Today we’d like to introduce you to Laasya Goriparti
Hi Laasya, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I had grown up seeing everyone around me bury sorrow and unconventional ambitions, not knowing or even believing they needed to vent the fires burning their souls away inside. It felt like I was living in a world where everyone was on mute by default, and that was the expectation for me. But you learn things when growing up in a thick atmosphere of silence: you either learn to stay quiet, or you find a way to make noise. I chose to make noise.
Somehow, I’ve always crossed paths with people who also drown their pain and trauma in the hidden depths of their souls. 3 am calls with friends on the verge of self-harm instilled an anger within me that drove my realization of the need for reform and hope that reaches those who are genuinely engulfed by the night. Peers and mentors telling me I was a bottomless void of negativity made me realize the dire need for acceptance of existence beyond the realm of artifice. These experiences, far too toxically repetitive, have cultivated my passion for giving everyone the support to unleash their true voices and identities.
At 14, I co founded Unmute, a global NGO and tech startup designed to give anyone that outlet I so desperately wished existed in the world. Unmute covers issues ranging from domestic violence, human trafficking, and food insecurity, to mental health. I turned every single experience, that either someone I know or I faced, into fuel for a project aimed to solve or assist others enduring such issues anywhere in the world. We are developed an AI companion integrated with our key elements that allow users to unmask, heal, and resonate with the collective global body of suppressed people that can help people in crisis to vent their feelings and find psychological healing. But this work doesn’t end within the bounds of technology. Our work is about human connection: holding grassroot reform projects, running podcasts where people share their stories, and publishing blogs to amplify their voices. The principle is simple: unmuting is the first step, for both our society and our own minds, to heal.
To me, Unmute isn’t an organization or another resume filler; it’s my escape. This is my playground; my fulfillment; my joy. Helping other people find a voice, quite literally, is what gave me a voice. None of this is about reputation for me; this is about embracing and reviving our collective humanity.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Getting Unmute off the ground wasn’t easy. I was the youngest person in my own organization, working with team members who were concentrated halfway across the world. Soon enough, I found myself struggling to pioneer progress towards the reality that I truly envisioned as my own insecurities constantly weighed me down along with the fact that no one believed I had the equivalent competency to execute as I did to ideate. I knew I was going to have to push myself out of my comfort zone of introversion. Hence I joined another organization, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and made a conscious decision to force myself to develop the adequate confidence to become an efficient social entrepreneur. In eight months, I went from being a timid introvert to giving speeches in front of crowds of 5000+; this experience lit a spark in me, and I brought this new spark back home to Unmute.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Till date, I have led Unmute’s expansion, along with over 150 volunteers, into 15 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North & South America. We address more than 12 different social sectors, from mental health to education to domestic violence, and our work has been recognized in 5 different media outlets and platforms internationally. We have raised funds for creating business opportunities for women in underprivileged regions of Asia, enabling them to pave their paths out of systemic poverty. Currently, we are working to establish schools in Nigeria which would be able to provide free education in the fields of STEM and business to the disadvantaged children. In Pakistan, we have legal advisors assisting victims of domestic violence, and we’re now soft-launching our sustainable fashion brand to empower financial independence for women who are fashion designers and textile workers from remote and underprivileged areas across South Asia. We have also partnered with organizations like Feed the Poor America for global food distribution programs. To date, we have engaged more than 20 NGOs & corporate partners in raising funds for victims of humanitarian crises worldwide. We have even used unconventional forms for activism and resistance, such as organizing art exhibitions, building a social impact fashion brand, and hosting concerts to raise awareness about the ongoing genocides and atrocities taking place globally.
My vision for Unmute doesn’t stop here. I envision our AI companion being able to talk in several languages, adjusting to the psychological needs of different cultures and societies. I want Unmute to be a safe place for anyone, anywhere. I hope that in the future we will build virtual reality spaces that serve as sanctuaries where people will find solidarity and support. Moving forward, Unmute will drive systemic reform through policy changes and activism. We can’t just treat symptoms; we need to change systems.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Now that I’ve dived all into social entrepreneurship, activism, and humanitarian service, I’ve realized that, in reality, our society only uplifts those driven by materialistic ambitions. My biggest challenge in this has been paving a path for myself to genuinely serve the greater good of society while many organizations and people that I come across are, more often than not, disguised under a facade of superficial diplomacy and staged acts of philanthropy. Of all the many challenges that I face daily as a student entrepreneur, this fight against artifice poses the greatest potential threat to hinder my progress and even crash my whole system of operations altogether. Although it sounds silly that something so seemingly trivial or psychological can affect me this much, those of you who are fueled by a passion that originates from an honest desire for actual reform of societies and lives will understand how truly demoralizing it is to see that most of our society – and the activists and philanthropists within it – only exist for show.
UNMUTE is not yet another organization that dusts our hands after simply spreading awareness of these issues. We’ve developed long-lasting impact and societal healing platforms to do more than single-occurrence service events but rather embedding reform into the system itself. From raising microloans for economically underprivileged women funding the establishment of their small businesses to advocating and assisting refugees and victims of humanitarian catastrophes, we are constantly leading grassroot societal reform through the hands of youth who find that contributing to such humanitarian efforts is intrinsically healing and self-empowering.
Fighting for a reality, such as the one envisioned by young social activists and changemakers today, against all the limiting and scrutinizing forces we must face becomes demoralizing when fought alone. That’s why we welcome anyone from any background or experience to join us, through applying on our website or simply reaching out with indicated interest. With our music label and fashion brand launching in the near future, we have a whole world of opportunities available for youth who align with our passion and mission. Being a part of this journey is far more rewarding than anything we can put into words. Our dream, UNMUTE, was born embedded with an identity of its own. A voice that yearned to be heard, a culture to be experienced, and a message to be embraced – by anyone anywhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://unmutecz.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unmutecz/
