| Tell us about your company: |
| BollyStep is an AI-powered virtual dance-learning and coordination platform for cultural event dances such as South Asian weddings. We eliminate the chaos of sourcing dances, unclear group-chat videos, time-zone and scheduling barriers, and unprepared dancers. With expert choreographers and smart learning and coordination tools, we make asynchronous dance learning faster, clearer, and more personalized– reducing stress for dancers and organizers on the big day. We aim to leverage AI to provide dancer feedback and eventually create personalized tutorials catered to the organizer’s specific needs. |
| What inspired you to start your business? |
| As a Bollywood dancer of over 12 years, I struggled to learn choreography during COVID using grainy Google Drive videos and glitchy Zoom calls where I couldn’t clearly see myself or my instructor. The existing tools simply weren’t designed for effective virtual dance learning. At the same time, I was often the voluntold choreographer for family wedding performances. Coordinating rehearsals across busy schedules, time zones, and technical limitations made the process stressful and inefficient. Despite investing significant time into choreographing routines and creating tutorials, dancers still felt overwhelmed—and that stress inevitably carried into the wedding day. After surveying 450+ choreographers, organizers, and dancers in the South Asian wedding space—and conducting in-depth interviews with over 100 of them—I confirmed these pain points were widespread. That insight motivated me to build a better solution and create meaningful change in how cultural event dances are taught and coordinated. |
| What are your proudest achievements so far? |
| – Won $2K and 2nd place at a pitch competition at USC in Spring 2025 – 100K combined views on TikTok and Instagram in 2 months of posting – 250 choreographers reached out inquiring after 1 video – 70+ clients reached out after 1 video – 15 of them signed with us – 150 users who have provided us with insights for version 2 |
| What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs: |
| This is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. Nourish your body, protect your mind, and prioritize rest. When your own cup is full, you’re far better equipped to build and sustain what you’re creating. |
| Please share a memory or thought about your alma mater: |
| My Bollywood dance teammates and I trained through late-night practices and grueling weekend bootcamps, all while balancing full course loads and other commitments. The pace was demanding, but stepping into the role of Captain during my sophomore year made the sacrifice meaningful—especially when our work culminated in a 3rd place finish at a competition. |
