Today we’d like to introduce you to Harnek Sabharwal Sohan Kathari.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The idea for SpeakSmart came from a very real struggle both of us experienced: the fear of speaking in front of others. As part of the speech and debate team, we saw how powerful confident communication could be, but also how intimidating it felt for so many people. We noticed classmates with brilliant ideas not being able to express them because they were nervous and stuttered, and we faced moments of doubt ourselves before major competitions. Additionally, after doing some research about the situation, we found that 4 out of every 5 people in the world struggle with public speaking. It was alarming to us that such a critical skillset was being held back to so many.
We started experimenting with ways technology could help. We realized that there weren’t many available resources for public speaking, and if there were, they cost thousands of dollars. We thought something needed to be done to address this prominent issue. That spark became SpeakSmart.
We knew it was worth pursuing for two reasons. First, we wanted to make sure nobody had to hold their opinions because they were scared of their style of speaking. Second, communication skills are universally valuable, whether for school, job interviews, or everyday confidence. If we could build something that made practice easy, fun, and accessible, people would most definitely use it.
Success felt possible because we weren’t working by ourselves; we tested ideas with classmates, partnered with speech pathologists, and refined features based on feedback. Every time someone told us, “I feel more confident,” it reinforced that we were solving a real problem.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One moment that really tested our resilience was in the early stages of SpeakSmart. We had spent weeks building a prototype, excited to share it with classmates and pathologists, but our first round of testing didn’t go as planned. During our very first pitch to a pathologist, the product continuously showed an error every time we attempted to upload a video to review, or if it did upload, it took an extremely long amount of time. Not only was this moment embarrassing, but it also derailed our confidence. We questioned if this product was even feasible. The struggles were immense.
However, we kept going at it. We knew that the people we could impact was far more important than any obstacle we may face. Soon enough, after more troubleshooting, we were able to fix the issue. Looking back, we couldn’t even believe quitting was an option, and are thankful we stayed rooted in our mission.
As you know, we’re big fans of SpeakSmart. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Hi! We’re Harnek and Sohan, co-founders of SpeakSmart.live, a free platform designed to help people build confidence and become stronger public speakers. We got into this space through our own journeys in speech and debate, where we saw firsthand how communication was a vehicle for people to express themselves, but a barrier for others.
SpeakSmart provides AI-powered practice and personalized feedback where users can upload a video of their speech/presentation. Unlike other platforms, we focus on accessibility and inclusivity: it’s free to use, and we’ve worked with speech pathologists to make sure the feedback is filled with proven techniques. Our goal is simple. We want to help people of all ages to speak with clarity and confidence.
So far, SpeakSmart has reached 2000+ unique impressions across 5 countries, and has facilitated over 5 practice sessions both locally, nationally, and internationally. We also have over 7.2k+ monthly users, and over 100k+ media impressions.
We’re most proud of the impact stories. The student who delivered their first confident speech in class, the professional who aced a job interview, and the community member who spoke at a local event without fear are the stories that motivate us to keep going.
What were you like growing up?
As a child, both Sohan and I were passionate about innovation. We wanted to see how the new immersion of artificial intelligence and other forms of technology can help create a community impact. Using those foundations as a building block is how we have been able to continue to keep our mission sustainable; making communication skills more accessible to everyone.
Additionally, we always loved talking. Whether it was with strangers, family members, or even friends, social skills were always our strong points. Universally, communication is what keeps people together; how real change can happen. We wanted to share that sentiment to the public.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://speaksmart.live/
- Instagram: @speaksmart.live
- LinkedIn: @SpeakSmart
