How a UVA alumnus became an unlikely internet star

The family started making TikTok videos during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their social media platforms took off. The content centers around family videos, vlogs and fashion.

“People ask me all the time what it is about our channel and my wife’s content that keeps it growing, and I always say it’s authenticity. If one of our followers were to hang out with us, they would see that we are the same as we are in the videos. Nothing is staged. It’s all just normal,” Gopalan said. “I think that’s really what has sustained it.”

The family first realized it was a big deal when, on a trip to San Diego to visit family in 2022, several people recognized them at SeaWorld. “Our minds were blown that this kind of content and platform can have that kind of influence, that you can be walking randomly in San Diego and people will recognize you,” Gopalan said.

“The social media success is because of our fans, people who like our content, and my wife’s content,” Gopalan said. “Understanding that dynamic and coming into it with a sense of humility, a sense of gratitude, that’s what we try to instill in our kids.”

While Gopalan, a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke, does not monetize his own channel, “QueenCityLawyer,” he still enjoys sharing the experience with his family, balancing social media involvement with his legal career.

Recently, Gopalan and his wife also created an endowed fund at the Center for Politics to mentor others and give back.

The program provides a stipend for a student helping modernize the distribution channels for Sabato’s Crystal Ball, bringing it to online platforms, including social media.

“I think that discourse, dialogue, needs to happen at a younger level now,” Gopalan said. “The way we reach people is social media, so partnering with the Center for Politics in this way is truly a full circle moment.”