California teen Adarsh Ambati uses AI to save water
Compiled by: Darshana Ramdev
(November 19, 2022) In 2018, then 13-year-old Adarsh Ambati’s life came temporarily to a standstill when his mum suffered a third-degree heart block. Adarsh recalls seeing her connected to wires that were meant to monitor health but didn’t allow her to move around. So, Adarsh Ambati, now the founder of the Green Initiatives Movement, decided to develop a portable, cost-effective device that could monitor vital signs without hampering mobility.
Nine months later, the prototype for the vital signs monitor was ready. By the time he won the prestigious Gloria Barron Prize in 2021, Adarsh had also devised the Community Sprinkler and started an Amphibian Biodiversity Protection Initiative.
Adarsh Ambati
The Contactless Monitor
Now a freshman at Stanford University, Adarsh’s first project, the Contactless Monitor, was ready nine months after his mother’s illness. Fortunately, her mobility had been restored, so Adarsh ran over 1000 tests on his protype, as part of a 40-participant pilot study. “It took me around nine months to develop the device and build an app with notifications so doctors could use it, but also regular people,” he told The Guardian. “Because it’s contactless and relatively portable, it could even be used to detect infectious diseases like Covid-19.”
Even as a teenager, the young Global Indian was especially perceptive of the world around him, alive to its problems and eager to find solutions, which he does using his deep interest in technology and coding. Growing up in California, he noticed his neighbours using automatic sprinklers, using vast amounts of precious water on landscaping.
A low-cost community sprinkler alert system
“While going to school in the rain one day, I saw one of my neighbours with their sprinklers on, creating run-offs,” he told Vintage Billboard. “Through research, I found that 25 percent of the water used in an average American household is wasted each day due to overwatering and inefficient watering methods.”
In 2016, Adarsh began work on a prototype for a smart, low-cost, community sprinkler alert system. When he conducted a two-month pilot with 10 neighbouring homes, he found they had the potential to save some 50,000 gallons of water in a couple of months. “The sprinkler system is compliant with water regulations, to cost-effectively save water for entire neighbourhoods using a Raspberry Pi, moisture sensors, PyOWM (weather database) and by utilising free social media networks like Twitter,” he added.
The idea was to save the excess water that is wasted during general-purpose irrigation. The device can detect and integrate real-time weather forecast data to provide the optimum levels of water. It doesn’t stop there. The sprinkler alert system is also connected to social media and can publish information on when to turn on sprinklers and for how long.
The prototype cost about $50, which, incidentally, is less expensive than the higher-end smart sprinklers. By Adarsh’s estimate, it can be brought down to about five cents or less per household, since the device can serve an entire community.
A scalable model
Some 83 percent of water used in outdoor landscaping can be saved, a huge deal in Northern California, 100 gallons of water is used for outdoor landscaping everyday, in an average household. The sprinkler alert system was also presented to the San Jose City Council, who even considered installing the system in their public grass areas.
Recognition found Adarsh in 2019, when he won MagPi Magazine’s Coolest Projects USA competition. Phil Colligan, the CEO of Raspberry Pi, also expressed his support. In 2021, he received the prestigious Gloria Barron Prize. Adarsh is also the founder of Gro-STEMS, which sells succulents to support technology training at San Jose’s LifeMoves Homeless Shelter and Aarti Girls School for abandoned children in Kadapa, India.
(November 12, 2022) When Lakshya Sen began training at the Prakash Padukone Academy at the age of 12, little did the Indian shuttler know that in the next nine years, he would reach a career-best sixth spot in the Badminton World Federation Rankings. The boy from Almora, who is in sensational form this season, has gained 76,424 points from 25 tournaments, thus catapulting him from the eighth position to the sixth. Lakshya took to Twitter to share his gratitude, and tweeted, "Being ranked 6 in the world motivates me to work even harder during the season. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank everyone who believes in me and supports me." Being ranked 6 in the world motivates me to work even harder during the season. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank everyone who believes in me and supports me. 🙏🏻 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/LjVKo2YbAl — Lakshya Sen (@lakshya_sen) November 8, 2022 The Indian star shuttler had a stellar 2022 where he was a member of the Thomas Cup winning team, reached the finals of 2022 All England Open, and also won the Commonwealth Games Men’s singles Gold in Birmingham in August. "This has been an amazing year for
The Indian star shuttler had a stellar 2022 where he was a member of the Thomas Cup winning team, reached the finals of 2022 All England Open, and also won the Commonwealth Games Men’s singles Gold in Birmingham in August. "This has been an amazing year for me. From the time I was a child, I dreamed of participating in the All-England championships. As a matter of fact, that was the only tournament I was aware of at the time. Being a part of the finals was one of the most incredible experiences," he tweeted.
The sport in his blood
The 21-year-old Commonwealth Games champion has badminton in his blood. Raised in the cantonment town of Almora in Uttrakhand, Sen was always fascinated by the game as he remembers holding his grandfather's hand at the mere age of five and following him to the only outdoor court in the town. His grandfather, Chandra Lal Sen, was known as the grand old man of badminton in Almora. It was during his first posting in Bahraich, near the Nepal border that he first saw the game of badminton, and instantly took a liking to it, so much that he even represented civil services tournament. He later brought the game to Almora, and his son (Sen's father) DK Sen followed in his footsteps. So, when Lakshya was seven, he began training under his father, who is nothing short of a revolutionary in the field of coaching.
[caption id="attachment_24099" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Lakshya Sen has reached the sixth spot at BWF World Rankings[/caption]
Sen's coaching began with multi-feed shuttle drill, which essentially means that the coach stands in the center of the other court and keeps on hitting shuttles in different parts of the player's court making him move from one corner to another. While most players begin multi-feed drills at a later stage, Lakshya was at it from the go. "He hardly had a childhood. From age five, it has been badminton all the time. From 4.30 in the morning, even when it is bitterly cold, he was out training with his father," his mother told News 18.
While the initial training set the foundation for him, things started to shift for Sen in 2013 when his father took him to Prakash Padukone Academy to train under U Vimal Kumar and Prakash Padukone. This paved Lakshya’s way to the top of the junior circuit, helping him become World No 1 junior player in 2017. "My grandfather was a badminton player and my father is a coach. So, that’s how I got introduced to the sport and once I started doing well at junior tournaments, I decided to become a professional shuttler," Lakshya told Firstpost.
Beginning of a stellar career
The transition from top junior player to an equally successful player in the senior circuit came with its trials and tribulations during his short stint at the academy run by Danish legend Morten Frost. However, the constant work on his strength and stamina proved to be beneficial for the shuttler. He bounced back in 2018 by winning a bronze at World Junior Championship, a gold at the Asian Juniors and a gold in a mixed team, and a silver in men's singles at Youth Olympic Games. These years of practice on the court have made him patient as a player and have yielded him good results.
Taking home the Thomas Cup was an incredible accomplishment for India. Together, we delivered when it mattered most.
I won't participate in the Australian open. So no more international tournament this year.
Will start with malasiya open next year in Jan. 💪 pic.twitter.com/sabdaKXsQ0
"Compared to my junior days, I am a little more patient. Trying to rally more. I need to improve this more for sure, but there are a lot more things to learn, but from then to now, it is a difference in my game. That I make the effort to play better strokes from the back, not just go all out with smashes... trying to build up a point. In the senior circuit, everyone is fit and the shuttle keeps coming back. You have to play long rallies, long matches. Preparing for that, I have improved my fitness," he told Scroll in an interview.
The very next year, Sen won his first BWF Tour title by winning the Dutch Open men's singles title after beating Yusuke Onodera of Japan. The same year, he also won the 2019 Scottish Open in November. However, it was a two-week training with Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in August 2021 that turned out to be a gamechanger for Lakshya as he learnt varied training methods along with strengthening and conditioning. This stint with Axelsen eventually put Lakshya on course to his recent success, including the CWG 2022 win. Despite the big stage, Lakshya didn't put pressure on himself "thinking about the medal" as he always had the belief that he can do well.
The sports star has bowed out of the Australian Open due to a throat infection, but he is set to cast his spell again with Malaysia Open in January 2023, and his fans cannot wait to see him on the court again.
(November 16, 2023) In January 2022, Goldcast, a Bay Area B2B events platform received $28 million in funding. It was a critical moment for co-founders Kishore Kothandaraman, Aashish Srinivas and Palash Soni, after four years of building the company in a country where they had each arrived as students. Now, the company hopes to hit the $100 million mark in the next four years. Victory was hard-won for Kishore Kothandaraman, the small-town boy from Neyveli, an industrial town in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district. When he made it to Harvard Business School, he thought he could finally tell his parents that they no longer needed to worry about him. One year later, however, he quit his Ivy League Education, along with his classmate Palash Soni, to found his own company instead, rising above the pressure from a society that continues to value education above all else. [caption id="attachment_34139" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Kishore Kothandaraman | Co-Founder Goldcast[/caption] "I grew up in Neyveli, dad is a civil engineer and mum is a teacher," the Global Indian said in an interview. "Everything was provided to me but nothing in abundance. What I wanted, I had to earn. That's the first thing my parents taught me.
"I grew up in Neyveli, dad is a civil engineer and mum is a teacher," the Global Indian said in an interview. "Everything was provided to me but nothing in abundance. What I wanted, I had to earn. That's the first thing my parents taught me. And the other - what you earn, you give back to society in a meaningful way." He grew up in a middle-class household learning the value of money while not really wanting for anything.
Growing up with challenges
Kishore's life changed when he was 13 years old, and his father was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. "It was not clear if he would make it through or not," Kishore recalls. His father went on to have a series of health concerns after that, including a heart attack a couple of years after his diagnosis. "I was a teen, getting through school and it was hard to see him go through it. But it taught me that if he could overcome such immense struggles in life, I can definitely figure out the smaller obstacles that came my way." Determined to make something of himself, to make them proud and to ensure that they were taken care of, Kishore set his sights on a good school, and a good university. He graduated as an engineer and worked with Blackbuck, a trucking logistics unicorn in India. "I got to see how a small group of ambitious misfits can build something from scratch and win against incumbents." And that, Kishore states, is exactly what he's hoping to do with B2B events.
The Ivy League journey
In engineering college, he noticed that his seniors were applying for MBAs at brand name business schools and going on to do very well for themselves. Kishore decided to do the same and entered the big league when he was accepted at Harvard Business School. However, Kishore was already dreaming of running a big company of his own and entered Harvard hoping it would put him on the path to his dreams. "When I came to Harvard Business School I was constantly looking for ideas and potential business partners," Kishore said. It's not an approach that Indians in Ivy League schools usually have - risking it all to start a company. Luckily for him, he found not just ideas at Harvard but his future business partner, Palash Soni.
One year in, Kishore and Palash both dropped out of school. They founded Goldcast in 2020, just before Covid hit the world. They decided on a SaaS company, a digital events platform for B2B marketers to host events with prospective customers, from webinars to larger user conferences and hybrid events. "The objective is twofold," Kishore explains. "Marketers want a great experience and second, since you're hosting an event, can you collect data on that platform for sales and marketing teams to use post the event."
They knew very little about starting or running a business at the time. What's more, they were both in the US on student visas and couldn't work in that. It was one of the many challenges they faced, as strangers in a foreign ecosystem that seemed to have no place for them. They had savings but those were in Indian rupees and didn't translate to much. What's more, the pandemic brought the world into lockdown and messed up the playing field for immigrant founders like Kishore and Soni. But they knew immediately that the pandemic held a big opportunity. This was their chance to become frontrunners in the digital and hybrid event space. "We were excited because we didn't know what we were getting into," Kishore smiles.
Even the first step was fraught with challenges - funding. "It was a big deal and very tough. We didn't know how to raise funds," Kishore admits. Palash, meanwhile, had a wife and a baby to support and the immigration landscape wasn't looking favourable. Kishore wanted to ensure his parents had everything they needed. Both the young entrepreneurs refused to give up, however. They also didn't know whom to ask for funding. "Investors like to get calls from people they know, or whom they are introduced to personally," Kishore says.
Fighting for a dream
There was only one thing to do - stick with it. The co-founders were frustrated when their efforts didn't lead anywhere but "we believe in the idea so much that we finally managed to get a couple of million in the early funding round." The hardest part, they say, was roping in the first 10-15 customers. Finally, they received $2 million in early funding. "We had some competitors, though and by the time we raised $2 million they had raised $500 million," Kishore says. "How can you compete with that? Putting your heart and soul into it and convincing people to try the product out becomes crucial."
One of their first paying customers was Harvard University itself. The university encouraged entrepreneurship among its students and alumni and paid them $20,000 to host an event for the freshmen. Thirty minutes in and the platform crashed. "It was terrible PR for us," Kishore recalls. "That's how we were being remembered. Goldcast? Aren't they the company that organised that event? Yeah, that's the same one."
The road less taken
Trial and error was the only way to learn, though. "It's a very lonely journey. Only a few people can understand what that really means. Only founders know. It's very hard to express that to your family, to your peers or your employees. I remember reading once, most businesses fail because founders get tired." It is a tiring process, Kishore soon learned, when most people say no to you. As a founder he had to put pressure on his employees too. "You have to put up a good fight because it's a war. You and your co-founders have to be very prepared for it."
They had to push themselves and the product in the market, to get in people's faces and share their story and message. "People are biased towards those they are comfortable with, and being a non-native speaker in a foreign country makes it even more challenging." Watching his competitors receive hundreds of millions in funding, and learning to live with the decision to quit an Ivy League school and a very coveted degree for a startup - Goldcast's founders had many 'why bother' moments.
Bright future
They persisted, though and they're glad they did. "Now, people are realising that this is someone we want to partner with." Goldcast has a solid team of people all working to build the company, and make sure that it becomes a single platform that marketers can use for all events. "Reaching $100 million in revenue is a big milestone for SaaS companies and we want to achieve it in four years," Kishore says, adding, "I want to go to NASDAQ and ring that bell.
(July 11, 2023) As she began her career as an investment banker, Anushka Rathod noticed her friends, who were working as engineers, architects and designers, were saving up for the first time - and had no clue how to go about it. The would come to her with basic questions on personal finance and unaware of the content out there, Anushka would simply say, "Google it." However, the path to financial literacy would complex and full of jargon, too much for the layman to digest. Anushka decided to something about it, and began making short, funny videos that made personal finance more engaging and accessible to a wider audience. Today, the 24-year-old is a known name in the finance infotainment space, as she converts complex, often dry financial topics into entertaining videos. Her efforts have earned her over 5,00,000 followers on YouTube, and close to a million on Instagram. The Global Indian was also part of the delegation of India's top content creators who met with Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal, where she discussed challenges within the creator economy. She even teaches smaller hacks like, how to ensure restaurants don't inflate your bill. Her YouTube content is more in-depth, as
content is more in-depth, as she analyses various industries, discusses startup stories and talks about business developments around the world.
Now, financial literacy doesn't have to be a drag any longer. Anushka Rathod makes it all palatable - with videos like, "Do you want to buy a Louis Vuitton bag," where she breaks down the number of hours you would have to work to finance that splurge. These little parcels of know-how are her Instagram content - you can learn how to file your IT returns, or get a headstart on your child's finances.
Anushka's family ran their own textile business and for as long as she can remember, dinner-table conversations were always around finance and business. "My family is in textiles so our talk was all about fabrics and funding. That's how I became interested in business," she said. Her interest, however, lay more in analysing companies rather than in investing. "That brought me to finance and my entry point into the profession was as an investment banker," she explains. When she was around 16, she became interested in world economics, geopolitics and finance. "I was reading a lot about that, doing debates and stuff. When I was 18, I was introduced to stock markets and finance."
Growing up in a conservative household, Anushka's journey to content creation came with its share of trials and tribulations. "As I kid, I would hear that the woman's job is to look pretty," she said. "I was always worrying about what society wanted, about making decisions that were seen as 'respectable', and worrying about who was saying what." The decisions she made were always the ones that would bring her approval and validation. She managed to do this to some extent, but it was never fulfilling.
The struggle for self-acceptance
By the time she hit her teens, Anushka had trained herself to believe that her only duty as a girl was to look pretty, and she had failed. It robbed her of her self-confidence. "I would sit inside the house all day because I was ashamed of how I looked. I wouldn't go to social functions, I had no hobbies. I would just sit at home with my nose in a book - which my family would comment on also." Anushka Rathod has come a long way, from being scared to leave the house to sitting in front of a camera and being seen by millions around the world. She's still not fully at ease, she admits, but she perseveres, because the process itself gives her great joy.
One turning point came when she was in sixth grade. She was doing well in school and was featured in the local paper. "Everybody congratulated me," she recalls. "My grandfather wsa so proud he was calling everyone he knew to tell them to look at the newspaper that day. I was so proud of myself and for the first time in my life, I was happy," Anushka says. "But from that moment on, I began performing for approval. I gave up swimming, which I loved, because it would ruin my hair and my skin. Everything I did was for validation - for acceptance, really. But this is always short-lived. If I didn't achieve anything for a while, I would feel that void again."
"I wanted to do well in Grade 12 and make it to India's top university. All of it was to protect my image," she said. She studied all day, getting increasingly stressed out and finding no joy in what she was learning. And at the end of it, she didn't make the cutoff for the university of her choice.
Anushka was at another crossroads, forced to make a decision about her life. "I decided to go to a smaller university and spend some time learning who I am and what I like," she said. She could name one thing she enjoyed - reading. So, she read all the time, this time without guilt. "I wasn't reading for marks but out of interest." This is what led her to the stock markets and to finance. She also found good mentors who told her what to read and what workshops to attend, she learned investment strategies and how to invest in the stock market.
Making the unconventional choice
"I was reading entire stories of companies and their history with the stock market, then writing reports on them," she said. "I would participate in conclaves and conferences as much as I could." She enjoyed equity research so much she decided to go into investment banking. It was a big moment. Anushka took great pride in learning that she was the youngest person - and the only girl on the team. "I was proud of this but I didn't like the work. I loved research but I was spending my time working on Excel sheets," she says. "But I stuck with the job because people were proud of me."
[caption id="attachment_31791" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Finfluencer Anushka Rathod paves the way for financial literacy[/caption]
Finally, she mustered up the strength to quit, and around the same time, Covid-19 hit. Anushka had the time now to do what she loved - reading and research. That's when she found content creators on YouTube who were doing research and creating content. "I gave it a shot and I absolutely loved it," she says, describing her entry into financial literacy through engaging content. Her CFA exam was coming up and her old company asked her to rejoin but she "decided not to fall into that trap. I was genuindly happy now, doing what I was doing."
Making an impact as a content creator
Making videos for a personal social media account is all very well, but doing so for a living was a different matter. "But I didn't bother. You have to do the things you like," she says, firmly. By October of 2020, she was getting recognition for her videos.
Success had found her, she was doing what she loved and making an impact by bringing financial literacy to everyone. That's when she discovered the challenges of being onine. "Negative comments would make me cry for hours," she recalls. "I was always a people pleaser. If people criticised me I would delte the video. Then I thought, if i want to be a successful content creator, I knew I had to get used to the fact that people would criticise me."
Anushka Rathod now lives in Bengaluru, and is also educating young people on the realities of living alone and managing their finances as they do so. "I'm one of the few lucky people who wakes up in the morning and decides what the day will be like," she smiles. The mornings are spent on research and talking to people for inputs. "I'm most passionate about my YouTube channel, where I dissect business stories. In the evenings, I shoot my reels and videos and spend the rest of the day editing," she explains. "Everyday is brand new, there is no monotony. It's a challenge to make a new video everyday - there are ups an ddowns, you have great videos an dbad ones, but just the energy and volatility is super exciting."
Takeaways
Advising young people on how to make a career in finance, she says, "If you're right out of college, do a CA or an MBA from a reputed university. There are other additional courses as well. Or, you can research industries and write reports, learn Excel modelling, network on LinkedIn and meet people from the field. These practical skills will help you get a foot in the door."
(November 13, 2024) When Soo Mei Fei appears on stage, dressed in her Bharatanatyam costume made out of Kanchipuram silk sarees, audiences can’t help but be drawn to her. Her distinct Chinese features, paired with the traditional Indian attire - complete with intricate pleats, jewellery, and expressive makeup - create a mesmerising contrast that has quickly turned her into a rising star. This unique combination, along with her graceful precision and dedication to each movement, showcases a commitment that transcends cultural boundaries, making her performances fascinating. “I’m blessed to learn Bharatanatyam,” Mei Fei shared in an interview. “It’s such a beautiful art. It’s not been an easy journey, but it has been extremely fulfilling. I want to train more,” she added. The beginning as a teenager’s curiosity For Soo Mei Fei, who is now in her twenties, her fascination with Bharatanatyam started unexpectedly at the age of 17. While attending the National Junior College in Singapore, she stumbled upon a try-out session for Indian dance. Originally intrigued by Bollywood, she and her classmates assumed the session would focus on Bollywood dance. To their surprise, they were introduced to Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance known for its intricate footwork, expressive gestures,
al Junior College in Singapore, she stumbled upon a try-out session for Indian dance. Originally intrigued by Bollywood, she and her classmates assumed the session would focus on Bollywood dance. To their surprise, they were introduced to Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance known for its intricate footwork, expressive gestures, and emotive storytelling. Though the majority lost interest, Mei Fei was hooked.
Determined to understand the art form fully, she began digging into Bharatanatyam’s history, spending hours at libraries near her home in Punggol. “It was fascinating,” she reflected. “I wanted to know everything, from the significance of the hand gestures to the stories conveyed through each dance sequence.” Her dedication to understanding this art form laid the groundwork for the journey that followed.
Challenges on the path
The young dancer’s path in Bharatanatyam wasn’t without hurdles. Learning from Vijaya Nadesan, her instructor at Apsara Arts - a prestigious dance academy in Singapore -Mei Fei soon realised the challenges of grasping the technicalities of Bharatanatyam as a non-Indian. Her Chinese heritage meant that the language, lyrics, and cultural nuances were initially foreign. Mei Fei remembers the struggle of understanding Carnatic music that accompanies Bharatanatyam performances, often resorting to Google Translate and spending extra hours reviewing each lesson.
Despite the obstacles, she dedicated herself wholeheartedly, spending entire days at the academy, watching her teachers and classmates. This immersive approach allowed her to improve steadily, and with time, she began to master Bharatanatyam’s unique hand gestures (hastas), foot movements (sthankas), and facial expressions (abhinaya).
Connecting with Indian culture through dance
Over the years, Bharatanatyam became more than just a dance form for Soo Mei Fei. It became a bridge to Indian culture. She began donning traditional Indian saris, learning the art of wearing them, and embraced the aesthetic requirements of Bharatanatyam. “Most of my friends had their mums to help them get dressed, but I had to learn a lot on my own, getting valuable tips from friends and teachers along the way,” told the young dancer whose Bharatanatyam batchmates are mostly Indian.
Bharatanatyam also introduced her to Carnatic music, which she now adores. “It’s very rich. The lyrics and melody have a lot of meaning behind them. I understand the songs because I feel it,” she explained. The connection was so profound that in 2018, she took up another Indian dance form, Odissi, expanding her knowledge and appreciation of Indian classical arts.
Bharatanatyam in Singapore
The introduction of Bharatanatyam to Singapore began with pioneer practitioners from India and Sri Lanka, who brought the classical dance form to life through their productions that included members of the diaspora and non-Indian artists. This collaboration promotes unity in diversity, as people from different ethnic communities bond over learning and performing Bharatanatyam. These interactions also lead to an exchange of ideas across ethnic dance styles. Inspired by their teachers, students of these pioneers have begun using Bharatanatyam as a tool to educate Singaporeans on social issues, breaking traditional boundaries. While performances were once rooted in Hindu texts and mythology, today, the youth choreographers have shifted towards using Bharatanatyam to convey meaningful messages, moving beyond entertainment.
Arangetram: A milestone in her journey
Soo Mei Fei’s commitment culminated in her Arangetram in 2021, a debut solo performance that marks a dancer’s readiness to perform on stage independently. This achievement was a significant milestone, as Arangetram is often regarded as the pinnacle of a Bharatanatyam dancer’s journey. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Mei Fei worked tirelessly, balancing her part-time job, university studies, and dance practice to prepare for the performance.
Reflecting on the challenges she faced, Mei Fei shared, “I didn’t have time to practise for the entire week before the rehearsal, and I just hoped my efforts from before would pull me through. My rehearsal ended up going okay, and that’s when I realised that sometimes you just have to let go.” This experience taught her to trust her skills and the journey she had undertaken. “The movements in Bharatanatyam are very structured, and the dance itself just gives me a form of stability. It is my solid anchor,” she shared, expressing how dance has become her grounding force amidst life’s challenges.
Empowering through art and education
As a certified Bharatanatyam dancer and a graduate in Fine Arts from LASALLE College of the Arts, Soo Mei Fei’s journey now extends beyond personal achievement. She’s passionate about fostering an appreciation for Bharatanatyam among younger generations, especially non-Indians. “Art should not have boundaries. It’s a great learning experience to know more about another culture that is different from us,” she says. “In doing so, we discover that we are more similar to each other than we thought”.
Her work as an instructor at children’s enrichment centres and dance academies in Singapore allows her to instil this philosophy in her students. To Mei Fei, Bharatanatyam is more than a series of movements—it’s a means of personal growth, self-expression, and cultural discovery. She sees her students not just learning dance techniques but also developing qualities like discipline, resilience, and empathy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKWB4PchDsg
Looking Ahead…
Soo Mei Fei envisions a future where Bharatanatyam continues to flourish across cultural boundaries. She’s interested in exploring collaborative projects that merge Bharatanatyam with other art forms, such as classical piano or visual arts, and creating interdisciplinary performances that bring new dimensions to the traditional art form.
For Mei Fei, every step she takes in Bharatanatyam makes her belief stronger that art transcends borders and unites people from diverse backgrounds. Her journey reflects the power of curiosity, dedication, and the unyielding pursuit of passion. Soo Mei Fei reminds us that the language of art is universal, resonating with the heart regardless of where we come from.
(June 1, 2023) In a world plagued by the urgent threat of climate change, the need for sustainable and clean energy solutions has reached a critical juncture. However, as the world grapples with the challenges of dwindling resources and escalating environmental concerns, a young Indian American researcher, Shomik Verma is leading the charge towards a greener future. Recently bestowed with the prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship, Shomik has emerged as a beacon of hope, dedicating his expertise and unwavering commitment to developing groundbreaking advancements in clean energy. A Ph.D. student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the researcher is fascinated by the future of energy and has worked in a variety of fields including electric vehicles, solar cells, fuel cells, hydrogen production, thermal energy storage, and thermophotovoltaics. "At MIT, my current endeavours revolve around several compelling projects. Firstly, I am engaged in modelling the optimal implementation of a thermal energy grid storage system, aiming to bolster the reliability of renewable energy sources, shares the researcher, as he connects with Global Indian, adding, "I am dedicated to the design of a cutting-edge power plant that harnesses the potential of hydrogen combustion and thermophotovoltaic power generation. Also, I am focused on
earcher, as he connects with Global Indian, adding, "I am dedicated to the design of a cutting-edge power plant that harnesses the potential of hydrogen combustion and thermophotovoltaic power generation. Also, I am focused on fine-tuning the performance of thermophotovoltaic cells through meticulous first-principles calculations."
A child prodigy
Born to immigrant parents from Bihar, who had come to America in search for better opportunities, the young researcher experienced the rich essence of Indian culture during his childhood. "I grew up in Sugar Land, Texas, and was surrounded by the sights, smells, and sounds of Indian culture. Whether it was spending my weekends watching Bollywood movies or indulging in delicious meals at my favourite restaurants in Hillcroft, I always felt a deep connection to my Indian roots. What also helped was that there were several Indian Americans in Texas, and many of my friends were from the community. So, I never felt out of place. Education was highly valued at my place, and on many weekends, you would find me competing in math competitions alongside fellow Asian Americans," shares Shomik, who is also a very skilled tabla player.
While he was a meticulous student right from the beginning, it was during his high school years that the young researcher began to catch interesting patterns that paved his career path. During the math competitions he attended, Shomik noticed a recurring trend: these events were frequently sponsored by oil and gas companies. This discovery pushed Shomik to undertake an important project seeking sustainable storage for storing carbon dioxide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcP7k-MBhbw
"I found myself caught between two worlds — one driven by the fossil fuel industry that supported my way of life, and the other marked by the looming danger of global warming that I studied about in school. To bridge these contrasting realities, I undertook a project during high school, collaborating with the multinational corporation Schlumberger on carbon capture and storage. My goal was to identify suitable locations for storing carbon dioxide. However, instead of finding the clarity I sought, I discovered that the stored carbon was often utilised for enhanced oil recovery, which only added further complexity to the situation," shares the researcher, who did not stop working on the issue despite several hurdles.
Driven by challenges
As the researcher finished his high school, a tragedy struck the family. Shomik lost his uncle to black lung disease, which occurs dues to continued exposure to coal dust. As he recovered from the blow, Shomik decided it was time to devote his life to clean energy. The researcher joined Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering to pursue his graduation in mechanical engineering. During his time at Duke, Shomik won the prestigious Marshall Scholarship for his research on solar thermal hydrogen production and hydrogen fuel cell optimisation for vehicle applications. In fact, Shomik helped lead the Duke Electric Vehicles team to two Guinness World Records for fuel efficiency, for both battery electric and fuel cell vehicles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJKcyCK_ZAs
Recalling his time there, the young researcher shares, "During my time at Duke University, I have been fortunate to fully immerse myself in the world of science through numerous hands-on experiences. From residing at the Smart Home and actively participating in the installation of solar panels to constructing high-efficiency vehicles, I have personally witnessed the positive impact that novel energy technologies can have on both the environment and human well-being. These tangible, real-world applications serve as a constant source of inspiration, propelling me towards a research career dedicated to creating innovative solutions for the challenges we face in the realm of energy." Shomik, who was the president of the Duke Energy Club, was also elected to Tau Beta Pi and serves as co-president of Pi Tau Sigma.
The road ahead...
From Duke, the researcher moved to the UK, where he attended the University of Cambridge and Imperial College of London to pursue an MPhil in material science. "As a Marshall Scholar in the UK, I focused on enhancing the efficiency of solar cells. My research revolved around utilising computational chemistry and machine learning to design innovative photon conversion materials," he shares.
Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the guidance of Professor Asegun Henry, the young researcher wishes to work on and develop renewable and clean energy sources for the world. "At present, I am actively engaged in researching energy storage techniques aimed at enhancing the dependability of variable renewable energy sources, particularly solar power. My ultimate aspiration after completing my Ph.D. is to utilise the knowledge and skills I have acquired to drive the decarbonisation of industries. I wish to facilitate the widespread availability of affordable, clean, and dependable energy for all," says the researcher, as he signs off.
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