Naresh Kumar

Impact

I don’t just ask for donations. I offer a seat.

My impact so far has come from inviting people in. Not everyone has time for a big expedition, but anyone can climb on for part of the ride, push themselves physically and give their time and strength to the cause. The people who ride become advocates, not just donors. I believe in the power of storytelling, of vulnerability, and of getting people involved.

Next, I want to make an impact with AI. I believe AI can empower and educate communities around the world. Nonprofits are closest to those communities, and I want to help them use it for the people they serve.

Freedom Seat

In 2016 I founded Freedom Seat. I ride a tandem bicycle with the back seat empty and invite strangers to climb on and pedal with me against human trafficking. Food, clothes and shelter are basic needs, but freedom is the highest form of living, and people who are trafficked don’t have it. The empty seat starts the conversation: people ask why I’m riding a tandem alone, and many of them end up riding with me.

  • 17,000+ kmby tandem
  • 15countries
  • 500+riders
  • $250,000raised
  • Naresh with a group of smiling men and women standing around the tandem
    Supporters gathered around the tandem
  • Selfie of Naresh on the tandem with a smiling rider in the back seat
    A rider in the back seat, USA, 2024
  • Naresh on the tandem with riders in red jerseys at a roadside stop
    Rotary riders, Europe, 2019

Every dollar goes directly to partner organizations that fund prevention, prosecution, rescue and the rehabilitation of survivors, including Tearfund New Zealand. Many riders invited me into their homes, and their families and friends still support every expedition years later.

  • Pedaling 4 Freedom USAAstoria, Oregon to Washington, DC: 3,500+ miles across America.2024
  • Chennai to Hamburg8,646 km across 13 countries, with 180+ riders.2019
  • Freedom Seat NZCape Reinga to Bluff: 3,330 km, 140 riders and $55,000 raised.2017

The documentary Freedom Seat (2021), directed by Linus Herbig-Matten, won the Audience Award at the Ciclismo Classico Bike Travel Film Festival and was an Official Selection at Kendal Mountain Festival. Watch the film.

Between expeditions I support LifeWise StL, which helps St. Louis families get on their feet and stay there through education and economic support.

Technology for communities

When COVID cancelled races in 2020, the virtual race I built in under a week gave nearly 20,000 runners from 70+ countries a reason to keep moving together. It helped race businesses stay afloat and raised funds for food banks and pet shelters. It has run every year since.

How I can help organizations doing good

  • Confidential AIAI that runs on machines you control, so sensitive records like donor details and case notes never leave your organization.
  • Clear AI policySimple rules your staff and volunteers can follow, so people use AI with confidence and without putting anyone at risk.
  • Systems built with AI agentsI build and run the technology a small team needs, with the speed of AI agents and the care of a tester, for less than it would usually cost.

I also know the work from the inside: I’ve raised money from strangers, friends, family and corporate sponsors, and every dollar has gone straight to the cause.

Working on something that matters? Start a conversation.