As seen in Millionaire MNL, Anada Lakra is building more than an app, she’s creating a movement. As Co-Founder and CEO of BoldVoice, Lakra is revolutionizing how non-native English speakers gain confidence in their communication by blending artificial intelligence with a deep understanding of immigrant experience.
Her company, which launched in 2021, has quietly scaled to over 1 million global users, a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30, and a lean, efficient operation with $1M+ ARR, all with a team of just three.
BoldVoice: Speaking Up Through AI
At the heart of BoldVoice is a mission: to help people speak English clearly and confidently, regardless of their background. The app delivers AI-powered accent coaching tailored to the user’s native language and speech patterns, offering real-time feedback and personalized exercises led by professional voice coaches.
Anada’s technical team co-authored papers on training machines to “hear accents,” pushing forward how voice tech can support inclusion rather than ignore it.
“At BoldVoice, we believe everyone deserves to speak English clearly and confidently,” Lakra says. “Fluency is more than grammar, it’s empowerment.”
From Yale and Harvard to Y Combinator
Born in India and now based in the U.S., Lakra holds degrees from Yale University and Harvard Business School, where she served as a Mayfield Fellow. Her startup journey accelerated with an acceptance into Y Combinator, but she’s quick to point out that she’s focused on building, not fundraising.
“Raising a big VC round is not success,” she shared on X. “Building a big business with a product that improves people’s lives is.”
That belief has shaped a company that scales efficiently. With just three full-time employees, BoldVoice has become a top-ranked education app on the App Store, with revenue per employee exceeding $1M.
Elevating Women and Immigrants in Tech
Lakra is also a strong voice for inclusion in the tech world, posting actively on LinkedIn and X about the challenges and triumphs of female founders, immigrant entrepreneurs, and diverse leadership in AI.
She’s been a guest on multiple podcasts, including:
- Lobster Talks – sharing the BoldVoice origin story and immigrant founder experience
- Breaking Barriers with AI: Europe Builds – highlighting global tech voices outside Silicon Valley
Her reflections are candid, sharp, and filled with grounded wisdom.
“While the tech world (and AI is no exception) remains overwhelmingly male, I’m constantly inspired by the women pushing boundaries in AI.”
Why Anada Lakra Matters
Anada Lakra is democratizing English fluency for the millions who are fluent in ideas, but held back by delivery. Her work at BoldVoice blends product intuition, technical depth, and lived experience, offering a solution that’s as human as it is scalable.
