Projects

I wanted to help kids learn without another screen. We built a talking stuffed animal for language learning and tested it with 1,000+ beta testers. The biggest lesson came from parents: they wanted a clear purpose they could trust, which led us from open-ended conversation to language learning.

Bern at Duke's Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs program

I saw talented soccer players who couldn't afford shoes. I designed and manufactured affordable soccer shoes, raising $5,000 and reaching 450+ players through 20+ NGOs and schools. I learned that an affordable product still needs to be something people want to wear.

As lockdown shifted spending toward people's homes, we built a copperware and décor business selling across India, the UK, and the US. It grew to $300,000+ in revenue, with much of our selling happening through WhatsApp. My takeaway: timing and direct customer relationships mattered as much as the product.