Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveChampions of Change: Celebrating their triumphs in 2023

Champions of Change: Celebrating their triumphs in 2023

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(December 27, 2023) Exceptionally talented young individuals committed to betterment of their communites have been rewarded for their efforts in 2023. They have pushed boundaries with their remarkable work over the years to make life around them better. These inspiring young minds serve not only as an example for aspiring youth aiming to do meaningful work for society but have also set a personal benchmark that they hope to surpass in the upcoming year. Their dedication to making a difference within their communities uplifts the spirits of the Indians and the diaspora. Global Indian celebrates their achievements.

Shriya Bopanna

Miss India America 2020, Shriya Bopanna who is also an activist, author, and on-air personality has been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Austin list of 2023, “I am honestly still shocked and incredibly grateful for making it to the list,” Shriya told Global Indian. “There is a certain amount of validation I feel in being authenticated and it has been a dream of mine to make it to Forbes 30 Under 30 since I was 16,” she added.

Shriya Bopannna | Global Indian

The multi-talented change maker who also works as a project manager and business analyst at Accenture in the United States, looks at the Austin list as a stepping stone to eventually making to the entire North American list of Forbes. Right from her school days, Shriya Boppana had been passionate about advocacy, and deeply involved in raising awareness and funds for causes like anti-sex trafficking. She would do whatever it took to achieve her goal – show up at community events to hand out flyers, volunteer, do community service, and more.

Read Shriya’ Global Indian story

Shrusti Amulya

The Maryland based teenager has been named a ‘Woman of Worth 2023’ by L’Oreal Paris for fighting food waste in America. The United States discards more food than any other country in the world. Approximately 31 percent (133 billion pounds) of the country’s overall food supply goes is wasted by consumers and retailers, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS). To address this problem in her community, Shrusti, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School, began the Rise N Shine Foundation.

Shrusti Amula

The youth-led initiative aims to tackle the effects of food waste through composting and food recovery programmes, and in the process – avert climate change. Shrusti has received many awards and recognition, apart from the ‘Woman of Worth 2023’ title by L’Oreal Paris.

Read Shrusti’s Global Indian story

Uday Bhatia

It was in the spring break of 2022 that the then 16-year-old Uday Bhatia embarked on a school project. His destination was the village of Bichpuri in Uttar Pradesh, where he aimed to mentor 30 students on financial literacy and ways to earn a sustainable livelihood. Little did he know that this endeavour would profoundly impact the lives of the village residents. It all began when his students turned up without homework the following day. When inquired, he learned about the frequent power outages plaguing the area, lasting between 6 to 8 hours each day, making it impossible for the students to finish their assignments. “The only alternative they had was kerosene lamps, which I found was harmful due to the release of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide. Additionally, they posed risks of respiratory problems and eye irritation,” Uday told Global Indian.

Uday Bhatia

Motivated by the discovery, Uday delved into research and found that an inverter costs ₹10,000, the amount equivalent to the average income of many households in the village. This pushed him to find a low-cost solution, which he did with an emergency inverter bulb capable of providing 10 hours of power backup. The ground-breaking invention, that has illuminated 5000 households till now in five states, earned him the Diana Award 2023.

Read Uday’s Global Indian story

Oviya Singh

When Sadhguru recognised Oviya Singh’s efforts to spread awareness on soil conservation, the joy and elation of 12-year-old knew no bounds. “His acknowledgment in one of the Save Soil Campaign events and later, a mention of my name in the ‘youth in action’ section on his website, are recognitions that evoke indescribable emotions,” she smiled. The youngster became one of the youngest TEDx speakers in India last year, gaining recognition in India and beyond. The powerful public speaker has been using her gift of gab to motivate not just youngsters but also industrialists, public figures and government authorities to do their part in making the planet a better place through initiatives like soil conservation and other measures to enhance sustainability.

In 2023 she became the recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award that came with the opportunity of visiting the University of Oxford to receive the medal and the certicate in person. It was presented at the Global Peace Summit organised by the NRI Welfare Society in the UK.

Read Oviya’s Global Indian story

Anya Gupta

In 2022, Boca Raton, a city in Southern Palm Beach Country, Florida, announced that October 14 would be E-Waste Day. It was a triumph for Anya Gupta, the pre-teen environment advocate, and her efforts to protect the planet by addressing the elephant in the room – e-waste. Mayor Scott Singer passed the proclamation, helping Anya spread awareness about the harm caused by electronic waste on the environment. Anya has gathered over 1,000 pounds of electronic waste through her e-waste collection drives, ensuring that the e-waste generated by Boca Raton’s 100,000 inhabitants is reused or recycled, rather than ending up in a landfill.

At just 12 years of age, Anya Gupta is creating a significant impact as a passionate champion with a mission to safeguard the environment. The young environmentalist is the founder of the non-profit ‘Pennies for Penguins’ which she started with the purpose of ocean wildlife protection when she was barely five. In 2023 she won the Everyday Young Hero Award by Youth Service America for her committment to finding her voice, taking an action and creating an impact in her community. She has beem proud to pave the way for other young people, inspiring them to find their voice and take action.

Read Anya’s Global Indian story

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 27, Dec 2023

Share with

ALSO READ

Leena Rafeeq: UAE-based Indian develops AI app to detect eye diseases

(May 31, 2024) 12-year-old Dubai-based Kerala native Leena Rafeeq made headlines when she developed an AI-based app Ogler Eyescan to detect eye diseases and conditions. Interestingly, she was only 10 when she developed the app which is capable of detecting various eye conditions through a unique scanning process. "Using advanced computer vision, and machine learning algorithms, Ogler can analyse various parameters such as light and colour intensity, distance, and look-up points to locate the eyes within the frame range. It also identifies any light burst issues and if the eyes are positioned exactly inside the scanner frame," she said. [caption id="attachment_38056" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Leena Rafeeq[/caption] Using AI to create an impact A self-taught coder, the Global Indian built the app using machine learning algorithms and computer vision systems, thus leading to 70 percent accuracy in diagnosing potential eye conditions like arcus, melanoma, pterygium, and cataracts. "This app was developed natively with SwiftUI without any third-party libraries or packages, and it took me six months of research and development to bring this innovative app to life," she added. It was a year after the invention of the AI app that she submitted it to the app store. During her development journey,

hms and computer vision systems, thus leading to 70 percent accuracy in diagnosing potential eye conditions like arcus, melanoma, pterygium, and cataracts. "This app was developed natively with SwiftUI without any third-party libraries or packages, and it took me six months of research and development to bring this innovative app to life," she added. It was a year after the invention of the AI app that she submitted it to the app store. During her development journey, Leena expanded her expertise in areas such as eye conditions, computer vision, algorithms, machine learning models, and advanced Apple iOS development features, including sensor data processing, augmented reality (AR), CreateML, and CoreML. As of now, the app exclusively operates on iPhones from the 10th model onward, running iOS 16 or higher.

How it began

Leena's interest in programming and developing websites developed at a very young age. At the age of six, she was able to create a website from scratch for her school science exhibition. "My parents, who are both coders, are the reason I started gravitating towards coding. I created my first webpage at the age of six, and soon started teaching my younger sister Hana coding and programming," she recalled.

After toying with any ideas, she finally zeroed in on developing an app that aids in diagnosing diseases for users of any age. "This introduced me to Ogler Eye Scan, a program that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to thoroughly scan your eyes and enable you to diagnose eye problems," she said. Explaining the benefits of the app, she revealed that it is capable of both - a comprehensive eye scan as well as disease detection. "The four disorders that our app can currently diagnose are melanoma, arcus, pterygium, and cataract. Additionally, it can perform a comprehensive scan that can detect all of these disorders at once. Using your GPS position, the app also lets you browse for eye hospitals in the area," Leena said. Moreover, that app can check pupil distance as well as compare previous scan results with the latest ones. She is glad that her app can help identify eye conditions at an early stage.

Expanding her horizons

The co-founder of Misrai, Leena is trying to be at the forefront of AI with her innovations. "With a passion for technology that ignited at the age of five, I've journeyed from early coding experiments to SOTA innovations in the field of Gen-AI and Pred-AI. At Misrai, I'm currently dedicated to developing a base model prototype for an intelligent, efficient, and compact AI model. This project encapsulates my vision of making AI more accessible and impactful in various industries."

However, it's the development of Ogler Eyescan that she calls her proudest achievement so far. "It's a testament to my commitment to creating tools that define how we interact with technology," says the teenager who loves reading and watching films.

[caption id="attachment_38058" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Leena Rafeeq with her sister Hana[/caption]

She is glad to have found a strong support system in her parents who are also her inspiration. "They have been encouraging throughout my journey, providing me with fresh concepts and business initiatives I might pursue."

AI is the future

As a young software developer, she believes programming and coding are the fundamental building blocks defining the future. "People will likely begin conversing with machines and progress to artificial intelligence. To live an inviting lifestyle and thrive in the upcoming years, it's crucial to know how to code and program because robots may replace many jobs."

Follow Leena Rafeeq on LinkedIn

Pitch perfect: Once dyslexic and epileptic, Dr Puja Neelam Kapoor is a musical wonder

(December 19, 2022) As an infant, Puja would often cry endlessly despite being fed on time by her mother, Neelam Kapoor. Her paediatricians were baffled and couldn’t diagnose the problem. Worried, Neelam discussed the issue with a friend, who came with a unique suggestion — playing a transistor near her cradle to see if it made any difference. It did. What doctors could not do, music did for the child. Each time she started crying, music would be played and the baby would calm down. She had a sharp sense of rhythm, naturally. [caption id="attachment_25569" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Dr Puja Neelam Kapoor[/caption] How music healed her Puja was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia and battled epileptic fits through her childhood. Stunning everyone around her, she began playing a keyboard using only her index finger, without even looking at the keys, sans any training or practice. Since then, the music composer and singer has taken the world of music by storm. “I am aiming for the Oscars,” declares music prodigy Dr Puja Neelam Kapoor, who has been certified with 17 world records, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. Her flair for the keyboard, which she can even play blindfolded, earned her an honorary PhD

“I am aiming for the Oscars,” declares music prodigy Dr Puja Neelam Kapoor, who has been certified with 17 world records, in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. Her flair for the keyboard, which she can even play blindfolded, earned her an honorary PhD Degree in Music by Duke University, North Carolina.

The incredibly talented musician can also sing, play the tabla and writes poetry. What has stunned the world is her natural ability to compose “on the spot” and create music instantly. “I like to take the audience along on a mesmerising musical trip,” smiles the music prodigy, who was eventually cured of epileptic fits and is no more a dyslexic.

Finding recognition

Her talents were spotted by Indian television producer Ekta Kapoor, who gave Puja her first big break in the television industry.

Born in February, 1996 in Hyderabad, Puja stunned the doctors and her family members when she started to speak coherently when she was barely six months old. By the time she turned 10, she was playing full songs without any professional training.

[caption id="attachment_25570" align="aligncenter" width="551"] Dr Puja Neelam Kapoor with filmmaker Remo D'Souza[/caption]

Growing up, her dyslexia posed a major challenge. “There were regular complaints from the school regarding my reading and writing problems,” recalls Puja, who has composed music and background scores for Hindi TV serials like Kavyanjali and Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka.

The accidental prodigy

Since dyslexia requires children to be taught using out-of-the-box and playful methods, Puja’s mother brought home a keyboard to improve her writing with finger exercises. She wouldn’t play it, really, until one evening, she sat before it and out of the blue, played a Hindi song, without even having to glance at the keys.

“I played the song once and then my mother wanted me to repeat it again and again,” recalls Puja, who did not look at the keyboard even once that day, as if it was coming naturally to her.

Another pleasant surprise came later, around midnight, when she began playing a series of nursery rhymes on the keys. “I was playing the keyboard in darkness as I did not want to disturb my grandparents,” says Puja, who has been honoured by the Indian Tele Academy as the youngest achiever.

Puja recalls an instance from her school’s annual day. “When my name was announced to play the national anthem on stage, my mother stood there anxious. I comforted her and played the national anthem in precisely 52 seconds (the actual duration) inviting huge applause,” says the prodigy.

Achievements

Her name finds a mention in Global World Records, Asia Book Records, India Book of Records, Telugu Book of Records and Limca Book of Records for her unbelievable talent of playing the keyboards blindfolded and composing music on-the-spot without any training or practice.

[caption id="attachment_25568" align="aligncenter" width="687"] Dr Puja Neelam Kapoor performing at one of the events[/caption]

“I love the sound of white keys (on the keyboard) and compose music only on them,” says the music prodigy, on whose life a short film was made by National Award winning director G L Bharadwaj. Renowned Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur once remarked that “Stephen Hawking (also dyslexic) knew the science of the Universe, and Puja knows the science of music.”

She was invited to “India’s Got Talent” a leading Indian reality show, where she showcased her talent blindfolded and composed a beautiful tune, instantly. Puja was also featured in the first episode of another leading Indian show, called “Lakhon Me Ek,” (one in a million) and the “Kapil Sharma Show,” one of the highly celebrated shows in India.

She also performed before the then Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Surjit Singh Barnala, who honoured her as a permanent invitee of the Governor for every function. The then AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu bestowed her with the title “The Pride of Andhra Pradesh.”

“I have composed music before Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut as well,” says the music composer, who was the URF Top Talent of the Year, 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Teo06Plx1fk&t=334s

Looking ahead

These days, Puja is planning live shows to showcase her talent worldwide and spends hours singing and recording every day. Fluent in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, Bengali, Urdu, Marathi and even Arabic, Puja can sing in all these languages.

Puja has a special connect with the elderly. “I have performed at homes for the elderly and also orphanages,” smiles the prodigy, who dreams of building a beautiful home for the aged someday.

Follow Dr Puja Neelam Kapoor on Facebook

Reading Time: 5 min

Zain Samdani: The innovator’s robotic glove is helping patients with paralysed hands

(June 10, 2022) As a 15-year-old visiting India from Saudi Arabia, Zain Samdani had no idea that this family vacation was set to change the course of his life. A meeting with his partially paralysed distant maternal uncle left him "shocked." In the era of technology, seeing his uncle dependent on others for every small thing was nothing short of a horror. That encounter nudged this robotics enthusiast and innovator to develop Neuro-ExoHeal, an exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilises neuroplasticity and Azure technology to help patients with neurological damage recover faster at an affordable price. The innovation not only left Google CEO Sundar Pichai impressed but also made the 21-year-old win Microsoft 2022 Imagine Cup World Championship, which is considered as the 'Olympics of Technology' with more than 10,000 participants from 160 countries. "Having been interested in robotics from a very young age, I started working with prosthetic designs in 2013. But I realised that cosmetic prosthetic hand could cost between ₹1-₹2 lakh while a robotic prosthetic hand was available anywhere between ₹40-₹50 lakh. I knew that affordability was the key. But the meeting with my uncle only strengthened my passion to find an affordable solution," Zain tells Global Indian.

ells Global Indian.

A robotics enthusiast in the making

The Hyderabad-born moved to Saudi Arabia at a very young age with his project manager father and homemaker mother. When he noticed that his mom was always busy with household chores and raising kids, the then five-year-old Zain promised to make her a robot that would ease her burden. "It was that early that my love for robotics began," laughs Zain who is currently in India after wrapping up his first-year exams at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany.

For the Ashoka Young Changemaker 2021, it all started with that one idea and later progressed into in-depth research on the subject. However, things started to move when he began programming at age 12 and within a year, was into prosthetic designs. "For me it's a two-step process. I visualise the product in my head first, and then make it with a cardboard. Back then 3D printing was booming but was also expensive. To cut the cost, I reached out to Make India, a 3D printing company in Saudi Arabia who sent the code free of cost after hearing about the purpose behind it," says the innovator whose biggest takeaway from the incident was "to never stop asking."

How passion turned into a mission

The passion turned into a mission after the chance encounter with his paralysed uncle which led him to create ExoHeal. "It was upsetting to see that despite technological advancement in the world, nothing was done to help him move around." This nudged Zain to build a device based on the concept of neuroplasticity. Divided into a sensory glove for the functional hand and an exoskeletal robotic hand for the paralysed hand, the first prototype came into existence post extensive research and innumerable meetings with neuroscientists and physiotherapists.

[caption id="attachment_17917" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Zain Samdani[/caption]

During his research, the Global Teen Leader 2019 found that "the patients were frustrated with the system and had given up hope." This made Zain even more determined to give them a "sense of independence" and do things on their own, and led to the creation of Neuro-ExoHeal which helps a paralysed hand replicate a movement made by the functional hand. "The mirroring allows the neuron to trick the brain into believing that the paralysed hand is working perfectly, thus forming new neural connections."

The earliest prototype made him one of the 16 global finalists at the Google Science Fair in 2016, and later the advanced version recreated the magic in 2019. "My uncle could feel the sensation on the very first day of using Neuro-ExoHeal. It’s something that otherwise takes weeks or months to achieve," Zain beams with pride as his creation is on its way to a proper clinical trial in the next few months. "Pandemic in 2020 pushed the plans but now we are back on track," says the innovator who is happy with the initial response from many patients. "Seeing it work, many have been enquiring as to when it will be launched in the market."

Looking for a silver lining, always

Zain, who began as innovator and later moved to entrepreneurship, calls the journey transformative. "It essentially enabled me to look outward – to see what was going around me and make the right connection," reveals Zain who wants to make a two-fold impact. "I want to enable paralysed patients to regain independence and also want to work in the space of mental health."

The entrepreneur feels that overachievers like him are often under pressure to outdo themselves, and this takes a toll on mental health. It hit him hard in 2018 when was diagnosed with intermittent exotropia, a rare medical condition that doubles your vision every two or three hours. "It happened right before my boards and my studies were affected. My brain would shut down every few minutes due to constant doubling of my vision." Not one to give up, amidst the chaos, Zain decided to find the silver lining. "It gave me time to think about myself and that's when my raw artistic expression came out. I have been a painter but this break gave me time to explore my passions beyond innovation," says the innovator who recovered completely within two years with the help of rehabilitation. A poet and a painter, Zain loves unwinding with board games. For him, life is about knowing yourself but most importantly, making a positive impact that can change people’s lives.

Follow Zain Samdani on Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram

Reading Time: 6 min

Inspired by tragedy: Ishika Binu is working on making roads safer for everyone

(November 11, 2022) It was a usual day for the then 13-year-old Ishika Binu and her younger sister, when both of them stepped out with their caretaker to attend their daily Bharatnatyam class. While they were on their way a vehicle rammed into their car, throwing it completely off-balance. "It was a horrible accident," recounts now 17-year-old student, as she connects with Global Indian, from Washington. "When the car collided, I was shouting my sister's name. She was very still and I feared that she was dead. She was shifted to the Harborview Hospital in Seattle, while I remained at Evergreen due to my concussion. She stayed in the Intensive Care Unit for several days with multiple spinal fractures, a sternum fracture, and internal spleen bleeding." [caption id="attachment_24083" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Ishika Binu[/caption] While the accident left a lifelong scar on Ishika's memory, it did force her to realise the importance of road safety measures. Her recovery period gave Ishika the time to do a lot of research about road accidents across the world. The high school student found that millions of people lose their lives - either on spot or waiting for medical assistance - after meeting with an accident.

importance of road safety measures. Her recovery period gave Ishika the time to do a lot of research about road accidents across the world. The high school student found that millions of people lose their lives - either on spot or waiting for medical assistance - after meeting with an accident. "We were lucky to be fully under my father's insurance. However, several people cannot afford their medical bills, and that pains me," shares the teenager.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4CSSnbrkw0

Inspired by the tragedy that struck her family, Ishika decided to focus on safe driving for her Girl Scouts project. Earlier this year, the Washington-based student won the National Gold Scholarship Award for her Safe Drive project - which is the highest award in Girl Scouts. She is also the founder of an NGO, Arts4Assistance, which supports families who have any unexpected medical needs.

A passionate youngster

Born in Washington to two young computer engineers from Kerala, Ishika was always attracted to performing arts - especially Indian classical dance forms. "I am heavily invested in performing arts and dancing. I have been taking formal classes since I was just four years old, and have performed on various platforms as well." Proud of her Indian roots, Ishika shares that her family celebrates Onam every year in a grand fashion.

[caption id="attachment_24084" align="aligncenter" width="589"] Binu sisters, during a Bharatanatyam performance[/caption]

For someone who finds silver linings even in the most tragic situations, she reminisces that it was the paramedic, who helped her and her sister, that played a catalyst in changing the way she thinks. "He told me that he had to be calm, to be able to help people. If he panicked, the people who are already scared might lose all hope. I was very inspired by that and today I completely base all my thought processes around that. Even when I was in the hospital, I was aware of the various issues the patients and their families were facing. Those small things motivated me to start the safe driving Girl Scouts project," shares the student.

After years of rehab and therapy, both Ishika and her younger sister, Rithika, are not only fine now, but have also performed Bharatanatyam at various events. To be able to use her art form to help others, Ishika started the NGO, Arts4Assistance. "We loved performing on the stage, and it is a big part of our lives. I plan to become a doctor when I grow up but don't want to stop doing things that make me happy due to work pressure. And I figured, many young people still like to pursue their hobbies despite having a tight work schedule. And what better than to use those performances to help other people. With that thought I started Arts4Assistance, a platform where artists can submit art pieces and performances to help raise funds for families who have any kind of unexpected medical needs," says the student.

Giving back to the society

Around the same time that Ishika was working on her Girl Scouts project, another unfortunate incident shook her. Her grandfather, who lived in Kerala, suffered a heart attack and wasn’t able to make 911 call to get an ambulance like in the US. "Having been in an accident, I knew what important role ambulances play in the patient getting timely treatment. My father made me more aware of the healthcare situation in India."

[caption id="attachment_24085" align="aligncenter" width="596"] MLA D.K. Murali flagging off the ambulance service in the Kallara village[/caption]

The youngster, with help from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, worked remotely to implement ambulance services in the Kerala village, which was flagged off on April 2, 2022. "I realised that just spreading awareness on the prevention of road accidents is not enough. We must find a way to provide emergency medical services. I identified places that lacked proper medical transportation services in Kerala and contacted the Kallara panchayat to help improve their medical infrastructure. I raised funds for the ambulance service with the help of volunteers, and other art shows and performances in Washington," shares the young student, who is currently working on a similar project in Africa.

Follow Ishika Binu on LinkedIn
Follow Arts4Assistance on Facebook

Reading Time: 6 mins

Podcaster Siyona Vikram’s ‘Little Mind Chats’

(March 3, 2023) Whether it’s India’s former defence secretary, Ajay Kumar, Professor Gerardo Ceballos, Mexico's ‘guardian of the jaguar’, oceanographer Hannah Whitby, entrepreneur Bhargav Sri Prakash who is known for the Digital Vaccine Project or Kargil war veterans Brigadiers Amardeep Singh and Sushil Bhasin, the list of guests on eleven-year-old podcaster Siyona Vikram's show is impressive. Starting in 2020 when she was just eight, Siyona has managed to reach out to people in over 1500 cities across 91 countries with her podcast - Little Mind Chats through 123 episodes so far. “My guests agree to come to my show because it’s a unique and fascinating experience for them to be interviewed by a child,” remarks the class six student of Jain Heritage School, Bengaluru. [caption id="attachment_28060" align="aligncenter" width="853"] Siyona Vikram[/caption] Since its launch, Little Mind Chats has garnered immense appreciation and accolades. It won the Golden Crane Podcast Award by Asian American Podcasters Association (AAPA), an organisation that recognises and increases visibility of Asian and Asian-American podcasters. The show also became a final slate nominee in 2021 for the most prestigious global award in podcasting – The Podcast Awards - founded by Todd Cochrane, the US-based CEO of a podcast

pan>

[caption id="attachment_28060" align="aligncenter" width="853"] Siyona Vikram[/caption]

Since its launch, Little Mind Chats has garnered immense appreciation and accolades. It won the Golden Crane Podcast Award by Asian American Podcasters Association (AAPA), an organisation that recognises and increases visibility of Asian and Asian-American podcasters. The show also became a final slate nominee in 2021 for the most prestigious global award in podcasting – The Podcast Awards - founded by Todd Cochrane, the US-based CEO of a podcast media company that represents more than 105,000 podcasters.

Siyona became the youngest speaker at the world’s largest podcasting event – the Podcast Movement. Since then, there has been no looking back for the youngster, who has been invited to speak at various online international platforms.

The UK-born podcaster does not just spread knowledge through her guests but also makes an impact with her ‘Little WISE’ initiative, raising awareness about hazards of plastic toys on children’s health and their negative impact on the environment when discarded. "'WISE’ stands for Warriors Inspiring Sustainable Earth,” Siyona tells Global Indian.

Turning heads

It’s not just about connecting to global audiences. Recently, Siyona won the hearts of villagers in rural Karnataka in an All India Radio interview in her mother tongue, Kannada. “Several people reached out to us praising Siyona’s initiatives,” says her mother Geetha. “Even The Guardian covered Siyona in its story of pre-teens from different parts of the world who are already veteran hosts,” she adds.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Siyona Vikram (@siyonaslittlemindchats)

Siyona’s Little Mind Chats, now in its seventh season, revolves around ‘finance for kids’. The previous six seasons covered vital topics like health, space, education, earth and environment, and the spirit of sports.

Though Little Mind Chats’ target audience is aged between five to 15, the podcaster often receives words of praise from even parents who say they enjoy her podcasts as much as their kids.

It all started when…

“When I was seven or eight, I discovered that something is amiss in our education system,” she says adding, “I was going to school like any other kid but simultaneously, due to my quest to learn new things, I would explore things outside the school syllabus like culture, bio diversity, climate, space, technology, inventions, and much more. I realised that there is need for some conversations tailored towards children to remove the disconnect between what is taught in school and what one learns outside of it. This is how Little Mind Chats came into picture.”

The podcaster was determined to edutain people. “There were some podcasts that were entertaining because they were narrating stories, while others focused on educating kids. I wanted to combine both.”

[embed]https://twitter.com/LittleMindChats/status/1388344499122835457?s=20[/embed]

She brushed up her interviewing skills by first inviting friends on her show and gradually scaled up, getting lucky in hosting the most seasoned professionals from India and abroad. “There have been 21,000 downloads of my podcasts so far,” she reveals.

The numbers grew organically, even with minimal efforts at marketing the show. “I am a minor and minors are not supposed to be out there in the social media without adult supervision so my parents take care of whatever little promotions we do” Siyona says.

Finding support in her mother

Supporting Siyona every step of the way is her mother, Geetha. An engineer like her husband, Geetha now works with her daughter full-time, providing complete backend support. She has also supported Siyona’s Little WISE initiative, ‘say no to plastic’.

The mother-daughter duo approach schools to get students to join the club and also organise on-campus collection drives once a month. The collected plastic is sent to a Pollution Board approved recycler who recycles the plastics into agricultural pipes.

[caption id="attachment_28071" align="aligncenter" width="778"] Siyona with her mother Geetha[/caption]

More than 400 school children from Bengaluru are associated with the initiative. “We have gamified the entire system so that our eco warriors find the whole process interesting and are motivated to return,” shares Siyona, who plans to engage more children in the cause. “Our minds are little, but not our thoughts,” she signs off.

Tune in to Little Mind Chats' Podcasts
Follow Siyona Vikram on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and her website

Reading Time: 5 mins