Indian-American Gitanjali Rao made headlines as she was named TIME magazine’s first-ever Kid Of The Year for her “astonishing work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying.”
Rao was picked from over 5,000 nominees, and is on a mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve problems the world over. Here’s what you must know about the young star.
1. In 2017, she was named America’s Top Young Scientist for inventing Tethys, a device that detects lead contamination in water. The teenager had developed the device in five months. The lead contamination in Flint’s water bodies encouraged Rao to look for a solution.
2. She is the brain behind Kindly, an AI-based solution that flags cyberbullying content in real time. In addition, Rao developed Epione, an early diagnosis solution for prescription opioid addiction, backed by a mobile application.
3. She is on the board of Directors for Children’s Kindness Network, an organisation that creates awareness around the after effects of bullying and spreads an anti-bullying message. The teenager conducts workshops to instil the values of kindness among children.
4. Her first book, Baby Brother Wonders, was published at 9. The self-illustrated book, took readers on a journey from her brother’s point of view. The book won 2nd prize in the PBS national writing contest. In September 2020, she released her book titled, A Young Innovator’s Guide To Stem, with the aim to encourage everyone to be a problem solver.
5. She is a 3 time TEDx speaker, and has addressed a range of topics that deal with seeking solutions. She is also a UNICEF panellist that talks about the role of the youth to power the planet.
6. She loves to play the piano, dance, sing, swim, and baking. Rao has been playing classical music for nearly nine years now.
Her advice to the youth, “More than anything right now, we just need to find that one thing we're passionate about and solve it. Even if it's something as small as, I want to find an easy way to pick up litter. Everything makes a difference. Don't feel pressured to come up with something big,” she said in an interview with Angelina Jolie for TIME magazine.