We’re celebrating Indiana University student innovators and entrepreneurs who are clients of the Shoebox, the university’s student-startup incubator. Located in the Shoemaker Innovation Center in Luddy Hall on the Bloomington campus, the Shoebox provides 24/7 office space to help student entrepreneurs build, launch and sustain their businesses.
Meet Let’s Meditate
Sagar Vasnani, a master’s student in the human-computer interaction program from Mumbai, India, founded Let’s Meditate. Its client base seeks resources centered on relaxation and meditation.
“Some people find it difficult to focus and relax, and some struggle with falling asleep,” Vasnani said. “Let’s Meditate helps them with their challenges and with maintaining balance in their lives.”
Let’s Meditate is a free meditation app for Android phones. It is being funded by users through optional donations.
“Let’s Meditate features a diverse set of audio meditations where a voice takes the listener on a meditative journey,” Vasnani said. “It’s like having a monk in your pocket.
“Because there are no signups or advertisements, and therefore no distractions, it is the most straightforward attempt at meditation among meditation apps. This helps to make meditation fast and easy for users. Users also like that the app is completely free, which makes it accessible for everyone.”
Let’s Meditate’s present and future
The app has been downloaded 1.7 million times, and more than 20,000 meditators use it daily. It is the highest-rated and top-ranked free meditation app, and Google Play ranked it the No. 1 meditation app at the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The app has been featured in Economic Times, one of India’s leading national newspapers and in Healthline’s ‘Best Meditation Apps of 2020’ list,” Vasnani said. “I’ve also partnered with Samsung to build a companion app for its Bixby marketplace.”
Vasnani said Let’s Meditate is looking to grow its userbase by branching out to more platforms like Apple’s iOS and the Kai OS in the near future.
“In order to reinforce the brand equity, I am looking to further improve the user experience of the app,” Vasnani said. “I also hope to create campaigns for more word-of-mouth marketing to reach the next million users quicker.”
Praise for the Shoebox
“The Shoebox has been useful for my venture in several ways,” Vasnani said. “It is a space that allows me to conduct brainstorming sessions with seasoned entrepreneurs, and individual meetings with law firms and development companies. It stresses accountability through weekly standup meetings and monthly check-ins, while offering positive reinforcement through an active community of entrepreneurs who are vested in each other’s success.
“The Shoebox has also made it extremely easy for me to find helpful connections; I was looking to get help with my company valuation and within just a couple of hours I was connected to a Kelley business student that was three connections away!”
Student startups can apply for 24/7 access to the Shoebox’s office space, which is located in the Shoemaker Innovation Center, Luddy Hall 2150. The Shoebox also collaborates with the Hoosier Hatchery pre-incubator at the Kelley School of Business, as well as Bloomington’s Dimension Mill startup accelerator. To apply for coworking space, write to luddysic@indiana.edu.
