journey. We were passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems, but we knew that the road ahead was going to be full of obstacles. However, we were determined to succeed, and we put in a lot of hard work and effort to make it happen. We assembled a talented team of researchers, project managers, and technologists, and we started working towards our goal. One of the biggest challenges we faced was getting our technology to work in the real world. We had to deal with a lot of technical issues, and it took us a long time to get everything working smoothly. But we didn’t give up, and we kept working until we finally achieved success. Through all of these challenges, we remained resilient and focused on our goal. We knew that our work had the potential to save lives, relocate refugees, rehabilitate families, and restart lives. And we were determined to make it happen. Today, we are proud of the work we have done, and we are excited about the impact that we will continue to make in the future with SafeR.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When it comes to building a social media following for SafeR, we focused on consistency and variety. We utilized LinkedIn for posting, hiring, and social media advocacy across different platforms. We stayed consistent with posting hiring posts, informational posts, research posts, and more. Our hard work paid off, and now we have a large social media following. For those just starting to build their social media presence, I recommend staying consistent with posting content that is both informative and engaging. Don’t be afraid to showcase your work and let your audience know what you’re all about. Also, leverage the power of partnerships and collaborations with other organizations and influencers to expand your reach.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/pranav-kulkarni-psk
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Pranav Kulkarni