Who: Mekin Maheshwari
Education: BE in Computer Science from P.E.S. Institute of Technology, Bangalore.
There are lots of different ways of learning. For some of us, learning takes place in a classroom. For others, it takes place at their places of work. But no matter where and what you’re learning – the process of gathering knowledge is an important one.
Mekin Maheshwari strongly believes that practical learning is the way forward for schools. A qualified Computer Science Engineer, Mekin started his career by working for a startup company. He later became one of the first people to join Flipkart. For years, he worked as the Chief People Officer for Flipkart. This means that he was in charge of hiring and taking care of his employees.
After many years of working, Mekin found himself wondering how he could give back and affect change in the world. He realised that one of the biggest problems India faces is our education system. Though the system works well for some children, it isn’t always right for everyone. So, Mekin and his team, have created a new system that gives students a chance to learn in a different way.
When Mekin decided to pursue his passion for education, he began researching where he could make the most impact. He realised that though many students got into college and got great degrees, there might not be enough jobs for them all. So, he decided that the best way to solve this problem was to teach them to create jobs for themselves.
Mekin is one of the founders of Udhyam, a startup that wants to teach kids the skills to become entrepreneurs. The Udhyam team believes that by teaching these lessons to children, they will create a new generation of entrepreneurs who will start small businesses to employ themselves and others.
‘Udhyam’ means enterprise and hard work, and we’re happy to see that Mekin’s efforts too have had such great results.
Long Story Short
- Mekin is a qualified Computer Science Engineer
- He loves working with startups and has spent his career working with them.
- He was one of the first Flipkart employees
- After a few years of working at Flipkart, he realised he wanted to make a social impact.
- So, he quit his job and started doing research into the education system.
- He realised that though many people are educated, there aren’t enough jobs to employ everyone.
- He started Udhyam to teach students how to become entrepreneurs
- Udhyam believes that if these students start their own businesses, they will be able to earn a living and give jobs to others.