About
Prem Kumar is the founder of Kalvi40, a mobile educational technology app that is transforming the way education is imparted to over 750 Government schools across 26 districts in Tamil Nadu.
A seasoned IT delivery Manager with a career that spanned 19 years across companies like HCL and TCS, Prem Kumar took a leap of faith in creating Kalvi40 when he observed gaps in the way education was reaching school children in Tamil Nadu’s Hinterland.
With a global collaborative volunteer network which helps Kalvi40 create content for the kids, Prem Kumar today has managed to reach over 750 Government schools across 26 districts in Tamil Nadu.
Listen to Prem’s fascinating journey in this podcast where Swami delves deep into the what, why and how of Kalvi40, including:
- How Prem was inspired to start Kalvi40
- What made Prem take the ultimate leap of faith
- Understanding what “rural India” really means
- How Prem built the platform from scratch
- Discovering the difference between Corporate Outsourcing and Social Outsourcing
- The distinction between Purpose and Process in Social Startups
- The challenges of running a social startup
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Listen to the episode
Selected Links
Connect with Prem Kumar
Government Schools in Tamil Nadu
A Single Teacher School (YouTube video in Tamil)
Government Schools Infrastructure in India
Process Vs. Purpose in Social Enterprises
The Kalvi40 Volunteers Experience (YouTube video in Tamil)
The United Nations Report o 1948
Personalities Mentioned
Kovai Sadasivam, Environmentalist
Show Notes
Prem Kumar’s Formative Years
How Prem Kumar’s childhood influenced the idea of Kalvi40
Government Schools Vs Private Schools – in the eyes of a young Prem Kumar
Have Government Schools changed in the past two decades?
Tamil Nadu Government Schools
The life of a rural school teacher
The daily journey a rural school teacher endures
Understanding Rural India
Prem Kumar and his parents influence on his life and career
What kind of infrastructure does a rural school have?
Single Teacher Schools
Prem Kumar’s groundwork with agriculture to understand the rural lifestyle
How Prem converted a hobby into a lifegoal
Biggest unlearning from being a tech leader to being a social startup founder
Team Kalvi40 and what keeps them motivated
Corporate Outsourcing Vs. Social Enterprise Outsourcing
What does Kalvi40 mean?
The Kalvi40 platform
The Kalvi40 content framework
Project Management & the Kalvi40 Global Volunteer Network
Balancing Purpose and Process in Social Enterprises
Adapting to schools with poor infrastructure
How we can support the cause of Kalvi40
Corporate support for Kalvi40
Success Stories at Kalvi40
The reach and impact Kalvi40 has had
Effort Vs. Outcome
Scaling Kalvi40 nationwide
Life as a social entrepreneur
What is success?
Best piece of advice Prem has ever recieved
Prem’s advice to corporate employees
Prem’s advice to an 18-year old at University
Prem’s dream dinner guests
What Prem believes that others seldom do
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