The Social Impact Study Group
Pick a real social impact problem. Build an AI project around it. Ship it on Demo Day.
Build something that helps a real community.
No lectures. No fixed curriculum. A real problem, a weekly build rhythm, and a Demo Day deadline.
Pay now. Demo on 1 August to get Rs 1,000 back.
The theme
Social Impact
Pick a problem where a useful AI workflow can reduce manual effort, improve access, explain information, summarize messy data, or help a team serve people better. The project does not need to be big. It needs to be real enough to demo.
Nonprofit operations
Volunteer matching, donor updates, grant research, field reporting, beneficiary intake, and program follow-ups.
Public services
Eligibility checkers, civic issue trackers, local language explainers, public-data summaries, and service navigation.
Community support
Education access, accessibility workflows, climate action, health navigation, and tools for local community groups.
What we provide
You bring the cause. We bring the structure.
Use any tool. Build solo or with a partner. The group exists to make the project concrete enough to ship.
Accountability
4-week timeline. Weekly syncs. Demo Day deadline. Rs 2,000 payment with Rs 1,000 refunded when you demo.
Peer group
Small groups balanced by experience and project type. Your first line of support when you are stuck.
Build nudges
We check in, ask what is blocked, and keep the cohort moving through async WhatsApp updates.
Demo platform
Present on Demo Day, get recorded, and leave with a real artifact you can share.
The plan
4 weeks. Ship on Demo Day.
4 July
Kick-off
Introductions. Share early problem areas. Scope projects. Align on tools, weekly updates, and demo format.
Week 1
Pick the problem
Choose the user, pain point, and first useful workflow. Post: "I am building [X] for [Y]."
Weeks 2-3
Build and test
Build with real examples, test with peers or target users, and post blockers so the group can help.
1 August
Demo Day
Show the problem, your AI project, what worked, what failed, what you learned, and where it goes next.
Who's running this
Facilitators & Mentor
Bala Panneerselvam
Founder, Applied AI Club
17+ years in Product. Founder, ZORP. Independent AI transformation consultant.
Facilitator
Nimit Kathuria
Volunteer at Applied AI Club · Founder, ClearshotFounder, Clearshot (creative digital marketing agency) and Clearthought Academy (B2B corporate training). Volunteer at Applied AI.
Facilitator
Abheetha Pradhan
Volunteer, Applied AI Club · Product ManagerVolunteer at Applied AI Club since February 2026. Previously Product Manager at Gumbo Tech Pvt Ltd, working across product management and product marketing.
Demo Day
What you'll present
5 minutes per person. 3 minutes Q&A. Recorded for the AppliedAI YouTube channel.
Inspiration
What you could build in 4 weeks
These are completable first projects. Pick one, adapt one, or bring a better idea from your own context.
Nonprofits & Communities
Volunteer Matching Assistant
Weekend buildCollect volunteer skills, availability, and location. Match them to NGO tasks and draft outreach messages.
Grant Research Agent
1-2 weeksTrack grant opportunities, summarize eligibility, deadlines, and documents needed for each program.
Impact Report Builder
2-3 weeksConvert field updates, photos, and survey notes into a monthly impact summary for donors and teams.
Beneficiary Intake Helper
2-3 weeksTurn intake forms or calls into structured case notes, tags, and follow-up tasks for program teams.
Civic, Education & Access
Public Scheme Navigator
2-3 weeksAsk a few questions and suggest relevant government schemes, eligibility checks, and next documents.
Local Language Helpdesk
1-2 weeksBuild a simple multilingual FAQ assistant for a community service, NGO program, or education initiative.
Accessibility Audit Assistant
Weekend buildReview web pages, documents, or event plans and flag barriers for people with disabilities.
Civic Issue Tracker
2-3 weeksCollect reports from forms or WhatsApp, classify them, map hotspots, and generate weekly summaries.
Resources
Starting points, not requirements
Use whatever works for your project. The demo matters more than the stack.
Past study groups
See the format in action
The Finance Agent Study Group used the same build-first structure and ended with participant demos.
The Finance Agent Study Group
Pick a real finance problem. Build an AI agent that solves it. Ship it on Demo Day.
3 weeks · ₹1,000 deposit · ₹500 refunded on demo
n8n Study Group
A commitment based 3 week cohort where you learn to use n8n and build a project of your choice. Learn by yourself using material provided and advisor help.
3 weeks · ₹499 refundable deposit
Join the Social Impact Study Group.
Pay Rs 2,000 to join. Present your project on Demo Day and get Rs 1,000 refunded.
Kick-off: 4 July 2026 · Demo Day: 1 August 2026
Contact us
Questions?
Bala Panneerselvam
Mentor
[email protected]
Nimit Kathuria
Facilitator
Clearshot
Abheetha Pradhan
Facilitator
LinkedIn