School safety is more than a daily operational concern—it is the foundation for nurturing young minds and building trust within educational communities. As technology continues to redefine the classroom, leaders in education are called to innovate with empathy and rigor, ensuring that every student’s journey from arrival to dismissal is secure and seamless. Platforms like Pikmykid exemplify this forward-thinking approach, offering solutions that streamline safety and communication between schools, families, and the broader community.
At the helm of this transformative movement stands Saravana Bhava, Founder and CEO of Pikmykid, whose vision was shaped by a deeply personal experience with school safety. An accomplished entrepreneur, naval aviator, and technologist, Bhava set out to ensure no child is ever left vulnerable during school dismissals—a commitment that now impacts over two million users globally. Through his leadership, Pikmykid has evolved into a comprehensive safety platform, integrating emergency response, reunification protocols, and digital hall passes, and continues to set new standards for accountability, efficiency, and trust in K-12 education.
Turning a Parent’s Fear into a Mission
One hot afternoon in Florida, Saravana, balancing life as a parent and entrepreneur, experienced a moment that changed everything. “When my turn finally came, the school staff brought a child to my car—but it wasn’t my daughter. Those two minutes felt endless,” he recalls. His training as a naval fighter pilot made him instantly consider the risks. Though the mistake was quickly corrected, its impact lingered. “If this could happen in a well-managed school, it could happen anywhere,” he thought, sharing his concerns with his wife Chitra, who would become his co-founder.
Determined to address this critical safety gap, Saravana envisioned a digital platform connecting parents, teachers, and school administrators in real time to ensure secure student handoffs. “For me, Pikmykid wasn’t just convenience—it was safety and peace of mind for every parent.” This personal experience transformed into a mission to make schools safer through technology.
Saravana’s path to entrepreneurship was shaped by discipline and adaptability. Raised in Avadi near Chennai, he entered an elite military academy at eleven and later qualified as both a fighter pilot and naval diver in the Indian Navy. “Those years taught me to manage risk in high-pressure situations,” he says.
After retiring early as a Lieutenant Commander and moving to the US, Saravana explored entrepreneurship by launching and selling a restaurant franchise and logistics company. Yet Pikmykid was different—it sprang from a personal need and quickly gained validation from schools after early pilots. “I could’ve chosen other paths,” Saravana reflects, “but I wanted my work to matter.”
Today, Pikmykid combines military discipline, entrepreneurial grit, and parental care, providing safety and accountability to millions of families. “It’s not just a company. It’s a mission born from vulnerability and driven by a relentless commitment to keep children safe.”
Building Trust Through School Safety Innovation
When Pikmykid was founded, its vision was clear and focused: solve the chaos and safety risks in school dismissal lines. Saravana Bhava shares, “The inspiration came from that moment in the carline when the wrong child was put into my car. I saw a system failure with serious consequences, and it pushed me to act.” The goal was not to build a big company at first, but to ensure no parent, child, or teacher ever felt vulnerable during dismissal again.
In early development, Saravana and his team focused on a mobile app to organize carline dismissals. “We imagined a system where parents notify arrival via the app, geofencing manages car flow, and students are released in order, not confusion,” he explains. The idea was to increase accountability and safety so teachers wouldn’t have to stand outside yelling names, students stayed indoors until safely picked up, and parents trusted every handoff.
As more schools adopted Pikmykid, feedback showed dismissal was just the start. Saravana says, “It wasn’t just carlines anymore—it was connected to emergency drills, lockdowns, buses, and after-school programs.” This led to growth into a full school safety platform, adding panic buttons, digital hall passes, visitor management, and emergency reunification tools—all responding directly to educators’ needs.
Saravana reflects, “The vision grew as the need grew. What started as solving a ‘carline headache’ became addressing the whole ‘school safety headache.’” Today, Pikmykid serves thousands of schools and millions of users globally, always anchored by the mission to protect children, no matter the school’s size or budget. During the pandemic, they even created DriveThruTest.us to support safe COVID testing, showing their commitment to real-world impact. “We exist to protect children. That ‘why’ hasn’t changed,” Saravana affirms.
Pikmykid at a Glance: Transforming School Safety and Dismissals
Pikmykid is a leading school safety and dismissal platform designed to simplify daily and emergency operations for schools everywhere. Trusted by thousands of schools, it provides real-time student tracking, seamless dismissal management, emergency alerts, and parent communication—all without requiring additional hardware. Integrating smoothly with existing school systems, Pikmykid empowers educators and parents to focus on what matters most: ensuring students are safe and supported throughout the school day.
Overcoming Obstacles with Discipline and Resilience
Saravana’s leadership journey at Pikmykid has been shaped by several key challenges. One of the toughest was building the right team. He reflects, “In the Navy, teams were pre-assembled, but in startups, you create culture from scratch.” Saravana Bhava focused on hiring people driven by passion and innovation, surrounding himself with experts like co-founder Chitra, CTO Jonathan Elliott, and Director of Customer Success Sydney Young, whose skills were critical to the company’s success.
Another major challenge was finding product-market fit. Early on, many schools did not realize the need for a safety platform. “We listened closely to educators and adapted relentlessly until Pikmykid became indispensable,” he explains. Lastly, raising capital and scaling was difficult. Investors struggled to see the urgency of carline safety, but persistence, pilot successes, and a clear mission helped overcome this.
Saravana Bhava credits his Navy background for providing discipline, resilience, and a problem-solving mindset that turned obstacles into opportunities. “Every challenge became a problem to solve, not a dead end,” he says.
Empowering Schools with Accessible Safety Technology
In the crowded edtech and safety-tech space, Pikmykid stands out through its mission-driven vision and practical approach. Saravana says, “We didn’t build Pikmykid just as a product; we created a solution inspired by my experience as a parent and shaped by my Navy background.” This mindset drives their focus on coordination and eliminating errors in school safety. “Every child deserves real accountability, not just convenience,” he adds.
Unlike many competitors that rely on hardware, Pikmykid is a cloud-based, mobile-first platform needing no extra devices. Parents use a free app, staff get real-time reports, and updates come seamlessly as safety needs change. “By making safety technology affordable and accessible to even the smallest schools, we’ve broadened our impact beyond hardware models,” Saravana Bhava explains.
The platform covers the whole student journey—from arrival and dismissal to emergency management, digital hall passes, anonymous reporting, and reunification. “Safety risks aren’t isolated—they flow continuously,” says Saravana. Pikmykid connects these points into one trusted system.
The company also values data transparency, generating audit trails, compliance reports, and measurable results like less traffic and increased parent involvement. “We measure impact because trust matters,” Saravana Bhava states.
Pikmykid treats schools as partners, adapting fast to feedback. During the pandemic, they innovated to support safe COVID testing. Bhava reflects, “Safety isn’t optional—it’s essential. That belief drives every decision.” Today, Pikmykid creates a unique, scalable platform truly centered on protecting children.
Pikmykid Recent Innovations & Technological Breakthroughs
- PulseAI Assistant: Provides easy safety insights for quick, informed decisions.
- Digital Hall Pass: Monitors student movement in real-time, replacing paper passes.
- Emergency Reunification: Ensures safe, verified reunions during crises (partnered with ‘I Love You Guys Foundation’).
- Visitor Management: Easy kiosks for instant background checks and secure campus entry.
- Mobile Panic Button: Allows staff to alert emergencies instantly and silently.
- Advanced Geofencing: Automates carline sequencing, keeps students indoors till pickup.
All cloud-based, affordable, and designed to protect every child daily while simplifying operations.
Partnering for Comprehensive School Protection
Strategic partnerships have been fundamental to Pikmykid’s growth, reflecting their belief that school safety is a shared responsibility requiring seamless collaboration. Saravana Bhava notes, “Safety cannot be solved in silos; it demands a connected ecosystem of technology, communication, and human readiness.” A key achievement has been the partnership with FACTS SIS, a leading student information system for private schools. This integration allows schools to adopt Pikmykid easily without duplicate data entry or workflow disruptions, unlocking access to thousands of schools nationwide and accelerating adoption.
Pikmykid also collaborates with the “I Love U Guys” Foundation to enhance emergency reunification, enabling schools to safely connect students with parents during crises. Beyond specific SIS vendors, Pikmykid ensures compatibility with all major systems, making it universally accessible across K–12 education.
On the emergency response front, Pikmykid’s partnership with RapidSOS strengthens last-mile communication by delivering immediate, data-rich alerts directly to 911 dispatch centers, improving response times when every second counts. Saravana Bhava underscores, “These partnerships are more than technology integrations—they build a comprehensive safety ecosystem centered on protecting every child, every day.”
This collaborative approach enables Pikmykid to continually advance its mission through innovation and collective impact.
Pikmykid Milestones: A Decade of Impact
- Trusted by 7,000+ schools and 4 million users across 50 states and 7 countries.
- Seamless integration with all major Student Information Systems , opening seamless access to thousands of K-12 schools nationwide.
- 85%+ daily parent engagement, reflecting high trust and usability.
- 42% year-over-year growth since launch, with rapid adoption and scalability.
- Over 2,300 schedule changes are managed monthly per district, saving 2,316 minutes on dismissals each month for teachers.
- Platform expansion: panic button, health check-ins, and complete safety ecosystem deployed.
Personal Milestones:
- Recognized as a category leader in school safety, with awards such as Businessman of the Year by the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce in 2019.
- Recipient of the ‘American Dream Award’ given by the Florida 14th Congressional District, House of Representatives, United States Congress in 2025
Pikmykid has grown from a Florida startup to a global leader by delivering innovative technology, building strong partnerships, and keeping student safety at the heart of every milestone.
Leadership Rooted in Purpose and People
Saravana Bhava describes his leadership style as mission-driven and people-centered, with a strong dose of grit. “My early experiences taught me the importance of putting the mission first, but also that success comes when the team feels empowered,” he says. At Pikmykid, he balances a clear vision with freedom for his team to innovate and execute.
He emphasizes hiring for passion over credentials, aiming to surround himself with experts who push boundaries. “I want to be the ‘dumbest person in the room’ because that means I’ve built a team stronger than myself,” Saravana explains. His leadership focuses on creating ownership among team members rather than commanding them. The company culture values entrepreneurial thinking, truth, transparency, and trust. Mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities essential for momentum rather than failures to be punished.
Ultimately, Saravana’s style fosters a sense of collective mission ownership. “When people feel the mission belongs to them, not just the CEO, the company becomes unstoppable,” he affirms. This approach cultivates a culture where creativity, persistence, and alignment on the core purpose—keeping children safe—drive Pikmykid’s success.
Empowering Others, Inspiring Legacy
Saravana Bhava emphasizes that true leadership is rooted in purpose. “Leadership without purpose is just management,” he explains. For him, the most meaningful legacy in business is not about valuations or awards but the positive impact created for others. “Did you make the world better? Did you help your team grow? Did you strengthen your community? Those are the true measures of legacy.”
He advises leaders to anchor their work in a clear purpose, build cultures of trust and accountability, and think beyond profit. “People don’t follow titles; they follow belief,” he says.
The businesses that endure are those that meaningfully improve the lives of people they touch.
Ultimately, Saravana Bhava reflects, “Leadership is not about being remembered for what you built, but for who you empowered and what you made possible.” To him, this is the essence of a lasting legacy—creating opportunities that outlive the leader and inspire others to carry the mission forward.
The Future of School Safety
Saravana Bhava envisions Pikmykid growing significantly in 2025 and beyond, with a mission deeply rooted in child safety and community impact. He says, “Our goal is to become the most widely adopted school safety platform in the U.S., reaching well beyond the 7,000 schools we serve today.” But for him, growth isn’t just about numbers—it’s about making Pikmykid an essential part of every parent’s, teacher’s, and administrator’s safety toolkit.
Technology remains a key focus, with investments in AI-driven predictive tools, enhanced integrations with student information systems (SIS) nationwide, and stronger emergency response solutions such as the partnership with RapidSOS for instant alerts. Saravana also emphasizes collaboration with safety foundations like I Love U Guys to ensure their solutions align with best practices.
Ultimately, his vision is clear: “I want Pikmykid to be synonymous with school safety, the trusted partner every community turns to when thinking about protecting their children.” This commitment reflects a long-term dedication to innovation, trusted partnerships, and meaningful impact.
Open Letter to Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Leaders
Dear Future Leader,
If there’s one truth I’ve learned in my journey — from flying fighter jets in the Navy, building a franchised chain of restaurants to building a Global school safety platform — it’s this: leadership begins with knowing your why. The “why” is what carries you through the days when nothing seems to work, when the rejections pile up, and when you wonder if the sacrifices are worth it. Find that purpose, and hold onto it fiercely.
Surround yourself with people who share your passion. At Pikmykid, we built our culture on trust, diversity, accountability, and a relentless focus on results. Hire people who challenge you, not just those who agree with you. Encourage healthy conflict, then commit to decisions together. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. Finally, never drink your Kool-Aid!
And above all — be resilient. You will hear “no” far more often than “yes.” Don’t see it as a failure. See it as redirection. In my world, “no” has always meant: find another way to say yes.
Entrepreneurship isn’t just a career; it’s a calling. If your mission matters enough, the journey will be worth every high and every low. Lead with purpose, and you will build something greater than yourself.
In summary, my advice is simple: know your “why,” build the right team, and be relentless in execution.
With respect,
Saravana “Pat” Bhava
5 Key Takeaways from Saravana Bhava’s Story
- A personal fear fueled a powerful mission. Saravana Bhava was inspired to create Pikmykid after a personal experience where the wrong child was handed to him at school, turning a moment of panic into a mission to ensure no child is vulnerable during dismissal.
- Purpose is the ultimate driver of a business. Bhava’s success shows that a clear mission—like making schools safer—can motivate a team, attract partners, and overcome significant challenges more effectively than just focusing on profit.
- Discipline from his military background proved crucial. His training as a naval aviator provided the resilience and problem-solving skills needed to navigate the unpredictable world of startups, viewing obstacles as challenges to be overcome, not dead ends.
- A strong team is built on trust and passion. He emphasizes hiring people who are driven and will challenge him, creating a culture where employees feel ownership of the mission and mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn.
- Simplicity and accessibility can broaden impact. By creating a cloud-based, app-driven platform that doesn’t require expensive hardware, Pikmykid made safety technology affordable and accessible to more schools, ultimately protecting more children.
