The formula for a successful startup goes something like this:  

Notice an unmet need in the market. Devise a creative solution. Then, summon the resources and persistence to bring that solution to life.  

But for many entrepreneurs, that formula only tells part of the story. Entrepreneurship isn't just about what you notice, or even what you build.  

Instead, it’s about the “whys.” Why this problem? Why this solution, and why now? Above all: Why are you the one to do this?  

For Thulasi Karuppiah (MS ’25), founder of KR Scrap Exports and finalist in the 2025 Startup World Cup, the whys start with her upbringing.  

A firsthand perspective on the global scrap trade  

Here’s how Karuppiah describes her community in Chennai, India.  

“The air smelled like rust and heat. People would sort aluminum, copper, and wires by hand, weighing them on old analog scales.”  

Karuppiah grew up surrounded by small businesses that specialized in sifting through scrap materials to find reusable components. It’s where she got her first lessons in how to see the world as an entrepreneur.  

“It was chaotic, but there was something beautiful about it. Everyone there knew the value of what others had thrown away. My family and neighbors saw it not as waste but as work.”

When she moved to Chicago to attend DePaul’s M.S. in Audit and Advisory Services program, Karuppiah witnessed the other side of the story.  

“Perfectly recyclable materials and electronics will end up in landfills, or sit idle in warehouses,” she said. “That contrast really struck me: the idea that one country’s waste could be another’s resource.”  

A “digital bridge” to a sustainable future 

In May 2025, KR Scrap Exports officially launched.  

Karuppiah describes the company as a “digital bridge” linking two sides of a vast, often old-fashioned, marketplace.  

The global scrap industry, per Karuppiah, is an old-fashioned one. Much of the business still runs on spreadsheets and manual price codes. Would-be exporters confront byzantine shipping regulations. Would-be importers struggle to find consistent sources of quality material.  

KR Scrap Exports aims to smooth over this friction. With the help of AI, the platform connects buyers to sellers and generates export codes, estimates freight costs, and generates compliance checklists.  

By creating a centralized marketplace, Karuppiah’s venture also provides much-needed transparency. Buyers can access a range of verified listings. Prices get set with live data pulled from global commodity markets.

Karuppiah credits her experiences in audit and finance for helping her build a system that could scale.  

“I have a background in finance and audit; I understand numbers, transparency, and systems,” she said. “I’ve worked in equity, accounts payable, and vendor reporting. That experience taught me how to build processes that scale and stay compliant, which is critical in global trade.”  

What mattered most to Karuppiah, though, was the ability to contribute to a more sustainable future. What she aimed to address, in her words, “wasn’t just a supply chain gap. It was a global inefficiency with environmental costs.

"I wanted to turn something broken into something that works,” she said. “I wanted to prove that business and sustainability can coexist.”

DePaul facilitates growth

KR Scrap Exports grew quickly. Within its first year, the company secured its first major international contract, connecting U.S. recyclers with buyers in India and turning waste into value on a global scale. Soon after, KR Scrap Exports launched its AI-powered platform, automating pricing, freight estimates, and compliance checks, making the export process faster, more transparent, and more reliable for buyers and sellers alike.

As Karuppiah built her company, DePaul helped her take it to the next level.  

Her coursework and professors gave her further examples of how businesses can make a positive environmental impact. Karuppiah also worked closely with the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center to hone her pitch to investors.  

In May, 2025 , Karuppiah participated in the Coleman center’s Purpose Pitch competition. She won first place and took away the Audience Choice Award — and made valuable connections to a network of funders and mentors.  

In July 2025, Karuppiah placed first at the Chicago Regional Startup World Cup competition. In October, she became one of 50 regional winners from across the globe to compete at the Startup World Cup finals, where she placed as one of just 10 finalists.

A constellation of experiences fuel entrepreneurial vision

Today, Karuppiah confronts a new stage in her entrepreneurial journey. She works full-time as an auditor; she’s learning to sustain and grow her business alongside her audit career.  

What she returns to, as she reflects on her journey thus far, is the constellation of experiences and connections that makes KR Scrap Exports uniquely her own: from India to Chicago; from early exemplars to mentors at DePaul and beyond.  

Here, in brief, is how she tells her entrepreneurial story:  

"Entrepreneurship has always been part of me — even before I knew that word.  

I grew up surrounded by people who built things from the ground up with limited resources. My family and community showed me what it means to take risks, manage relationships, and find opportunities where others might not see them.  

When I came to DePaul, that mindset finally found a framework through classes, mentors, and competitions like Purpose Pitch.  

Entrepreneurship has always been part of who I am. DePaul just helped me define it and channel it into something bigger."