About Launch Local
Our story
We are a group of volunteers looking to empower small businesses and non-profits across the country to build sustainable digital platforms.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, many small businesses across the nation struggled as traffic to their stores dramatically fell. These small businesses, the foundation of America’s economy, unfortunately at times lack the digital expertise and horsepower to stay afloat. We built Launch Local, a two-sided platform, to help small businesses and nonprofits rethink and implement new digital programs. At the same time, Launch Local creates new opportunities for college students, “seeders” as we say, to learn about digital growth and implementation in a way that also gives back to local communities.
Our team comes from consulting to high tech, and we bring our skills together to provide the best impact for local businesses, completely free.
-Varun
Our board
Varun is a management consultant with a knack for problem solving and social entreprenurship. With a background in product management, he's driven to promote technology to the foundation of America's economy.
He graduated with highest distinction from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Ben is a software engineer with a passion for small business and entrepreneurship. He has previously worked in an early-stage tech startup and co-managed a local CS education franchise in his hometown during its response to the pandemic.
He currently works in defense research and is a graduate student in computer science at Johns Hopkins.
Hiral is a software engineer with a passion for social good and entrepreneurship. She has a depth of experience mentoring high school and college students, and is looking forward to guiding our "seeders" on their path to help businesses achieve upward mobility through technology.
She graduated from the University of Washington, studying Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Nikita is passionate about bringing communities together through tech and business. She has extensive experience in local business consulting and computer science research.
While Nikita is a current senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, she will work as a technology consultant after graduating in spring 2021.
Celina is a user experience designer with enthusiasm for creating digital spaces that promote empowerment, empathy, and opportunity. She has a background in creating thoughtful, human-centered experiences at a consumer and enterprise level.
She currently works at a large tech company after graduating from the University of Washington with a B.S. in User-Centered Design.
Andrew is a Strategy Consultant, with a background in Product Management and Technology. He's passionate about emerging markets and developing strong frameworks to lead sustainable business growth in the long term.
He graduated from UC Berkeley, studying Business Administration and Statistics.
Community and Communications
Sruthi is an engineer with a passion in entrepreneurship and non-profit work. She has experience in using marketing to promote entrepreneurship and philanthropy to college students. She is excited to combine her interests to give back to the local community.
She graduated from Purdue University where she studied Computer Engineering
Leana is a business strategist and writer with a passion for human-centered design and entrepreneurship. She has experience working with early-stage startups on their marketing strategy and product development, carrying out thoughtful research through to solutions, always asking "why?"
She studied at Brown University, where she led the Brown Entrepreneurship Program Special Events team and graduated with a BA in Philosophy