Abhi Lokesh
BS '09 | Gainesville, FL
TITLE: Co-founder
COMPANY: Fracture
INDUSTRY: Technology
Abhi graduated from UF in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in integrative biology. During undergrad, he was involved with the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, eventually becoming president of the student ambassadors in his senior year. His entrepreneurial experience came from interning at Optima Neuroscience, where he was able to immerse himself in the numerous facets of a young, fast-paced company.
In 2006, Abhi collaborated with two classmates to start a nonprofit focused on alleviating the health and poverty epidemic in Swaziland, Africa. His role focused on revenue generation and business development. He still actively works with CEI as an alumni ambassador and as a mentor for YELS (Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership and Sustainability).
In 2009, Abhi co-founded Fracture, a photo decor company that allows users to upload digital pictures, have them printed on glass and shipped in an environmentally-conscious, ready-to-mount package. This venture launched at the height of the Great Recession on a bootstrap budget. Despite being a first-time business owner, Abhi’s company is now listed among Inc.’s top 5,000 companies and has been profitable every year since 2015, earning over $20 million this year alone.
This young CEO found success without compromising the environmental ethics at the core of Fracture’s culture. He’s managed to sustain the company’s carbon-neutral status as it moved into a 30,000-square-foot solar-powered manufacturing facility in Alachua’s Tech City, which will allow it to increase production and accommodate the 80 employees that now work for this vertically-integrated organization.
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