Visionary, builder,
and product leader.
I create products and experiences where creativity meets execution, blending design, strategy, and innovation to turn bold ideas into meaningful results.
About Me
Hi, I’m Sai Srivatsav Gutala—though most people call me Sri.
I’m a product thinker, builder, and storyteller at heart. What excites me most is turning ambitious ideas into something people can actually experience—whether it’s intuitive software, hardware-backed products, or creative experiences that live somewhere in between.
My journey started not in a corporate boardroom—but in a notebook, sketching app concepts at 15, teaching myself design, and launching my first venture-based project at 18. Since then, I’ve built ventures, founded a non-profit, collaborated with manufacturers in Shenzhen, designed user-centric digital products, and driven automation and product strategies within enterprise environments like AT&T, Alarm.com, and Fluid Touch. Across all these experiences, I’ve developed a strong passion for product strategy, user research, experience design, and building things people care about.
I enjoy operating at the intersection of technology, design, and human behavior. Whether I’m mapping workflows for an AI-powered automation system, designing adaptive footwear, or crafting culturally expressive apparel, I focus on user insight, feasibility, and emotional resonance—not just functionality.
Outside of work, music is a huge part of my identity. I sing, write songs, and play guitar and piano. Music keeps me rooted in creativity, storytelling, and emotion—skills that naturally flow into how I build products and experiences. I also love visual design, psychology, fitness, and capturing cinematic content for storytelling or personal branding.
At my core, I believe products should not just work—they should make people feel something.
2.5+YEARS
Corporate Experience
4+YEARS
Venture Experience
5+YEARS
Product Design
Projects
A collection of ventures, products, and initiatives built from concept to execution.
Aria
AI Product Workflow Platform
An AI-powered platform helping founders, PMs, and builders move from raw ideas to structured execution.
View project
Hoop Foundation
Social Impact Learning Initiative
A hybrid community + online learning model expanding education access to underserved children in India.
View project
Veera Apparel
Lifestyle Activewear Venture
Premium minimal lifestyle activewear with subtle cultural expression, designed for everyday wear.
View project
Alphawave Technologies
Smart Footwear Venture
App-controlled adaptive footwear with dynamic color-changing technology powered by e-Ink and BLE.
View project
SuperStar
Short Film Creator Platform
A mobile platform democratizing episodic storytelling — a Netflix for creators, built from a smartphone.
View projectYoungPreneurs
Startup Founder Network
A mobile platform connecting startup founders, co-founders, and early investors to build together.
View projectProvaloh
Virtual Trial Room App
A virtual try-on app blending fashion with technology to reduce uncertainty in online clothing purchases.
View projectConsulting
Through Kyro Partners, I provide consulting in web/app design and development, SEO, product direction and branding for early-stage founders and local businesses translating complex ideas into user-friendly, market-ready products. My focus is on bridging strategy and design, ensuring digital experiences are both functional and engaging.
Corporate Stretch
Corporate Stretch partnered with me to elevate their digital presence and brand identity. The company provides mobile stretch therapy services to athletes, corporate employees, and teams across the Washington, DC metro area, with a mission to improve wellness, energy, and productivity through guided movement.
I worked on positioning Corporate Stretch as a professional, trusted service brand by designing a clean, modern website and refining their messaging. The focus was on highlighting the core problem — workplace fatigue and unproductivity from sitting all day — and presenting Corporate Stretch’s mobile therapy sessions as an energizing solution.
Through this project, I gained experience in shaping a wellness service into a scalable digital brand, balancing approachable design with corporate credibility. It underscored the importance of tone, storytelling, and usability when building trust with both businesses and individual clients.
Bangladrop
Bangladrop was a startup based in Bangladesh seeking support in designing the first iteration of their mobile app for a dropshipping platform. The vision was to create a system similar to Alibaba but focused on connecting global business owners with wholesale sellers in Bangladesh.
I worked closely with the client through multiple meetings to understand their goals and translate them into actionable design solutions. This included customizing wireframes and app flows to align with Bangladrop’s vision, while also engaging with prospective customers and businesses in Bangladesh to ensure the design addressed real user needs.
The project offered valuable experience in global market design, client collaboration, and customer research. It strengthened my ability to conduct interviews, capture client objectives, and deliver designs tailored to diverse audiences — bridging product vision with practical usability.
NECX
NECX engaged me to design their first prototype mobile app, created to showcase innovative solutions for law enforcement agencies to seed investors. The prototype emphasized usability and functionality, translating NECX’s vision into a tangible digital experience for stakeholders and potential customers.
In this project, I collaborated closely with NECX to capture client requests and address the unique challenges of law enforcement information management. Through iterative wireframes and design refinements, I ensured the app balanced industry standards with the client’s goals.
The experience strengthened my ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment, prioritize timelines, and adapt to complex requirements. Despite non-disclosure constraints, the NECX project expanded my expertise in designing for specialized industries and highlighted the value of aligning product design with client and market expectations.
Leadership
HackOverflow
Co-Founder & Chairman (2021–2022)
Advisor (2022–2024)
GMU’s First Hardware Hackathon — Among the Few in the Nation at the Time
www.hackoverflow.orgOverview
I co-founded HackOverflow to address a critical gap in George Mason University’s innovation ecosystem. While hackathons on campus and across the country were almost exclusively software-oriented, there were virtually no platforms that allowed engineering students to design and prototype physical hardware solutions. HackOverflow was developed to fill that gap, becoming GMU’s first hardware-focused hackathon and, at the time of launch, one of the very few hardware hackathons in the United States.
The event established a comprehensive environment for hands-on engineering — from circuitry and embedded systems to electromechanical prototypes. HackOverflow continues today under new student leadership, supported by the operational foundation and processes put in place during the founding years.
Featured: https://vimeo.com/691019238
Challenge
Engineering students lacked a structured platform to build hardware prototypes in a collaborative, competitive setting. Existing hackathons supported app development, but not:
- Embedded systems
- Microcontrollers and sensors
- IoT devices
- Circuit design
- Electromechanical builds
- Rapid physical prototyping
HackOverflow introduced the infrastructure, funding, and technical support needed to enable true hardware innovation at scale.
Leadership & Contributions
Co-Founder & Chairman (May 2021 – June 2022)
Strategic Vision & Program Design
- Co-conceived and architected the university’s first hardware hackathon, establishing the event structure, technical framework, and safety protocols required for hardware-based project development.
- Designed a model that supported multidisciplinary teams across electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and design.
Organizational Leadership
- Built and led a 19-person cross-functional committee responsible for logistics, sponsorship acquisition, finance, operations, and marketing.
- Implemented structured planning workflows, documentation, and governance practices that enabled consistent event execution.
Sponsorship & Funding
- Secured $35K+ in corporate sponsorships, enabling procurement of components, tools, microcontrollers, sensors, and fabrication materials.
- Developed sponsor value propositions aligned with industry needs in automation and engineering innovation.
Event Execution
- Directed the inaugural hardware hackathon, drawing 200+ participants and facilitating workshops, mentorship, and evaluation by academic and industry professionals.
Advisor (June 2022 – December 2024)
After transitioning out of the chairman role, I continued supporting the organization as an Advisor.
Advisory Scope
- Provided strategic guidance to new leadership on event execution, budgeting, sponsorship outreach, and hardware procurement strategies.
- Helped maintain continuity and uphold operational standards as the event expanded and matured.
- Supported planning reviews, risk assessment, and scaling decisions.
Outcomes
- Established GMU’s first hardware hackathon, creating a lasting platform for hands-on engineering innovation.
- Launched one of the few hardware hackathons in the nation at the time, positioning GMU as an early leader in hardware-focused collegiate competitions.
- Enabled hundreds of students to design functional physical prototypes, bridging academic theory and real-world engineering practice.
- Built a sustainable event model and governance framework that has allowed HackOverflow to continue successfully under new leadership.
Core Competencies Demonstrated
- Strategic program development
- Technical event architecture
- Sponsorship and stakeholder management
- Cross-functional leadership
- Budgeting and risk management
- Organizational scaling and advisory support
Inventors & Innovations Team
Co-Founder & Co-President (2019–2022)
Advisor (2022–2023)
GMU’s First Hands-On, Project-Based Engineering Organization
Overview
I co-founded the Inventors & Innovations Team (IIT) to solve a notable gap at George Mason University: while numerous engineering organizations existed, most were primarily networking-focused or theoretical, with limited opportunities for students to gain true hands-on engineering experience.
IIT became GMU’s first organization dedicated entirely to building real hardware and technical projects, creating a structured environment where students could learn by doing. The organization grew rapidly, supporting multi-disciplinary teams and multi-semester builds, and was recognized in GMU’s Faces of Mason for its contribution to innovation, technical education, and student development.
Challenge
Before IIT, students who wanted to build physical prototypes or gain practical engineering skills had few options beyond coursework. Most organizations at the time were:
- Career and networking oriented
- Light on actual engineering or prototyping
- Not equipped to support multi-month hardware projects
- Focused more on industry exposure than technical execution
Students lacked a space to design, prototype, and test real engineering solutions. IIT was created to change that by establishing a fully hands-on technical ecosystem.
My Role & Leadership
Co-Founder & Co-President (Aug 2019 – Jun 2022)
Founding Vision
- Co-created the university’s first organization dedicated to hands-on engineering, invention, and practical technical education.
- Designed the mission, structure, and operating model to support multi-disciplinary engineering teams and multi-semester builds.
Organizational Leadership
- Scaled the organization from an idea to 100+ active members and 11 board officers.
- Built team structures capable of supporting five simultaneous large-scale engineering projects.
- Established workflows, project lifecycles, safety guidelines, and lab access protocols.
Technical Development & Education
- Led workshops and mentorship sessions in circuitry, microcontrollers, embedded systems, and prototyping.
- Guided teams in planning and executing full project builds, from ideation to functional prototypes.
Community & Culture Building
- Built a collaborative culture where students from EE, CE, ME, CS, IT, and design could work together on real hardware products.
- Positioned IIT as the central hub for students seeking true hands-on experience, rather than traditional career-focused club activities.
Advisor (Jun 2022 – Apr 2023)
Advisory Contributions
- Supported new leadership through strategic guidance on planning, budgeting, and project execution.
- Advised on complex technical builds, team structures, and scaling strategies.
- Ensured the organization maintained its hands-on identity and operational continuity.
Outcomes
- Established GMU’s first organization dedicated to hands-on engineering and invention.
- Enabled students to gain practical technical skills and build functional prototypes in interdisciplinary teams.
- Grew into one of the largest and most active engineering organizations on campus.
- Highlighted by GMU in the “Faces of Mason” feature for innovation and student leadership impact.
- Created a long-term operational framework enabling IIT to continue under new leadership.
Skills Demonstrated
- Strategic program creation
- Technical education & mentorship
- Multi-team project leadership
- Organizational scaling & governance
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Long-term advisory support