Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveMaya Neelakantan: Indian-origin ‘rock goddess’ takes America’s Got Talent by storm

Maya Neelakantan: Indian-origin ‘rock goddess’ takes America’s Got Talent by storm

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(July 7, 2024) Clad in a rust and orange ghagra with jhumkas, bindi, and waistband as her accessories, 11-year-old Chennai-based Maya Neelakantan took on the stage of America’s Got Talent, but with a twist – an electric guitar. The youngster, who seemed shy at first, left the judges and audience surprised as the “rock goddess” strummed her guitar to Papa Roach’s Last Resort. The 100-second performance got the Indian-origin girl a standing ovation from Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel. “You know what I love about this audition, you just weren’t expecting this. You were so shy, and you’re 10! And then you turned into, like, this rock goddess,” he said.

Overnight, the 10-year-old became a sensation on the internet. Even Anand Mahindra, the chairman of the Mahindra Group, posted a video of Neelakantan on X, calling her a “Rock Goddess from the land of Goddesses.” He tweeted, “Oh My God. Maya Neelakantan is only 10 years old. 10! Yes, Simon, she’s a Rock Goddess. From the land of Goddesses. We have to get her back here to do her stuff at the@mahindrablues! @jaytweetshah@vgjairam.”

Oh My God

Maya Neelakantan is only 10 years old. 10!

Yes, Simon, she’s a Rock Goddess.
From the land of Goddesses.

We have to get her back here to do her stuff at the @mahindrablues !@jaytweetshah @vgjairam pic.twitter.com/sRNHPBondg

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 29, 2024

The youngster is a student of famous guitarist and Berklee School of Music alumni Guitarist Prasanna, an Indian-American. Moreover, she has a YouTube channel that spans her rock and metal covers over the years. In 2022, she impressed Adam Jones, Tool’s guitarist with her rendition of Tool’s 7empest. Not only this, she even received a guitar as a gift from American musician Gary Holt.

A music lover, she was as young as two when she saw her dad play guitar at home, and instantly fell in love with the musical instrument. Ever since she turned five, she wanted to learn guitar and finally started playing it when she was six. “I started by learning my favourite songs with my dad and he taught me how to self-learn through YouTube videos and guitar tabs. Now, I’m able to learn any song by myself,” she said in an interview.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by America’s Got Talent Auditions (@agtauditions)

The first time she ever played in public was at an ashram with 50 people watching, an experience she completely loved. It gave her the confidence to perform on stage for the very first time at America’s Got Talent. “AGT was completely different because there were more than 1000 people there in the audience.” The huge crowd did make her nervous backstage but once she started playing, she was at ease. “I started enjoying myself and wasn’t nervous anymore,” she added.

Over the last two years, she began learning Carnatic music from Guitar Prasanna, but has now moved to harder techniques. When the opportunity to perform at AGT knocked at her door, she trained hard for three weeks, and even sought advice. “Guitar Prasanna helped me in creating the song and I rearranged it in the end,” she said.

Moreover, the youngster was coached by none other than the award-winning actress for the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black, Jessica Pimentel, for her movements for AGT. “She also helped me prepare mentally for the show because it was my first time on stage.”

Making her debut on the big stage with the guitar gifted by Adam Jones from the American rock band Tool, Maya had nerves. “While I was playing on AGT, the two-minute song felt like 30 seconds,” she said. But the cheering and standing ovation at the end of the performance made her feel like she performed for hours. “I was soaking up everything at that moment and now I fully understand why everyone says they want to go on stage again and again after going on the first time. I never experienced that before but now I want to continue performing on stage,” she added.

Taking over a stage as big as America’s Got Talent, Maya credits her parents for their constant support and encouragement. Thanking them for being the wind beneath her wings, she wrote on Instagram, “They are the ones who are behind the spotlight, sacrificing everything for me and expecting nothing in return. They always make me so happy & without them, I will not be able to follow my passion, meet so many incredible people and have the best experiences in life which is just like a dream!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Maya Neelakantan (@mayaneelakantan)

Maya, who calls Adam Jones, the guitarist of Tool, Gary Holt, the guitarist of Exodus and Slayer, Alex Skolnick, and Eric Peterson her idols, wants to create her own music by combining Carnatic music with Heavy Metal. “All these different genres activate different emotions for me and I want to mix them together. I feel that you have to really go into the music to enjoy it so I want to make music so that my listeners can go with me on a journey through the song,” she said, adding, “So, that’s the dream I’m working towards and all these events are bringing me one step closer to creating my own music. It could even turn out to be a genre unheard of.”

Her groundbreaking performance that infused Carnatic music with heavy metal was proof of her technical mastery of the guitar which allowed her to seamlessly integrate the intricate rhythms and scales of traditional South Indian Carnatic music with the aggressive, electrifying energy of metal, creating a unique and mesmerising auditory experience. Her performance showcased her incredible skill and presented a fresh approach to music, blending different genres into a unified and innovative sound.

Follow Maya Neelakantan on X and Instagram

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 07, Jul 2024

Share with

ALSO READ

How Bal Puraskar winners are shaping kid entrepreneurs

(February 11, 2022) These young achievers stepped up in the darkest times, helping society find relief during an unprecedented lockdown. They reached out to other children in need. The Bal Puraskar winners are in the limelight today, and are inspiring other pint-sized thinkers to address world issues. Holding his mother's hand and clutching an outsized bouquet, eight-year-old Pal Sakshi stepped out of the district magistrate's office, into a sea of cameramen outside. Despite the media attention, Sakshi's concerns were more pragmatic - as they walked through the crowd, he asked his mother where he could keep his bouquet at home. The eight-year-old prodigy, also a keen volunteer with the Swachh Bharat Mission, is one of four recipients of the Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022. As the country battled the pandemic, trying to survive the lockdowns in safety, Sakshi began conducting musical performances online for charity, sending the proceeds to the PM Cares Fund. That’s not all, the pre-teen whiz kid even developed an app to create awareness about Covid-19, listing various ways to stay safe. These efforts cannot be allowed to go in vain. and while the award ceremony was cancelled last year, the awardees were given a digital certificate, using

l certificate, using blockchain technology created by the government for the purpose.

Shaping young entrepreneurs

As Bal Puraskar awardees dominate the public discourse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has even remarked, “While talking to you, I feel that the Indian government's efforts over the past few years to create jobs are having an impact. We have been promoting the idea of entrepreneurship in young people so they can make the nation stronger.” These words were said to 11-year-old Meedhansh, as he received his award at the local district administrative complex. When the Janta Curfew was imposed in March 2020, Meedhansh launched www.coronafreeworld.com, working tirelessly to post information on his online platform. He even started a medical helping service and has participated in the state-level corona prevention project, Mission Fateh, launched by a former CM of Punjab. He was also awarded by the government of Punjab for developing Mission Fateh's IT portal.

A solution to pandemic woes

The four young recipients are, undoubtedly, a powerhouse of talent. And each has tried to utilise those abilities towards making the world a better place. Through his portal, karnalcovid.in, 17-year-old Aakarsh Kaushal helped people in his district find access to real-time data regarding cases, deaths and RT-PCR test reports. Moved by what he saw during the pandemic, Aakarsh, always a passionate coder, decided to create the portal, which has had over 2,00,000 visitors. “Around the same number of RT PCR reports have been sent to patients directly on phones,” he posted on Facebook. He also created a portal to track the availability of beds in Karnal district, where the situation had grown dire. In the end, the initiative came to the authorities’ aid too, especially as it became a credible source of information.

Timely recognition can go a long way. Prasiddhi Singh, the 2021 awardee for social welfare, feels, “The award gave me recognition, and also a sense of responsibility towards society and the planet. To me, awards are not the destination but the motivation to achieve more.”

Driven to do more

Far from being driven to complacency, with recognition so early in life, these youngsters are even more driven. Prasiddhi is working on her latest mission, to plant one lakh trees by the end of 2022. Describing the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar as a “catalyst,” she says, “My mission to plant one lakh trees by the end of 2022 is almost complete, and I hope to accomplish the milestone with everybody’s support.”

It's the “magic mantra,” avers Anjali Razdan, director, academics, Meluha International School, Hyderabad. “Whether it is in a child or an adult, being recognised generates lifelong motivation. The appreciation coming from the Prime Minister will go a long way in shaping their character, building patriotic sensibilities and a liberated mindset, all ingredients for inculcating good citizenship.”

Visionaries beyond their years

Sixteen-year-old Abhinav was described as “wise” by the Prime Minister on Twitter. “Reading is among the greatest joys in our society. The wise Abhinav is using technology to popularise books and has helped many youngsters,” he tweeted. During the lockdowns, Abhinav helped 10,000 underprivileged children who couldn’t afford new books, by arranging second-hand copies through an online store, Cruise Books, designed for the purpose. He helped the reselling of some 30,000 books, and in the process, did the planet a good turn too. “I helped save around 19,000 trees,” he told the PM. His web store even provides low-cost printing services all over India, making it easy to sell and collect used books.

Although the young awardees say they would have no laurels without the support of their families and mentors, they are beyond doubt, stars in their own right. As the PM rightly emphasised, “for doing good, age is not a barrier. Youngsters have the potential to transform society for the better.”

(With inputs from Charu Thakur)

Reading Time: 4 min

Meet the five Indians selected for Rhodes Scholarship 2024

(January 5, 2024) Five Indian students have been selected as Rhodes Scholars for 2024, and will head to Oxford University for their postgraduate studies. The rigorous selection process, which involved over 1,000 applicants, was conducted by a panel headed by former foreign secretary and Ambassador, Nirupama Rao. Global Indian takes a look at the youngsters who have bagged what is arguably one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world. They will join a cohort of 105 scholars from around the world for their fully-funded postgraduate study. Since 1903, the Rhodes scholarship, offered by the Rhodes Trust, has brought the world’s best and brightest young students, handpicked from the top universities around the world, to the University of Oxford. It was established by Cecil John Rhodes, a British mining tycoon and the founder of De Beers—a diamond company that had, until recently, wielded control over global trade. The Rhodes Trust’s website states: We find, bring together and develop exceptional people who are impatient with the way things are and have the courage to act. Originally intended to foster unity among English-speaking nations, this esteemed and long-standing international scholarship programme underwent revisions over time. By the 21st century, eligibility expanded to

ceptional people who are impatient with the way things are and have the courage to act.

Originally intended to foster unity among English-speaking nations, this esteemed and long-standing international scholarship programme underwent revisions over time. By the 21st century, eligibility expanded to encompass citizens from all countries. Indians gained access to this scholarship opportunity in 1947.

Joann Rachel Cherian

Joann is interested in delving into the possibility of faith becoming a subject of public discourse. She is keen on merging her love for writing to examine the interplay between faith and everyday experiences. Having completed a BA in English from Christ University and subsequently earning an MA in English from Jawaharlal Nehru University, she now aims to pursue theology at Oxford University.

[caption id="attachment_35033" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Joann Rachel Cherian[/caption]

Her ambition is to blend her literary expertise with theological studies, thereby innovating new methods of interpreting sacred texts. Joann is particularly interested in investigating how the Bible addresses matters of gender. She envisions a future with increased female theologians in India. Alongside her academic pursuits, she holds a passion for music, fiction, films, and engaging in profound conversations about life over cups of tea.

Ayan Gupta

Ayan, a senior student at National Law University (NLU), Delhi, holds a keen interest in matters related to sentencing and punishment, particularly focusing on the complexities surrounding the death penalty and prolonged incarceration. At Oxford, Ayan aims to explore the fields of criminology and criminal justice for his further studies.

[caption id="attachment_35034" align="aligncenter" width="341"] Ayan Gupta[/caption]

With a love for teaching Ayan hopes to shape the future of criminal justice education. He has served as research and teaching assistant to his professors in NLU Delhi and currently serves as the editor-in-chief of NLUD’s Journal of Legal Studies. In his free time he loves either playing or watching tennis.

Asma Shakeel

Hailing from Kashmir, Asma aspires to make a career in the sphere of global and imperial history. She is currently pursuing international history at Georgetown University in Qatar, and plans to pursue a master's degree in global and imperial history followed by a Ph.D. in history at the University of Oxford.

[caption id="attachment_35035" align="aligncenter" width="373"] Asma Shakeel[/caption]

During her time at Oxford, Asma aims to explore the archives of British missionaries in South Asia to gain deeper insights into the history of Kashmir, the Himalayan region where she spent her formative years. Her ultimate vision is to develop a digital archive chronicling Kashmir's history, facilitating access and contributions from generations of Kashmiris. With the archive her plan is to offer an alternative perspective, inviting Kashmiris to share their family's oral histories, photographs, obituaries, and personal experiences, to illuminate and comprehend their past, and influence their present in the process.

Mohammad Zayaan Asimi

Mohammad, a final-year BA LLB (Hons) student at Gujarat National Law University, hails from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. His academic focus revolves around the convergence of law, society, and technology. His ambition is to explore the influence of technology in enhancing access to justice within marginalised segments of society. He aspires to undertake socio-legal research at Oxford.

[caption id="attachment_35036" align="aligncenter" width="356"] Mohammad Zayaan Asimi[/caption]

The sports enthusiast has represented Jammu and Kashmir in national basketball tournaments.

Siddhant Dhawan

Siddhant completed his BS in bioengineering at Stanford University in 2022 and is currently pursuing a research-focused MS in biology at the same institution. During his tenure as a researcher at Stanford, he has contributed to multiple neuroscience research papers while working in the laboratories of esteemed professors like Nobel laureate Prof. Thomas Sudof, Prof. Tarik Massoud, and Prof. Nicolas Grillet.

[caption id="attachment_35037" align="aligncenter" width="343"] Siddhant Dhhawan[/caption]

Devoted to advancing inclusive healthcare and education, Siddhant spearheads initiatives that advocate for menstrual equity and promote science education, impacting numerous individuals in both the US and India. His dedication extends to advocating for mental health support and promoting diversity within academia. In preparation for a career as a physician-scientist, Siddhant intends to further his studies in neuroscience. He aims to conduct research on motor neuron diseases utilizing stem cells and genetic engineering techniques.

The applications for the 2025 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June 2024. More information about the Scholarship application can be found here.

“There are over 4,500 living Rhodes scholars residing in more than 100 countries around the world,” shares the Rhodes Trust’s website.

Some of the eminent Global Indians who have been Rhodes Scholars in the past:

Montek Singh Ahluwalia – Economist and policy expert who won the Padma Vibhushan award
Sanjay Singh – Businessman and former first class cricketer
Dr Menaka Guruswamy – Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India
Sagarika Ghose – Journalist, columnist and author who has written biographies of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Tanjore Ramachandra Anantharaman – One of India’s eminent metallurgists and materials scientists
Late Girish Karnad – Playwright, author, actor and director

Reading Time: 5 mins

Jash Kalyani: A Change Agent in Promoting Culture, Community, and Inclusivity

(July 17, 2023) How many 22-year-olds can claim to have helped implement policy changes in their universities and local communities? For Aurangabad-born Jash Kalyani this is a reality that he embraced early in university career. Now a senior analyst in the product management division at Royal Bank of Canada, Jash continues to further his dream that was born out of a passion for promoting culture, community and a sense of inclusivity. From helping his Canadian alma maters Huron University and Ivey Business School institute policy changes to encourage EDI on campus, to collaborating with the city council for the City of London as a community connector, and publishing case studies on the subject, Jash is intent on being a change agent. Born in Aurangabad, Jash, an only child, lost his father when he was 9. Raised by his mother and grandparents, the lad found himself wanting to achieve something from an early age. “I was never given a path as such, but my mother and grandparents were confident in my abilities. My mother was convinced that I’d do well in whatever I chose. That worked well in my favour as it boosted my confidence levels,” says Jash, who moved to Dubai

, who moved to Dubai after his class X to join his mother. “She was already working in Dubai at the time and I decided to pursue my A levels there.”

[caption id="attachment_31955" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Jash Kalyani with his family at his graduation.[/caption]

By age 17 Jash moved to Canada to pursue his graduation from Huron University College where he studied political science in years 1 and 2. “I’d say Canada shaped my adulthood while India shaped my childhood. Canada is where I got my driver’s licence, got my first car and many other firsts,” he says, adding, “I got a job on my first day of college as a line cook in the university cafeteria. I wanted to build work into my schedule from day 1 and not after I graduate.”

During his time at Huron Jash also founded the Huron Indian Cultural Association (HICA) in 2018. The Association continues to thrive today and is a means for students to celebrate and share Indian culture with the Huron community. Over the last five years, the association has grown to become one of the largest student clubs on campus and at roadshows is the first to be showcased by the university. “I wanted to build a sense of community on campus and that’s how the club came about. Huron is a traditionally Anglican school and with HICA we celebrate Diwali in the chapel and Holi on the campus. The aim is to help students find a community outside of home and has now become one of the first things an Indian student coming here looks for.”

[caption id="attachment_31957" align="aligncenter" width="507"] Jash Kalyani during his city council work[/caption]

In the meanwhile, Jash also began working as a community connector with the municipal committee for City of London. “Here I worked with young and marginalised people. It involved a lot of grassroot work and over the course of three years I’d spoken with as many as 1,500 people,” says Jash. By the time he got to year 3 Jash began to get more involved in the aspects of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). It was also around the time the George Floyd incident occurred. “I was able to hone into EDI around this time and turned my focus towards it. For the first time, I also realised what it really meant to be a South Asian in Canada.”

The youngster also faced racism and used that as a learning experience to pivot his work. “I was sitting at a cafe and eating when a white guy called the cops on me for not wearing a mask. There were plenty of others there without a mask because we were all eating. But he targeted me as a ‘brown person’,” says Jash, adding, “It was scarring.”

The incident prompted Jash to speak to his university about what it was doing to make people feel safer and if it was systemically addressing racism. “That led to me doing an internal review for the school and a case study on Huron in which I got students to participate and suggest strategies.”

[caption id="attachment_31958" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Jash Kalyani at his graduation.[/caption]

As he moved to Ivey Business School, Jash wanted to continue his work in EDI and be a change agent. “I wanted to use educational platforms to talk about EDI and tied up with Ivey to build something into their curriculum. That’s how I ended up publishing an EDI onboarding module for the school with other students. The idea was to make EDI part of the student experience,” he says. He went on to intern with the Royal Bank of Canada, and was eventually hired by them.

Jash Wins Ontario Remembrance Award

In recognition of his contributions Jash was awarded the Ontario Remembrance Scholarship by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and Western University in 2021. Jash was one of the four students to receive the award which was instituted in the memory of the four Iranian students who lost their lives on board Flight 752.

“Over the years I find myself becoming more interested in pedagogy and how EDI can be built into the curriculum. To this end, I have published two other case studies and also worked with the City of London on what it can do from a civic engagement perspective for people with marginalised identities,” he says. The school also funded him to go to Kenya and teach an entrepreneurship elective at MOI university.

[caption id="attachment_31956" align="aligncenter" width="501"] Jash Kalyani in Kenya.[/caption]

When he graduated business school in 2022, Jash took up his first job with Mondelez which proved to be a great learning experience. He later took up a role as senior analyst with RBC where he works in product management and credit card strategy. “That apart I’m also involved with several non-profits. I continue to publish case studies for the school and am currently designing a digital capstone experience with insendi, a British Educational Consulting Company, meant for students at Ivey for next year,” says the youngster. “I’m also working for a boutique consulting company that works in the EDI space and am going to flying school to become a recreational pilot,” he smiles.

Follow Jash on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Tech-forward healing: Marissa Sumanthipala’s vision for tomorrow’s healthcare

(December 7, 2023) During her childhood, she had a deep passion for ice skating and aspired to join the US national skating team. However, when Marissa Sumathipala was just 13 years old, her life took an unexpected turn. A severe fall during a practice session resulted in a harsh impact to her head, causing a significant concussion. This incident abruptly halted Marissa's dreams of representing the US in the Olympics and led to her removal from the state team. For years, she grappled with foggy recollections, occasional nausea, and persistent fatigue. While many saw this as the end of a promising athletic career for the young teenager, the unfortunate incident ignited a new sense of purpose within Marissa. It inspired her to delve into the intricacies of the human brain, eventually leading her down the path of becoming a young neuroscientist. “I began to realise that there was so much that we didn’t know about the brain,” Merissa said during an interview with The Harvard Gazette, adding, "And that gap in what we understood about the brain had such devastating impacts on patients like myself, but also all the people that I saw in the waiting rooms and support groups

, adding, "And that gap in what we understood about the brain had such devastating impacts on patients like myself, but also all the people that I saw in the waiting rooms and support groups that I went to during this experience.”

[caption id="attachment_21017" align="aligncenter" width="557"] Neuroscientist Marissa Sumanthipala[/caption]

The neuroscientist joined Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at 14 to perform basic research, and is currently pursuing both a master’s and a Ph.D. in clinical neurosciences at Harvard Medical School. Intending to establish her lab someday, the teenager created Theraplexus, a computational platform that uses network science analytics and artificial intelligence to map molecular interactions and provide better drugs for chronic diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease. In 2018, the now 20-year-old received the US Presidential Scholars for her contribution to the world of medicine.

Mind matters

A bright child, Merissa's parents - Indian immigrants who settled in Virginia - always encouraged her to take part in various academic and extracurricular activities. Although she wished to have a successful skating career, she was always fascinated by biological sciences. Interestingly, Merissa did a paper on whether pesticides caused multigenerational effects in human beings when she was just 12 years old. “I have long nurtured a vision of being a medical scientist, leveraging core engineering principles to solve contemporary biological and medical problems," the Global Indian informed during a press interaction.

Two-time winner of the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair Grand Prize, Merissa did not lose hope after her skating accident. While she was sad that she will no longer be in the ring, the fact that there are only a few treatments for brain injuries kept her up at night often. Frustrated by the lack of brain treatment options, the young neuroscientist decided to work on neurological disease pathways. She joined the Janelia Research Institute while she was still in high school, and since then has worked in about five different labs.

[caption id="attachment_21018" align="aligncenter" width="623"] Marissa at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine[/caption]

At 17, Merissa was named one of the 40 finalists for the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) Award for her project, Reinventing Cardiovascular Disease Therapy: A Novel Dual Therapeutic with FOXO Transcription Factor and AMP Kinase. In her project, the young scientist used a fruit fly model with proteins FOXO and AMPK to investigate the underlying, molecular causes leading to cardiovascular disease, and received the prize money of $25,000. "To be a part of this group is an unparalleled honour, one that has not quite sunk in just yet. I am exceptionally grateful to the Society for Science and the Public for their steadfast mission to promote STEM for almost a century, and to Regeneron for their vision of investing in the next generation of scientists and change makers," the neuroscientist said after winning the competition, which is also known as Junior Nobel Prize.

Road ahead

Currently working at the McCarroll Lab in Harvard Medical School, Marissa is helping to develop a new method for sequencing synapses in the human brain. These synapses are crucial for memory and learning and result in maladies like Huntington’s disease. Her research could someday shed light on the importance of synapses in brain development in humans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSWDH9hFIzs

Marissa's platform Theraplexus has already identified 200+ disease-specific drug targets for debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's, breast cancer, schizophrenia, and diabetes. In first-of-its-kind research, the organisation found more effective therapies within patients’ lifetimes and potentially cut drug development costs drastically. The youngster is now looking at partnering with Harvard Medical School’s Sharma Lab, to develop and transform Theraplexus into a biotechnology startup. "I spent a long time grappling with my identity. Growing up I was just a skater and then, when I got concussed, I had to rebuild my identity. Then I was a scientist. Now, I identify as being both a skater and a scientist," Marissa told The Harvard Gazette.

Follow Marissa Sumanthipala on Twitter

Reading Time: 6 mins

Teen entrepreneur Pranjali Awasthi is revolutionising the AI industry

(October 14, 2023) At 16, I was worried about my upcoming XII boards, and what to pursue after I finished my school. And while most kids that age are dealing with this dilemma, Pranjali Awasthi has managed to secure a staggering ₹3.7 crores in investment for her artificial intelligence (AI) venture, Delv.AI. Charting a different course — one that is setting a new standard in the ever-evolving world of AI, the entrepreneur's journey is a testament to her unwavering determination and innovative vision for the future. With a singular objective of helping researchers to efficiently access specific information in the ever-expanding world of online content, this young entrepreneur is redefining the landscape of the burgeoning AI industry. "As more content gets uploaded online, it’s getting harder for people to find the right information, especially when that information is very specific. Delv.AI helps researchers leverage AI to find exactly the information they’re looking for," the young Florida-based entrepreneur said during a recent interaction. Like her father In the world of exceptional young talents, Prajali Awasthi stands out as a true child prodigy. From an early age, she displayed remarkable intelligence and a passion for learning that would ultimately propel her into

raction.

Like her father

In the world of exceptional young talents, Prajali Awasthi stands out as a true child prodigy. From an early age, she displayed remarkable intelligence and a passion for learning that would ultimately propel her into computer programming. The entrepreneur's father, a software engineer himself, recognised the immense potential of his child and ensured that she had early exposure to this field. At seven years old, when most children are still navigating the world of toys and cartoons, Prajali began her coding adventure.

When she was just 11, the family moved to Florida. "After I reached the USA, my curiosity thrived as I could take computer science classes and do competitive math," shared the entrepreneur, who won several competitions representing her school and also interned at Universities research labs. This is where she got the idea of starting her company.

[caption id="attachment_33551" align="aligncenter" width="643"] Pranjali at the Future Forum Foundation in San Fransisco[/caption]

"When I was 13, I started interning in university research labs at Florida Internal University working on machine learning projects alongside going to high school. Because of the pandemic, my high school had gone virtual, so I was able to intern for about 20 hours a week," the entrepreneur said, adding, "My tasks included doing searches, extracting data, and creating literature reviews. In 2020, OpenAI released its ChatGPT-3 beta, and I knew we could use it to make extracting and summarising research data easier."

As a research intern, the young entrepreneur knew the difficulties and loopholes in the AI industry. "I was hyper-aware of how hard it was getting to find exactly what you needed on search engines. I began thinking about how AI could solve this problem. That was the seed for my company, Delv.AI. It wasn't a fully formed idea yet, but I knew I wanted to start a company using machine learning to extract data and eliminate data silos," shared the Global Indian.

Spreading her wings

In 2021 the young entrepreneur attended Miami Hack Week, where she crossed paths with two with two influential figures in the startup world: Lucy Guo and Dave Fontenot, partners at Backend Capital, and founders of HF0 residency – a live-in startup accelerator in San Francisco and Miami. "I was accepted into their September 12-week cohort in exchange for a small piece of my future company. My parents told me I should take the opportunity – the network alone would be worth it, so I took an absence from high school," said Pranjali, adding that the residency also paid for her to commute from and to the house via Uber every day.

"I launched the beta for Delv.AI on Product Hunt, a platform for people to share software for free, during the residency on my birthday – I'd just turned 15. It became the number three product of the day," share the entrepreneur, "I formed strong connections in the A.I. community throughout the fellowship. This network was helpful for fundraising in the months following the residency. My success on Product Hunt added to the momentum."

[caption id="attachment_33552" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Pranjali speaking at Miami Tech Week[/caption]

Her company, which managed to raise $450,000 in total from a combination of funds and angels including Lucy Guo and Village Global, is 10-employee strong. "We're currently valued at around $12 million. I run a small and lean team, but I still do much of the work. I start my days with running and prepping for my team's daily huddle. As my team members are older than me, good communication is key, as is knowing when to take the reins," Pranjali informed.

Looking forward

After the company was established the youngster got very busy with all the work, however, she eventually learned to manage her studies and Delv.AI. "My parents are Indian, so academics are a priority for them. I wanted to get a GED, but we compromised on me finishing my high school credits online, which I completed in June 2023. My decision to not go to college is hard for them, but they understand," she explained, adding, "I have a lot of responsibility on my plate and passion for what I'm building. I might consider college down the line to learn business skills like law and psychology, where the in-person format of college could be beneficial.”

Follow Pranjali Awasthi on LinkedIn and Twitter
Follow Delv.AI on LinkedIn and their website

Reading Time: 6 mins