Episode 20: Impact, Information and AI; building the future of media with Priyanka Vazirani - Co-Founder, Benefactory & Volv

The Social Impact Startup

Priyanka Varzirani is the co-founder of not one, but two socially impactful companies. She was born and raised in India but received her bachelor’s in the United States and her Master’s in England. Although she started her first job in asset management, she did not curate her career with the idea of “how can I make money”, but rather “how can I help people”. Help, in her case, refers to changing the way in which people perceive the world around them. Finance served its purpose by enriching her research and analytical skills, which were the backbone to both of her companies. Benefactory is a social enterprise that raises awareness to global crises as they happen to increase the impact consumers can have. Her research demonstrated that consumers are more willing to donate to a cause if it 1) more closely impacts them and 2) if it is a current crisis. Most donations come within the first four weeks and so by recognizing the need for streamlining the process, Benefactory was born. However, Priyanka also recognized that the way in which you are being informed on certain topics will always play a vital role in the actions that you take. With the influx of fake news and fiction being presented as fact, Priyanka created Volv - a revolutionary news app that delivers unbiased news in 9 second story bits. How are they different than other media sources? They are currently building the AI software that detects opinion and bias by recognizing patterns in writing from both sides of the political spectrum. This results in concentrated, factual news that allows you to form your own opinions and perspectives, instead of blindly adopting those from others. Her two companies go hand in hand as Volv, through its efficiency and concentrated nature, forces users to think critically, develop opinions, and support the causes that are important and current in the world while Benefactory delivers the place that makes it easier to have an impact. In our conversation we discuss the development and interrelation of her two companies, how she manages her daily schedule and her grassroots approach to building partnerships when just starting out. We also discuss the advice she has for social impact entrepreneurs and how ambition and altruism are inherently building the future models of business.

Follow along @

https://www.volvmedia.com/

https://www.benefactory.live

Our podcast theme song is "Pico & Westwood" by Esbie Fonte. For more info, visit https://www.esbiefonte.com/