Kevin J Patel: Indian-American climate activist leading the charge for a greener tomorrow
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(October 11, 2023) “My activism doesn’t come as a choice. My activism doesn’t come as a hobby. It’s a survival tool for my community,” says Kevin J Patel, a Los Angeles-based climate activist, who is the founder of OneUpAction International, an organisation empowering marginalised youth by providing them with the resources they need to be changemakers. Being one of the youth voices on the climate crisis, Kevin currently serves as a 2020 National Geographic Young Explorer. It was at the age of 12 that a health issue led Kevin to become aware of the environmental damage caused by the many oil refineries in the surrounding area. He is one of the two million California residents who live within 2,500 feet of an operational oil and gas well and are prone to health issues.
Born to immigrant parents who moved to the US in search of better opportunities, Kevin grew up in a space where they grew their own food. However, he lived in a community in South Central Los Angeles where food scarcity was common, and it was in his first semester of sixth grade that he became aware of the issue. “I realized my community wasn’t getting access to healthier foods; I really wanted to do something about it. I started teaching my peers to grow food. Many did not know that food comes from farms and they can grow their own foods,” he said in an interview.
However, things amplified in the second semester of his sixth grade when one day sitting in his classroom, he felt a sudden chest pain. He was fit, played sports, and had no high blood pressure, but ended up being diagnosed with arrhythmia, a condition in which the heart beats at an irregular rhythm. Confused, he started looking for answers as to why this might have happened to him and he found the answer in the location he lived. “South-Central Los Angeles was classified as a ‘sacrifice zone’ — places where residents, often low-income and/or people of colour, live close to freeways, factories, and oil wells. That’s where environmental inaction and damage have resulted in arrhythmia-stoking levels of smog. So, I started protesting. I led marches, petitioned government officials, and demanded climate justice from anyone who would listen,” he said.
While getting actively involved in activism, Kevin didn’t see many people who looked like him, especially in the youth climate movement. In 2018, more than 85 percent of staffers in over 2000 environmental nonprofits were white. This nudged him to start OneUpAction International in 2019 to create a platform for young individuals who were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). “I consider myself an intersectional climate activist, and one of the millions of people across the world who are already victims of the climate crisis. I didn’t see a home for people like myself.”
Over the years, OneUpAction translated into more than just giving voice to BIPOC, it turned into an organisation that supports and empowers marginalised youth to become changemakers, and to tackle the climate crisis within their local communities for a regenerative future. “Now we’re an organization that is helping young individuals across the globe implement and accelerate solutions within their communities.”
Kevin, who is pursuing Political Science at Loyola Marymount University, has over the years collaborated with the community to create a one-of-its-kind Youth Climate Commission in LA County to amplify youth voices. “The power of young people is crucially needed. I also think we just need to intergenerationally work together to really make sure that we’re solving these issues.”
The young climate activist is into hiking and photography, and is keen to get more young people equipped with the resources like monetary aid, membership and all “to implement solutions and drive action within their communities.” “We need more young people at the table, and this is where OneUpAction is currently focused. Youth will drive the change our planet needs.”
(November 23, 2024) Growing up near the sea in Mumbai, Ajay Sawant spent hours collecting shells as a child. He was in love with the ocean, and always wanted to give back to it. But little did that young boy know that years later, he would be recognised by the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) as one of their EE 30 Under 30 honourees for his dedication to educating coastal communities on the importance of marine conservation and climate resilience. "I was stunned because such recognitions keep you motivated and reaffirm that you are on the right path," Ajay tells Global Indian. He is among the 30 passionate and forward-thinking leaders from 19 countries committed to meaningful change. "It was a chance for me to reflect on my journey as a coastal kid who loved collecting shells and then aspiring to become a marine conservationist. It also makes me realise that every small step grows into something impactful. It also reinforces that my commitment to advocating for the ocean is equally important," adds Ajay, who is excited to connect with people who are creating an impact. This community is a valuable resource and I am excited about exchanging
ople who are creating an impact. This community is a valuable resource and I am excited about exchanging ideas, collaborating, and creating an impact.
[caption id="attachment_40542" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Ajay Sawant at Our Ocean Conference[/caption]
The 23-year-old, who is pursuing his bachelors in veterinary medicine, adds that such recognition also brings a sense of responsibility as there is no going back. "For me, it has always been a personal story as I have a special connection with the ocean."
Giving back to the ocean
Growing up near the Arabian Sea in Mumbai, Ajay Sawant loved spending hours on the beach and would often see driftwood, sea shells, and corals, the "treasures that the ocean brought with it." But over the years, he began noticing that the sea brought different gifts - "plastic bottles, tangled nets, and foreign things that didn't exist on the beach." That was Ajay's big moment when he realised that the ocean that he loved was under threat and he needed to do something about it. "My journey that began with collecting seashells transitioned to collecting plastic and soon became a larger cause which propelled me into becoming a marine conservationist."
However, he was keen to combine activism with art. Even as a child, art held a special place for him so when he saw plastic on the beaches, he wanted to create awareness through art. "Picking up plastic and converting it into art was my way of rebellion against marine plastic. Ocean gave me a lot and I wanted to give back to it, even if it meant taking small steps." He chose the path of artivism, using art for activism. "Art is powerful as it transcends languages and directly connects with emotions." Being a shy kid himself, he found art as the perfect means to express himself. "For many youngsters, activism can feel intimidating or inaccessible as not everyone is an extrovert. So I felt combining art with activism was a better way."
One balmy morning Ajay, who was creating art from plastic collected on the beach, met a person who introduced him to the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest. "I was intrigued and did some research. It's an organisation that educates and engages young people in ocean conservation through the arts." Despite trying for three years, he couldn't make it to the contest but he did end up earning the post of a young advisory council who would help grantees as mentors. "It was a turning point for me that changed the trajectory of my marine conservation journey."
His early days at the program introduced him to a pool of young people from across the world, all dedicated to mentoring the grantees funded by Bow Seat. He recalls a 16-year-old fellow from Mexico who creates sustainable plastic from seaweed, which he found inspiring. "This motivated me to do something for the ocean. Especially in a country like India, we have many young climate activists but not many ocean advocates. My journey was lonely but becoming a part of an organisation helped me connect with like-minded people who were particularly interested in working towards the ocean. Especially, since Bow Seat works in artivism, it was a perfect match for me," he adds.
Having found his calling in artivism, Ajay founded Generation Artivism in 2022 - a platform empowering young people to channel their environmental concerns through art. "I wanted youngsters to use art to convey complex issues like climate change, coral degradation, plastic pollution, or any other cause," says Ajay, who conducted workshops where participants created thought-provoking art installations inspired by beach waves. "Ocean pollution is a crisis that we can solve and art provides a powerful way for them to express themselves."
Generation Artivism works closely with Bow Seat, one of the largest youth-led creative arts programs for the environment. In the last two years, they have impacted nearly 5000 people through intergenerational art exchange and cross-art exchange. "It helps shift perspective as water or ocean means different to different people. We use such art exhibits to create awareness without being too preachy," says Ajay, who has conducted art exhibits in parts of India and Bali in Indonesia. "Our program is designed for critical thinking and problem-solving" says Ajay, who is also the President of Think Ocean Society.
[caption id="attachment_40544" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Ajay at High Seas Artivism Activity[/caption]
Inspiring youth to protect marine ecosystems
Think Ocean Society is a youth-led nonprofit based in Boston, which is currently active in five countries - India, the US, Cameroon, Uganda, and Nigeria - and works on all aspects of ocean conservation, ocean literacy as well as direct intervention. "We empower local people to take action for themselves by collaborating with regional organisations." In Cameroon, they have planted 5000 mangroves bringing a positive impact on biodiversity and return of fish species that had almost become extinct. "We involve young kids or marginalised women in plantation and restoration of mangroves. In India, we run a podcast on sustainability," reveals Ajay.
Promoting ocean literacy has been a priority for Ajay Sawant, who in 2022 began developing the Youth Action Ocean Toolkit. This initiative aims to educate young people about marine protected areas and inspire them to get involved in safeguarding these crucial ecosystems. The toolkit aligns with the 30 by 30 goal—also known as Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—a global effort to protect 30 percent of the planet's land and ocean by 2030 to ensure a sustainable future for life on Earth.
Funded by National Geographic through their $75,000 youth program, the toolkit showcases the impact of conservation on marine life worldwide. Ajay shares an example from California, where efforts revived a struggling marine ecosystem. "Fish were nearly extinct," he says. "Now, a decade later, fishermen scuba dive for sustainable livelihoods. It shows how marine ecosystems can recover with proper care."
Highlighting the role the local communities can play as the protector of their waters, Ajay says, "In Hawaii, community-based fishing areas help protect marine life. When fish populations decline, the community turns to a traditional practice called kapu, which limits how much fish can be harvested. Since reintroducing kapu, fish stocks have grown, helping the local community sustain their livelihoods."
Looking forward to a positive change
The marine conservationist believes that his generation is positively working towards fighting climate change. However, he feels the ocean is largely ignored. "Even SDG 14 - Life Below Water is the most underrated and underfunded of the SDGs. Moreover, land-based systems to combat climate change aren't working anymore. In 2023, trees and land absorbed almost no carbon dioxide. It is shocking as we have been working on land-based systems so much but it was the ocean that has been absorbing about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere. It is the best nature-based solution and we need to divert our attention towards it."
Sharing his plans, the young marine conservationist, who has till now reached 11,200 people through webinars, seminars, and workshops, reveals that he wants to empower young people to take action for their communities rather than indulging in direct intervention. "With Generation Artivism, I want to help young people find their voice in advocacy," says Ajay, who loves reading books and making cartoons. Ajay is hopeful about the future of marine conservation in India. "Change is happening but needs to be faster," he signs off.
(May 2, 2024) DTC brands, or direct-to-consumer brands, are on the rise. By cutting out the middleman and selling directly to customers online, they can offer unique products, build personal relationships, and control the customer journey. This booming market thrives on strong marketing strategies. A well-crafted plan, focused on building brand identity and utilizing data-driven digital channels, is crucial for DTC brands to stand out in a crowded space and convert interest into loyal customers. Shray Joshi, a first-generation Indian-American entrepreneur, exemplifies the drive and passion required to navigate the competitive world of wellness brands. Prior to founding Good Peeps in 2022, Shray honed his marketing and growth expertise at established companies like Health-Ade Kombucha, Cha Cha Matcha, and SIMULATE. This background, coupled with a personal journey to understand the connection between food and health, positions Shray perfectly to understand the unique needs of today's wellness brands. The Forbes 30 Under 30 is not only adept at building marketing strategies but also deeply committed to social responsibility, actively working to inspire and empower the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Growing up in San Diego, "the home of every single cool new product," the Global Indian recalls that "going to every
w.globalindian.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian recalls that "going to every single grocery store and aisle shopping" was his personal form of therapy as a kid. At University in Boston, Shray Joshi wanted to study psychology and nutrition, driven by his own personal struggles with obesity. From there, he switched to biochemistry and nutrition. "I got to learn about what you're putting into your body and what it actually does to you," he said. "My research specifically focussed on learning how processed foods affect your body's microbiome and metabolism."
Finding purpose in wellness
He was also focussed on his own wellness journey, and found that simply living better, eating better and moving around can solve most health problems. His fitness journey worked out so well that he was soon helping friends as well, working with them one on one, although he didn't know where his education and experiences would lead him, from a career perspective. "I was just getting healthy and helping friends do the same." At the same time, like most science students, he was drinking a lot of coffee.
His first turning point came through a friend in college, who introduced him to matcha, back before everyone was talking about it. "I fell in love with it. One part of wellness is health, and eating right. The new part is reducing anxiety and improving mental health. Matcha helped me reduce coffee and I was wondering why all of America wasn't drinking this product." So, he applied to every matcha company he could find, and ended up getting a job at Cha Cha Matcha in NYC, where he worked on digital marketing. From there, he moved to Health-Ade Kombucha, where he became the head of Digital and Growth.
After a few years of working in-house, Shray Joshi decided to try something new. "I got a lot of good advice, including that I was too stubborn to work at a corporate," he laughs. He began doing consulting instead, and found that the brands he was working with were "overly complicating marketing from an internal perspective." As the consulting business grew, Shray made the leap into entrepreneurship, founding his own branding company, Good Peeps. "There are so many agencies trying to offer playbook sales tactics. On the other hand, we are like, we won't work on 600 brands. We will work on four or five brands at the same time and go really deep with them. We will build those really great brands and tell really great stories in unique ways." They work with fast growing brands in the CGP industry, like Feastables, Chamberlain Coffee and Fly by Jing. "We work with these brands to plan retail and online strategies," he said. "Given our background as a team, we do good work from a branding, content and creative perspective, as well as performance marketing."
Responding to a question about whether brands should focus on retail or digital, Shray says, "It's super category and product dependent. If you have a high consumption frequency, then you want to be in retail. You can use digital to scale and help you win in retail. Other clients need to crush it on digital and also get retail distribution to clog up leaky buckets."
A strong online content marketing strategy is crucial to building demand. "For one, it's a good way of showing retailers that they want to have you on board," Shray explains. "You can bulid a strong community, make really cool partnerships and build a group of hardcore loyalists online. You can use that following to walk into a store and say, 'I have a bunch of people begging for my product, so you are going to want to stock it'." Big stores, he says, take on clients with a Direct-to-Consumer presence and also those with a strong online presence.
Telling the right story
"If you have a really good story to tell, then tell it. If you don't, then don't force it," Shray believes. Brands driven by Asian Americans who found companies that connect with who they are have good stories, he says. "But if you're like, finance-backed and you saw white space in the market, that's where you lean on product focus and brand marketing, not your personal story." As a bottom line, he refers to Post Malone. "Make stuff you like. Other people will end up liking it too."
(May 13, 2023) The roaring engines of India's racing scene have been revving up in recent years, with an influx of young, passionate individuals setting their sights on becoming professional racers. From the hum of the local karting tracks to the adrenaline rush of Formula racing, India's motorsport landscape is witnessing a surge in homegrown talent. At the forefront of this high-octane revolution is Kush Maini, a prodigious racer who is rapidly carving his name on the international stage. As he accelerates towards his Formula 1 aspiration, the 22-year-old youngster serves as the perfect inspiration for aspiring racers across the nation, showcasing the immense potential that lies within India's motorsport arena. It’s a realm not unfamiliar to the racer, who is carving his path strategically, one race at a time. "I always knew what I was capable of – I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else, and start positively. To get my first podium early on, I think we can start building on it as a team. It’s a good feeling. It’s a great start to the year in one of the toughest championships in the world," the Global Indian racer said during an interview after he produced
. To get my first podium early on, I think we can start building on it as a team. It’s a good feeling. It’s a great start to the year in one of the toughest championships in the world," the Global Indian racer said during an interview after he produced an impressive drive on his Formula 2 debut to finish fourth in the feature race recently.
A passionate beginning
Since he was just a toddler, Kush was fascinated by racing cars. What helped further his dreams was that his elder brother, Arjun, shared the same passion. Sons of industrialist Gautam Maini, the two brothers started frequenting the karting tracks while they were still in primary school. "My first win in karts was when I was 10, in the Indian National Championship," the racer shared, adding, "Looking back, I was up against a field of drivers who were older than me, including Jehan (Daruvala). But it turned out to be a great race for me to clinch a victory. Before that year, I hadn't tasted victory, and this was the final race where I managed to cross the finish line first. This triumph indeed boosted my confidence."
When he was just 12-years-old, the young racer decided to leave his family and shift to his karting mechanic’s home in Italy, so that he could focus solely on becoming the racer he dreamt of. "I grew up in Bangalore, India, and went to school there, but I moved to the UK quite early on for karting. Then I’ve also lived in Italy (and) in Switzerland, so I’ve been about," the racer said during an interview, adding, "The last couple of years I am put up in the UK and that’s where I conduct all my training. I think it’s just an easier base than India even though I’d love to live at home. It’s just too far away."
While he was driving minor leagues in the UK, the racer made his international debut in the year 2016 at the Italian F4 Championship. "It all started with a single-seater, competing for BVM Racing in the Italian F4 Championship," he shared. And, the beginning of this racers' campaign was impressive, accumulating points in the year's initial six races. Following a challenging phase in the middle of the season, the Indian racer achieved his maiden podium finish in car racing, clinching third place in the concluding race at Vallelunga. He concluded the season ranked 16th overall and secured the fifth spot in the rookies' championship.
Life on the tracks
In 2017, the racer joined forces with Jenzer Motorsport, competing once more in Italian F4 alongside teammates Giorgio Carrara, Federico Malvestiti, Giacomo Bianchi, and Job van Uitert. His second year proved quite fruitful, marked by podium finishes at Imola and Monza, in addition to numerous top-five results that contributed to his eighth-place finish in the overall standings. What makes him so successful - the youngster credits his disciplined schedule for it all. "I think the discipline it teaches you. I think it just improves you as a person. There’s a lot more structure in your life. In the last few years when I got serious about racing, I think my life structure has changed. I’m focused on the training so I think it’s the qualities that it teaches you," he expressed.
The following year saw the racer ascend to the British Formula 3 Championship with Lanan Racing. In 2019, he transitioned to the Formula Renault Eurocup, teaming up with M2 Competition. He made an immediate impact, securing a podium finish in his debut race at Monza. However, he couldn't replicate such notable results throughout the rest of the season. Nevertheless, his consistent accumulation of points led to a sixth-place finish in the standings with 102 points, making him the second-highest-placed rookie. Speaking about his racing style to a media outlet, the racer has said, "I would say aggressive. Of course, it just depends on the situation. If it’s a track with a lot of high-speed corners, you want to go easy on the steering. Whereas if you take a race situation, you know if you’re starting second or third, you’ve got to be smart."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNb9_YZqEtc
The youngster recently claimed his first-ever Formula 2 podium with a third-place finish at Albert Park in Melbourne. And now the racer, who is currently on a winning spree, has his eyes on the highest ground – Formula 1. "I think it is achievable. Formula 1 needs an Indian. I want to give my absolute best in F2. If I am good enough and it is meant to happen, then it will. I’m not rushed," he said.
(January 10, 2022) It was yet another day for the world at large. Not for Bengaluru girl Sia Godika though. She has a special surprise awaiting her - an invitation to London to receive the Diana Legacy Award for her initiative Sole Warriors that provides shoes to the needy. In just two years, the 15-year-old’s initiative has created a global movement - donating 21,000 pairs of shoes to the disadvantaged. “I literally fell off the chair reading the email about winning the Diana Legacy Award. I was so surprised and honoured. I couldn’t believe that I was even eligible,” Sia says to Global Indian in an exclusive. The big news came just five months after she had already got the Diana Award in June 2021 along with 400 other youngsters from across the globe. Being considered one of the highest honours for social action, it has put Sia among the list of future leaders. [caption id="attachment_9438" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Sia Godika receiving Diana Legacy Award in London.[/caption] It was in the fall of 2019 that Sole Warriors took a life of its own after Sia decided to help the needy by collecting used shoes, refurbishing and donating them. “Finding a solution
eg" alt="Teen Social Activist | Diana Legacy Award-Winner" width="480" height="640" /> Sia Godika receiving Diana Legacy Award in London.[/caption]
It was in the fall of 2019 that Sole Warriors took a life of its own after Sia decided to help the needy by collecting used shoes, refurbishing and donating them. “Finding a solution to a problem that affects a larger population is important, and that’s what I did with Sole Warriors,” says Sia.
Putting the right foot forward
How Sole Warriors galvanises its support is also credible. “We have a huge network of volunteers - Robin Hood Army and Indian Ploggers Army - who help us with the process of collection and distribution,” reveals Sia.
The hard, cracked and worn-out feet of construction workers’ children in Sia’s locality stirred this Koramangala girl into action. “It broke my heart to see them running barefoot on the streets. I rushed home to find some pairs of shoes that I could give them. Seeing my shoe rack, it dawned upon me that I had so many pairs stacked up which I wasn’t even wearing anymore,” says the Neev Academy student. It gnawed on her till she had to do something about it. “I started researching, and found that according to WHO stats, 1.5 billion people worldwide don’t have shoes to wear, and around 350 million pairs of shoes are discarded each year,” says Sia, who was left aghast with the numbers.
What began as a dinner table conversation with her parents soon took the form of the Sole Warriors initiative. “My parents asked me to come up with a concrete plan regarding collection and distribution, and research on it. This gave me a sense of purpose,” reveals Sia. Within a month, Sia launched it at a Kormangala apartment, and collected 500 pairs. “It was a huge boost, knowing that I was going in the right direction after a month of making posters to spread the word, and connecting with volunteers on WhatsApp,” she adds.
Soon word spread, and she was added to many groups on WhatsApp and this helped intensify the initiative. With hundreds of shoes collected per week, Godika had to find a solution to refurbish them. Approaching local cobblers was her initial fix, but she soon found sponsors in Pressto Cobblers. “I came across the store, and on a whim, decided to meet the manager who was more than happy to help us. They decided to sponsor us,” chirps an ecstatic Sia.
Slowly, but surely making little feet matter
Still in its nascent stage, Sole Warriors faced some hiccups at the beginning of the lockdown in March 2020. Yet, they flung into action after pushing the pause button for a few weeks. “We continued collecting shoes, sanitising them and (even) quarantining them for a handful of days before sending them for distribution to the needy people,” informs the Diana Legacy Award-winner who also helped create jobs for slum dwellers with her initiative. “Through this, we allowed slum dwellers to become ‘sole’ entrepreneurs wherein they could sell a pair of refurbished shoes for Rs 50, and earn an income,” explains the activist.
Many stepped up to help Sia with the initiative. Though she cannot thank G Nagaraj aka Plog Raj (the founder of Indian Ploggers Army) enough. “From helping me get in touch with volunteers, to identify areas where we could distribute shoes, he helped me immensely,” says the Diana Award winner. After her successful stint in Bengaluru, she opened chapters in Chennai and Mumbai. Sia is now ready to spread her wings to West Africa and the US. “It was during the Diana Award ceremony that I met Abdullah O Bility, a co-winner from Liberia. He got to know about my initiative, and was happy to help me with the distribution in his country,” exclaims Sia, who will soon be sending the first lot of refurbished shoes from the US to Liberia (as sending from India was ridden with snags).
The 15-year-old found support in a family friend in Boston who is busy collecting shoes for Sole Warriors from public schools and communities, and would soon be sending them to Abdullah in Liberia. “I am so happy that the initiative is going international, and more people are joining in,” adds Sia who is hoping to expand to the UK soon.
When shoestrings make a difference
Born in 2006 in North Carolina to engineer parents, Godika moved to Bengaluru as a year-old toddler. “My parents had moved to the US in their youth to study, and worked there for a couple of years. In the late 2000s, they shifted back to Bengaluru to be closer to the family,” says the Class 10 student who found them as the greatest of support systems. “My mom has been quite inspiring in this journey of mine, and always asked me to follow my heart. My dad drove me around collecting and distributing shoes until we had things in place,” she smiles.
When she is not busy with Sole Warriors or school, Sia Godika loves to curl up with a book. A student of Bangalore School of Speech and Drama too, the teenager is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, and passionate about theatre. With two months to her boards, Godika has her eyes set on pursuing finance and economics. “Economics is my favourite subject. That’s what I intend to pursue,” adds the social activist who calls Sole Warriors a necessity in life rather than a profession.
(March 11, 2023) Despite many studies on the subject over the last few decades, dyslexia remains the world’s most common neurological learning disability. Affecting approximately one in 10 people worldwide, the disorder involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Through her efforts, young scholar Isha Puri has developed an easier, simpler, and cheaper application for the detection and precise prediction of dyslexia. With a combination of various machine learning algorithms, the application can help in averting this neurological learning disability in kids. "My goal is to build a free web-based application that will use a standard computer webcam to screen a child while reading and then use an accurate eye tracking algorithm to detect if the child has a higher risk of dyslexia," the scholar, who was the finalist at MIT Think 2018, shared with Global Indian. Currently, a student of Applied Math/Computer Science at Harvard University, Isha is working on developing the project further and taking it to the market. "Currently, most screenings are either extremely expensive, costing around $1000-$2000, or require hefty scientific equipment, effectively rendering them inaccessible to a majority of the world. Because my
cience at Harvard University, Isha is working on developing the project further and taking it to the market. "Currently, most screenings are either extremely expensive, costing around $1000-$2000, or require hefty scientific equipment, effectively rendering them inaccessible to a majority of the world. Because my application will be completely free and will not require any hefty scientific equipment, this solution will be accessible to millions of families around the world without regard to financial status," the scholar shared.
Passionate about AI
Born to Indian immigrants who settled in the USA, Isha grew up in the lush green neighbourhood of Chappaqua in New York. Attending Horace Greeley High School, the scholar was introduced to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) through her parents as kids, who further encouraged her to explore the field on her own. Having developed a few applications as a young teenager, the youngster started working on software to detect dyslexia after a chance meeting with a few affected kids.
"My research interests have always been at the intersection of computer science and social good. Early detection is crucial to helping a child with dyslexia reach their full potential, and unfortunately, far too many children in today’s world go undiagnosed. My research aims to close this gap by providing a freely accessible application for the early diagnosis of dyslexia," the scholar said.
No stranger to competition, Isha has won several awards for her research, including the Second Grand Prize Award in her category at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the 2018 MIT THINK Scholar award, the 2018 National Security Agency Mathematics Honors award, and the 2018 Regeneron WESEF Neuroscience first-place award.
Spreading her wings
Isha's research, "A Scalable and Freely Accessible Machine Learning Based Application for the Early Detection of Dyslexia," involves developing a way to screen children for the disorder using a standard computer webcam. Using a novel combination of two different machine learning algorithms to detect the corners of the eye and the center of the pupil, the eye tracker has a very high accuracy, with a maximum possible error of only a few pixels. These eye-tracking results are then analyzed to determine the duration and frequency of gaze fixations made while reading, as studies have shown that dyslexics exhibit significantly longer and more frequent fixations. Based on this metric, the application will be able to predict if a child has a higher risk of dyslexia.
Explaining her research, the scholar shared, "My research first builds an accurate eye-tracking algorithm that uses only a standard computer webcam. The application then uses this algorithm to track the eye movements of a subject's pupils while reading. And because medical research has shown that dyslexic children have different eye movement patterns while reading than non-dyslexic children, it can classify a subject for dyslexia."
A Cutler-Bell Prize winner (2019), the youngster is also the founder of CreAIte, which is an organisation aimed to inspire girls in artificial intelligence and computer science by teaching creative, hands-on workshops that emphasize artistic and humanistic applications of tech. We hold workshops across the country, in cities like Santa Clara, New York City, Chicago, and Oakland. "In an an age where the number of women in the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence is much less than the number of men, one of the most important things we can do is nurture a community among girls interested in the field. A community of women who will lift each other, inspire each other, and empower each other to be our best selves," the scholar shared.
Thus far creAIte has impacted over 500 students from traditionally underrepresented groups in tech across the USA. "Over time, I have realised that creAIte was not just a “girls coding” organisation. We weren’t even just an “AI and art” organisation. We were a community of firebirds — rising from our stories, taking control of our destinies, and supporting each other as we do it," the young scholar explained, adding that she wishes to expand CreAIte's operations beyond the USA in the coming years.
Ajay Sawant at Our Ocean Conference[/caption]
Ajay Sawant[/caption]
Ajay at High Seas Artivism Activity[/caption]
