Meet Ashwini Rao | Co-Founder & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashwini Rao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashwini, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Today, the age-old question of “who am I?” has largely become “who am I on social media?” Social media identity is critical for businesses, creators and influencers. However, 1 in 8 have been impersonated on social media and impersonation scams are doubling every year. Current solutions for protecting our social media identity are at best haphazard and broken. Enterprise companies can pay $100K per year for a broken solution, but it is beyond the reach of 200 million small businesses on social media. At Eydle, we are building solutions to protect people and businesses from impersonation scams, and our goal is to make it affordable for everyone.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am building a startup that takes down scams on social media. What sets me apart from others is my background, problem-solving approach, and passion for improving the lives of millions of small businesses who work hard to build their presence on social media. My background is unique because of my interdisciplinary experience in technology, policy and research in the areas of cybersecurity, data privacy and computer science. This gives me an edge in building solutions to address societal problems that involve multiple stakeholders including people, businesses and policymakers.

Prior to my current startup, I worked at a fintech and blockchain startup. I loved the experience of building a product from the ground up and wearing multiple hats such as architect, CISO and director of research. This motivated me to create my own startup, which has been a thrilling experience, to say the least. I have learned a lot in the last two years. We may assume that working for a startup with a few employees prepares us for being a startup founder, but I realized that couldn’t be far from the truth. I have to be ready to go out of my comfort zone and learn things that might not be exciting to me, from compliance to taxes to fundraising. We have to learn the fine balance between building the product and selling the idea. In the early stages, we have to be ready to make hard decisions such as pivoting based on what we learn from potential customers. Being married to an idea, just because we like it, is human but not the best for business. Facing rejection can be hard and feel personal but that is ok because it is a reflection of our passion for what we do.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There is so much to see and do in LA. The trick is to go from one point to the next without getting stuck in traffic (smiling broadly). I am all about food and nature. Here is my itinerary.

Visit Old Town Pasadena.
Check out late night boba spots in San Gabriel Valley.
Hike in Griffith Park.
Drink traditional tea in Korea Town
Eat ice cream in Little Persia
Visit Grand Central Market
Visit Ojai and Malibu

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My dear husband Birendra

Website: www.eydle.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashrao/