Venkat graduated from IIMA, worked first at "The Times of India" in various corporate and brand management functions and then joined the founding team of Sony Entertainment Television in India. In 1996, he cofounded Eklavya School, Ahmedabad. He later co-founded Educational Initiatives Pvt. Ltd, a company that works on improving quality of school education in India.
Venkat set up GiveIndia in 2000, to create a "giving culture" in India and transitioned out in 2008, handing over the reins to professional management. In 2009, he, along with several other volunteers, conceptualized and launched DaanUtsav - a festival that aims to bring India together to celebrate giving.
Venkat is also a signatory to #LivingMyPromise, an initiative where middle class Indians promise to donate more than 50% of their wealth to causes of their choice. He has recently been involved in an initiative called #EveryIndianVolunteering that aspires to engage every Indian in volunteering for social causes.