Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveReva Srivastava: US Presidential Scholar making Kathak popular in America

Reva Srivastava: US Presidential Scholar making Kathak popular in America

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(February 4, 2024) It was 6 am when Reva Srivastava of Fermont received a confirmation mail on being named a 2022 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Unable to contain her excitement, the Kathak dancer jumped so hard in joy that for a minute her mom Anupama Srivastava thought that there was an earthquake. When the Srivastavas applied, they weren’t aware of the magnitude of the honour. Each year only 20 scholars are selected from a pool of 60 candidates nominated by the YoungArts program.

Reva Srivastava

An active participant in National YoungArts Week+, she engaged remotely with a young Odissi dancer and received mentorship from Bharatanatyam dancer Nadhi Thekkek. However, Reva didn’t feel getting the experience was any less because of it being online. Reflecting on this experience, Reva said in an interview, “She had a really interesting way of approaching your dance, which I hadn’t thought of. She really pushed us to show more than just the story that was being told, like how we were feeling because of the story, and to go a deeper layer.” It was her exceptional work ethic and commitment during National YoungArts Week+ that led to her nomination for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts award.

Love for dance

It all began with Reva’s mother Anupama who began learning Kathak at the age of 6 under Padma Shri Shovana Narayan in Delhi. But her relocation to the US post-marriage and the demands of work and family life put a stop to her consistent practice. But her daughter Reva’s fascination with dance prompted Anupama to establish InSyncKathak Dance School when Reva was only 6 years old. Recalling the inspiration, Reva shared, “There was something about the dance and seeing how happy it made my mom that kind of captured me at a really young age.” Speaking about her daughter Reva, Anupama said, “She made me a teacher. I was just a dancer.”

Reva with mom Anupama Srivastava

Learning from Shovana Narayan

Moreover, Reva has also received training from her mom’s guru Padma Shri awardee Shovana Narayan whenever she would visit the US, training primarily in the Lucknow Gharana style of Kathak. “I was so focused on what she was saying. She’s able to draw you in. And she was saying really complicated things. But the way that she explained everything was really helpful to me,” Reva added. However, learning from Shovana Narayan wasn’t too dissimilar to learning from her mom. Their teaching styles are almost similar, however, she could always see “a very clear separation” between her mom and guru.

Reva choreographed a solo piece to Taylor Swift’s Epiphany, depicting the experiences of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through dance, she portrayed the dedication of healthcare workers who assist others, witness loss, and resiliently continue to aid those in need.

Bringing positive change

While Reva’s future plans include attending medical school, she asserts that dance will always be an integral part of her life. “When I’m dancing, I’m not thinking about anything else,” she affirmed. Her creative abilities and artistic platform, she hopes, will contribute to positive change in the world. “I want to make art that inspires me and art that helps me stand up for what I believe and bring a positive evolution,” she added. Reva encourages young dancers to focus on building a strong foundation and technique, urging them to learn as much as possible from their gurus.

Reva, who calls yaman her favourite raga, says that she feels the energy of all of the positions, full orchestra, and the singer. ” I just feel it’s so much fun to dance to those pieces because you take that energy into yourself.”

Reflecting on her passion, Reva advises aspiring dancers to focus on their training and personal growth rather than comparing themselves to others.

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Published on 04, Feb 2024

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Building Uninsomnia: Teen entrepreneur Aaryan Singh wants youngsters to sleep better

(July 6, 2022) As his eleventh grade came to an end, Aaryan Singh found his hobbies fall by the wayside and his free time vanish as academic pressures began to mount. "I became very sleep deprived because I was handling school, the foundation I started during the pandemic and other extra-curricular activities. I had dark circles around my eyes,"the teen entrepreneur told Global Indian. The 17-year-old is the founder of Uninsomnia, an app to help teens deal with sleep deprivation by analysing their schedules, connecting with Fitbits, smart watches and health apps on their phones. When Aaryan talked to his friends about his sleep problem, he found them all in similar situations. "All of us were pulling all-nighters to cram for exams, we were exhausted," he says. When he did some research, he was "blown away by what he found." In the United States, some 69 percent of teenagers face sleep-related problems and disorders, insomnia being the most common. The information on India was sadly lacking and Aaryan did research of his own, finding that fifty percent of high school students don't get proper sleep. That's how, in 2021, Aaryan began working on Uninsomnia. Users get custom sleep tips because the app will analyse their google calendars,

When he did some research, he was "blown away by what he found." In the United States, some 69 percent of teenagers face sleep-related problems and disorders, insomnia being the most common. The information on India was sadly lacking and Aaryan did research of his own, finding that fifty percent of high school students don't get proper sleep.

That's how, in 2021, Aaryan began working on Uninsomnia. Users get custom sleep tips because the app will analyse their google calendars, connect with Fitbits and smart watches and other health apps. "It tells you when to drink coffee, when to sleep and what exercises you can do to relax and sleep better. It can even suggest melatonin but only if prescribed by a doctor."

[caption id="attachment_18906" align="aligncenter" width="790"] Aaryan, during his internship at Coca Cola[/caption]

Targeting schools

Born and raised in Bhopal, Aaryan Singh describes himself as someone who has always been "very curious, always looking for information, in love with technology." Growing up, he would ask his parents for toy cars and helicopters, not to play with but to be able to take them apart and put them back together again.

Aaryan Singh says, "in 2020, the main journey began." When the pandemic hit India, Aaryan was volunteering with a local organisation to help underprivileged and local children. "I was helping the kids with their academics, especially computer science." One day, he noticed some of the children making beautiful artwork.

"They knew a lot about CS, they were discussing algorithms and coding languages. They were curious to learn skills but didn't have the opportunities," he says. So, he set up the Buy To Cure Foundation and ran the organisation for about a year starting October 2020. "We would take drawings from the kids and print them on mugs and other merchandise," says Aaryan. "Buy To Cure sold these through its e-commerce platform and 90 percent of the funds went back to the orphanages."

[caption id="attachment_18905" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Volunteering with underprivileged kids[/caption]

Building the foundation

Setting up the foundation involved building a network of over 100 organisations including NGOs, orphanages and schools. Aaryan also created a global team of volunteers and raised over ₹3 lakh in under a year.

During the second lockdown, the organisation was unable to deliver its merchandise. "We told a local government official about the situation and the team was given special powers to go outside the house and move around," he recalls.

Aaryan, who wants to major in CS and entrepreneurship, also conducts skill enhancing workshops in entrepreneurship and coding.

This April, Aaryan Singh began the LaunchX Entrepreneurship Programme. He will work with entrepreneurial students from around the world to launch a startup and learn from professors from Harvard, MIT (Sloan School) and The Wharton School. He has also been selected into the Dex School of Leadership and Entrepreneurship's Class of '23, part of The Dexterity Global Group, founded by globally acclaimed social entrepreneur Sharad Vivek Sagar. His daily life includes juggling academics, which are top priority, his volunteer work and building Uninsomnia as a "one-man army."

Following through on his deep interest in AI and Machine Learning, Aaryan is a Veritas AI Scholar and an Inspirit AI Scholar. He received a full scholarship for the former, which he began in June this year. As part of Veritas AI, Aaryan is working with Venu Regunath (Dartmouth College), Katrina Brown (Harvard University), and Shravan Ravishankar (University of Chicago), to study data science and artificial intelligence. "The focus is on image classification, AI ethics and why they matter, deep learning, NLP and Language Processing and other topics related to AI and Machine Learning," says Aaryan, who is also a Global Young Leader and Changemaker 2022.

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Sharjah girl Prakrithi Suresh connects Carnatic vocal and Bharatanatyam with spirituality

(February 22, 2023) When Prakrithi Suresh was barely two years old, her parents were overjoyed to hear her humming the Carnatic song she had heard her father practice. Carnatic music had been in her family for generations, starting with her paternal grandfather. They were trained vocalists although none had pursued it as a career. Prakrithi’s hereditary inclinations were celebrated and encouraged by her parents and when she was three-and-a-half years old, she began her training. [caption id="attachment_27731" align="aligncenter" width="722"] Prakrithi Suresh[/caption] Now fifteen, this Sharjah-based vocalist is a known face in UAE’s musical circuit, with many stage performances to her credit. Not only is she a gifted singer, she is also a talented Bharatanatyam dancer who has been training under the best gurus in UAE since she was four. While there are invitations for conferences and participation in music fests round the year, Prakrithi connects her gift of singing and dancing with spirituality. “I sing and dance just for the spiritual connection. My sole goal is to spread divinity, and to make everybody realise that it’s the ultimate supreme that all of us has to surrender to,” the young artist says in an interview with Global Indian. “My parents

e there are invitations for conferences and participation in music fests round the year, Prakrithi connects her gift of singing and dancing with spirituality. “I sing and dance just for the spiritual connection. My sole goal is to spread divinity, and to make everybody realise that it’s the ultimate supreme that all of us has to surrender to,” the young artist says in an interview with Global Indian.

“My parents have been very supportive and have never pressurised me about academics,” remarks Prakrithi, crediting them for her achievements so far.

Making a name

At the UAE’s national Margazhi fest 2019, Prakrithi bagged the overall champion award for excelling in all six categories of Carnatic vocal competitions. In 2020 she came second in an International Carnatic dance and music competition, which saw participation from around the world.

[caption id="attachment_27735" align="aligncenter" width="724"] Prakrithi Suresh with childrens’ book author Elisabetta Dami[/caption]

She has also received the Geronimo Stilton Foundation's medallion from its founder, the childrens’ book author Elisabetta Dami, at the Sharjah International Book Fair, for upholding the legacy of Indian traditional art forms even while living abroad.

The musical journey

Having begun her Carnatic vocal training as a toddler, the teenager is grateful to have trained under some of the best gurus in India and the UAE. She started learning formally from her guru, Palakkad Rajesh Kesav, and went on to learn from Dr Amruta Sankaranarayanan, who is the daughter and disciple of Padma Bhusan, Sangeetha Kalanithi T V Sankaranarayanan.

The fifteen-year-old is now receiving advanced training from Dr Maithli Krishnan, professor of music, SRC College Trichy. As they are in different countries, the guru and shishya connect with each other online.

The talented disciple is also a teacher to two four-year-old pupils who have started learning Carnatic vocals from her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgXvAuGr0uw

The teen vocalist’s portfolio comprises an impressive collection of music videos on her YouTube channel. The aesthetically-shot videos have been shot by her musically-inclined engineer father.

“I do not have any motive of earning money from my performances, nor do I want to spend money on creating music videos and that’s why my father films them,” she says. Her innocent smile hides great maturity.

Prakrithi’s mother, who worked as a scientist before her daughter was born, has played a great role in evoking the sense of divinity in Carnatic vocal and Bharatanatyam for the teenager. “I am spiritually inclined and do not perform for fame,” she says, adding, “It’s my mother who tells me how I can do better if I am spiritually connected to my art.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUzCqqc6LDw

The path of Bharatanatyam

Whether it is Carnatic music or Bharatanatyam, Prakrithi finds tranquillity and peace in both. While Carnatic music is a way of seeking enlightenment, Bharatanatyam is sadhana for her.

“Bharatanatyam is like uniting the soul with the absolute soul,” she says, adding, “Coming from a spiritual country like India, where the realization of consciousness or spirit has been the supreme goal of life, it is no wonder that the oldest dance form of the country, Bharatanatyam is nothing but a form of Sadhana.”

Prakrithi had started basic training of the dance form in 2013 under her guru Sahadevan of Kalakshetra, Sharjah who is the discipline of Rukmini Devi Arundale. Currently she is honing her skills under guru Girish Kumar, the disciple of Kalamandalam Chandrika who is the disciple of the veteran actress Vaijayantimala.

Apart from performing in various events in UAE and in functions organised by the Indian consulate of Dubai and Indian Association Sharjah; the youngster has performed in two Natyanjali’s in India as well.

On a different note…

A student of Sharjah’s Amity Private School, when Prakrithi is not busy studying or practicing, she can be found playing musical notes on her guitar or keyboard. “I have taught myself to sing English songs and play western instruments,” she shares.

Looking forward to soon start her high school, the artistic teenager has already decided her professional path. “I want to become a veterinary doctor, quite opposite to what people would think,” she smiles.

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Belagavi to Brooklyn: How Indian filmmaker Siddharth Salgaonkar’s home-grown short made it to the Toronto Film Festival

(August 27, 2023) "A film so guerilla that it was written, directed, shot, and edited by me, in my house, with no crew, and my mom as the only actor," Siddharth Salgaonkar said, about his short-film, Monster. The one-minute short was among the 23 selected from around the world to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was a big break for the young Indian filmmaker and put Belagavi, a town in Karnataka, on the world map. "Monster was made using available materials and meagre resources, featured my mother Seema as an actress and my father Hemant as a crew member," the young Indian filmmaker told The Hindu. "As a child, I wanted to be either a chef or a filmmaker. I think I have made my choice now after a lot of thought," he smiled. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TIFF (@tiff_net) Siddharth was born in Belagavi and his father, Hemant Salgaonkar is an artist trained at Mumbai's JJ School of Art. Creativity runs in the family, his mother is a Marathi theatre artist and a yoga teacher and his brother graduated from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and is

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Siddharth was born in Belagavi and his father, Hemant Salgaonkar is an artist trained at Mumbai's JJ School of Art. Creativity runs in the family, his mother is a Marathi theatre artist and a yoga teacher and his brother graduated from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and is now a UX-Designer in California.

Siddharth went on to study at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia and graduated in 2022. These days, Siddharth lives in Brooklyn, where he continues to pursue his dream of being a writer / director / actor. He's also exploring a new interest - standup comedy. Now a regular performer in New York's standup comedy circuit, the polymath is also working on his next independent film. "I'd dreamt of living in New York since I was little," the Global Indian says. "I'm in love with the city and the people and want to continue living here for the foreseeable future."

Early Student Films

He began making films as a student at the Srishti School of Art in Bengaluru, doing both fiction and non-fiction. His first film, Call, explores the relationship between a mother and son, and was based on true events. In the film, the protagonist waits for a call from his mother, which never comes. Although he doesn't know why, he senses that something is wrong. In 'Delete', a "seven shot short", a young man becomes oddly attached to an eraser. His films usually focus on the mundane, but are filled with tension and leave the audience wondering why. In Masala Beda, for instance, he captures the anxious anticipation of a student who waits for his order at the college canteen.

The non-fiction work of young Indian filmmaker, on the other hand, takes on social concerns. 'Livelihood on a Ride' delves into the ongoing battle that street vendors have against the municipality and the government in Bengaluru, as they jostle each other for space to make their meagre living. Ganesh Visarjan Bangalore is a brief documentary of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Yelahanka.

Although his shorts make an impact, they have their share of challenges. "As an independent filmmaker, you have to restrict yourself while writing a film to make sure you can afford to make it," he explains. "I would like to believe that my ability to write humour - especially the dark, satirical kind - is one of my best characteristics," says Siddharth, who sees himself as a writer first, then an actor and a standup comedian. "Stories play the most important role in my life. Coming from a small town in India, there are a lot of culturally unique stories and experiences that I have picked up that I want to narrate to the world."

Follow Siddharth on Instagram.

Maanya Singh: 17-year-old empowering women through financial independence

(April 30, 2023) From a deep-rooted interest in sustainability and a love for handicrafts, Sajida from Udupi started Ecoco Creations, a brand that creates beautiful handicrafts out of coconut shells. While her products were getting some traction on social media, her tryst with Incuba Naari filled her with a renewed sense of excitement as their mentorship program helped provide with right "guidance for social media and marketing." The entrepreneur from Karnataka is one among many whose lives have been changed for the good by Incuba Naari, an NGO accelerator platform that provides free mentorship and business exhibitions for women small business owners across India. The brainchild of a 17-year-old from Bengaluru - Maanya Singh - has impacted the lives of many women entrepreneurs in the last few years. "When you empower one woman entrepreneur, she creates a ripple effect," Maanya tells Global Indian. The Class 11 student found inspiration in her mother, and at a young age realised the importance of financial independence. This led her to push the envelope and start Incuba Naari in 2020. With 927 followers on Instagram, it has touched the lives of many small-time women entrepreneurs who were looking for scalability. "Our first cohort was

ripple effect," Maanya tells Global Indian.

The Class 11 student found inspiration in her mother, and at a young age realised the importance of financial independence. This led her to push the envelope and start Incuba Naari in 2020. With 927 followers on Instagram, it has touched the lives of many small-time women entrepreneurs who were looking for scalability. "Our first cohort was a success, and now we are organising the second one in August this year."

[caption id="attachment_29653" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Maanya Singh[/caption]

Mom's the inspiration

The Dallas born has early memories of her mother sitting at the potter's wheel and carving beautiful pieces at her garage-turned-studio in the US. She remembers running around the garage as young as four or five while her mom worked on her art. "When she sold her first piece at Dallas City Art Exhibition, I was so proud of her." She adds that her mom quit her corporate job after the birth of her two kids, but it was the weekend pottery workshops that sparked her passion for pottery. She continued following her passion even after returning to India a few years ago, and it soon turned into a full-blown venture. "Our parents wanted us to be in touch with our culture, and that was one of the reasons we relocated to India, and I am glad that we did. It made me understand what it is to be an Indian."

A few years into settling in Bengaluru, her mom opened a professional studio in the city and gave the reins of social media marketing to Maanya. This was a turning point for the 17-year-old as she understood "how difficult it is for small entrepreneurs to get out there and take their business to the next level."

This initial realisation led her to dive into research that showed that 90 percent of the small ventures started by women had mothers at the forefront, while the remaining 10 percent were led by college students. At a young age, she started appreciating entrepreneurship, courtesy her mom, whom she saw evolving into a confident entrepreneur. However, she realised that mostly, "there is an inherent belittlement of women's labour, especially mothers. Even some women brush off their small businesses as a hobby." This pushed her to take action as she understood that financial independence is one of the ways to empower women. Keen to understand the stories of the women entrepreneurs, she ended up cold mailing a number of them asking to interview them, which gave Maanya a sneak peek into the lives, struggles, and journeys of women entrepreneurs.

The start of Incuba Naari

This was the start of Incuba Naari - a platform that took shape in 2020. A few interviews later, she decided to share these stories on social media for better reach. Soon, more women started joining the community and sharing their stories. The Indus International School student credits being a part of a startup youth program that helped increase the accessibility of entrepreneurship to young people. "After conducting 40 interviews, I published a research paper that helped me understand how financial independence empowers women. However, many of them require mentorship, networking, or digital amplification. Because of my mom and the startup program, I was uniquely in a position to help these women, and I am grateful for it."

In 2022, the Incuba Naari incubation program came to life, thanks to the MYP Student Innovators Grant, where the teenager was awarded $8000 for her social impact innovation. "The first cohort saw women entrepreneurs from different parts of the country coming for the mentorship session - some to learn social media management, and others came for exhibitions and getting their names out there apart from the revenue boost."

Ray of hope for women entrepreneurs

The mentorship program turned out to be a "ray of hope" for Assam-based Piyali Dey Maity, a fashion designer-turned-baker, who is the founder of Crusty Tasty. Sharing her journey with Global Indian, the entrepreneur reveals that Covid-19 hit her family hard as her husband, who was in Dhaka, had to cut down his business visa and return home. "While he underwent therapy, we spend all our savings on establishing my home baking business. It was the time I started marketing my designer cakes and the business showed us the light towards financial independence." It was her husband who found Incuba Naari on Google, and soon Piyali joined hands with Maanya for the mentorship program. "Maanya is an amazing woman for her age and doing incredible work for women entrepreneurs like us. Incuba Naari has emerged as a ray of hope in my life and their mentorship programs are greatly helpful," she adds.

The scaling up of businesses, thanks to Incuba Naari, has helped these women entrepreneurs to not only achieve financial independence but also put their talent on the table for the world to see. Minali Furia of Ras Creations is one such woman entrepreneur whose life changed after she joined forces with Incuba Naari. A handmade jewelry designer, she never found the support of her husband. It wasn't until 2021 that she started selling her work through Facebook pages and WhatsApp as she wanted to afford the education of her daughter. After sharing her story with Incuba Naari, her business started expanding. "Even my husband started supporting me, so thank you Incuba Naari for such a great platform and initiative."

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The vision

At 17, Maanya has been able to create a community for women entrepreneurs, and she is happy that she could "establish trust and credibility." These last two years have been a learning curve for the teenager who could help deliver what these entrepreneurs wanted. She is currently working on the website of Incuba Naari - a digital platform where mentors and entrepreneurs can interact. With 20 active volunteers in tow, Incuba Naari is making a difference in the lives of women entrepreneurs - by not just helping them scale their businesses but also making them confident entrepreneurs who are ready to take on the world.

Currently preparing for her exams, Maanya plans to take a gap year after finishing school before applying for colleges in the US. However, she is excited for her two-week summer internship at Grameen Bank in Dhaka which works across Bangladesh to reduce poverty through easy financial access to the rural poor, especially women. "It will be a great learning experience."

Maanya, who loves to swim and watch movies in theatres, credits her parents for being the wind beneath her wings. "My dad helped me write my first business email, and as a 15-year-old, I would practice my pitches on them. They not only gave me honest advice but also kept me grounded and objective."

Maanya wants to sustain Incuba Naari as long as she can as she has a vision. "I want to create a gender-equal future in India where every woman can unlock the power of financial independence through entrepreneurship," she signs off.

Follow Maanya Singh on LinkedIn
Follow Incuba Naari on Instagram

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Innovator, STEM whiz, TEDx speaker, Global Teen Leader: Neha Shukla is inspiring teens to solve real world problems

COVID-19’s aftermath deeply vexes her. It changed a carefree 16-year-old to a thinking and inventing one. Innovator and STEM whiz Neha Shukla spent the pandemic-driven lockdowns leveraging science and technology to create social change. She invented a device — SixFeetApart — a wearable social distancing sonic sensor cap which beeps or vibrates when the six foot distance is breached, thus helping slow the spread of Covid-19. Even more credible is that her expectant childlike smile adorned the Nasdaq screen at New York City’s Times Square in 2020 as a ticker congratulated Neha for developing SixFeetApart. The recent Diana Award recipient is thrilled as she speaks with passion about STEM and spreading knowledge on her travels across the US on science and entrepreneurship. [caption id="attachment_8062" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Neha Shukla on the Nasdaq screen at Times Square[/caption] The Indian-origin Pennsylvania resident from Cumberland Valley High School taught herself engineering and technology during lockdown, and her invention is an attempt to address world problems. Honored with the Diana Award for social action and humanitarian work, it was her research on SixFeetApart and running global Innovation and STEM workshops to build the next generation of young problem-solvers and innovators tackling the world’s biggest problems that set her apart. “I’ve impacted over 45,000 students through my sessions. I aim to reach over 100,000 students

e Indian-origin Pennsylvania resident from Cumberland Valley High School taught herself engineering and technology during lockdown, and her invention is an attempt to address world problems. Honored with the Diana Award for social action and humanitarian work, it was her research on SixFeetApart and running global Innovation and STEM workshops to build the next generation of young problem-solvers and innovators tackling the world’s biggest problems that set her apart. “I’ve impacted over 45,000 students through my sessions. I aim to reach over 100,000 students around the world by partnering with corporate companies and local organizations! It means so much to be recognized by Princess Diana as she represents kindness, humanitarian spirit, and service above self. It was also a wonderful surprise to hear Prince Harry’s words of encouragement at the awards ceremony,” Neha Shukla told Global Indian in an exclusive interview.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cAkARPZl_U[/embed]

Evolving with the times

The world of science is ever changing, and her invention too has evolved. It has grown to three devices to be more accessible — an original SixFeetApart hat, a lanyard for school and corporate settings and an armband for on-the-go safety, and is now available on the Google Play Store as a companion app for the device.

“I’m most excited about the potential of creating real-world impact amid the new wave of Delta variant seeing a surge, especially in India. I hope that SixFeetApart is a small part of the solution to saving lives. The research paper detailing the creation and data behind SixFeetApart will be published in the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) in London this September,” adds Neha.

Neha was recently chosen by Masayoshi Son, CEO, SoftBank, to join the Masason Foundation and will receive grants, lab facilities, and mentorship for all future innovations too. The recipient of the National Gold Presidential Service Award from President Joe Biden, her scientific explorations have come a long way from when she would code apps using a block coder, and even started designing a heart rate-oximeter. Neha believes that caring enough about a problem, and being willing to take action, and solving it is the key to growth.

Mentors to nurture her mindset

[caption id="attachment_8063" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Neha Shukla and her inventions[/caption]

That, and having parents who are amazing mentors has nurtured her scientific mindset. Her parents Bharti and Rajiv Shukla are IIT and Harvard alumni — thus asking questions and exploring was encouraged at home.

“I’m currently working on a new innovation to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers' and Parkinsons' at an early-stage using brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence. I’m excited to begin my research and create my innovation starting Fall 2021,” she says.

Even through the pandemic which was “definitely a struggle”, Neha kept focused. “The silver lining of being at home during quarantine has been the ability to explore new research, innovate, and be able to expand the scope of my innovation sessions to students across the world.” By Spring 2022, she plans to launch her book Innovation for Everyone - a guide on Innovation, Problem-Solving, and STEM. The book aims to equip students, adults, and organizations to leverage science and technology to solve problems.

Advocate for innovation

[caption id="attachment_8064" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Neha Shukla with the Presidential Award[/caption]

The entrepreneurship ambassador for girls, TEDx Speaker and global teen leader also runs Innovation and STEM workshops for students. As an advocate for innovation and youth in science and technology, she says, “Seeing children from even the first or second grade getting excited about innovation and coming up with tangible solutions to pollution, etc, within a 45-minute session is amazing. I see this as a testament that young people need to be a part of the dialogue to solve global problems," says the girl who believes in harnessing her knowledge for positive action. (You can sign up for workshops on her website at: https://bit.ly/NehaShuklaWorkshop)

Selected as a 2021 Global Teen Leader from the 3 times Grammy-winning artist Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Foundation, she aims to continue her mission to help build the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators. “As a Global Teen Leader, I had the opportunity to spend the summer attending the virtual Just Peace Summit, where we learned from experts around the world, met iconic peacemakers and industry experts, and celebrated the work that all the 40 amazing Global Teen Leaders are doing.”

Neha is also the Youth Ambassador for NYU Stern School of Business’ Endless Frontier Labs where she sits amidst venture capitalists and emerging startups in deep tech, to unscramble the world of VCs and startups. For her, this augurs her foray into business, product development and entrepreneurship, which incidentally, she is already doing as executive director at Boss Ladies. She was recently awarded the Whitaker Centre's 2021 Women in STEM - Rising Star. One of Neha’s most fervent drivers is the urge to solve climate change, healthcare and cybersecurity.

Of family ties and roots

[caption id="attachment_8065" align="aligncenter" width="633"] Neha Shukla working on SixFeetApart[/caption]

Quite Indian at heart, she loves celebrating Diwali with her grandparents, cousins, and family in Mumbai and Pune. Ever thankful for parents who are proud and supportive, she adds, “It means so much to me that they believe in the work that I’m doing. I definitely couldn’t have created SixFeetApart or any other innovation without their support."

"They have always encouraged me to be curious about the world, but let me figure out things on my own — no spoon feeding. My dad is an avid reader who inculcated in me the idea that it is possible to have a super deep knowledge of all subjects. His knowledge is so deep and wide, it’s crazy,” she smiles.

A piano player who loves Beethoven, Mozart, and even contemporary tunes like Rag Time, Neha also strums the acoustic guitar. She paints too — oils and acrylic, with a love for landscapes and still art. Her sister Niharika, her playing companion, is incidentally also a budding innovator.

If science excites you, she urges,

“Start now! The world needs your unique talents and ideas, so find a real-world problem and begin innovating. Put your creativity and imagination towards solving a problem and use frameworks like my three-step process to guide you. Anyone can be a problem-solver, anyone can be an innovator.”

Her goal is to follow her parents’ footsteps and join Harvard, or MIT, but before that, Neha Shukla is busy — taking STEM knowledge to the world.

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“I’m currently working on a new innovation to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers' and Parkinsons' at an early-stage using brain-computer interfaces and artificial intelligence. I’m excited to begin my research and create my innovation starting Fall 2021,” she says.

“Start now! The world needs your unique talents and ideas, so find a real-world problem and begin innovating. Put your creativity and imagination towards solving a problem and use frameworks like my three-step process to guide you. Anyone can be a problem-solver, anyone can be an innovator.”