didn't think i'd be a founder when the year started but here I am!
About
Hi there! I'm a product builder for tools that aid learning and sharpen expertise.
More recently I attempted starting up in AI SaaS for mental healthcare providers. Previously I've been a PM at India's largest EdTech company Unacademy. I'm a trained product designer with an education in Industrial Design.
I'm a people's person. I've organised a tech-art fair, co-hosted an interview show and a film club, and facilitated countless 30+ and a few 100+ member workshops.
I write a newsletter on the mental health tech economy and it's people over at harshalipara.substack.com/
Work Experience
Building AI SaaS for training and upskilling of mental healthcare providers
Grew the LMS from a baseline to full formed feature set for Indian and US creators
Freelance design services for mental healthcare providers. Impacted psycho-education program and experience of tele-therapy
Client-facing role with early stage startups in Australia to provide research, design, and product building services
Qualitative field research with public hospitals in Bangalore to screen mothers of gestational age 13 weeks and above for perinatal depression with a goal of building a screening program
Side Projects
I provide facilitation services for product development and design thinking for early stage startups
A weekly newsletter on the mental health tech economy and its people
An art fair with a focus on cultural, psycho-social identities expressed via generative tech tools. First fair held on Nov 2022 at BIC Bangalore
A friends collective that conducts workshops, makes zines, organises art fair
Exhibitions
First gathering held in Nov 2022 – participation of 400 people including 20 artists, 3 workshops, and a performance
Volunteering
Readastory is a tele-education initiative in Palghar, Maharashtra. Readastory connects fluent English and Marathi-speaking folks to school children to practise speaking in English over the phone
Co-hosting 'With Design' with Vishwanath Pasumarthi where we talk with professionals who practice applied creativity and challenges of having a diversified, multi-disciplinary practice
Assembled a team to design training website for healthcare workers in COVID Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Writing
This paper describes the design process followed in the making of a prosumerist publication. alt+yd is a printed zine that goes beyond one way communication with its readers. It takes into account the reactions of Instagrammers to its digital publication and using a program, incorporates it into its printed self. Inspired from the Open Source and Open Data culture, project alt+yd reflects upon the kind and medium of content most consumed today, and the relevance and possible adaptations of traditional media to keep in pace with emerging digital culture.
This paper describes the process and outcomes of a pilot workshop conducted at the International Design for Social Development Conference, Gandhinagar, 2019. The workshop was an attempt to familiarise designers with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in their work process. The outcomes of the workshop involved first hand experience in collaboration with ML and the consequently arising inquiries in the dynamics and ethics of collaborating with machines
Education
Head of student education initiative 'Baatein', member of student council
12th grade graduation in Humanities with special subjects: Logic, Economics, Psychology
10th grade graduation with special subjects: Engineering drawing, Sciences, English Literature, Hindi