Improving Lives with Startups: Srin Madipalli, Adviser
For Srin Madipalli, startups are the perfect vehicle for achieving social change whilst making a profit. That’s why he’s excited to be an Adviser with 8 Dimension Ventures, a fund that will be investing in new companies that are helping people and the planet.
The 8 Dimensions of Wellness are: Emotional, Financial, Social, Spiritual, Physical, Occupational, Intellectual and Environmental.
“In an ideal world all companies would be embracing the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, but I think it’s easier with startups because they don’t have the legacy issues,” says the entrepreneur and angel investor.
“It’s better if these principles are baked in from the beginning and have them in the core DNA of the company, rather than something that’s retrofitted years or decades down the line.”
Madipalli started Accomable, a company that supported accessible travel by providing listings of disabled-friendly accommodations. The firm was acquired by Airbnb in 2017.
He points to his own startup as an example of a firm that can provide a socially valuable service whilst generating revenue. “You can only make a profit if you are making a positive social impact in the first place,” he says.
As an investor, he has provided funding to Unplugged.rest, which provides people with three-day digital detoxes at cabins in the UK. No phones allowed! Unplugged taps into several Dimensions of Wellness, including Environmental, Emotional and Physical.
Madipalli is looking forward to working with the startups in which 8 Dimension Ventures will be investing. He is open to helping companies that address any or all of the Dimensions. “I really care about businesses that have an impact beyond the bottom line and are doing something to improve human lives,” he says.
