Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveNYC dancer Jainil Mehta twirls into millions of hearts with the #MenInSkirts Campaign”

NYC dancer Jainil Mehta twirls into millions of hearts with the #MenInSkirts Campaign”

Written by: Mallik Thatipally

(September 14, 2023) How many of us are comfortable with dancing in public? And how many would do so without inhibition, to break gender stereotypes for art? 23-year-old Jainil Mehta has captivated Instagram, thanks not only due to his great dance moves but also because of his fashion choices! He has taken the streets of New York by storm, matching his steps to Bollywood numbers, and rocking them in colourful skirts.

Mehta’s dance to Jume Re Gori from Gangubai Kathiawadi went viral with over 17 million views, while many of his reels including Saami Saami from Pushpa were widely appreciated. Mehta’s journey is much more than making an Instagram reel. It is about living a dream, shedding centuries old stereotypes and inspiring others to follow their passion, no matter the hurdles on the way. That he gets a million likes in the process is an added bonus!

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A post shared by Jainil Mehta (@jainil_dreamtodance)

Dancing star

Jainil Mehta had quite a sheltered life due to health concerns which restricted his activities and diet. “Despite my initial shyness as a child, I never compromised on my deep-seated love for dance, which has been a significant part of my life from a young age.” he recalls, in an interview with Global Indian.

At 18, the youngster relocated to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, part of the University of Southern California. Subsequently, he moved to New York City to work with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, specializing in Contemporary dance styles. Currently, I am a freelance dancer, performer, teacher, and choreographer.

From Garba nights to the Glorya Kaufman School

As a Gujarati, Navratri has always held a special place in Mehta’s heart. “The festival’s vibrant colors, richness, and the joy of Garba have consistently appealed to me. My dance journey began at the age of 5 when my mother enrolled me in Garba Folk Dance classes.” he reminiscences. He later transitioned to Shiamak Davar International, where he spent 12 years honing his skills in ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and Bollywood.

One memory which puts a smile to the dancer’s face is recalling the times in his childhood, when he often put on living room performances for my family. He smiles, “I distinctly remember one performance where, in the middle of a twirl, I lifted one of my skirts above my head, holding it with my hands. My grandfather was so delighted that he gave me 500 rupees. This skirt performance was fueled by my fascination for skirts.”

Jainil Mehta

Embracing his true self

However, as Mehta grew older, he felt some uneasiness and insecurity about dancing in a skirt. It wasn’t until he moved to New York in 2021 that he embraced wearing skirts again for his dance performances. “My first adult performance in a skirt was, fittingly, a Garba performance dedicated to Navratri, focusing on the theme of unified love transcending gender boundaries.” he shares.

The concept for his first video came during Navratri, when he wanted to show the love between Radha and Krishna as one. In the video there are two guys wearing skirts and Mehta was one of them. “You cannot identify who is Radha and Krishna. And that was the whole magic of that.” he notes. That video birthed his popular dance series #MenInSkirts.

Blurring boundaries

Twirling in brightly coloured skirts, Jainil Mehta has chosen the garment as his signature outfit. “I chose skirts for their flowing and graceful qualities. When I dance, the skirt acts like wings, adding a beautiful texture to my movements with its flares.” he says. He picks up skirts based on multiple criteria – the song he is performing, the vibe of the music and the texture of the garment.

When Mehta first started performing in public places wearing a skirt, he was quite apprehensive about people’s reactions. Therefore, his initial skirt dance videos were shot in a studio, even though people would ultimately view them on Instagram. He says, “However, my love for outdoor performances gradually made me more carefree about dancing in public while wearing a skirt. Building confidence took time, but I now relish the experience, despite occasional challenges like traffic and weather conditions. Dancing in a natural environment is truly exhilarating for me.”

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A post shared by Jainil Mehta (@jainil_dreamtodance)

Emerging stronger

With his videos garnering millions of views, not all reactions are positive. There are homophobic comments as well as those who belittle the dancer. Mehta’s reaction is matter-of-fact and he says, “While I have encountered negative and hateful comments more recently, I choose to focus on the positive feedback and consider these negative comments as distractions. Many people draw inspiration from my choice, which fuels my determination to keep going.”

The artist’s biggest challenge initially was reaching his audience effectively. He states, “There were periods when my videos struggled to reach the intended viewers. Over time, I’ve learned that conveying my message in various ways can resonate with the audience.”

His confidence is evident as one scrolls down his social media feed. He appears more comfortable, in sync with his passion and at ease with the camera. Even the content has transformed – while initially, it primarily revolved around dancing, now he shares insights into his life, preferences, attire, and experiences.

Exploring the profound through art

Ask him why he does what he does and Mehta says, “If even one person is influenced by my journey, I am eager to share it.” A dedicated workaholic, his passion for dancing has been a constant driving force throughout his life and his current focus is to travel and establish a professional dance education program in India that higher education opportunities for students pursuing dance as a career.

Jainil Mehta in NYC

Fueled by passion and creative, Mehta’s journey is an inspiration. Navigating life’s challenges, seeking truth and self-realization, his medium of expression is a profound exploration not only for himself but for his millions of viewers.

His advice to youngsters who want to follow their dreams? With passion, it’s crucial to maintain a degree of dispassion to develop compassion. Continue doing what you love and invest in your training. Turning your dreams into reality is not a mere fantasy; it’s a goal you can actively work towards achieving.

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Published on 14, Sep 2023

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Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak: The AI whizkids being funded by Sam Altman

(December 14, 2023) Around eight months ago, two teenagers, Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak were both contemplating college plans. Aryan had even received a scholarship from a foundation in the US and anyway, both the teenagers were adept coders and earning a fair bit of money. Enough money, actually to fly to San Francisco and attend conferences, where they were soon crossing paths with some of the Bay Area's tech and VC titans. In comparison, college seemed a lacklustre option. They actually wondered if the experience might hold them back. Why not take a deep dive into entrepreneurship instead? That's how they got to building Induced AI, which, very simply put, presents a solution for businesses to streamline their backend workflow processes using bots. Less than a year in, they have raised $2.3 million in seed funding, and count OpenAI's Sam Altman as an investor, along with Daniel Gross and Nat Friedman. [caption id="attachment_34641" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak, the co-founders of Induced AI[/caption] The journey of a lifetime How did the Global Indians come so far, so quickly? For starters, both Sharma and Pathak were learning coding by the time they were 13 years old. They didn't

ong>The journey of a lifetime

How did the Global Indians come so far, so quickly? For starters, both Sharma and Pathak were learning coding by the time they were 13 years old. They didn't grow up in the Bay Area or in Bangalore, although they were both based in India. "I would listen to podcasts and read about the AI and tech startup ecosystem. I started writing code very early and was doing remote work when I was still in school," Sharma says. When he could afford it, he made another, very bold move - he bought a flight ticket to San Francisco. "I was going to a lot of events and meeting people and investors, who would eventually become part of the company."

The Bay Area, he found, was very welcoming, even to someone as young as him - it might even have worked in his favour. "Everyone is open to taking meetings," Sharma smiles. He discovered that ambition and hard work do pay, and age doesn't always have to be a factor. Sharma and Pathak also decided that college was off the cards, at least for the moment, even if they could have taken their pick of institutions. Sharma, who seems more given to media appearances and interviews, says his parents were both doctors, who were concerned with his decision but decided to support him.

When they weren't in Silicon Valley, they were writing cold-emails and sending DMs on Twitter. "I have embarrassing emails I sent out at 14," he laughs, during an interview with Varun Mayya and Tanmay Bhat in Overpowered. "I woud say 'I'm a big fan, I watch all your videos, do you have any advice for me'?" He recalls one response, which read, "Don't send emails to people, that's my advice. Go read up and start building things." He had als interacted with Sam Altman during this three year networking period and expressed an interest in working with him, "even as his secretary." OpenAI, he says, "had been releasing papers way before ChatGPT but Sam was too busy then with OpenAI and Helium."

Even in 2022, though, Sharma didn't really know how things would pan out. He was interested in a range of subjects, from AI to Space and Biotech. It was Altman who gave him advice then, saying, "This is all useful but the most high-leverage thing is AI and you will come back to this at some point." It did in fact turn out that way. In early 2023, Sharma and Pathak teamed up to form InducedAI. Now, they are also part of AI Grant, the AI startup accelerator created by Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross. Induced AI made it into Batch 1, along with companies like Perplexity, Animato and Replicate.

How does it work?

Induced AI helps businesses automate repetitive tasks typically handled by admin back offices. Users input workflows in English (known as a text workflow), which the AI then converts into pseudo-code for automation. The platform uses bots, each equipped with its own email and phone number for handling tasks like verification processes, including OTPs and other forms of authorization. These bots run on the cloud, ensuring full access without affecting the user's computer. "Say, a company has a 15-member team spending a lot of time on tasks like form filling or data entry, which could typically be outsourced to a backoffice," Sharma explained.

All this works on Chromium-based browsers (like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, etc.). And none of the work being done is actually visible to the user - for instance, if the bot is running a search operation, the user will not see a search bar with keywords being typed in. Induced AI has modified the browser's rendering engine, which usually turns website code into what you see on your screen, to work better for background tasks. They've tweaked how the browser responds to changes on websites and improved the way it communicates internally and with other systems.

"We control the browser layers remotely, which leads to more reliability compared to running as an extension," Sharma explains. "By controlling the browser, we also control everything that Chrome has access to." This enhanced control allows for more consistent and dependable automation processes.

For example, consider a task like searching for shoes on Google. Induced AI breaks this task into "chunks," then performs 'inference' to determine the necessary steps at each stage. The user just needs to provide the overall task description. Once the steps are outlined, the system autonomously executes the process, from opening the browser to carrying out the search. To the end user, it's akin to giving a command to Alexa to "play my favorite playlist," where Alexa autonomously locates and plays the playlist.

[caption id="attachment_34642" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Aryan Sharma[/caption]

RPA tech

However, Induced AI is tailored for back-office tasks, enhancing business workflows' cost-effectiveness and efficiency. It uses a 'headless' browser operation, meaning the browser works in the background without displaying web pages on a screen. It navigates and interacts with websites, but invisibly. "It's not meant to book a flight ticket or write an email," Sharma says. "It's designed for specific processes and tasks, like generating leads at 9 am every day, or collating insurance claims.

This is done through RPA (Robotic Process Automation), which usses 'bots' to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks within business processes. They emulate human actions and interactions within digital systems, applications and data and can carry out certain tasks as a human user would, following a set of predefined rules and logic. An added advantage is that it is non invasive and easily deployable along with being scalable and flexible.

The path ahead

Aryan now spends much more time in the Bay Area and Induced AI has signed up a handful of small to mid-sized customers, he told Tech Crunch.

"Induced is the definition of RPA 3.0," said investor SignalFire in a statement. "Not only are they taking a huge leap forward in providing true human-like interaction and efficiency, they democratize access by allowing users to describe their workflows in natural language and execute parallel agents any back-office workflow.

Follow Aryan Sharma and Ayush Pathak on LinkedIn.

Entrepreneur Anshul Gupta is making therapy more accessible for autistic kids

(January 11, 2024) Even though one in every 100 children has autism, the disorder continues to be one of the most ignored medical conditions in the world. As the world grapples with the rise in cases and a severe lack of caregivers, an 18-year-old college student has become a beckon of hope for several autistic kids across the globe. Diana Award-winning Anshul Gupta has emerged as a trailblazing social entrepreneur, co-founding 'AUesome', a visionary social enterprise dedicated to breaking down barriers in autism therapy accessibility. A bachelor's student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Anshul aims to bridge the digital and physical world of at-home therapy for neurodiverse children. "Our mission is to make therapy accessible and affordable," explained the young entrepreneur, adding, "At AUesome we have iterated hundreds of kit designs, which include instructional videos, and apps that simplify the at-home therapy process for parents of children with special needs. We hope to eliminate the physical and financial barriers to receiving therapy." The impact of Anshul's innovative approach is already evident, with the AUesome team successfully designing and distributing 17,500 therapy resources to fulfill 550 kit requests globally. Everything Is AUesome Born and brought up in the lush green

and financial barriers to receiving therapy."

The impact of Anshul's innovative approach is already evident, with the AUesome team successfully designing and distributing 17,500 therapy resources to fulfill 550 kit requests globally.

Everything Is AUesome

Born and brought up in the lush green locality of San Jose, California, Anshul started volunteering at various organisations a quite a young age. An alumnus of Archbishop Mitty High School, the young entrepreneur was also the president of his school's Computer Science Club. It was, however, his personal experience of receiving therapy and working with neurodiverse individuals, that motivated Anshul to establish a company that uses technology to make educational and therapeutic resources more accessible to children with autism.

[caption id="attachment_35175" align="aligncenter" width="556"] Anshul delivering kits to elementary and KIPP schools[/caption]

Talking about the ground reality of autism, the entrepreneur said, "According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are one in 44 children having autism spectrum disorder in the US alone, and about half of those with severe ASD only have access to school-based treatment. Of these kids, about 17 percent have no access to any treatment whatsoever, with these numbers growing drastically. While I and a few of my classmates were working with individuals with special needs, we recognised the inaccessibility, lack of continuation, and low parental involvement for autism therapy services. And that is what became our motivation to establish AUesome."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OodlnvwI3Kg

So, what is it that AUesome does? "We improve upon existing therapeutic constraints by reimagining the therapy process through the utilisation of a therapy kit, augmented by a digital guidance platform and app," shared the entrepreneur, adding, "First, we curate clinically proven therapy tools and activities used by therapists – such as flashcards to train communication skills and clothespin activities for fine motor skills – into a therapy kit, delivered to parents and educators. Next, the kits are paired with an instructional platform, where parents can access guidance resources for each activity to educate themselves on how to conduct therapy with their child. Finally, after three iterations, we developed an accompanying app, which provides cognitive games and instructional videos that accompany the activities in the physical kit and recommends a daily schedule, quizzes, and ideas for customisation.

Road to expansion

The entrepreneur has distinguished his company through a unique pricing strategy. Rather than conforming to market trends, the company determines product prices through a combination of production costs and thorough market research. With costs as low as $10-15, AUesome provides an economical alternative to existing therapy systems, which can often demand upwards of a quarter-million dollars for individuals between birth and age 18.

[caption id="attachment_35176" align="aligncenter" width="552"] Fundraising initiative by AUesome[/caption]

"One of the key parts of our daily work is to receive user feedback. I believe they embrace both positive and negative input to improve our product continuously," shared the Global Indian, adding, "This market is worth $2.01 billion and is projected to grow 7.9 percent in the next couple of years. So, even from a business perspective, there is an emphasis on the importance of seizing opportunities as students and building a network of like-minded individuals who can support and contribute to their projects ensuring the sustainability of such innovative ideas."

Aside from therapy kits, AUesome has also initiated chapters. These chapters provide high school and college students with materials for leadership, networking, advocacy, and spreading awareness about neurodiversity and the necessity for therapy. So far, the organisation has 17 chapters around the globe. "We’re also hoping to expand more across the world through our global outreach initiative,” Anshul shared, "We’re currently working with the Brazilian government, Ukrainian hospitals, people in Canada, India, and beyond, to make a bigger impact beyond just in the United States.”

Follow Anshul Gupta on LinkedIn, GitHub, and his website

Reading Time: 6 mins

Maria Thattil: The Indian-origin beauty queen who is one of Australia’s boldest voices

(June 23, 2023) In 2020, Indian-origin Maria Thattil captivated the world by becoming Miss Universe Australia, one of very few ladies of colour to achieve this feat. Since then, she has fervently utilized her platform to advocate for empowerment, inclusion, and equality. A prominent South-Asian Australian media personality, writer, speaker, and founder of the Mind with Me podcast series, she is considered one of Australia’s boldest voices. Identifying as queer, the former beauty queen from an immigrant background, intimately understands the challenges of grappling with a sense of belonging. Recently, Maria launched her book Unbounded which is a memoir and self-help guide combined. She courageously shares her personal journey, narrating poignant stories of resilience in the face of racism, sexism, financial hardships, intergenerational trauma, homophobia, and mental health struggles. Throughout the narrative of her experiences, Maria has steadfastly clung to hope, nurturing the belief that trials can be transformed into sources of strength and positive influence. [caption id="attachment_31356" align="aligncenter" width="375"] Maria Thattil[/caption] Full of excitement amidst an enthusiastic audience at her book launch she said, “Life is more than what we know. It is what our imagination can conceive. I cannot wait for ‘Unbounded’ to be out in the world

mental health struggles. Throughout the narrative of her experiences, Maria has steadfastly clung to hope, nurturing the belief that trials can be transformed into sources of strength and positive influence.

[caption id="attachment_31356" align="aligncenter" width="375"] Maria Thattil[/caption]

Full of excitement amidst an enthusiastic audience at her book launch she said, “Life is more than what we know. It is what our imagination can conceive. I cannot wait for ‘Unbounded’ to be out in the world because it’s going to inspire everyone to live up to all that they are.”

Amplifying underrepresented voices

Maria, who has devoted her career to advocating for societal change and amplifying underrepresented voices, draws upon her educational background in psychology and management, as well as her training in neuro-coaching to come up with her debut book.

She has presented a transformative path highlighting active personal growth, unwavering self-love, and liberation. Through her words of wisdom as an author she has attempted to empower readers to embrace fearlessness and embark on a journey of self-discovery to create positive change in their lives and communities. “It’s so much of my personal story but it’s more than that. It’s an active guide for people to learn how to manifest a life beyond limits. It’s a call to action,” the Global Indian said in an interview with an Australian TV channel after the launch of her book. The chapter titles are all verbs, meant to encourage people to take action to change their lives for the better.

The third-culture kid

The youngster calls herself ‘the third culture kid’ - influenced by Indian roots in a western society. “I belong here and at the same time, I strongly resonate with my Indian roots. I have found a balance between the two. It is not either-or for me. This is who I am and it is unique,” she had said in an interview after being crowned Miss Universe Australia 2020.

[caption id="attachment_31357" align="aligncenter" width="417"] Maria with her family when she was small[/caption]

The Indian lineage

Maria’s parents had migrated from India to Australia in the early 90s. She was born there, in Melbourne. While her father is from Kochi, Kerala, her mom is from Kolkata, West Bengal. When she migrated, her entire family migrated with her. This gave an opportunity to Maria and her brother to grow up with a large family of uncles, aunts and cousins, spending all their weekends together, getting a good taste of a typical Indian set-up.

Maria remains connected to India as her father’s family still stays in Kerala. They have travelled to India to meet the family.

The mental health crisis

Growing up, she felt a strong need to fit in with her peers at school. It took Maria some time to accept her identity. “I went through a phase during my teenage and early 20s, where I tried hard to mask elements from my culture to fit in," she said. It was the time when she went through a mental health crisis. As a shy, introverted kid, she experienced frustrations about feeling that she didn’t belong. Racism and bullying at school were difficult to handle.

She struggled with a sense of pain and anger, and projected it onto her parents which now makes her feel sad. Giving an account of this heart-breaking phase of her life in the book was the most painful part of writing. “As a child, I felt it was easier to blame my parents than face up to the bigger picture,” she said.

However, as she grew up Maria realised that to feel happy it’s better to focus on who she really was. “I started to just be who I am — an Indian-Australian girl whose culture is a blend of both eastern and western ideals,” she shared.

[caption id="attachment_31358" align="aligncenter" width="378"] Maria Thatill with her debut book - Unbounded[/caption]

Another painful experience while writing her debut book was reliving the financial insecurity that the family faced while Maria was growing up. Before coming up with the final version of the book, she showed it to her parents asking them whether they would like to omit anything.

They were encouraging enough to allow her present the facts as they were. “There are going to be families who have experienced what we have and kids who lived and walked in your shoes. If they can pick up the book and realise that such a situation is not permanent and doesn’t define the rest of their lives, then put it out there,” her parents said.

The queer identity

In a chapter titled ‘Shed’, Maria talks about shedding the beliefs that didn’t serve her. Coming out as bisexual to traditional Indian parents was not easy for her. It was challenging to explain them who she was.

“I didn’t expect them to understand everything initially as they are from a totally different generation and cultural context. However, they have come a long way and are proud of me and my brother who identifies as gay,” said Maria. She is also the Olay ambassador for their ‘Glow Your Own way’ campaign which touches on LGBTQIA+ themes.

[caption id="attachment_31360" align="aligncenter" width="435"] Maria honours key dates in history that have progressed LGBTQIA+ rights[/caption]

Advocate of diversity and inclusion

At the time of winning the crown Maria worked as a talent acquisition professional armed with degrees in psychology and management. As part of the hiring team, she strongly advocated representation.

“I have always championed inclusion and not just limited it to ethnicity but also sexuality, gender, and ability. I strongly believe representation matters. A society where every voice can thrive. We need to make space for people to express themselves irrespective of their background,” she said an interview. After becoming Miss Universe Australia 2020, working on these causes became easier. She got the right platform to strongly voice her opinion and play a role in ushering change.

Today, Maria Thattil stands tall as a beacon of hope for the Indian diaspora, reminding that one’s roots need not hinder the ability to soar to new heights. Through her relentless pursuit of excellence and her unwavering commitment to her community, she has become a source of inspiration, empowering a new generation to embrace their cultural heritage and conquer the world irrespective of their identity and unhappy experiences.

Life ahead

Acting has been a passion of the Indian-origin youngster since childhood. Recently, she also tried her hand at acting, playing the role of Naomi in a web series titled, ‘Let’s Get Ducking Famous’. It’s the story of her character Naomi, her friend and their pet duck whom they are trying to make famous in social media. Having thoroughly enjoyed the experience, she is looking forward to do a film or a television show in the future.

Follow Maria Thattil on Instagram and Twitter

Reading Time: 5 mins

Joy Agrawal: The teen changemaker making an impact through Stem education

(May 13, 2022) Sitting for the Homi Bhaba exam in 2019, Nagpur-based Stem lover Joy Agrawal had an epiphany - the underprivileged students have no access to practical labs. This thought gnawed at him for weeks. The then 13-year-old understood his privilege of having access to all the resources, while the disadvantaged had no money to even order science kits. He knew he had to find a solution, and this gave birth to Project Gyan in 2020. "It's an effort to help quality Stem education reach the young minds through practical and application-based education, focusing on the underprivileged children," changemaker Joy tells Global Indian. In two years, what started as a classroom of 10-12 students has now reached over 1600 students across five schools in Nagpur, Maharashtra. "Practical exposure is necessary to get children thrilled about education. When we started, many students wanted to help their daily wager worker parents with their chores but in a few months, some wanted to build airplanes. That shift in perspective is a victory for me and Project Gyan," says the Class 10 student. [caption id="attachment_16513" align="aligncenter" width="661"] Joy Agrawal[/caption] Love for space tech Born in 2006 in Bareilly to financial consultant parents, Joy

student.

[caption id="attachment_16513" align="aligncenter" width="661"] Joy Agrawal[/caption]

Love for space tech

Born in 2006 in Bareilly to financial consultant parents, Joy was raised in Nagpur. A space tech enthusiast, the outer world always fascinated this teenager. But his interest was piqued after his parents gifted him a telescope at the age of 10. "For a year, I'd sit every day gazing at the stars or looking at the asteroids. But with time, it became less frequent. However, lockdown changed it as the sky was clear again," says the Centre Point School student who discovered two asteroids in 2021 as a part of Spaceport India Asteroid Search Campaign in association with Hardin-Simmons University Texas.

His discoveries have been designated as 2020 RD95 and 2020 RJ83, says the 15-year-old who adds that NASA will use the data for a year or two to confirm the provisional discoveries after an in-depth study. "I am obsessed with space and technology," reveals Joy who loves doing everything in the area of space tech. While the telescope turned out to be a gamechanger for this teenager in the world of space, it was a robotics course that made him fall in love with technology. "As a kid, I loved swimming and would spend two hours every day in the pool. But it was put on hold for a while as the pool was under renovation. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With time on my hands, I enrolled in the robotics class, and I haven't looked back since," adds the teen changemaker, who is the founder of Community Space One. "Our mission is to achieve sustainable development goals with the help of space technology. It was in early 2021 that I identified like-minded people, and soon started Community Space One," says the boy, who is keen to make a difference through remote sensing and earth observation.

[caption id="attachment_16514" align="aligncenter" width="575"] Joy Agrawal at a recent TedX Talk[/caption]

Making an impact through STEM

This love for technology led him to be selected by Peace First, the world's largest incubator for youth-led social change initiatives, for a project grant. "It's a mini-grant for projects on the lines of social change. I won $250 with which I started Project Gyan in 2020. Started during the pandemic, I initially needed no funds as I was conducting live workshops for the underprivileged kids virtually," says Joy who started with the students of St Michael's High School in Nagpur. Being the vice president of the Interact Club at his school, Joy came in touch with the Rotary club and zeroed in on an institution that has many underprivileged kids. "I began with a 1-2 hour class every Saturday wherein I performed experiments and explained concepts. Later, I expanded Project Gyan to four more schools in Nagpur and two tribal schools in Maharashtra," adds the changemaker who provides kits to schools for students to get hands-on experience in science practicals. "I love science, and I understand its potential. I want these kids to explore their potential through Project Gyan," says Joy, who is now working with a team that looks into distribution and planning, maintaining the website, social media, and creating videos.

[caption id="attachment_16515" align="aligncenter" width="706"] Joy Agrawal at IIT Madras with his quadcopter[/caption]

With 1600 students now and a grant of ₹40,000 from Vicco Labs, Project Gyan is spreading its wings and has expansion plans in Central India. Things weren't smooth at the start - he found that many kids had no access to mobile phones. "Three-four students were using one phone to attend my classes initially. This made me understand the extent of the disparity. But with passing months, I realised they too had dreams, and given the practical exposure, they can work towards following their dreams," says Joy, who plans to make the study kit available globally for anyone to access.

Future plans

Joy, who is currently sitting for his board exams, has plans of pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science from MIT or Harvard and a master's in space system engineering. "Working with the UN is my dream. But at some stage, I would want to launch my start-up in space tech," says the teenager, who calls himself a "changemaker who wants to create an impact through Stem".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqoEmh6UUSk&t=80s

At 15, Joy is busy creating social impact, and the teenager advises youngsters to "not follow the herd. Instead, explore your niche. Don't replicate another person's journey. Do your thing and only then you will be able to make a difference." The teen changemaker, who firmly believes that sky is the limit, loves reading books, playing with his dog, and listening to music in his free time. "I don't need to unwind as I love every bit of what I do. When you enjoy your work, you never need a moment to take a break from it," concludes Joy.

Follow Joy Agrawal on Linkedin

Reading Time: 5 min

De‘coding’ tech: Berkeley sophomore Krish Samtani’s 0Gravity turns geeks into pro coders

(March 4, 2022) Did you know that IT’s top brass like Larry Page, Bill Gates, and Steve Dorsey were all coding prodigies before they launched ground-breaking tech conglomerates? Not too long ago, coding was considered the forte of computer geeks, an intimidating concept to many. Yet, that seems to be changing with coding clubs mushrooming across the country. And one such Indian coder looking to change how coding is perceived is Krish Samtani. The 19-year-old student of UC Berkeley launched 0Gravity coding, a non-profit startup, back when he was a school student in Bengaluru. The free coding club encourages students as young as 10 to learn the nuances of coding to explore a world of innovation and problem solving. Today, the teen, who received the Leadership Award Scholarship by the alumni association of his college, has educated over 1,500 children, including the children of sex workers. Incidentally, Krish is also an Ashoka Changemaker for creating social impact through his venture. When tech called, Krish answered Born in New Jersey, Krish, the elder of two siblings, moved to Bengaluru when he was eight-years-old. Both his parents – Gunjan and Dimple – work with leading financial service companies, and Krish was always

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When tech called, Krish answered

Born in New Jersey, Krish, the elder of two siblings, moved to Bengaluru when he was eight-years-old. Both his parents – Gunjan and Dimple – work with leading financial service companies, and Krish was always encouraged to push his boundaries and go beyond the ordinary. As he schooled at the International School Bengaluru, Krish found himself drawn to the world of technology when he attended a summer camp as an eighth grader at Johns Hopkins University.

“That summer camp was one of the first times I got the opportunity to learn an applied style of education, where I did some basic mathematical modelling using coding for climate change,” Krish tells Global Indian, adding, “As opposed to the heavily theoretical curriculum I was studying back in India, this style of learning gave me a chance to build my knowledge on a practical level, rather than being confined to a textbook. As such, my passion for applied coding grew stronger over the years.”

[caption id="attachment_11806" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Krish with his family[/caption]

Inspired by this applied education, Krish was looking to attend such a class back home in Bengaluru. Unable to find any, he founded a movement to teach other children applied computer science. “That’s how 0Gravity came about in 2017. The purpose was to spark an interest and a vision amongst children that education goes far beyond the classroom, by making the sessions fun and interactive,” this Indian coder says.

Unscrambling the code

Since its inception, 0Gravity has had executives and professionals from leading technical industries deliver lessons, and talks to students. The idea, says Krish, has been to impart knowledge that can give students a glimpse of the opportunities the workforce offers. “We organise workshops that last three months, with around 20 students per batch. We have managed to educate 1,500+ students, including 700 girls in the five years since 0Gravity launched,” says the young coder, who is now a sophomore at University of California, Berkeley, where he is studying applied mathematics with a concentration on data science.

[caption id="attachment_11807" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Krish with his 0Gravity batch of students[/caption]

On how he’s connected with students at 0Gravity as a mentor, he says, “The premise of 0Gravity has always been to create an enjoyable, inclusive, and immersive learning environment. Although I was responsible for mentoring students and in growing the movement across companies, I was certainly learning a lot about myself, the students, and the growing importance of technology in the process. In addition to coding fundamentals, some of the things I picked up in my 0Gravity journey were communication (speaking with different audiences), time management, working with a team, and the various stages involved in starting an organisation.”

A ‘firm’ knowledge

Krish has partnered with several firms to establish 0Gravity programmes in three countries – India, US and England. “The firm that has been the most crucial to our expansion globally is Saggezza Inc, with whom we have set up programmes in Bengaluru, Chennai, Sunderland, and Chicago,” reveals the coder, who says that the world is becoming increasingly digitised in every facet of life and the industry. “Coding is as important a skill as reading and writing in our contemporary lives. In order to build strong foundational bases, it is important for children to hone their coding skills,” says Krish, whose father Gunjan has been the backbone of his journey with 0Gravity.

[caption id="attachment_11808" align="aligncenter" width="695"] Krish with his professors at University of California, Berkeley[/caption]

As a student in the US, Krish has been involved in various clubs and college activities including the data science and entrepreneurship clubs. “Learning here has been a pleasure too. A lot of my professors are Noble laureates and I’ve had the opportunity to meet many new people,” says the coder, who doesn’t mind bridging the time difference to continue conducting 0Gravity workshops. “I enjoy attending sessions on weekends, and value those couple of hours highly.”

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