Swapnil Tiwari A Dyslexic Hero’s Journey to Success and Social Impact

A common myth associated with dyslexia is that it hinders success; people believe that a person with dyslexia cannot attain professional or personal success, and that their dyslexic abilities, no matter how significant, won’t be able to help them stand out. However, a lot of dyslexic people in various fields are standing testaments to disprove this myth. Having dyslexia makes reading, and sometimes other skills, more difficult to acquire, but it is not necessarily a barrier to success. This blog covers the success story Swapnil Tiwari – a person with dyslexia who made the best of his challenges and, is an inspiration to many others

Born with dyslexia and synesthesia, Swapnil’s life has been a rollercoaster ride. He experienced difficulties in reading, writing, and processing information, his synesthesia  made it tough to manage and balance all his five senses in a coherent manner. Swapnil was diagnosed  at the of seven; He faced a lot of difficulties in school. He found it difficult to concentrate in his studies, joining words, reading sentences – all these tasks seemed very tough for  Swapnil. His classmates were not supportive, and they bullied him.This was very painful for Swapnil to bear until he decided to embrace his challenges.

He believes his problems and struggles made him stronger. He worked hard and  completed his MBA from Jaipuria Institute of Management. Swapnil worked in the Bank of India, and then the Reserve Bank of India; however, he yearned for something creative and philanthropic. He created a venture called Naked Colors to expand local arts and crafts into the corporate space. He has rescued distressed families , helped tribal artisans earn better, and created tools for women’s safety through  social inventions and entrepreneurship. He has effectively used his various dyslexic strengths to help people in need.

He not only learned  to deal with challenges, but also to spread hope and love among troubled communities in India through his movement called Livemad. Today, Swapnil is one of the youngest specially abled social reformers in the country, and his story continues to inspire  many others. He spread awareness about life skills like health, hygiene, and education, under the Livemad movement which he started in 2015.Under the  Pink Whistle Project’, he designed a whistle, Shakti, for women which could be worn as a bracelet, and in case of any impending danger, on pressing a button, it could turn into a two-inch knife. 

Life gave Swapnil a wide range of problems, and he found hope, optimism, and opportunity in each of them. Learning from his own experiences, he started helping thousands of people. As of today, he is working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the prevention of AIDS. Swapnil’s hard work bore fruit when he was recognised as one of the ‘1000 World Leaders for Hope’ by Forbes; chosen as the UNESCO ambassador for inclusive learning in 2018 and received the State Peace Award in 2018. His life story is in the process of becoming a biographical feature film. 

Swapnil has been a source of inspiration for a lot of people; he has taught people to embrace themselves wholly and love themselves unconditionally. In his words, ‘Everyone is a wonder – whether they hate it or love it,  is up to them. I chose to love it’. We hope that Swapnil’s story teaches everybody around the world with dyslexia to love the wonder within themselves.