Gokul Vijay
Director, Chief Strategy Officer
"The most unexpected paths often lead to the greatest transformations"
From Friendship to Impact
Raghu and I have been childhood friends, and from a young age, I always admired his ability to dream big. We grew up in the same neighborhood, shared many childhood memories, and over the years, we stayed in touch, watching each other evolve. But it wasn’t until one particular conversation that I realized how much our paths would diverge and how much that moment would shape my life.
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Raghu and I have been childhood friends, and from a young age, I always admired his ability to dream big. We grew up in the same neighborhood, shared many childhood memories, and over the years, we stayed in touch, watching each other evolve. But it wasn’t until one particular conversation that I realized how much our paths would diverge and how much that moment would shape my life.​
​It happened when Raghu came to me, full of energy, with a vision that was bigger than anything we had ever discussed before. He shared his dream of creating Marpu Foundation, a platform to empower communities and bring lasting change through sustainable solutions. I could feel the passion in his voice, he wasn't just talking about helping people, he was talking about transforming entire communities, about making a real, tangible difference in the world.
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Raghu’s vision was compelling, and as he spoke, something stirred in me. Instead of following the traditional path I had always assumed I would take completing my BBA, B.com, MBA and working in a typical job, I realized there was another way I could channel my energy. I didn’t just want to work for a living, I wanted to make a difference.
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Without hesitation, I told him, “I’m in.” It felt like the most natural decision I’d ever made, even though it was a huge leap. I knew I had the skills and the drive to help, but more importantly, I realized I could be part of something bigger than myself. Instead of following the traditional career path, I decided to join Raghu in building something that would not just impact lives but change them forever.
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Since then, every day at Marpu Foundation has been a surprising journey, one where I’m not just applying strategies but actively contributing to a cause that matters. The work we do today is more than just a job, it’s the opportunity to create sustainable change, to empower communities, and to build a future where everyone has a chance to succeed. This journey isn’t what I expected, but it’s exactly where I was meant to be.