Himanshu Devvrat Bhatt Founding Partner MechXcel Designs
FROMTHE EDITOR
Youareinforyetanothergreatissueof
Entrepreneur Headline Magazine,the leadingpublicationforprofessionalsand decisionmakerswhoshapethefutureofthemost powerfulorganizationstoday.Inthecaseof implementedsolutionsandinnovations,wearevery specialinthatregardasapublicationtargetedatCLevelorotherprogressivemanagersbecausewe understandthespherethatyouareorientedat,and wefocusonsuchbreakthroughsthatarerequired today
Whatwedoissimple:creatematerialwhich providestheboosttocreate,encouragessmart leaders,andhelpsyouinmakingsounddecisionsin theunpredictableworldofbusiness.Itisour commitmenttoeachreadertoprovidehighly relevantcontent.MostofthereaderswillbeC-level executivesortopexecutivesoflargecorporations andeachissueprovidestheappropriatelevelof contentforallthesetopdecision-makers. Weappreciatethateachminuteofyoursishighly preciousandthereforeweworktomakeourarticles
notjustinformative,butpractical.Therefore,beinga publicationwhichtargetshighbusinessmen,many industriesreputedcommentariesandprofessional contributionsareconstantlyincludedmaking Entrepreneur Headline Magazine relevant
Ithasbeenourpleasuretowelcomeyoutoourfamilyof high-levelprofessionals.Cultivatingsuchaspirations withinourselves,webelievewecanchangetheworldby encouragingbraveleadershipandoriginalbusiness.
Himanshu Devvrat Bhatt
Founding Partner of
https://www.facebook.com//EntrepreneurHeadline123/ https://twitter.com/EntrepreneurHeadline123/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/EntrepreneurHeadline123
Founding Partner of MechXcel Designs LLP
Himanshu Devvrat Bhatt Founding Partner MechXcel Designs
STORY
HimanshuDevvratBhattisacreativeleader whoistheforcebehindMechXcelDesigns LLP,acompanythatservesinthefieldof mechanicalengineeringdesign.Being18yearsinthis field,heisskilled,creative,andquality-focused.Witha strongteamdevelopedunderhisleadership,Mr.Bhatt drivesMechXcelDesignstobecomeawell-known engineeringfirmforitsdesign,certification,and trainingservices.
EducationalBackgroundandEarlyCareer:
AftergettinghisdegreeinProductionEngineering, Himanshustartedasuccessfuljob.Earlyon,heshoweda stronginterestinthecomplicatedaspectsofmechanical designanddetailengineering.Thismadehimwantto gainmoreskills,suchasbecomingacharteredengineer. Helearnedtheskillsandgainedtheknowledgehe neededtodowellintheengineeringfieldthroughschool andworkexperience.
CareerHighlights:
Mr.HimanshuBhatthelpedstartRahiES,amechanical engineeringbusiness,in2016.Asthecompanygrew,he sawtheneedforamorespecializedgroupthatcould providedesign,licensing,andtrainingservices.So, MechXcelDesignsLLPwascreated.Thisbusinessis providingspecializedengineeringservicesandhasa sloganthatsaysitall:"ExcellenceinMechanical Engineering."
Withhisunparalleledpassionanddedication,MechXcel Designshasgrownquicklyandprovidesawiderangeof servicestomeetthechangingneedsoftheengineering business.Theorganizationhasdonesosuccessfullydue toitsintelligentstrategicdecisionsandmarket adaptability
Thoughtsonleadership:
Himanshuleadsbyexampleandencourages ongoinglearningandinnovation.Heisdedicated togivinghisteampowerbygivingthemchances tolearnandgrowprofessionally.Hisleadership styleemphasizesquality,flexibility,andteamwork. Heputsalotofeffortintobuildinglong-termclient relationshipsbecausetrustanddependabilityare criticaltolong-termsuccess.
ExcellenceinDesignandCompliance
Alotofpeoplewanttohireservicesofferedby MechXcelDesignsunderMr.HimanshuBhatt,dueto theirvastknowledgeandexpertise.Aspartofhisskills, hecangiveexpertadviceforchecksanddesignreviews thatmeetstrictASME,EN,andotherglobalstandards. Heisinchargeofdesigningstaticequipmentanddoing thoroughengineeringforimportantpartslikereactors, pressurevessels,columns,andheatexchangers. Himanshu'scarefulapproachmakessurethatevery
projectmeetsstrictcompliancestandardsandalways goesaboveandbeyondwhattheclientexpects.This solidifieshisstatusasaleaderinmechanicaldesignand certification.
AdvancedMethodsofAnalysis
OnecrucialthingthatHimanshuisgoodatfiniteelement (FE)analysisforcomplexdesigns.Thismethodisvery importantforcheckingsafety,improvingideas,and predictingthebehaviorofanyproduct.Heisalsogood
atfatigueanalysis,lifecyclereview,andfitnessfor serviceevaluations,allofwhichhelpensurethat engineeringsolutionsworkwellandlastalongtime.
Professionalmemberships,expertise
Expertinmechanicaldesignformorethan18years, HimanshuDevvratBhatthasmadeanameforhimselfas aleadingfigureinthefield.AsaCharteredEngineerand ProfessionalEngineer,hehasshownthatheisdedicated tomaintainingthehighestlevelsofengineering
excellence.Himanshuhasbeenamemberofmany nationalandforeignprofessionalgroupsthroughouthis career TheseincludetheInstitutionofMechanical Engineers(IMechE)andtheAmericanSocietyof MechanicalEngineers(ASME).Hismembershipin thesegroupshaskepthimonthecuttingedgeofnew developmentsandbestpracticesinhisfield,whichhas helpedhimmakesurethathisworkstaysfreshand useful.
3DmodelingandCADexpertise
Forbetterprojectvisualization,Himanshu'sskillsin usingadvancedCADtoolstocreate3Dmodelsand animationsforfabricationandinstallationprocessesare veryimportant.Thesefeaturesmakethingseasierand speedupthedesignandimplementationprocesses.They alsoallowonetoseecomplicatedengineeringsolutions clearlyandindetail.
TrainingandDevelopmentCommitment
Himanshuwantstohelpotherpeopleinthetechfield learnandgrowbysharinghisknowledge.Hecanteach youeverythingyouneedaboutdesignprinciples,related codes,standards,andsoftware,bothinpersonand online.Hiscommitmenttoprofessionalgrowthhelps peopleinthefieldkeepupwithnewtechnologiesand waysofdoingthings.
Notableachievementsin2024:
Skilledathandlingthecomplexitiesoffast technicalprogressandchangingmarket conditions,keepingMechXcelDesignsatthe topofitsfield.
Itchangedthebusinessplantofocusondesign, certification,andtrainingservices,makingMechXcel Designsaleaderintheseareas.
Putsustainabilityandsocialresponsibilityfirstbygiving thenextgenerationofengineerstrainingoptions,which helpedbuildaskilledworkforce.
Hestressedtheimportanceoftheorganization's continuinglearninganddevelopingnewideassothe teamcanstayaheadofindustrytrendsandkeep operationsrunningsmoothly.
HopefortheFuture:
Himanshuisfocusedonpredictinghowtheengineering businesswillchange.Heknowshowvitalsustainability, digitaltransformation,andthechangingnatureofthe worldtalentpoolare.Toprepareforthesechanges,heis investingintraininghisemployees,exploringwaysto collaboratewithuniversities,andusingcutting-edge technologieslikeAIandroboticstomakethingsrun moresmoothly
HimanshuwantsMechXcelDesignstokeepgrowing andcomingupwithnewideas.Hewantstomaintainthe company'simageasthebestinmechanicalengineering whilealsomakingitbiggerandmoreimportantinthe field.
PersonalGrowthandWellness:
Himanshuknowsittakesprofessionalandpersonal
strengthtoleadagroupthroughayearlike 2024whenthingschangequickly.Hecares forhimselfbyworkingoutregularly,getting enoughrest,andfindingtimeforhobbies outsideofwork.Thankstothisbalanced approach,hehasbeenabletokeepuphis energyandfocus,whichhashelpedhim leadhisteamwellthroughthechallenges andopportunitiesoftheyear.
HimanshuDevvratBhattisaleaderwho livesbytheidealsofhonesty,creativity,and excellence.Withhisworkinengineering, especiallyinstartingandgrowingMechXcel DesignsLLP,hehasbecomeoneofthemost influentialstarsin2024.Hiscommitmentto quality,longevity,andthegrowthofyoung talentmeansthathisinfluencewilllastfor manyyears.
A b h i j i t
S h a n b h a g
A Dynamic leader setting Benchmarks with Customized and Contemporary Video Analytics Solutions
The man of the hour, an innovator, and an ace leader, Abhijit Shanbhag is the CEO and Founder of Graymatics
Founded in 2016, Graymatics is a Singapore-based cognitive media processing start-up with offices in India and California, USA. Well-known for its transformational technologies and their relevance to today's urban and business safety landscape, it primarily offers CCTV-based video analytics solutions to enable clients to draw critical insights from existing infrastructure all in detailed dashboards
Laying the Foundation
During Abhijit's time in the US, he observed that although a lot of image and video content was being generated all around, there was an almost negligible presence of video search and analytics tools. The rise of CCTVs in the urban and commercial landscape was leading to humongous video content generation which he decided to convert into machine-understandable data and offer a wide range of highly-useful solutions
Graymatics was launched to address this segment and today, the company's solutions are integrated with deep learning tools to enhance security and surveillance systems in various industry sites as well as smart cities in countries like India.
About Graymatics
Graymatics currently offers video analytics solutions to various smart cities globally and also to various smart
Abhijit Shanbhag CEO & Founder
spaces such as large organizational campuses (IT companies), commercial buildings, factories, highways, ports, airports, smart banks, retail businesses, and corporate clients such as Siemens, Hindustan Oil and Gas, and telecom carriers in countries like Singapore, Indonesia, China, The Philippines, Japan, and Korea to boost the safety, security, customer experience and operational efficiency for its clients. The company already has a footprint in other APAC countries, America, Europe, and the Middle East and plan to grow in those market.
Giving wings to Graymatics
Abhijit always had conviction in the power of AI analytics. During his time in California, he observed that although a lot of video content was being generated globally, there was a lack of good video search and
analytics tools. With CCTV networks in the urban and commercial landscapes generating humongous video content, he wanted to bring a solution that could convert video content into machine-understandable data. This was how Graymatics was founded in 2016 as a multinational cognitive multimedia processing startup.
Graymatics offers path-breaking technologies which are highly relevant to the modern urban and commercial safety landscape. Its primary solution is an advanced CCTV-based video analytics system that can be seamlessly deployed on the cloud as well as on-premises as per the client's needs. With Graymatics's platform, clients can gather critical insights from their existing infrastructure through detailed dashboards.
Graymatics was initially funded by Citrix Systems and the Singapore Prime Minister's Office. Recently, the smart city enabler Quantela made a strategic investment in the company with significant Go-toMarket (GTM) alignment to help expand its capabilities in video analytics into AI smart solutions for its target markets.
In the post-pandemic scenario, Graymatics has introduced some highly effective and customized solutions to ensure COVID-19 protocols such as masking, and also to ensure traffic management through monitoring, number plate recognition, vehicle detection, etc.
Its hi-tech cloud platform can be customized to manage an office complex, a manufacturing park, a shopping mall, a residential complex, a transport network, hospitals, and even an entire smart city holistically
An All-Inclusive Culture
Graymatics provides complete flexibility to the team and it has a multicultural team working in synergy from different parts of the globe
Its implements the following measures to help employees and the company blend in the best possible way.
• We engaged with each member every quarter to understand any concerns or any improvement
needed in the company's working culture
• Offer education support for employees who would like to enhance their knowledge in our domain
• KPIs
• Understand employee behaviours
• Relationship Building Activities
Accelerating through the Speed-breakers
As Graymatics is one of the first companies in its field to offer such in-depth image, audio, and video analysis for identification, there is pressure on the company to present a unique set of products to clients who might be used to more traditional technology
A significant challenge in changing a client's perspective exists through encouraging them to adapt to new technology. Over time, the team has successfully witnessed many major companies change tactics and take on this new technology
An Overview of the Emerging Trends
As of now, we have only started venturing into the almost limitless applications of video AI. Machine learning and AI tools are becoming more advanced by the day, and in the upcoming times, there will be greater usage of these technologies in tandem with video cameras. This will enable predictive analytics and forecasting of future market trends, and consumer purchase patterns. The accuracy and scope of the abilities will continue to increase as further refinement of AI tech takes place.
With remote operations and digital processes, IoT and cybersecurity tools are also finding increasing integration with video analytics technologies. A key development that is also going to become a popular trend is the integration of cloud-based edge computing with video AI solutions. This will enable analytics of live footage and the generation of actionable insights in real-time The smart system can store only specific information or suspicious footage instead of the usual several TBs of video data that is otherwise generated by multi-camera surveillance networks. Further, AI doesn't get tired, bored, or distracted even when tasked with monitoring the same camera footage 24/7. Directed by the right inputs, it can identify different actions, objects, or suspicious behavior without any 'blink and miss' human error risks
A major trend that will manifest in the year ahead will be the usage of video analytics as smartphone apps. Mobile cameras are already becoming quite capable of taking high-res pictures and videos. When integrated with video analytics, especially in the health and fitness arena, the technology is already helping people become better at their workout routines and postures courtesy of motion capture and analytics abilities
Further, top-of-the-line video analytics technology has relevance in several use cases. For instance, let's take a look at some of the possibilities in urban management. The integration of image sensors, night vision, and other capabilities can make a video AI solution apt for traffic management, speed tracking of vehicles, or intrusion alert at building perimeters or even at the borders of the country. The system would be able to spot unclaimed objects at an airport or a train station, and also detect dangerous driving or other traffic violations.
advertising. The impact of in-store advertising by video analytics might be complex or it can be reflected as the highest footfalls after in-store advertising can be measured.
The technology's most talked about use is probably in the area of surveillance and monitoring of people Video AI analytics can detect unusual behavior such as loitering or a person falling. It can also identify criminals through the facial recognition tool if integrated with the database of such people as managed by law-andorder agencies and police.
Currently, we have seen only the tip of the iceberg as far as video AI deployment is concerned. In the arena of sports, video and AI analytics already form a part of a coach or sports analyst's arsenal. Analyzing whether a player is doing the right things, following the right technique, or post-match analysis of a team's performance, video analytics makes it all possible
Retail businesses are among the early adopters of the technology as it helps them make their stores more secure by identifying suspicious activities. It also gives them ample data on consumer behavior, the performance of the stock on different shelves, and even the ability to assess the impact of in-store
Remote monitoring of contagion patients or perimeter surveillance as well as understanding patient behavior are some of the services that video analytics is going to be entrusted with. The technology will also be used in telemedicine processes where doctors can monitor and advise patients remotely. At times when the infection rate is high, it can ensure safety for all.
These are only a few of the scenarios in that video analytics that is going to be deployed. Trends indicate that such advanced and constantly improving technologies will increasingly enhance accuracy, reduce human error or oversight and also act as force multipliers in various domains in 2022 and beyond.
The Wall of Achievements
Graymatics has marked its presence in the market due to its performance, out-of-the-box solution offerings, and advanced technology
• It's the first company to be selected by Singapore's PMO for its new Global Executive Entrepreneurship Award (attached is the Business Times article).
• It has recently got nominated as one of the 30
fastest-growing companies in Asia in 2019. The PR article will be released at the end of August.
• Reuters article as one of the top companies detecting violence (and such behaviour) within videos
Adhering to the Mission and Vision
Graymatics' mission is to make innovative technology accessible and usable to every industry. To serve Graymatics mission is to disrupt the market due to its wide level of offerings and the fact it offers more to the security industry than just image analysis. Current market disruptions in security are based mostly on extensive image analytics, a function that lacks realtime and video analytics.
At the moment, it is much more difficult for technology to analyse and detect specific details within a video, whereas this is quite straightforward with images Graymatics offers not only in-depth video and image analytics but also performs audio analytics which enables security services to detect voice direction, emotion, and suspicious noise. This service can check for unwanted activity and video analytics can alert necessary authorities immediately
Staying a Notch-Up than Others
As a cognitive media processing company, Graymatics offers a cloud platform that enables automatic analysis and recognition of products within videos and still images. The company's core products are customized AI solutions for various verticals such as digital marketing, security, and surveillance, e-commerce, Manufacturing, telecommunications, Internet-ofThings, the financial sector, crowd management, smart cities, Healthcare, Construction etc
There is a humongous presence of CCTV cameras and surveillance systems globally, but the majority of them don't have any capabilities of actively monitoring and analysing the live feed, and such passive usage of the CCTV systems hugely undermines their capabilities
This is where Graymatics has built a highly scalable, versatile, and cognitive platform which can analyse such huge video content volumes in almost real-time and turn the content into machine analysis data for future usage. Whether it is monitoring traffic and public behaviour or surveillance of commercial premises,
checking intrusions on fences, or managing crowd density, Graymatics' solution can be seamlessly customized to fulfil almost any need.
It also offers several competitive advantages over other products available in the market which make its platform the best-in-class. It offers the highest breadth of AI-powered video analytics in the industry along with optimized middleware to support the maximum number of high-performance AI analytics processes within a much smaller computer hardware footprint.
That makes Graymatics the brand with the lowest TCO for high-performance AI systems. Further, there is versatility of deployment options including edge, onpremises, cloud, or hybrid edge-to-cloud. Its other USPs include components such as a sophisticated alert report engine, forensic search, and insightful dashboards. The Graymatics platform can also be seamlessly integrated with a mobile app
The Next Destination
Graymatics offers several competitive advantages over other products available in the market which make its platform the best-in-class and unique
The company plans to grow in many regions in the next few years and grow its presence in Europe, the Middle East, and Brazil in South America. It is also building up Audio analytics which will be deployed as an embedded model with video analytics.
Abhijit's Voice
My work in Graymatics is focused on pushing video analytics to be the most powerful and instrumental tool for any business in the globe. We want to challenge ourselves to be able to bring forth solutions to assist with the hardest questions
Building a Legacy of Innovation and Leadership
My Entrepreneurial Journey
Aditya Gaurav Founder & CEO Knowasiak World Champion Cognac Metaverse
Fromstartingmyfirstbusinessasa highschoolstudenttobecominga globallyrecognizedleaderin innovation,myentrepreneurialjourneyhas beenoneofconstantlearning,growth,and unyieldingdetermination.Ibelievethat entrepreneurshipisn’tjustaboutcreating companies;it’saboutsolvingproblems thatmatter,buildingsustainable ecosystems,andmakingameaningful impactonsociety ThisisthemissionI’ve followedthroughoutmylife,andit’swhat drivesmeeveryday.
At17,IfoundedKnowasiak,abusiness socialnetworkthataimstobridgethegap betweenprofessionalsandemerging opportunities.Whatstartedasavisionof creatingaplatformtoempower entrepreneurs,freelancers,andinnovators grewintoaglobalmovementwithover 16,000usersfrom115+countries.The successofKnowasiakdidn’tcome easily—itrequiredresilience,adaptability, andakeenunderstandingoftherapidly evolvingtechlandscape.
ALeaderinInnovation
Oneofmycorebeliefsasanentrepreneur isthatinnovationisthefoundationof success.It'stheabilitytoforeseechanges inthemarket,consumerneeds,and technology,andactonthoseinsights beforeothersdo.WhenIlaunched Knowasiak,Iwasstillinhighschool, jugglingexamsandlearninghowto manageastartupfromscratch.Irealized earlyonthatthekeytostayingaheadisnot
justbuildingaproductoraservice,butcreatinga platformwherepeoplecancollaborateandinnovate together
ThroughKnowasiak,Icreatedanecosystemthat facilitatesnetworking,knowledgesharing,and mentorship,allowingbusinessesofallsizestothrive. Ouruniquemodelallowsentrepreneurstogainvisibility, receivementorship,andconnectwithinvestorsand partnersfromacrosstheglobe.Thisglobalconnectivity iswhatIbelievesetsusapartandisthereasonwehave grownsorapidly
CognacMetaverse:RevolutionizingtheDigitalWorld
WhileKnowasiakwasgrowing,Ialsoventuredintothe realmofthemetaverse—aspaceItrulybelievewill shapethefutureofhowweinteract,work,andsocialize. In2022,at18yearsold,IbecametheyoungestWorld ChampioninGameDevelopment,winningagainst competitorsfrom149countries.Mymetaverse, COGNAC,receivedtheprestigiousFanChoiceWorld Awardandthe2ndRankWorldAwardattheGlobal GameDevelopmentChampionship(GDWC).This successwasnotjustapersonalachievementbuta testamenttohowfartechnologycanbepushedtocreate immersive,meaningfuldigitalexperiences.
TheconceptbehindCOGNACwastocreateametaverse thatisnotjustaboutgamingbutaboutcreatingvirtual environmentsthatempowerlearning,business,and communitybuilding.Inanincreasinglydigitalworld,the metaverseoffersanunprecedentedopportunityto revolutionizeindustriessuchaseducation,healthcare, andentertainment.I’vealwaysbeenfascinatedbythe ideaofusingcutting-edgetechnologytosolvereal-world problems,andCOGNACismyanswertothequestionof howwecanbringpeoplecloserinadigital-firstfuture.
RecognizedGloballyforLeadership
TherecognitionIhavereceivedonthegloballevel isbothhumblingandmotivating.In2022,Iwas invitedbytheUnitedNations'Headof Telecommunicationstoadviseonglobalmetaverse development.Myinsightswereusedtoshapepolicies thatwillinfluencethefutureofhowweinteractinvirtual environments.Thisrolecameafteryearsofworking withvariousorganizationsoninitiativesthatalignwith
mygoalofbuildingabetter,technologicallyadvanced, andethicallyeducatedsociety.
Throughoutmycareertillnow,Ihavehadtheprivilege ofwinning22WorldAwards,12AsiaAwards,and6 NationalAwardsinleadership,strategy,and entrepreneurship.IwashonoredtobeinvitedasaVIPto theG20GlobalSummitandB20Summitattheageof 19,andIhavealsobeenactivelyinvolvedinmultiple stateandnational-levelNGOprojectswithorganizations suchasUNICEF,YuWaah,andtheNarcoticsControl BureauofIndia.Ihavebeenrecentlyinvitedbythe ConfederationofIndianIndustriesandMinistryof CorporateAffairsofIndiatodiscussthenewPrime MinisterInternshipScheme2024whichaimstoprovide employmentto10Millionyouth.Withthiscollectively,I havebeeninvited70+timesasVIPtoglobal conferences.Andmanytimesasajudgeand chiefguest.
IntotalIhave80+certificationsinleadership, entrepreneurshipandstrategyconcretelyreassuringmy impactonagloballevelonceagain.Ialsohave counseledandhelped1,000+studentsofflinegain strategicedgeintheircareerandreachtheirgoalsfaster RecentlyI’vealsostartedguidingstudentsonline.
LeadingbyExample
Whatdrivesmeisn’tjustthedesireforpersonalsuccess, butthebeliefthatmyjourneycaninspireotherstotake boldstepstowardtheirdreams.Iwasrecognizedasthe firststudententrepreneurtorankgloballyatnumberone, andIreceivedtheprestigiousBharatAtmaNirbhar AwardfromtheIndianAchievers’Forumat17.But morethantheawardsandrecognition,it’stheimpact I’vebeenabletomakethatbringsmethegreatest satisfaction.
Ihaveledandparticipatedin15+nationaland internationalhumanitarianmissionstohelppeoplein needduringmyschooltimeandIwasalsothefirst personinIndiaalongwithmyteamtopaintIndia’sFirst TricolorSuburbantraininMumbai,Indiaattheageof 14.Mymissionhasalwaysbeentousemytimetothe fullestandprovidevaluetopeopleinneed.It’sthe unendingurgetodosomething,beproductive,create impact,helppeopleandinnovatethathasledmetobea globallyknownpersonalityatsuchayoungageof20.
Iwanttoencourageyoungentrepreneurstounderstand thatsuccessdoesn’tcomefromdoingwhat’seasy.It comesfromconstantlypushingboundaries,challenging norms,andneverbeingafraidtofail.EverysetbackI’ve faced—whetheritwasduringtheearlydaysof KnowasiakorwhiledevelopingCOGNAC—taughtme invaluablelessonsthatIcarrywithmetothisday
AVisionfortheFuture
AsIcontinuemyjourney,Iremainfocusedonmylongtermmission:tocreateglobalconglomeratesthatmake people’sliveseasierandbetter,leveragingtechnology andinnovation.Theworldisfacingunprecedented challenges,fromclimatechangeto economicinequality,andIbelieveentrepreneursplaya criticalroleinfindingsolutions.Throughthebusinesses IbuildandthepoliciesIadvocatefor,Ihopetoleadby exampleandinspireotherstousetheirtalentsand resourcesforthegreatergood.
In2024,IwasrecognizedastheEmergingSocial NetworkingCEOoftheYear,anhonorthatreaffirmsmy beliefinthepowerofsocialnetworkstobringabout
positivechange.Mynextgoal istotakeKnowasiakand COGNACtoevengreater heights,expandingtheir globalfootprintandmaking themtoolsformeaningful impact.Bothofmy companies,Knowasiakand CognacMetaverse collectivelyhaveavaluation of$1M+USDaccordingto figuresthatwerecalculated whenIwas19.Belongingtoa middleclassfamily,Ihave seenitallasacommon person.AndIbelieveifIcan achievethesemilestones, globalpositionsand people’sloveusing determination,persistenceand continuousinnovation, anyoneofmyagecandoit too.Todaymorethan94,000+ peoplefollowmeon Instagram@adityagauravkc andIhave4,100+connectionsonLinkedin,composed ofministers,globalleaders,entrepreneurs,policy makers,humanitarianleaders,disruptiveinnovatorsand worldchangers.
TheRoadAhead
Inmyjourneyfromahighschoolentrepreneurtoa globallyrecognizedinnovator,I’velearnedthatsuccess isnotjustaboutbuildingcompanies—it’saboutbuilding communities,empoweringpeople,anddrivingchange. AsIcontinuetogrowandevolve,Iremaincommittedto pushingtheboundariesofwhat’spossibleandusingmy platformstoinspirethenextgenerationofentrepreneurs.
Throughinnovation,leadership,andarelentlessdriveto maketheworldabetterplace,Ihopetoleavealasting legacythatfutureentrepreneurscanbuildupon.Connect withmeon@adityagauravkcandat adityagaurav@knowasiak.com.
Nermine Khouzam Rubin
Historically,philanthropicmodels benefittingAfricaservedasenablers tothecontinent'scycleofpoverty bycreatingarelianceonhandoutsratherthan empoweringindividualsforsuccesswith dignity.Traditionally,moneywasraisedand dispersedtoorganizationsonthegroundand localindividualsinneed.Althoughthishas changedthelivesofmany,ithasresultedin communitiesthathavebecomeincreasingly reliantondonationsandsupportfromoutside sources.Thatmodelisnotsustainable,noris itencouragingindividualstobreakthecycle ofpovertyandtaketheirsuccessintotheir ownhands.
Yearsago,mydaughterandIweresupportingacharitythat raisedmoneytosponsoryoungwomenlivinginremote villagestoattendaparochialsecondaryschool.Itwasnot until2017,whilemydaughterwasonavolunteertripin SouthAfrica,thatwehadtheopportunitytovisittheyoung womenwehadbeensupportingalltheseyears.
Sincemydaughterwasalreadyonthecontinent,Iflewto CapeTown,SouthAfricatomeetherandwethentraveled togethertotheDodomaregionofTanzaniawherethegirls wehadbeensupportingwerelocated.Duetotheabsenceof dailyflightsduringthatperiod,wehadtoembarkontwo separateflights,spanningacrosstwodays,beforefinally reachingourdestination.InDodomawethentraveled
nearlythreeandahalfhourstovisitthehomevillageofone ofthegirlsweweresponsoring.Uponenteringhervillage, wesawwomentrekkingformilestowatersourcesthat werefarandoftencontaminatedandmenwhoseemedto havelostallhope,prayingforrainsotheycouldfarmand feedtheirfamilies.Itwasclearthatthecommunitywasnot livinginhealthyorsustainableconditionsnorcouldthey seeanendinsight.Alltheywanted—likeyouorI—was toprovidefortheirfamilies.Iquicklylearnedthatitall startswithwater.Thatmomentinspiredmetofinda solution–onethatwouldmakewatermoreaccessiblefor them,thatwouldhelpthembreakoutoftheircycleof povertyandthatwouldhelpthevillagebeontheroad towardseconomicindependence.
Theseremotevillagesweretryingtosustain anagriculturalsysteminaclimatefacing extremedroughtswithnoreliablewatersupply
Tohelpthesecommunities,werealizedthefirst stepistoprovidethemwithacleanandreliable sourceofwater Wecreatedourempowermentbasedmodel.Unliketraditionalphilanthropic modelsthatfosterrelianceoncharityfrom abroad,ourapproachhelpsAfrican communitiesbreakoutoftheircyclesof povertyandhelpscurrentgenerationsbuildthe foundationforthefuture.Weempowerlocalsto ensurethelong-termimpactoftheworkand therecipients'abilitytomaintaintheirown communities.
Ourfirststepistoprovidefreshwaterto communities,whichwedothroughour partnershipwithInnovation:Africa.Bydrilling intotheaquifer,iteliminatestheneedfor filtration,andthesolartechnologyinstalledand remotelymonitoredinrealtimeallowsthis watersystemtobeindependentand sustainable.Afewmonthslater,weevaluatethe community'smotivationforutilizinginnovative agriculture,includingtheimplementationof dripirrigationsystemsforfarmingand agriculturaltrainingthroughourpartnership withCultivAidandHebrewUniversity The trainingandtechnologyareofferedtothe communitiesandprovidedasanextension serviceoftheAgriculturalInnovationand TechnologyCenters(AITeC),acertifiable Agricultureprogramandcurriculumdevelopedby CultivAidtogetherwiththenetworkofDonBosco TechnicalInstitutesofAfrica.Thisensuresthatthe community'sagriculturalknowledgeissolidand self-sustainableandresultsintheirproducebeing exponentiallymorenutritiousandmorebountifulthan before,leadingtoeconomicprosperityandpromoting humandignity.
enablingthemtobreakoutoftheircycleofpoverty.Access tofreshwateristheirfirststeptowardeconomic independence.
Partneringwiththecommunitiesensuresnotonlythe successfulinstallationoffreshwaterinfrastructurebutalsoa long-termpositiveeffectoneverydaylifeandgivesthem dignityandremovesthefeelingthattheyhavetorelyon others.Bygivingthemthisinfrastructure,theycanbuildan economicdevelopmentplanfortheircommunitiesandwe haveseentheimpactithasmade.Itstartswithafeelingof accomplishmentandtakingcareoftheirfamily.Each personplaysaroleinthecommunity'ssuccess,thereby
Overthelastsixyears,wehaveseenthepositiveimpactof thismodel.Wearecurrentlyworkingwith21communities inTanzaniaandKenyaandhaveimpactedthelivesof 70,000Africans.Wehavetrainedmorethan12,500farmers throughourAITeCcoursesandnowhaveAITeCssitesin Ethiopia,Kenya,Zambia,andsooninUgandatohelptrain andequiplocalfarmerstoproducehealthierandmore bountifulcrops. AITeCisamultifunctionalfarmthat servesasadynamictrainingcenterandinnovativeresearch hub,designedtotrainandequiplocalfarmerswithhandsonskills.
Creating Beautiful Spaces Susan Semmelmann
Creating a dream space is not an easy job. It
takes a team of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, and other professionals to create the most eye-catching designs under the leadership of an interior designer. An interior designer is involved in every aspect of the process, starting from furnishing to designing to selecting colors, along with many other factors. They are well aware of how lighting, colors, surface finishes, and several other things influence the look and feel of the final product.
However, to create those eye-catching designs, one needs creative thinking and a tremendous experience with an aesthetic sense. One such interior designer is Susan Semmelmann, the founder of Susan Semmelmann Interiors, delivering a unique and creative outcome while making the entire interior designing experience fun and exciting.
A veteran of the industry, Susan has worked in several facets of the construction and designing industry for more than two decades, and through those experiences, she has grown to love her family of fellow designers, architects, and builders who work together to make dream home while sharing the common goal of supporting the community
Susan initiated her entrepreneurial path with a wealth of experience, a forced enthusiasm, and a small group of allies. Soon her passion, coupled with great team efforts, helped her find progress. Her customer base expanded quickly, and so did her
team to meet the growing demand. At present, the firm is in the process of launching its Fort Worth Design Studio, which will serve as a design resource for the public and other design professionals. The firm will also have an online store, making beautiful and innovative products available directly to the public
Diversifying Offerings
As the founder of her firm, Susan prefers to begin each consultation with a dreaming conversation; what is the client's vision for their home, and how Susan and her team can partner with them to bring those visions into reality. The firm offers hundreds of luxury vendor lines with a wide range of styles and choices that can fit any taste. Additionally, Susan Semmelmann Interiors offer its clients a fully customizable design experience with its own line of bedding, drapery, and furnishings manufactured inhouse using cutting-edge technology.
The Greatest Professional Accomplishment
Susan feels launching her own brand in 2019 is one of her most outstanding achievements. She says, "I started Susan Semmelmann Interiors because I had a dream and a vision for a company that I finally wanted to pursue; to write a new story with a heart of giving as the centerpiece."
Susan Semmelmann Interior's employees are on a mission to be givers, to be gracious, and offer their time, talents, and resources to those around them, to be authentic and relational with clients, co-
SUSAN SEMMELMANN
SUSAN SEMMELMANN INTERIORS FOUNDER
workers, and business partners to bring beauty in many ways.
"The spirit of living is in the giving" has been my mission statement from day one." Susan explains, "I launched my brand because I didn't want to be limited in my ability to create something truly magical. We are experts in luxury design; it's what we do. Bringing joy and giving back is why we do it.
Preparing for Challenge
Susan feels flexibility is of utmost importance as she often needs to adjust her plans on the move However, her team is terrific at working together in
order to keep everything in line and on track. Through this process, Susan has become a student of her environment, always learning and adjusting the path forward.
For Susan, success looks like a thriving family, connection with close friends, happy clients, and broad community outreach. She considers these the pillars in her life that sustain her and get her moving daily. She says, "The practice of keeping my purpose and passion in front of me first thing every morning is essential to realizing these big dreams and experiencing joy in the process "
Creating a Dynamic Work Experience
As the founder and owner of SSI, Susan is entirely focused on creating a dynamic and exciting work environment with her fantastic team. “I have trusted people around me who have been by my side for
years, laboring to bring the dream of SSI to reality. Everyone has their area of expertise, but we all pitch in when and where we are needed.”- She stated.
The firm has also developed a 'fingers in the dirt' mentality, where none is above or below any given task. Susan loves being in the field with her team and meeting clients face-to-face.
Getting Ready for the Future
"We are so thankful that our company has experienced steady and significant growth over the past three years! We focus on client satisfaction first and foremost, and happy clients bring referrals. It's a simple equation with amazing results."- states Susan.
With SSI, the client requesting a one-room makeover receives the same focus and attention as the entire home design. Both the projects are equally impactful to the clients, and SSI wants to make each one special and unique. The firm's present in-store and online expansion means that it now has more opportunities to collaborate and connect with broader community outreach, and Susan is very excited about that.
Company Name: Susan Semmelmann Interiors
Management: Susan Semmelmann, founder & owner
URL: semmelmanninteriors.com
