Spring 2023
THE QUARTERLY INSIGHT
“The power of our youth is the commonwealth for the entire world. The faces of young people are faces of our past, our present, and our future. No segment in society can match with the power, idealism, enthusiasm, and courage of young people.”
- Kailash Satyarthi, social reformer, human rights activist, and Noble Peace Prize recipient
The future of social innovation, like our past and present, will depend on our youth.
Even as a young professional, I have always valued the thoughts and talents of those younger than me. A part of the reason why goes back to my childhood. I grew up at a time when young people were told to be “seen, but not heard.” This was a common saying used when children attempted to converse with adults. As with most children, when I heard those words, I took that as a warning to discontinue expressing my thoughts or prepare for a harsh scolding if I uttered another word in the presence of adults. Recognizing “clear and present danger,” I would simply hurry back to the other children and forget the questions and comments that might or might not have added value to the discussion.
Silencing, or at least attempting to silence, our children has always been part of our society’s culture, even though the voices of young people have always played a critical role in instigating social impact and innovation. Where would we be if the following “kids” were not allowed to sit and speak at the adult's table:
Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook and Meta Platforms - completely disrupted the idea that your neighbor or friend was only the person who lived down the street from you. In high school, he built a program that allowed all the computers between his house and his father's dental office to communicate. He eventually founded Facebook at 20 years old.
Philo Farnsworth, inventor of the television set - when it comes to social activities, few outside of Philo have set the tone for how the world engages with its family and friends for over a century. He invented the concept of a television at 14 years old.
Blaise Pascal - invented the calculator - while some would argue we use our minds less often to do math, we still owe a debt of gratitude for Blaise setting us on the road to using technology to advance our ability to make discoveries through mathematics. He designed the calculator when he was only 19 years old.
These are just a few examples of young people not allowing the hierarchy of the times to stifle their curiosity. Because the past does not anchor the younger generation, they can think and act without the institutional “shackles” of the status quo. While narrowing the voices we listen to helps move the masses; the dual effect is constraining those put on this earth to help us rethink our norms for solving problems, building communities, and leveling the playing field.
So how do we find the right balance? It starts with the environment around our young people, specifically at home and school. Adults must set the tone by embracing and internalizing the belief that they can learn from young people even as they teach. Developing this mindset can begin breaking down learning barriers that stifle discovery. Next, fostering curiosity and creativity must become an essential soft skill in cultivating innovation in youth. In our homes, families that create interactive spaces for children to explore topics - through conversations, games, or projects - provide a safe environment to experiment and practice in ways that provoke opportunities for discovery and growth. In our schools, we must consider how the traditional learning model impedes creative thinking and potentially prevents the nurturing of future innovators in our society. A quote from a recent study on exploring the creative potential in science classrooms:
“Current educational policies and attempts to standardize school systems tend to reduce creativity rather than promote it (Kupers et al., 2018)." Therefore, teachers have to find ways to encourage creativity, particularly in science classrooms, so that graduates can meet the demands of an innovative, globalized economy (Henriksen et al., 2018) and develop creative approaches to problems ranging in complexity (Aldous, 2007).
The world belongs to those who shape it. If our global community truly wants those who shape it to be capable of moving our society forward, intentionally creating healthy and inspiring spaces for all people (but most especially our youngest) to learn, grow, and lead will increase the likelihood of seeing more innovative leaders naturally emerge from the masses to forge our new path.
Young and brilliant minds of today.
Here are some examples of young innovators that are helping us forge a new path across the world:
Gitanjali Rao - 17
Gitanjali is a senior at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, CO, who cultivates her passion for STEM by remaining active in giving back to the global community while promoting education in STEM and research. She is researching techniques to find a solution for opioid addiction utilizing genetic engineering at The University of Colorado.
Gitanjali has been presented with various prestigious awards for her work in STEM and promoting community wellness. She was named America’s Top Young Scientist of 2017 by The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Program based on her patent-pending technique used to detect lead in water faster than any current technology. In 2019 she was named to Forbes 30 under 30 within the science division for her lead detection invention. She recently launched an anti-cyberbullying service based on AI technology under Microsoft’s guidance and was awarded the eCYBERMISSION STEM in Action grant to implement her solution. She stays active within the STEM community by conducting weekly sessions to promote STEM-based activities in schools and clubs. Through her philanthropic work, she has impacted more than 70,000 k-12 students.
Gitanjali advises younger generations to “observe, brainstorm, research, build, and communicate.” She is living by those words as she hopes to continue her work within previous projects and work with novel organizations that promote innovation and creativity. She dreams of studying the intersection of genetics, computer science, and design.
Prisha Shroff - 16
Prisha is a Sophomore at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, and is passionate about community service, STEM, and AI. Currently, Prisha is improving her system to identify potential wildfires and detect active fires using NASA and NOAA imagery. Her goal is to include a function that deploys a drone to an active fire and sprays the area with retardant before the fire begins.
Prisha has received various awards in STEM and leadership. In 2021, she received the Lemelson Award for Invention, which recognizes inventors utilizing techniques to solve real-world problems.
Prisha advises young people, “Be curious, dream big, and never give up.” Her goal is to continue creating innovative solutions to problems she sees and work to give all kids an equal opportunity to education and resources.
Youth founders making a difference in the world.
In addition to high schoolers that are working to make the world a better place, here are some examples of companies created by young people that are dedicated to making the world a better, more accessible place for all:
Justice Text, co-founded by Leslie Jones Drive and Devshi Mehotra
Justice Text was established by Leslie Jones Drive (25) and Devshi Mehrotra (25) while attending the University of Chicago. 2016 was Devshi’s freshman year, and she began to notice the use of force within the Police Department in Chicago in communities of color and was driven to change that. During 2016, Chicago experienced a peak in murders, shootings, and violent crimes and was named the most segregated city in America.
Devshi enlisted the help of co-founder and fellow computer science classmate, Leslie, to create software to aid in reforming the American criminal justice system using audiovisual evidence that generates transcripts of body footage, interrogation videos, jail calls, and more. The software applies natural body language processing algorithms to automatically identify critical parts of a transcript and enable lawyers to generate clips in preparation for trial.
Field of Vision, co-founded by Time Farrelly, Omar Salem, and David Deneher
Field of Vision was created by Tim Farrelly (23), Omar Salem (23), and David Deneher (22) after seeing a viral video of a visually impaired man at a soccer game while attending Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. The man’s friend was tracing the ball's position in his palm, and the founders wanted to create a device that could do this for any visually impaired fan.
The technology uses AI to track key data points in the soccer game, such as real-time movement of the ball position and team possession. This data is transmitted using handheld devices for fans to use in the stadium. Additionally, users can feel the intensity and swerve of a shot plus player collisions.
Welcome to The KAL Firm!
Caroline Stanfield
We are excited to announce that we have added Caroline Stanfield to the team. Caroline graduated from Oglethorpe University, majored in Neuroscience, and was also a Women's Lacrosse Team member. Upon graduation, Caroline worked as a Neurophysiologist at NielsenIQ, focusing on marketing research experiments and marketing campaign implementation for Nielsen clients. Caroline was also a Lab Manager for Emory University School of Medicine, where she focused on developing modified research protocols and staff training. Caroline is thrilled to bring her passion for social impact and skills in research and analysis to the firm.
Kenan Scholars Program
We are delighted to partner with The University of North Carolina in the inaugural internship program with the Kenan Scholars Program. The Kenan Scholars Program provides a transformative scholarship experience to 25 sophomores passionate about learning how business, policy, academia, and government play a role in the nonprofit sector. Our organization is excited to work with and welcomes the following interns: Khushi Jain, Shivalee Patel, Rohan Tapiawala, Arnav Gunwani, and Richard Liu. The firm has worked diligently to curate a summer experience that provides an opportunity for these students to learn through training, engaging with vital nonprofit leaders, and working on initiatives that are critical to the firm's success.
