The fall of my junior year was my most difficult period in college. I took a semester off from school to work full-time in Brooklyn on a technology nonprofit I cared about, yet it was a lonely experience full of anxiety. By October, we only had two months of funding…

With another year in the books, I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk about what I’ve learned, what we were able to accomplish at Upsolve in 2018, and what we’re going to be focused on this coming year. Stepping back for a moment, 2018 was big for me because…

2017 marks the first full year of Upsolve’s existence. And what a wonderful, challenging, fun year it has been. …

Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Finding an Idea III. Finding a Co-Founder IV. Funding V. Your Prototype/MVP VI. Why You Should Try to Start Something VII. Conclusion Introduction Hi! My name is Rohan Pavuluri and I’m the co-founder of a nonprofit technology startup called Upsolve. I’m also a senior at Harvard. At Upsolve, we help low-income Americans get a fresh start after sudden financial shocks. I started thinking about Upsolve in February of 2016, and really got started…

“Don’t worry, Rohan,” Coach Mills whispered to me after the race. “That’s what this sport is all about.” As I lay down on the asphalt, sunglasses and polished white helmet beside me, I felt embarrassed. I had started the day with high expectations for myself. Instead, my teammates helped me…

My buddy Neel Mehta asked me to share a little bit about myself and my story co-founding Upsolve this past year, so I thought I’d take the chance to support his awesome new initiative. …

Last week, I packed up my bags, emptied my drawers, and said goodbye to New York City. For the last seven months, I’ve been living in Brooklyn and working out of Blue Ridge Labs, the Robin Hood Foundation’s Social Impact Incubator. I’ve spent more time at Blue Ridge than anywhere…

Now that I’m about half way complete with my semester off from school, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on my experience. Today’s also a good day to reflect because Upsolve just got admitted to Blue Ridge Labs’ Catalyst Program, which comes with a $50K prize. As summer…

Two lines have come to define my college experience. My college dean, Rakesh Khurana, delivered the first one at our freshman orientation: “College is not a stop on the way to the rest of your life; this is your life.” I heard the second from a visiting professor over dinner…