From Student to Entrepreneur: The Journey of Vedant Kamble

There was a time when I thought of entrepreneurship simply as an alternative to employment.

Today, I see it very differently.

For me, entrepreneurship has become a journey of learning, creating opportunities, building independence, and proving that disability does not have to define the limits of what a person can contribute.

This is my journey—from being a student learning from home to building MarkonDiGi, a digital marketing agency, and working toward a larger vision of creating meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities.

Where It Started

My journey has never followed a conventional path.

Because of my physical disability, attending school and college in the same way as most students was not always possible. Much of my education involved studying from home and adapting the way I learned to what was physically possible for me.

But one thing remained constant: I wanted to learn.

I completed my SSC with 72%, followed by HSC with 82%. I then pursued a Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) from the University of Mumbai, graduating with a 9.23 CGPA.

During college, I became increasingly interested in business, marketing, communication and the possibilities offered by the digital world.

Digital platforms fascinated me because they could remove many of the physical barriers that existed in traditional work environments.

A laptop, an internet connection and the right skills could create opportunities that were not necessarily dependent on physical mobility.

That realization became important to me.

The Lockdown That Changed My Direction

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic changed everyday life for everyone, I was still a student.

Businesses were struggling. Traditional ways of working were changing rapidly. Digital communication and online marketing were becoming more important than ever.

For me, the situation also presented a question:

If businesses were moving online, could I build something of my own in that space?

I decided to try.

That was the beginning of what was then known as VJK Advertising Agency.

I started small, while continuing my education. Initially, I was exploring different aspects of advertising, graphics and digital marketing. I was learning not only from courses and books but also from actual conversations with clients, projects, mistakes and experiments.

It wasn't a perfectly planned entrepreneurial journey.

It was a journey of figuring things out as I went.

And that, perhaps, became one of my biggest lessons about entrepreneurship.

From Student to Digital Marketing Professional

As I continued learning, my focus became clearer.

I completed an MBA in Digital Marketing, along with professional courses and certifications in digital marketing and related areas.

Over time, I developed a stronger understanding of:

• Social media management

• Content strategy

• Content calendars

• Social media analytics

• Competitor and market research

• Digital marketing strategy

• Paid advertising

• Search engine optimization

• LinkedIn marketing

• Lead generation

• Digital communication

My practical experience also helped me understand something that textbooks cannot fully teach:

Marketing is not simply about posting content.

It is about understanding a business, its audience, its problems, its positioning and ultimately how digital activity can contribute to a real business objective.

That understanding gradually shaped how I wanted to build my agency.

From VJK Advertising Agency to MarkonDiGi

As my experience and vision evolved, the business evolved with me.

What started as VJK Advertising Agency eventually became MarkonDiGi.

The rebranding was not simply about changing a name.

It represented a change in how I viewed the business.

I no longer wanted to think of it simply as a small freelance operation or a service provider completing individual tasks.

I wanted to build an agency with systems, services, people, processes and a long-term vision.

Today, MarkonDiGi focuses primarily on graphic design and social media marketing, while also working across areas such as websites, SEO, paid advertising, email marketing, consulting and emerging AI-powered marketing solutions.

The journey is still evolving.

And I am still learning.

Entrepreneurship With a Disability

Being an entrepreneur with a disability has given me a perspective that is difficult to learn from a classroom.

There are practical challenges.

Accessibility can be a challenge.

Physical mobility can be a challenge.

Traditional workplaces may not always be designed around different ways of working.

And sometimes, even finding an opportunity that allows a person to demonstrate their actual skills can be difficult.

But I don't want my story to be presented as one of sympathy.

I don't believe disability should automatically make someone the subject of sympathy.

I believe it should make us ask a different question:

What environment, technology or opportunity would allow this person to contribute at their full potential?

For me, remote and digital work created exactly that possibility.

It allowed me to focus on what I could contribute rather than constantly being limited by what I could physically do.

And that experience has influenced the kind of organization I want to build.

From Finding an Opportunity to Creating Opportunities

When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I was primarily thinking about creating an opportunity for myself.

But gradually, my thinking changed.

If I could build something that created work for another person, why couldn't I create opportunities for people who face similar barriers?

This is one of the ideas that continues to influence my vision for MarkonDiGi.

I want to explore ways of creating remote-first opportunities for persons with disabilities, particularly in areas where physical presence is not essential.

Digital marketing, graphic design, content creation, writing, video editing, customer support, websites, SEO, paid advertising and AI-enabled work can potentially provide meaningful career paths when the right training, tools and work environment are available.

The objective should not simply be to “give jobs” to people with disabilities.

It should be to build skills, provide real work, create earning opportunities and enable independence.

That distinction matters.

Learning From Every Stage

Entrepreneurship has also taught me that success is rarely a straight line.

There have been periods of uncertainty.

There have been ideas that worked and ideas that didn't.

There have been clients, projects, experiments, setbacks and moments when I questioned whether I was moving in the right direction.

But every stage taught me something.

A client conversation taught me communication.

A failed proposal taught me positioning.

A difficult project taught me process.

A new team member taught me delegation.

A marketing campaign taught me measurement.

And every challenge taught me to adapt.

I have learned that being an entrepreneur does not mean having all the answers.

It means being willing to keep looking for them.

What I Want to Build

Today, my ambitions extend beyond simply running a digital marketing agency.

I want MarkonDiGi to become a place where businesses can access practical digital solutions while people can find opportunities to learn, work and grow.

I am particularly interested in building a future where digital skills and accessibility come together.

My broader vision includes exploring:

Learn → Work → Earn → Grow

A person should have the opportunity to learn a skill, apply it through real work, earn from that skill and gradually build an independent career.

For persons with disabilities, this can be especially important.

Employment should not be viewed only through the lens of physical accessibility. We also need to think about digital accessibility, remote work, flexible work structures, skill development and entrepreneurship.

Technology cannot solve every barrier.

But it can remove some very significant ones.

Looking Ahead

I don't consider my journey complete.

In many ways, I feel that I am still at the beginning.

There is much more to learn about business, marketing, leadership, technology and entrepreneurship.

There is also much more I want to build.

MarkonDiGi is growing, my understanding of digital marketing continues to evolve, and my vision around disability-inclusive opportunities continues to become clearer.

When I look back at the student who started experimenting with entrepreneurship during the 2020 lockdown, I don't see someone who had everything figured out.

I see someone who was willing to start.

And perhaps that is the most important lesson I have learned.

You don't always need to know exactly where the journey will take you. Sometimes, you simply need the courage to take the first step.

My journey started with a student trying to find his place in the professional world.

It continues today with an entrepreneur trying to build something meaningful.

And I hope the next chapter is not just about what I achieve for myself, but about how many opportunities I can help create for others.

This is my journey so far.

From student to entrepreneur.

From looking for opportunities to creating them.

From adapting to limitations to building around possibilities.

And the journey continues.