From swimming pools to global tech stages, Akshat Kumar builds communities as boldly as he builds products, co-founding Geek Room to put 150,000 developers on the world’s map.

Akshat Kumar is a self-driven individual who believes that carving unique paths and following ideologies true to oneself is the foundation of success. In addition to pursuing computer science engineering as an undergraduate from the Delhi Skill & Entrepreneurship University (DSEU), Akshat is a founding member of Geek Room–one of the largest tech communities in India with over 150,000 developers keeping it alive. Through strategic leadership and community-first initiatives, they have organized multiple large-scale hackathons, workshops, and networking events that pair innovation with industry collaboration. In this way, Geek Room bridges the gap between talent and opportunity and democratizes the Indian tech community by making participation more accessible for students from tier 2 and tier 3 institutions. Here, students are provided with a platform to showcase their talent in front of global brands such as Microsoft, Groq, and Mastercard, whose developer outreach and presence is in turn solidified in India. Companies are also able to hire engineers at an affordable price and Geek Room, as a community, gains a positive reputation in the process, which provides a significant rate of investment overall and creates a mutually beneficial ecosystem. 

Alongside building Geek Room, Akshat has interned with multiple international tech-centred startups, including OmniDimension (based in California), where they were able to scale the company to a $500k value through data-driven experimentation with no major funding. During his time there, as he worked closely with the founding team, OmniVision expanded its presence to over 60 countries and onboarded clients such as MG Motors, Lenovo, and Capgemini. He has also previously interned with the Vancouver-based Misty Interactive Studios, where he developed an open source UI library platform named EmpireUI which currently serves more than 700 monthly users. He also developed a full-stack marketplace platform here which connected more than 500 users; integrating authentication, telemetry, and analytics.

Beyond his achievements in the field of technology and innovation, Akshat has previously represented Delhi in several different national swimming championships, and still considers sports to be a central part of his life. He is a firm believer in individuals looking within themselves to figure out their unique journeys, demonstrating a discipline and competitive spirit that evidently carries over into his work. He thrives on days that are action-packed yet equally balanced between a combination of work, sport, and quality time with his close ones. Driven by an aspiration of being in the spotlight and achieving fame, in addition to equally valuing community and relationships, Akshat approaches both his work and life in general with intent and purpose. With a blend of technical depth, leadership experience, and a strong commitment to empowering others, there is no doubt that Akshat Kumar represents a new generation of builders who shape both technology and the communities around it.

Profiled by: Manya Marwah

Ananya is someone who has evidently perfected the art of combining her artistic and intellectual expression, being someone who has excelled in both. Her tightly packed resume is only a precursor to someone who is full of life, bursting at the seams with the urge to do more, to be more, to impact people in meaningful ways. With her passionate indulgence in personal, professional, and academic pursuits, she is the prime example of someone who works hard to be able to do what she likes and what she needs to. 

As someone who has worked with numerous people on multiple projects, she honed her skills of teamwork and collaboration, shaping them into a useful tool. As an empathetic person, she adopts the strategy of understanding how people function and why conflicts arise instead of attributing them to errors or gaps. She credits the people around her for her progress, for acting as an inspiration for who she wants to be. “It’s very important to surround yourself with the right kind of people,” she said, explaining that the people around her reflected who she was and who she wanted to embody. 

Ananya emphasises on the importance of giving oneself time, learning to say no, and understanding how to prioritise commitments to avoid feeling overwhelmed or burdened, saying that she consistently avoids burning out by making sure to not let her life revolve around her service, and by letting herself indulge in pursuits of personal interest like her passion for food, the arts, her dancing, and more. 

She attributed her time at Enactus, Lady Shri Ram College, for allowing her to take part in the impact sector at such a level, saying that it increased her overall social awareness to work on the same. It had been a very significant step in her journey, and she ended up learning numerous lessons that continue to stay with her, making it her most enjoyable and educational time. 

Above all, she is a true testament to what and who shaped her, her mother and grandmother, whom she describes as her primary inspirations, a person who is fundamentally kind and passionate toward her goals.