Srin Madipalli
Technology Entrepreneur and Investor, Airbnb and Accomable
Srin was the CEO and co-founder of Accomable, an accessibility focused travel platform, which in 2017 was acquired by Airbnb. The acquisition received media coverage around the world and marked the first time a disability focused company was acquired by a mainstream technology company. Post-acquisition, Srin led Airbnb’s accessibility team in its flagship Homes business in San Francisco and oversaw the launch of new accessibility improvements to the platform. Srin is now viewed as a leading figure and expert in the world of technology and accessibility.
As someone who’s lived with a severe physical disability his entire life, Srin spends a lot of time on advocacy work relating to disability inclusion in the workplace, helping tech companies get better with accessibility and sharing his experiences of being an entrepreneur with a disability. Srin is on the board of leading advocacy groups in the UK and US. In the US, Srin also served on the board of Disability Rights Advocates; a national non-profit organisation dedicated to improving disability rights through impact litigation and advocacy. He recently became an Advisory Board member at Included VC, which helps people from underrepresented groups find roles in the Venture Capital sector.
Srin returned to London in January 2020 and is now an active investor and startup mentor in the UK technology sector. He mentors at several incubators and accelerator programmes such as the Oxford Foundry and the Creative Destruction Lab. He has a number of advisory and board roles with startups and venture capital firms and acted as an expert advisor on the Novartis Innovation Prize for Assistive Technology.
In 2019, Srin’s achievements were recognised by St Peter’s College, Oxford University who unveiled his portrait in its Hall of Notable Alumni. Other recent accolades include being awarded the ‘Trailblazer for Inclusion’ prize by the New York based National Business and Disability Council; and being declared ‘Innovator of the Year’ by the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers.
Srin was formerly a corporate lawyer at a leading international firm in the City of London and has an MBA from Oxford University.