Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveDigvijay Singh: Teen chocolatier making indigenous fruits popular with his homegrown brand

Digvijay Singh: Teen chocolatier making indigenous fruits popular with his homegrown brand

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(January 12, 2024) Chocolates with exotic fruits, nuts or liquor have caught the fancy of chocolate lovers for decades now. But have you ever had chocolate with falsa (sherbet berry) or sitaphal (custard apple) or kulfi? Homegrown brand, Saraam, the brainchild of a 19-year-old Udaipur resident Digvijay Singh, is bringing indigenous berries and fruits into the conventional world of chocolate making. Started in 2021, Saraam – which produces chocolates from bean to bar – has till now sold two tonnes of chocolate to thousands of people across India.

It was during the pandemic when the world was locked indoors and trying new things, Digvijay too was keen to channelise his energy into something productive. After trying his hand at a lot of things, the then 16-year-old decided to give chocolate-making at home a try. That one step led him to start Saraam, which got its first order in 2021.

Digvijay Singh is the founder of Saraam

‘Out of the box’ mindset

Born and raised in a middle-class family in Udaipur, Digvijay wasn’t academically inclined, instead chose to explore drama, games, and the innovative side of things. “I would always be looking for innovative ideas and things to do that were ‘out of the box’. In school my teachers always supported this innovative side of my brain,” he said in an interview. His innovative side got a push during the pandemic when he explored varied things, and being a chocolate lover himself, he decided to try his hand at chocolate making. “I shared this idea with my cousin Mahaveer Singh and he was enthusiastic to join me. However, back then I did not have a plan of action. I didn’t even know how to make chocolates,” he added.

With YouTube’s help, he learnt the art of chocolate making and started distributing the end result among his friends and family for tasting. While it began as a hobby after getting positive feedback, he decided to turn it into a business. “I started making chocolates in my bedroom, which turned into my studio; day in and day out, I lived and slept in the aroma of chocolates. Even before I got into the business of white labelling, I was teaching myself about cacao beans, roasting, grinding, etc. I was experimenting, doing small batches.” While brainstorming about possible customers, he realised that they received a box of chocolates last year when his dad brought a brand-new car from a showroom. Upon inquiry, he found that the showroom sold 60 cars in a day, and it gave him the idea to contact hotel owners and car showroom owners to sell his chocolates. In 2021, he got his first order of 1000 chocolates and launched his brand Saraam.

Creating desi chocolates

Around the same time, he came across an article that talked about a wide variety of indigenous fruits becoming extinct. “There were mentions of fruits that I had never even heard about and I was very shocked. For us fruits mostly mean the mainstream apples, mangoes, bananas, and grapes,” he said, adding that this gave him the idea of putting these fruits in chocolates.

After doing some research on indigenous fruits like kokam, ice apple et al, he tried them to see which worked best with chocolate. “In the culinary world, we don’t go beyond exotic berries, cherries, and oranges. I have never seen a brand that puts anything else beyond the known few fruits. I wondered if there is a market for such chocolates and decided to take a leap of faith,” he said. Keen to put these fruits on the global map, he put them in his chocolate. Starting with ber (jujube), and he later experimented with saffron and cardamom, bael, amala, jamun, kokam, and rose apple. “The ber chocolate and the white chocolate with saffron seem to be a great hit among people and are one of our best sellers, revealed Digvijay.

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A homegrown brand Saraam sources its cacao from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and fruits from different parts of the country. In just two years, he has turned it into ₹1 crore business, giving indigenous fruits a fresh lease of life.

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Published on 12, Jan 2024

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A Minecraft kinda lesson: Teen edupreneur Namya Joshi trained 10,000 in 108 countries

(March 10, 2022) At Sat Paul Mittal School in Ludhiana, the students can’t wait to learn something new. For them, it entails pulling out their phones and tablets, and opening up popular game Minecraft, immersing themselves in ancient Egyptian history, or tales from the Ramayana, and more. Created by Swedish game makers Mojang Studio, Minecraft allows players to create and build a world of their own. To 15-year-old teen edupreneur, Namya Joshi, this presented an opportunity like no other. Young achiever In January 2021, when that fateful call from the Prime Minister’s office came, Namya learned that she was a recipient of the 2021 Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. A well-earned recognition of a mammoth effort to make education more fun, interactive and easier to absorb, the teen edupreneur's skills in multimedia saw her train more than 10,000 students, teachers, and school principals from 108 countries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoskysarVy0&t=8s Fame is no stranger to the teen edupreneur. Six months after being told about the Bal Puraskar, Namya had the media swarming her doorstep once more. This time, she had received praise from Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, who congratulated her on Twitter after their meeting. Namya had been one of 250

ated her on Twitter after their meeting. Namya had been one of 250 students and teachers at the Young Innovators’ Summit 2020 held in New Delhi.

[embed]https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1232731018039197696?s=20&t=88rMKGq8QaIijQ76OYMysA[/embed]

‘Tech’ that!

Namya discovered Minecraft by chance. Developed in 2009, Minecraft is the bestselling videogame of all time, with over 238 million copies sold, and nearly 140 million monthly active users as of 2021. Over the years, it has been ported to several other platforms. Players explore a 3D world with infinite virtual terrain where they can mine and collect resources, craft and shape tools, alter landscapes, build structures and simple machines. Just for fun, the teen edupreneur rendered a Manali vacation into the game!

[caption id="attachment_12245" align="aligncenter" width="850"] Namya Joshi, teen edupreneur[/caption]

However, as she sailed through school, she noticed friends struggling to grasp lessons taught merely through text. The idea came to her in 2018 – why not intersperse a game like Minecraft with school lessons? Rushing home to the drawing board, Namya, then in Class 6, did her first render – an Egyptian civilisation. She showed it to her history teacher, who was amazed with what the teen had produced, wholeheartedly accepting her innovation into the classroom. “I could see the difference instantly. People were way more interactive in class because they could understand the concepts now,” teen edupreneur, Namya Joshi said, in an interview with Global Indian.

Spurred on by her success, Namya began creating more complex renders. “People tend to forget speeches and text-based information so I wanted to design lessons with gaming and ICT tools to make classroom lessons interesting. Now, Minecraft is used in every class in my school to make lessons more engaging and students more inquisitive,” says the teen edupreneur.

#Each One Can Teach Ten

Four years later, Namya has designed more than 100 educational lesson plans, mapping with the UN’s SDG goals. “I started by training teachers in my school, then district, state and country” smiles the teen edupreneur. Offers began pouring in from across the world and the young teen edupreneur was soon conducting lessons on Skype and Teams. She and her mother, who is the IT head of her school, were invited on a five-day tour to Finland. The altruistic teen delivered the keynote address, conducted workshops in Finnish schools to train teachers, pupils and even a prominent official from the ministry of education, who said, "I loved the way this 12 year-old-girl has engrossed everyone here!". "He shook hands with me and said, I am doing a wonderful job," the teen edupreneur says.

Namya is dedicated to her venture #Each One Can Teach Ten; firm on the belief that this would make a beautiful and impactful chain in tandem with UN SDGs, “I train people so that they can design their classroom lessons. The earnings are sent to NGOs for taking care of animals. I love nature, and want to create lessons for nature conservation too,” says the teen.

Lessons from home

Her mother, Monica, taught her never to give up, and remain grounded and humble. Namya’s father an IT professional with his own firm also hugely contributed to her prowess as did her mother. “My father tells me never to stop innovating. My grandparents tell me stories that teach me lessons about life,” says the single child. In school too, support is always forthcoming, as she describes her principal as her “backbone,” motivating her to “keep on going ahead with all my endeavours.” The teen edupreneur considers herself a pillar too – “If I cannot support and motivate myself then nobody can.”

Juggling so many priorities and taking on the world at 15 means Namya is removed from the concerns of an average teenager. Her life is marked by a strict schedule, with priorities arranged in order of importance. This timetable is followed to a tee, due diligence is the only way to balance her academics with her vocation. “I don’t go to bed without reading what was taught in class that day, so the concepts are clear,” adds the problem solver.

The way ahead

Now, the teen innovator plans to build her own startup which offers free game-based lessons for people across the world. “It should not just be gaming, it should impart learning in the process,” she says. That apart, her sweet tooth gives us a glimpse of the child within – Namya can’t resist dessert. She also makes time for an exhaustive laundry list of activities outside school and her startup - environmental science, history, physics, music, art, calligraphy, dance, sports, singing spending time with family, and reading.

Follow Namya Joshi on LinkedIn and Twitter

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2023’s pageant powerhouses from the Indian diaspora: Combining pageantry, talent and social upliftment

(December 17, 2023) Indian-origin young women have been captivating audiences and making waves in the international pageant circuit, showcasing their exceptional talents, charm, and cultural heritage on a global platform. Combining their Indian roots with the influences of their adopted countries, these remarkable champions in pageantry have brought forward unique fusion of tradition and diversity. Their achievements not only highlight their beauty and grace but also their intelligence, resilience, and dedication to making a positive impact. Celebrating their victories Global Indian puts into spotlight four young women who got successful in the world of international pageantry in 2023, making the diaspora proud. Manvin Khera Miss Globe 2023 In a spectacular event held at Albania last month, 22-year-old Manvin Khera, a Malaysian model of Indian descent, secured the prestigious title of The Miss Globe 2023, at the world's oldest major international beauty contest held annually since 1925. Manvin’s victory stands as a remarkable milestone, as she is the first Malaysian to win the title in the renowned pageant, surpassing fifty contestants from across the globe. Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Manvin has a successful career in modelling. Last year she earned the title of Ratu Wanita Malaya 2022 at the inaugural edition

ble milestone, as she is the first Malaysian to win the title in the renowned pageant, surpassing fifty contestants from across the globe. Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Manvin has a successful career in modelling. Last year she earned the title of Ratu Wanita Malaya 2022 at the inaugural edition of the national pageant of Malaysia.

[caption id="attachment_34705" align="aligncenter" width="472"] Manvin Khera[/caption]

This multi-talented youngster who excels as a model, singer, and beauty pageant winner, has established a strong international presence in modelling. Her appearances at Thailand Fashion Week, the Bali International Fashion Week, and the Rizman Ruzaini Cruise 2023 show during Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week highlight her global prominence. Manvin aspires to be a lawyer.

Manju Bangalore

Miss Oregon USA 2023

Manju Bangalore, a twenty-five-year-old, clinched the Miss Oregon USA 2023 title, becoming the first South Asian woman to achieve this distinction. For the versatile young woman, the win expanded the horizons of the meaningful work that she has been doing. Beyond her success in pageantry, Manju serves as a role model for young brown girls across the US with her astronaut training, acting, modelling, activism, writing, and non-profit. Manju’s Operation Period and Painting with Parkinson’s are two initiatives that showcase her commitment to making a positive impact in the society.

[caption id="attachment_34704" align="aligncenter" width="465"] Manju Bangalore[/caption]

The youngster is pursuing her postgraduate studies at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences in the US after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon, majoring in physics with a minor in mathematics. She has worked on five NASA internships, in addition to a White House internship focusing on science policy. Apart from modelling she has acted in television shows like ‘Black is King’, ‘Depot,’ and ‘Animal Kingdom.’ Beyond her professional endeavours, Manju is an advocate for black and transgender rights. Recently she launched her debut children’s book aptly titled ‘You Can Be All the Things You Want to Be.’

UmaSofia Srivastava

Miss Teen USA 2023

The 16-year-old teen from Parsippany, New Jersey, of Indian and Mexican descent, clinched the Miss Teen USA title at the Reno, Nevada pageant held in September of this year. Among 51 accomplished young women representing every state and the District of Columbia, UmaSofia emerged as the winner. Her journey to this victory began earlier in March when she secured the Miss New Jersey Teen USA title. She has previously been a runner-up in the pageant at the age of 14.

[caption id="attachment_33667" align="aligncenter" width="473"] UmaSofia Srivastava[/caption]

Currently a junior at the Academy of St. Elizabeth in Parsippany-Troy Hills, UmaSofia is a devoted humanitarian with a strong belief in ethnic diversity, cultural inclusivity, and societal equality. She co-founded a diversity and inclusion campaign at her school, and runs a popular blog 'That’s Fan Behaviour,' which delves into topics ranging from feminism to her experiences as a woman of colour, conducting interviews with influential change makers, and exploring various other issues affecting society. The youngster is also a published author who came up with her debut book ‘The White Jaguar.’

Aruna Sukhdeo

Miss India Worldwide 2023

Born to an Indian-Guyanese labourer, Aruna Sukhdeo etched her name in history by claiming victory in the Miss India Worldwide 2023 competition, becoming the second individual of Indian origin from Guyana to accomplish this feat in the pageant's 33-year legacy. Since its inception in 1990, the Miss India Worldwide pageant has attracted young women from the global Indian diaspora. Aruna also clinched the Miss Beautiful Hair title during the competition. Describing music as her 'escape’. The aspiring economist and singer captivated the judges with her singing prowess throughout the event.

[caption id="attachment_34700" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Aruna Sukhdeo[/caption]

Currently the youngster is in her fourth year of studies in business economics at the University of Guyana (UG), Turkeyen Campus. She looks at the win as an opportunity to work on an issue which is closest to her heart – mental health, a condition that has been affecting the younger generations like never before.

What’s your Global Indian story? Write to us at editor@globalindian.com

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Digital entrepreneur Ashwath Narayanan connects influencers with purpose-driven organisations

(April 4, 2023) Like millions of others, when he first moved to the United States of America to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science and government from George Washington University, his main aim was to finish the course and find a good job. But fate had other plans for Ashwath Narayanan, who at 21, founded his own company - Social Currant a unique platform that matches impact brands, nonprofits, and purpose-driven organisations with the right creators and influencers. "If you are looking to reach young people and engage them - you will have to go places you can find them. And social media is where this audience is, and they follow influencers. So, I started a marketing agency focused on getting the young people involved in social causes being promoted by these organisation, using various social media platforms," the young entrepreneur said. The Social Current, which started with a small team based in DC, is now a global agency and is focused on empowering creators, young people, and individuals focused on impact. "I originally founded Social Currant as a marketing agency focused on giving young people representation and voices in rooms where people were making decisions about how to

a small team based in DC, is now a global agency and is focused on empowering creators, young people, and individuals focused on impact. "I originally founded Social Currant as a marketing agency focused on giving young people representation and voices in rooms where people were making decisions about how to reach us, without us," the entrepreneur shared, adding, "I thought we would start an agency, help social impact organisations figure out emerging media platforms like TikTok and Reels and pay our rent as a result."

An entrepreneurial journey

Born in the US, Ashwanth moved back to India when he was just a toddler, only to return to the US for his education. The entrepreneur recalled, "I had a very interesting childhood. Even when I was back in India, I had a US passport and I would renew my visa every nine months. This always made me feel that I was from two countries - different from each other in every way possible. My mother worked in a non-profit organisation and would take me to several events, which I didn't like attending at all. However, I think that left a huge impact on me and motivated me to do what I do today. I moved back to the US when I was 18 years old, for my under graduation in 2018."

https://soundcloud.com/thegreatbattlefield/connecting-progressive-organizations-with-influencers-with-ashwath-narayanan-of-social-currant?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

It was here that the young entrepreneur took more interest in marketing and started getting involved in various startup projects. "When I was in high school, I would often write stories. I wanted to pursue a career in journalism, but once I got to the US, I realised that marketing is also a form of telling a story to the audience. I got deeply embedded into the startup and nonprofit space just being in Washington, DC. I went through a startup incubator, worked at a social impact game company called Game Genius, and was generally very involved with people building their businesses. That was the first experience I had with the startup space as well as the social entrepreneurship space and I haven’t looked back since." he shares.

[caption id="attachment_29076" align="aligncenter" width="651"] Team Social Currant[/caption]

As a consultant helping budding organisations, Ashwath realised the potential social media - and especially the young influencers on various platforms like Instagram and TikTok - had while connecting a company to its audience. "I was working with various organisations as their consultant, helping organisations how to reach young people. It was going well, and I knew what I was doing. So I decided that I would launch my agency. I hired people my age, and I can say that Social Currant is a youth-run organisation. In fact, when I started the company I was still in college, and so were several other people I had hired," shared the Global Indian.

Long way to go

With a CV full of internships and short-term jobs, many young people might not have been confident to start a company. Not Ashwath, though. While he was a little nervous at the beginning, he was also sure about his marketing abilities and also had faith in the cause. "Since we started, we’ve pivoted into an influencer marketing agency and now a tech platform helping social impact brands, nonprofits, and CSR initiatives match with and manage mission-aligned creators. Having facilitated several strong collaborations between organisations and creators, we are focused on helping creators get paid and monetise around mission-aligned causes," the entrepreneur said.

Giving an insight about one of his projects, he said, "One of our favourite projects was for Community Change, one of our first clients in the space. We matched them with Tega, a content creator on TikTok. Over the months, Tega not only did many videos for Community Change but also came to one of their events in Michigan to create this TikTok with Congressman Jamaal Bowman. It was a great experience bringing a partnership to life in real life but also seeing its awesome reception on the platform."

https://vimeo.com/646198961?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=146896044

While the non-profit space is still inaccessible to young people and struggles to keep up with modern trends and innovations, Ashwath feels that Social Currant can change this narrative. "We’ve seen nonprofits of all sizes need different things and have different levels of technological advancement, similar to any business. We’ve been blessed to have clients that are investing in new tactics, innovating, and using the latest technology. However, one thing that I have noticed is that often technology isn’t built to cater to nonprofit needs, which can be different than business needs. So we are working to fix that in the influencer space so that more nonprofits can invest in creator programmes are reaching out to the younger generation," the entrepreneur said.

Follow Ashwath Narayanan on LinkedIn and Instagram
Follow Social Currant on LinkedIn

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Prisha Tapre: Meet the youngest British-Indian teen to swim across the English Channel

(September 25, 2024) Early this September, British-Indian teen Prisha Tapre found herself fulfilling a dream of hers - swimming across the English Channel. She was 12 when she harboured the dream. Now four years later, she covered a treacherous 21 mile stretch from Dover in the UK to Cap Gris Nez in France, in a span of 11 hours and 48 minutes to become the youngest British Indian to swim across the English Channel. "My dream has come true and it's an experience you can only hear about in the movies and, and actually experiencing it, it just feels amazing," Prisha said in an interview. But her desire to swim across the English Channel wasn't just to make or break a record but the teen saw herself doing one of the most iconic swims to raise funds for a charity. Through her challenge, she raised £3,700 for Akshaya Patra UK, a charity dedicated to ending hunger and child food poverty in India and the UK. [caption id="attachment_39449" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Prisha Tapre[/caption] A goal bigger than her Her family migrated to the UK from Maharashtra, and it was at an early age that Hertfordshire girl fell in love with swimming. However,

ght="427" /> Prisha Tapre[/caption]

A goal bigger than her

Her family migrated to the UK from Maharashtra, and it was at an early age that Hertfordshire girl fell in love with swimming. However, her dream of swimming across the English Channel took root in 2020 when she was 12 years old as wanted to prove to herself that she could do something big. "Before that, I was a normal club swimmer who trained for fun and socialising but I decided to do something bigger for myself," Prisha said. After discussing with her parents, she decided on the English Channel and her coaches directed her towards Jeremy Irvine - her current coach, and "that's when it started."

The English Channel, a stretch of water separating southern England from northern France, is a popular yet challenging route for long-distance swimmers. The narrowest point between Dover and Calais is approximately 21 miles (34 km), but due to strong currents, swimmers often cover much greater distances. The cold water, unpredictable weather, and shipping traffic add to the difficulty of the crossing. Swimmers attempting to cross typically follow strict guidelines, including starting from Dover and landing on the French coast.Often called the Mount Everest of Open Water Swimming, swimming across the English Channel is considered challenging. Uptil now, fewer than 2000 have successfully completed the 20.5-mile swim.

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A post shared by Prisha (@prishatapre)

Prisha began her training by swimming one kilometre and later moved to three kilometres. "It used to take me around 25 minutes per lap for 1k around the lake and now I take 15 minutes a lap. So, in four years, I've managed to cut down 10 minutes for 1k which is amazing and then it just shows how far you can go," the teen said.

Initially, she was aiming for 12 hours swim across the English Channel but during the swim, she lost all sense of time. "I came out thinking that I got 15 hours," said Prisha, who swims with Watford Swimming Club. When her coach Jeremy on the boat inquired her about the time she took, she found out that she took 11 hours and 48 minutes, making her quite proud of her performance.

The English Channel challenges

Swimming across the English Channel isn't an easy feat since it requires constant swimming with only minuscule breaks for feed. Her coach calls English Channel, one of the most iconic swims as it is also one of the busiest shipping channels. "The traffic that you get is insane, so hats off to the pilots that navigate us across," he said, adding that Prisha was swimming alongside a fishing boat that was watching the traffic and communicating with everyone the entire time.

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A post shared by Prisha (@prishatapre)

In preparing for the swim, she had to get comfortable with a certain degree of discomfort while during the channel swim. She began acclimatisation by starting longer and colder swims. She would sit in a cold bath for 20-minute sessions, just to the point where the body needs to generate its own heat. "It prepares the body and the mind," said Jeremy, who calls hypothermia the biggest challenge in such swims.

Alongside physical strength, it requires mental resilience to swim for 11 hours and 48 minutes. But having been brought up in a spiritual family, Prisha always found her mother, an athlete herself, listening to meditations. It was at age 11 that she too started meditating, and found herself in a better mental space. "My mom gave me this Hare Krishna chant that I often chant during swimming when my head is ever in a bad space. I have realised that your mind is in control of your body." However, the chant did not work during the long swim, instead, she started counting to eight over and over again, which was more like being in a meditative state for her.

But the first two hours of the swim were challenging as it was choppy and dark. "But once the sun came up, I knew I had passed the toughest bit. The water became still, and the conditions were better than I could have asked for her," she said in another interview.

Striking a balance

Prisha's accomplishment is all the more impressive considering how she managed to juggle her demanding training regimen alongside her preparation for GCSE exams. "I was preparing for my exams while striking a balance with my channel swim training. It was really hard as I had to give time to both as I couldn't fall behind on either," said the swimmer who would train for six hours.

Her parents have been the wind beneath her wings as they always encouraged and supported her in her passion. "They inspired me on days that I thought I couldn't do it, and constantly reminded me why I started doing it in the first place."

Representing India and UK

Being a British Indian, Prisha Tapre feels proud to represent India in the UK. "I feel in certain sports there are many Indians who represent their country. So doing a sport where there aren't many Indians, makes me feel really proud that I am able to represent not just myself but an entire country. It gives me hope that one day, other people could do the same," she said, adding, "I want to inspire other people to get into the sport because sometimes when you come into a different country, you might not feel as comfortable doing anything as you would in India. At first, I wasn't as comfortable as I would be in India but then the community that Jeremy introduced me into was so welcoming."

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A post shared by Prisha (@prishatapre)

Swimming for charity

Having raised £3,700 for Akshay Patra, a charity in the UK, Prisha Tapre calls the cause closer to her heart. "In the UK, it provides after-school and in-school meals for children who sometimes won't be able to get meals after school, and in India, it helps children get an education along with mid-day meals which encourages more children to go to school." The cause is close to her heart as she has experienced life in both countries. "I can fast for a day knowing that I will have a meal at the end of the day, But I can't imagine being in a situation where I might not have a meal the next day. Raising money for this charity means a lot to me," she added.

Follow Prisha Tapre on Instagram
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‘AI’ Aye to teen inventor Prisha Shroff’s wildfire tracker, drone & other tech

(February 26, 2022) When inventor Nicola Tesla remarked, “Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born,” a brilliant 15-year-old girl from Chandler, Arizona, inadvertently followed his diktat. Teen inventor Prisha Shroff sat alone, contemplating solutions to world problems. Et Voila, she solved some, and is on her way to solving many more. Finding a problem, solving it, and moving on to the next is Prisha's modus operandi. A mind that runs riot on witnessing something disconcerting, the teen inventor dives into her cauldron of extensive tech and coding stack - and out of that Stem hat a solution is born! An Intel Innovator, she also had a national honourable mention at the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. Included in the Smithsonian Sixteen Innovators to Watch in 2022, the honours, they keep on coming. Her 2021 invention – An AI-based Wildfire Prevention System won the Broadcom Masters Lemelson Award for Invention, Wells Fargo Sustainable Earth Innovation Award and the 3M Young Scientist Award. [caption id="attachment_11477" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Prisha Shroff with one of her inventions[/caption] How a wildfire triggered a fire in her Prisha witnessed the devastation by wildfires on her way back

"Teen innovator | Prisha Shroff " width="700" height="525" /> Prisha Shroff with one of her inventions[/caption]

How a wildfire triggered a fire in her

Prisha witnessed the devastation by wildfires on her way back from LA. Troubled, she researched into AI and tech. Her answer was a Wildfire Prevention System which uses real-time NASA and NOAA meteorological data to predict wildfires. The system alerts and even deploys a drone carrying flame retardant. Just 15, her proclivity to use tech began at just six years of age. Yes, that young.

“I used an engineering design process to build the WPS. The first time, it used only one input parameter, temperature, and image processing to predict hotspots, and had low accuracy. I revised it, and it uses real-time data of six input parameters from Nasa and Noaa to accurately identify hotspots,” teen inventor Prisha Shroff explains in an exclusive with Global Indian. One nods, not fully comprehending, but yes, a serious problem has a solution.

Her WPS is 98.6 percent accurate today. And it combines artificial intelligence to analyse temperatures, soil moisture, precipitation, vegetation, health and wind.

[caption id="attachment_11415" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Prisha Shroff[/caption]

“The fire lasted 86 days, causing 1,032,648 acres of land burnt, and 935 structures destroyed,” recalls Prisha. “I was happy to realise that the solution can be used in the real world to prevent wildfires,” says the teen inventor who is now exploring patents, and working on improving it.

When tech calls, Prisha answers

Her interest in computing and technology thanks to her project-based learning elementary school saw her master ‘all things coding.’ “My teachers encouraged me to keep asking questions. The scientific method and engineering design process were stepping stones to computing and technology. They were the life changing- foundation blocks of my education,” reveals the teen inventor.

Soon, Prisha was leveraging this power to “make things happen,” while peers and experts looked on in awe.

“One day, my mom showed me the code of a digital clock which used an arduino board to tell time. A few lines of code to tell the time…,” left her wonderstruck, and suddenly the world of coding became the framework to mind-boggling inventions for a wee girl – a WPS, a self-cleaning solar panel, a water-saving showerhead, a solar-powered drone, and an arduino-based leak detection device.

A clubber who Stems change

Shroff inhabits a world of block codes, and programming ozobots. A self-taught coder, she learnt on code.org, and soon transformed a few lines of code into a functioning website. As part of the drone club, Prisha wasn’t just flying drones for fun, but learning about the physics of flight. “I discovered that the drone’s flight time was so small, which hindered functioning. So, I developed solar-powered drones,” says the teen inventor. At the 3D printing club in school, more inventions followed – a medi-kit. Unsurprisingly, even the video game design club saw her create an educational game.

AI fascinates this little genius. An Udacity course followed by a Kaggle one, Prisha is now ever-ready to solve real-world problems. That is, if she hasn’t already.

On winning the Broadcom Masters Lemelson Award for Invention 2021 with a prize of $10,000, the teen inventor says, “My thoughts were happiness as I had created a solution that had a positive impact. It boosted my confidence, and inspired me to never give up.”

Nurtured in academics

Prisha’s parents Romish (from Mumbai) and Prital Shroff (from Baroda) have strong academic credentials. Her father, a computer engineer, did his MBA from Chicago, and now works at a US Fortune 500 company. Her mother, was motivated by her father to study further, and has an MS in computer science from Penn State. She works at a tech firm, also a Fortune 500. Prisha’s Gujarati upbringing ensures she visits her grandparents and cousins in India frequently.

“She’s always been this motivated kid who wants to go change the world,” says her mother Prital while her brother is inspired by how Prisha’s mind works.

[caption id="attachment_11417" align="aligncenter" width="792"] Prisha Shroff[/caption]

The ninth grader from Hamilton High School, LA is not all geek. She plays the piano, sings and reads. “When I play the piano, I feel peaceful, calm and in my element. Singing boosts my confidence. I am the happiest when I am composing my own songs,” says the artsy scientist.

Elon Musk, a role model

Teachers, project heads, parents, have all mentored this sponge of knowledge. Yet the the teen inventor's bigger inspiration is, “Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai, a peaceful, enlightened master, and spiritual visionary. He teaches us to become better people through practical examples and stories. His mission is to realise one’s true self, and serve selflessly. He teaches us 5 S’s - satsang (timeless wisdom), sadhana (spirituality applied), seva (selfless service), sanskruti (culture), sports.” It does explain Prisha’s single-minded focus on doing good.

[caption id="attachment_11426" align="aligncenter" width="721"] Prisha Shroff with family[/caption]

Elon Musk, her role model, she feels is an “amazing visionary with brilliant ideas” “His electric self-drive Tesla cars, SpaceX, exploring commercial flights to both Earth and the lunar orbit, Musk has even created Boring, a company that works on building the hyperloop,” says an excited teen inventor who advices, “Be curious, dream big and never give up.”

A 15-year-old teen scientist who understood a Nasa problem then went on to invent a self-cleaning solar panel, she explains “Solar panels face dust that decreases efficiency. Nasa declared its Opportunity Mars rover unresponsive after its solar-powered robot went silent during a dust storm.” Prisha increased efficiency with her self-cleaning, self-detecting solar panel system (with a dust sensor that activates a wiper system).

It hard to fully grasp a teen and her brilliant scientific mind. “Prisha the scientist and Prisha the 15-year-old are the same person! I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing board games with family, and baking with my brother!” she giggles.

Onward with an incredible sense of self, the years ahead can only be meteoric. She wants to be an entrepreneur, and create solutions. “I am going to change the world with solutions that improve day-to-day lives and the planet. The future will only decide what I will build, but I will be solving real-world problems,” vows the teen inventor.

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