

​​Hi! I'm Akshay, a Product Designer x Strategist.
I'm a technical founder-turned-PM, passionate about building solutions that foster kinship, spark creativity, and reduce carbon emissions.​
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I studied Product Design & Psychology at Stanford (blending my interests across engineering + creativity + data science + human behavior).
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Outside of work, I’m a professional musician + climate activist. 🎻💚
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Email: adinakar@alumni.stanford.edu​
Recent Work

Career Story (so far!)
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​I've spent the past 2 years leading product & business strategy at Focal, a climate tech company designing smart electric heaters + energy management dashboards (to eliminate propane gas usage) in restaurants & outdoor hospitality. ​
Our "spot heating" system uses AI-sensing and personalized heat to warm individual people, rather than entire spaces – resulting in a 95% efficiency improvement from propane gas.​
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Previously, I co-founded Tangible (acquired by Easel AI), a venture-backed consumer technology company (focused on helping long-distance relationships) that was invited to pitch on Shark Tank!
My team spent 4 years inventing & scaling a paradigm-shifting “teleportation pillow” + mobile app that enabled loved ones to feel physically present together over distance, via immersive haptics & mixed-reality. We made it possible to share hugs, feel warmth, and naturally interact over video calls like you're sitting on the same couch. Our product went viral and we launched with over 19,000 long-distance couples on our waitlist.
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Outside of work, I've dedicated much of my free time to researching and accelerating cross-disciplinary solutions to climate change. This has drawn me into a diversity of life experiences, including:
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Sustainability-focused volunteering with Sunrise Movement, Pacific Beach Coalition, and American Energy Society.
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Studying abroad for a summer in Copenhagen - where I researched electrification & urban permaculture.
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Living / working on an organic farm (WWOOF program!)
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Advising a handful of climate startups, as well as hacking on software side projects!​​​​​​​
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On the personal side – I'm now living in Brooklyn, but grew up in the Midwest. If I'm not in designer-mode, you'll likely find me sketching blueprints, recording pop violin covers, writing short-story mysteries, hanging rim on the basketball court, or obsessing over my backyard chickens.

Just for Fun
​• NYO-U, a collection of mini-masterclass videos for aspiring classical musicians, which I co-founded with Carnegie Hall.
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• The Stanford Flashmob Orchestra, a group that serendipitously performed in public to spread delight.
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• Will You Play With Me? : A children's book on empathy & inclusivity for individuals with disabilities. (Amazon)
• FroSoHappy, a movement within college dorms to spread joy. ​
Press Features
​• Akshay The Inventor (Stanford Magazine) - What happens when a multitalented tinkerer graduates.
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• Reinventing The Music Stand (Ponoko) - By combining engineering and artistry, a product designer and musician solves a critical problem – and revolutionizes an industry.
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• Tangible Teleportation (Startland News) - Shawnee Mission East grad re-envisions how humans communicate over distance.
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• Johnson County Post: Shawnee Mission graduate creates prosthetic that lets people play violin by flexing their toes.​