From San Jose, California, where he built a distinguished two-decade career in technology at eBay and PayPal, Sri Gopalakrishnan could easily have continued rising through the ranks of the fintech world. As a senior product and technology leader, he had mastered the art of scaling systems, transforming infrastructure, and nurturing high-performance teams. His expertise spanned cloud platforms, data security, AI/ML, and large-scale commerce systems — the kind of career many technologists spend their lives pursuing. Yet, beneath this accomplished exterior ran a deeper impulse, and a desire to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
That impulse had been with him since childhood, instilled by parents. But it was the devastating early months of COVID-19 that gave that instinct a clear direction. In April 2020, as India went under lockdown, Sri watched from the United States as his father, Mr. P. S. Gopalakrishnan, worried about the daily wage workers in their neighbourhood who suddenly had no income and no way to feed their families. His father rallied neighbours and began distributing grocery kits to 50 families. Starting with a small act of compassion, the initiative soon expanded into a lifeline for more than 1,200 families over two months with Sri being at the helm of it from abroad.
Sri Gopalakrishnan (extreme left) at a findraising initiative in San Jose, California
Sri supported the effort from afar by raising funds, coordinating logistics, and witnessing how deeply communities were suffering. His father soon discovered orphanages and old-age homes that were struggling just as desperately, and he began purchasing essential items for them as well. Through this collaboration, a powerful realization took root in Sri’s mind: what if giving could become more transparent, more direct, and more human? What if donors could provide help rather than simply send money into a void?
This question became the spark for KindKart — a platform designed to connect donors with specific needs, ensuring they could see the real impact of their generosity. Toward this mission, Sri retired from the corporate world in 2022 to dedicate himself fully to building a model of giving grounded in transparency, accountability, and compassion. With a volunteer-driven team and a personalized feedback loop that allows donors to witness their contributions firsthand, KindKart has already touched nearly 11,000 lives, and raised over $918.000.
Connecting donors directly with the causes
For Sri Gopalakrishnan, KindKart is continuation of a family value based on kindness, scaled with the power of technology and fueled by a vision of giving that restores dignity and trust. To bring transparency to every contribution KindKart connects donors directly with the causes they care about and ensure they can see the real impact of their support. The platform’s personalized feedback loop keeps donors informed at every step, offering visual updates from the charities they help. This transparent, human-centered approach builds trust, encourages recurring giving, and deepens donors’ sense of satisfaction and commitment.
