In a recent interview, Pranav Desai, VOSAP Founder and a passionate advocate for empowering people with disabilities, interviewed the dynamic co-founders of KIBO, Akshita and Bonny. Their conversation unveiled an inspiring narrative of compassion-driven innovation, remarkable achievements, and ambitious plans. This interaction shed light on their transformative partnership with Voice of SAP and their commitment to making a meaningful impact on the world.
The Founder of Trestle Labs,Bonny Dave (Mechanical Engineer from Nirma University) and Akshita Sachdeva(Software Engineer from Manav Rachna College), started their journey to empower Visually Impaired individuals by developing OCR Based Solutions (Kibo XS Device and Kibo App).
On being Asked how Akshita and Bonny were inspired to do something in this sector, they shared that Their journey started with a volunteering experience during their college days, leading them to develop innovative assistive technologies to support people with disabilities.
Akshita’s motivation was enlightened when she met a VI student at an NAB, Delhi used their technology and experienced a newfound sense of independence. He could read unaided, and his excitement was palpable. This encounter left an indelible mark on Akshita and set her on a path to make a significant difference.
As part of a college project, Bonny developed a prototype that he tested with a VI student at BPA Ahmedabad.Witnessing the challenges that VI individuals faced in accessing Braille books. He developed a refreshable Braille display, despite having limited coding skills. The impact of this project on the children he worked with inspired him. Bonny later left his opportunity at Hindustan Aeronautics, to start something to empower people with Visual Impairment.
Bonny and Akshita both met at Digital Impact Square and shared a similar passion for making a positive impact through technology and started the journey of empowerment together.
On being Asked by Mr.Pranav how much impact they have made so far and what are their goals in the future, they shared that Currently they are present in 22 Countries,Today, they have over 1 lakh beneficiaries and 500+ national and international institutions made digitally inclusive.
In the next five years, their goal is to impact the lives of one million visually impaired individuals and those facing language and literacy barriers. Additionally, they aim to make 50,000 institutions, including schools, colleges, universities, NGOs, and corporations, more inclusive.
Their mission is not just about innovation; it’s about inclusion. They are focused on reducing barriers to education and employment, creating a world where both are truly inclusive.
Voice of Specially Abled People (VOSAP), provides support by subsidizing their products (KIBO XS Device and KIBO App) to enable visually impaired individuals. On being asked what they think about their Partnership with Voice of SAP, they shared the experience.
Bonny shared. I’ve never seen any other organization come out with such a clear mission, clear articulation of what the role is and how it is enabling the model in itself. We have not come across any other partners who works on a similar model, but where it is with the intent of empowering people, it is not coming from a lens of charity or donation because it’s a very fine line that needs to be maintained where the user also appreciates the value of the product that he or she is bringing.
I think there’s a wonderful model and I hope in the due course there are many more organizations like Voice of SAP who come up and you know do this because it’s helping startups like us, it’s helping the enable beneficiaries also and all the organization in general.
Akshita shared: “ Other Organizations either want to support the entrepreneur by giving some sort of grants for expansion and growth or there are other people who just want to Donate things for free to our beneficiaries who cannot afford it. But Voice of Specially Abled People has find out the right mix wherein they’re not doing it as a charity for either of the two players like whether it’s startups and entrepreneurs like us or for the beneficiaries. So that clear line, not giving things for free to the beneficiaries but making them pay a part of it which helps them take the ownership they purchase something for themselves makes them more accountable, bringing a change in their lives. Voice of Specially Abled People has brought in a unique model that shifts the lens from charity to business yet retains an impactful approach.This intersection between impact and business is a unique model that Voice of Specially Abled People has brought in for both the segments.”
VOSAP Founder offered his wholehearted support to Trestle Labs, urging them to be bold, aggressive, and to explore every avenue of growth. He suggested to encourage more people to take advantage of their products by utilizing the scheme, ensuring that beneficiaries feel a sense of pride and ownership in their journey. He further encouraged both of them to continue sharing beneficiaries inspiring success stories through videos. These stories, like the one about Bhagirathi and the IIT Madras student, are a testament to the possibilities that their technology can unlock.
VOSAP Founder expressed his belief in KIBO’s potential to reach new heights and the positive impact they could have on millions of lives. KIBO’s commitment to innovation and inclusion serves as an inspiring example for all. The journey of Bonny and Akshita is not just a story of success but a testament to the enduring power of compassion-driven innovation and the limitless potential of technology to empower lives.
Register today for VOSAP Annual Event to watch the empowering stories: www.voiceofsap.org/2023eventreg/
