A Journey of Passion, Vision, and Impact
A flag-bearer of the global Indian diaspora, Lakshman Parameswara’s journey is one of relentless passion, futuristic vision, and an unwavering commitment to make an impact in the world. An award-winning Tech Architect, Lakshman has revolutionized education and made it accessible for all.
Based in Philadelphia, USA, he is a Master’s in Management – Information Systems from Harvard University, Founder/Chief Technology Officer at Zero One Analytics, and Founder/Chief Operations Officer at Gifted Gabber.
Born into a family with a strong teaching and musical background, Lakshman was raised with a philosophy centered on ‘giving back with love’ and viewing everyone as a friend. This approach to life profoundly influenced his personal and professional journey.
From an early age, he developed an insatiable thirst for knowledge. His education in Computer Science and Information Systems laid a solid foundation for a career that would span multiple industries and continents. However, his interests went beyond just technical knowhow. He was also deeply attracted to communication, people, and processes,. This broad spectrum of interests enabled him to establish a strong rapport with his family, friends, and colleagues.
After working his way up through ITES over 3 decades, he steadily grew into a leadership position. His professional journey was defined by a constant desire to solve complex problems. He never aimed for the next higher position in his career; instead, his ‘ups’, titles, and financial success came as byproducts of his relentless pursuit of excellence.
Lakshman proudly describes himself as an eternal student of life, learning from people of all ages and backgrounds. This openness to learning has led him to realize that he has no enemies, only friends. His true worth, he discovered, lies in his unique talent for finding innovative software solutions to the most intricate problems.
Over the years, he has contributed to solving problems across a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, networking, embedded technologies, the cruise industry, strategic consulting, and more recently, the education sector. His architectural solutions in the education industry have empowered platforms like NAEP (nationsreportcard.gov), impacting over 600,000 students annually and contributing to significant growth in other sectors, such as cable (20+ million) and cruise e-commerce (&1 billion/year revenue).
His vision for work is clear: he wants to give back to teachers by supplementing their instructions with technology, ensuring that students can achieve mastery in their subjects. His business strategy is rooted in providing solutions that stand the test of time, combining technical expertise with a people-first approach. This has earned him numerous supporters in the SME space, further solidifying his reputation as a leader who values collaboration and innovation.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented certain challenges for Lakshman, particularly in terms of social interactions and effectiveness. However, he used this time to learn, strategize, and achieve a better work-family balance. This period of reflection also led to the birth of his businesses – Zero One Analytics, and Gifted Gabber, where he continues to develop foundational educational technology products.
Lakshman is deeply passionate about addressing the gaps in the education system. He observes that many students in the US are losing hope in the education system, with significant dropout rates in high schools. Teachers, he notes, are often unable to provide the one-on-one attention that struggling students need. He believes that technology, particularly AI, can play a crucial role in aiding educators. By training AI bots with teacher instructions, he envisions a future where technology enables students to innovate and solve complex problems.
He firmly believes that education is the foundation for a nation’s youth to realize their potential and contribute to global leadership. His work aims to empower tech-savvy youth to not only leverage technological innovations like AI and the internet but also to create foundational platforms that help them and their nation achieve their dreams.
For Lakshman, business isn’t just about making money—it’s about giving back to society. His vision for his business is to earn only so that it can serve more people, ensuring happiness and fulfillment in their lives.
On a personal note, his wife has a Master’s in CS and is running her own company. His eldest son graduated with Masterʼs in CS at Georgia Tech at 21, and was gainfully employed before 21. And his younger son will be in final year of high school next year.
His own accomplishments too, are numerous. He earned a perfect 4.0 GPA at Harvard Extension, received the Best Project Award at RVCE, and holds a US patent for debugging complex systems. In 2024, he was awarded ‘Influential Leadership in Education’ at the HEaL conference in Las Vegas.
Lakshman’s ability to mentor and motivate those around him has been a key factor in his success. He is approachable, friendly, and unthreatened by others’ expertise, making him an effective leader.