Slicing the Silence
Written by Maya Agrawal
Based on an interview with Laasya Goriparti, Founder of Unmute
Laasya Goriparti, founder of Unmute, presenting at the Autism Acceptance Festival
I was only five years old when my brother was diagnosed with Autism. At this young age, I didn’t quite understand that moving forward, it was up to me to rewrite my spiraling destiny.
I grew up surrounded by a suffocating cloak of silence. Ironically, even though my brother was the one who physically couldn’t communicate, he was the only one in my life who wasn’t afraid to express the truth. Emotions, let alone mental health issues, have always been forbidden in my culture. It seemed as though my brother and I, trapped in our childish minds in our distinctive ways, were the only ones with the courage to express our minds. However, society made it eerily clear that the mere act of existing in contradiction to the ways of the commonly enforced and practiced institutions segregates people like us, people who couldn’t embrace the repressive forces, from the scarce light of the world.
I had grown up seeing everyone around me bury sorrow and unconventional ambitions, not knowing or even believing they needed to vent the fires burning their souls away inside. I had nobody to talk to. Nothing to identify as home. It felt like I was living in a world where everyone was on mute by default, and that was the expectation for me. But you learn things when growing up in a thick atmosphere of silence: you either learn to stay quiet, or you find a way to make noise. I chose to make noise.
By some unexplainable force of the universe, I’ve always crossed paths with people who also drown their pain and trauma in the hidden depths of their souls. 3 am calls with friends on the verge of self-harm instilled an anger within me that drove my realization of the need for reform and hope that reaches those who are genuinely engulfed by the night. Constant battles that shred the comfort of home made me realize the need for willingness to speak and listen. Peers and mentors telling me I was a bottomless void of negativity made me realize the dire need for acceptance of existence beyond the realm of artifice. These experiences, far too toxically repetitive, have cultivated my passion for giving everyone the support to unleash their true voices and identities.
At 14, I co founded Unmute, a global NGO and tech startup designed to give anyone that outlet I so desperately wished existed in the world. Unmute covers issues ranging from domestic violence, human trafficking, and food insecurity, to mental health. We have developed an AI companion integrated with our key elements that allow users to unmask, heal, and resonate with the collective global body of suppressed people that can help people in crisis to vent their feelings and find psychological healing. But this work doesn’t end within the bounds of technology. Our work is about human connection: holding grassroot reform projects, running podcasts where people share their stories, and publishing blogs to amplify their voices. The principle is simple: unmuting is the first step, for both our society and our own minds, to heal.
Getting Unmute off the ground wasn’t easy. I was the youngest person in my own organization, working with a co-founder and team members who were concentrated halfway across the world. Soon enough, I found myself struggling to pioneer progress towards the reality that I truly envisioned as my own insecurities constantly weighed me down along with the fact that no one believed I had the equivalent competency to execute as I did to ideate. I knew I was going to have to push myself out of my comfort zone of introversion. Hence I joined another organization, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and made a conscious decision to force myself to develop the adequate confidence to become an efficient social entrepreneur. In eight months, I went from being a timid introvert to giving speeches in front of crowds of 5000+; this experience lit a spark in me, and I brought this new spark back home to Unmute.
Today, Unmute has expanded into 15 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North & South America. We address more than 12 different social sectors, from mental health to education to domestic violence. We have raised funds for creating business opportunities for women in underprivileged regions of Asia, enabling them to build their path out of systemic poverty. Currently, we are working on a school in Nigeria which would be able to provide free education in the fields of STEM and business to the disadvantaged children. In Pakistan, we have legal advisors assisting victims of domestic violence, and I hope to expand that model into India and Afghanistan.
We have also partnered with organizations like Feed the Poor America for global food distribution programs. To date, we have engaged more than 20 NGOs & corporate partners in raising funds for victims of humanitarian crises worldwide. We have even used unconventional forms for activism and resistance, such as organizing art exhibitions, building a social impact fashion brand, and hosting concerts to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide and atrocities taking place globally.
My vision for Unmute doesn’t stop here. I envision our AI companion being able to talk in several languages, adjusting to the psychological needs of different cultures and societies. I want Unmute to be a safe place for anyone, anywhere. I hope that in the future I will build virtual reality spaces that serve as sanctuaries where people will find solidarity and support. Moving forward, Unmute will drive systemic reform through policy changes and activism. We can’t just treat symptoms; we need to change systems.
To me, Unmute isn’t an organization or another resume filler; it’s my escape. This is my playground; my fulfillment; my joy. Helping other people find a voice, quite literally, is what gave me a voice. None of this is about reputation for me (like most of the crowd); this is about embracing and reviving our collective humanity.
And the only advice I’d ever give to anyone who wants to start an organization is this: prove your worth and value of your dreams to yourself. Not anyone else. You need intrinsic validation before you ever begin. This has to be a journey that means so much to you; the responsibility can’t feel like a chore.
Unmute has been my escape. Bettering my society has been my escape. And I’d say that’s a pretty big step from the timid 5 year old who was lost in a cloud of confusion and silence.
Now that I am finally unmuted myself, I will make sure to unmute other voices one story at a time.
Find Unmute at: unmutecz.org