Subhashish Acharya, the founder of Project Starfish, recommends Sravya Patakota for admission to Purdue University. He describes how Sravya worked with Project Starfish for 3 months, studying over 200 technology companies and arranging discussions between their CEOs and people with disabilities. This resulted in two recorded talks on the future of robotics and big data that created opportunities for those with disabilities. Acharya praises Sravya's work ethic, grasp of technology, ability to handle tight deadlines and rejection, and commitment to creating jobs and opportunities through engagement with top startups. He strongly recommends Sravya, believing she will be an asset to any university and make a positive impact through

1. From the Office of the Founder
Project Starfish America
Oct 20, 2016!
!
The Office of Admissions!
Purdue University,!
West Lafayette, IN!
!
! Subject: Letter of Recommendation: Sravya Patakota!
!Sir/ Madam
!Please find enclosed recommendation for Ms. Sravya Patakota, whom I mentored personally
for 4 months. Every year my organization brings in five student leaders who have a passion for
business and social impact with high merit and we introduce them to problem solving via
experiential learning. Only a handful are picked. They go through a minimum of 12 hours of
evaluation before entry, starting from their goals, their mission to align them properly to
experience impact. This builds student leaders ground up who can enter top universities and
subsequently be an asset to the university and leave a mark in the world. Sravya was one of
them, this recommendation is an honest and credible testimony of her achievements. Assured,
Sravya is not the student you should miss providing an entry. She is a leader! We will not
recommend her without watching her create impact. This is a 100% true testimonial.
!My name is Subhashish Acharya. I work as a Director at Oracle, managing Accenture for N.A.
My role focuses on integrating both Oracle (#1 Enterprise software company) and Accenture
( #1 Enterprise Consulting/Strategy company) to work together, build solutions, solve problems
of F500 customers resulting in business, employment and profitability for corporations. The
role is “cutting edge”. It provides me the opportunity to create the change the industry will
experience in the next 5 to 10 years.
My wife, Soumita and I are also social entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Four years back we
observed firsthand the plight of unemployed people with disabilities in the USA, specially the
blind / visually impaired community. 26 Million people in the country with disabilities are
unemployed and 1 out 5 in the USA have a disability. It is shocking! We believed we could
change the status quo by using a different workforce model, which transforms unemployed
people w/disabilities to become the resources of cash starved and resource hungry small
businesses in the USA as learn, earn, experience model. We created Project Starfish, to
transform unemployed workers helping small business accelerate progress working from home
using a laptop/internet and a phone. Till date using the visionary model, we have created
employment for over 150 blind individuals in 6 countries supporting over 90 businesses in 4
countries. We took no handout, no donation, and no charity. Project Starfish today is part of
MIT’s Startup ecosystem. Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Mass, selected me to lead employment
for the Rehab Council that was started by none other than Helen Keller, making me the first
Indian to be selected for such a position. I have been highlighted in 6 newspapers including the
Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune etc. For additional details check www.pstarfish.org/accolade .
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
!
Subhashish Acharya | Founder: Project Starfish
www.pstarfish.org | e: subs@pstarfish.org | c: +1. 508.395.6379
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2. From the Office of the Founder
Project Starfish America
!
Premise: The Project!
!
Sravya, was intensely passionate about helping my organization and it's goals. She also wanted
to make the world better and help people with disabilities springboard towards meaningful
employment. For the last 3 months she was provided the following charter:!
!
• !Build a knowledge ecosystem with MIT Startup Exchange and Harvard Innovation Lab
startups that have amazing technology and business models.!
• Bring the CEO's and Founders of the organizations to disseminate knowledge to people
with disabilities via remote conferencing technology.!
• Create an employment ecosystem where people with disabilities would be engaged with
the top companies on short term paid projects creating business value, work experience,
skills, inclusion and meaningful professional network.!
!
Sravya, was selected post 12 hours of assessments and interviews. Only 1 out of 20 students
qualify, Sravya was one of them. Over 100 people applied for the position. !
!
!
!
Inference: Understanding her Leadership Qualities
!
• Sravya’s project goals were exceedingly high and over ambitious for her age, experience
and maturity. !
• Her psychological assessments and her interviews clearly identify her as :!
• Changemaker!
• Passionate about solving problems.!
• Willingness to do whatever it takes by really doing the impossible. Her project
was all about interacting with top MIT and Harvard Alumni; it really is an
uncomfortable and extremely difficult task, but Sravya did extremely well by
showing her ability to change, evolve and knowing fully it would help people with
disabilities, thus conquering her fear. To myself and to the 150+ blind / paralyzed
and speech impaired professionals in my team, this was a true act of courage.!
• Persistence, Persistence and Persistence. She has a lot of it in her.!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
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www.pstarfish.org | e: subs@pstarfish.org | c: +1. 508.395.6379
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3. From the Office of the Founder
Project Starfish America
!
Resources provided :!
!
• A List of 300+ MIT Startup Exchange companies.
• A website of Harvard Innovation Lab companies.
!
Activity Expected:
!
• Sravya had to intensely go through each and every organization.
• Identify what each company does, mostly from the technology side.
• Identify the C level contacts
• Identify the business model
• Identify if their technology could align with the needs of people with disabilities.
!
• Outreach: explaining the purpose of Project Starfish and how aligning with technology,
social and business needs can create synergy and real impact.
!
Sravya's efforts:!
!
• The following has been her activity:
!
• Studied over 200+ technology and technology related companies. That is over
400 hours of work. It is intense study!
• Understanding high end ,cutting edge “engineering technology” - which really
is not expected from a student.
• Hone in on: Top 30 companies who have high possibilities.
• Outreach : 20 + CEO’s
• Schedule, moderate and arrange discussions between people with disabilities and
the CEO’s. : Sravya accomplished 5 discussions. We expected none! She over
performed.
!
Inference: Result of her Activity
!
• Sravya is Extremely Hardworking : Researching and learning new technology,
understanding business and business models and applying knowledge to figure
how the technology aligns with the needs of people w/disabilities is an
exceptionally arduous task, specifically given the fact, Sravya had to do it on her
own.
• Sravya has exceptionally High understanding of Technology : We have been
spellbound at Sravya’s ability to grasp social needs and technology needs to bring
alignment. It can only happen when Sravya quickly grasps engineering concepts
and design concepts; some technology and some “Human centered design”.
• Ability to work under tight Timelines: Sravya stuck to every timeline that we gave
her in terms of activity. Sometimes working day and night.
• Really ,No Fear of Failure: We are not fully sure of why or how, but Sravya’s
innate spirit of taking failure at it's face is commendable. She was rejected by
many companies from even speaking with them during her outreach, yet, she was
calm, composed and had a positive attitude. We are fully aware, how difficult it
may be for a student, but Sravya handled rejection elegantly.
!
www.pstarfish.org | e: subs@pstarfish.org | c: +1. 508.395.6379
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4. From the Office of the Founder
Project Starfish America
!
!
!
The Impact of Sravya's activity :!
!
!
1. !Prof David Mindell of MIT Aeronautical Engineering spoke with us over phone
explaining the future of robotics and it's application to humanity and the new jobs it
will create for people with disabilities. Please find his talk, recorded including
Sravya’s Q/A with Dr Mindell on this link: https://www.facebook.com/
60Minute2Impact/posts/1224665840917709 !
!
2. Dr Viral Shah of MIT Startup Exchange related to Big Data computing spoke
with us explaining how the world of Big data creates possibilities of changing the
world. Dr Viral Shah has co-authored papers with co-founders of Indian technology
giant Infosys. Dr Shah’s discussion with us including a Q/ A session by Sravya is
available on this link : https://www.facebook.com/60Minute2Impact/posts/
1224661440918149 !
!
3. Entire discussion and collaboration with Karima Ladhani, CEO of Harvard
Innovation Lab company Barakat Bundle.!
Proof:!
Work and Proof of Collaboration:!
www.pstarfish.org | e: subs@pstarfish.org | c: +1. 508.395.6379
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5. From the Office of the Founder
Project Starfish America
!
!
FINAL RECOMMENDATION FOR SRAVYA PATAKOTA
!
!
First of all as an industry expert, an engineering expert and a thorough business professional
working with Oracle and Accenture has provided me the experience to judge, if a student has
the flair and competence for engineering. I am myself an engineer. !
!
Second, as a social entrepreneur, who has created impact for people with disabilities by
creating an experiential learning framework that solves one of the most pressing problems of
society i.e. unemployment among people with disabilities, Sravya is one of the leaders in todays
world who can make the world a better place. Not many can, but Sravya goes beyond, way
beyond most of her student peers to create an everlasting impression on peoples lives. Her
undying commitment to help create jobs and engaging topmost startups in the world is living
proof of a change maker that is so much needed in the world! !
!
Third, being elected in a committee by Former Governor : Mr Deval Patrick of MA, one can only
expect honesty and credibility via this recommendation. Every proof has been provided to
showcase Sravya’s ability and competence. Nothing was showcased in an effort to make her
look good more than she should or more than what she deserves. !
!
!
I strongly recommend Sravya to be part of your University. She has earned my respect and my
whole team of people with disabilities. She has created jobs for people with disabilities, she has
impacted peoples lives by creating business value and solving social problems. She picks up
engineering and technology concepts easily without even being part of an engineering school is
an added feather in the cap. !
!
Please call or email me or my office if you have any questions. We want your university to be
even more successful by inducting leaders like Sravya Patakota.!
!
!
Sincerely,!
!
!
!
Subhashish Acharya!
!
E: subs@pstarfish.org !
C: 508.395.6379!
W: www.pstarfish.org !
!
www.pstarfish.org | e: subs@pstarfish.org | c: +1. 508.395.6379
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