April Surac is a teen innovator from Florida whose work focuses on building accessible, technology-driven solutions for students with learning differences and individuals with sensory challenges. April created Bookoli, an EdTech platform that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose dyslexia and related reading difficulties, with the goal of improving literacy rates and long-term academic retention. The platform has been tested with over 150 users and is currently partnered with 10 schools across Florida. Bookoli earned early-stage funding through a $1,000 grant from Microsoft for Startups and continues to grow through school pilots and educator feedback.

Additionally, April leads NeuraSensa, a neurotechnology and sensory design initiative she founded in 2024 to create interactive textile-based installations for individuals with autism, Alzheimer’s, and sensory processing challenges. She spends 25 to 40 hours each month designing and curating sensory-responsive pieces that blend materials, technology, and art to support cognitive engagement and emotional well-being, reaching over 10,000 attendees through public exhibitions and outreach.

Reach out to April: avrilsurac@gmail.com

About the host: Nirbhuy Arun is a 10-year-old Gifted Davidson’s Young Scholar, a MENSAn who lives in Richland, Washington, USA. He is interested in solving complex problems and has a deep passion in understanding the role of AI in medicine. He loves to work on embedded systems and spends his time researching math and loves to explore maps.

Hosted by Neha Sarda, Innovation World Podcast Series welcomes Jasper Gould and Emile Chilingirian, Cofounders and Copresidents of the BYCIG and Cohosts of Passing the Torch Media.

Learn more about BYCIG: https://bycig.org/ | jasper@bycig.org | emile@bycig.org

More about our host: Neha Sarda is a 17-year-old from Mumbai, India (turning 18 in July) with big dreams of becoming a CEO in the legal tech, biotech and fashion industries. Passionate about finance and obsessed with innovation, she builds business models and prototypes just for fun. Neha is the Senior Portfolio Manager at BYCIG, where she leads a 53-member investment analyst team and has previously co-founded two marketing agencies and a startup incubator. A natural on stage and a podcast host, she lives by the belief that curiosity isn't a phase, it's her strategy for changing the world.

Listen to more young innovator podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1589629
Learn more about Innovation World: https://innovationworld.org/

Cleaning Up the Future: Youth-Led Environmental Action in The Gambia with Sarra Baldeh

On this episode of the Young Collaborators Podcast Series, we’re exploring the fight against littering and waste mismanagement with a very special guest, Sarra Baldeh! Sarra is the Vice President and Co-Founder of Jama Youth Organization, a youth-led group in The Gambia, Africa working to promote environmental sustainability through community clean-ups and sanitation education. Today, he’ll be sharing more about himself, the work of Jama Youth, and how young people are leading the charge for a cleaner future.

Learn about the Jama Youth Organization: Jama Youths Association J.Y.A | Facebook

About the host: Aarin Bothra is a 15-year-old high school student from Aurora, Illinois. He is an inventor, innovator and the Co-Founder and Director of Seeds of Hope, an environmental nonprofit. Aarin speaks English, Hindi, Japanese and Spanish. Aarin is the Growth and Social Media Intern for Innovation World and a regular co-host and translator for presenters at the Global Innovation Field Trip.

Listen to more young innovator podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1589629

Learn more about Innovation World: https://innovationworld.org/

Join Aarin Bothra on the Young Collaborators Podcast Series as he interviews Alex Grab, Director of Offsite Programs at the Space Foundation.

Learn about space education, the Space Sustainability Competition (reg by Feb 14), National Space Day (May 2), and more!

About the host: Aarin Bothra is a 15-year-old high school student from Aurora, Illinois. He is an inventor, innovator and the Co-Founder and Director of Seeds of Hope, an environmental nonprofit. Aarin speaks English, Hindi, Japanese and Spanish. Aarin is the Growth and Social Media Intern for Innovation World and a regular co-host and translator for presenters at the Global Innovation Field Trip.

Learn more about: Space Foundation

Learn more about: National Space Day

Learn more about: Space Sustainability Competition

Listen to more young innovator podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1589629

Learn more about Innovation World: https://innovationworld.org/

The Young Collaborators Podcast Series welcomes Mr. Girish Ballolla, Founder and CEO of Gen Next Education, hosted by young innovator Aparajita Lohmor.

Girish Ballolla has dedicated his career to bridging gaps in global education. From leading impactful initiatives like College Genie to inspiring young minds worldwide, Mr. Ballolla’s work is a testament to the power of innovation in education.

About the podcast host: Aparajita Lohmor is a high school junior from Delhi, India, interested in STEM (Artificial Intelligence), finance, economics and music.

• Learn more about Gen Next Education http://www.gennexteducation.com/
• Listen to more young innovator podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1589629
• Learn more about Innovation World: https://innovationworld.org/

Dior Maryam Mbodj is a grade 3 student from Connecticut who was an award-winning innovator at the Connecticut Invention Convention, the National Innovator Challenge and the Global Innovation Challenge. Dior invented the DMM007 Detector. “The problem my innovation is trying to solve is that there are viruses and bacteria that make people sick. These germs are very small and hard to detect. I wanted to create an invention that could search, detect, alert, and disinfect these harmful germs. My goal is that my invention will help keep people safe and healthy.”

• Listen to more young innovator podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1589629
• Learn more about Innovation World: https://innovationworld.org/
• Learn more about the Connecticut Invention Convention: https://ctinventionconvention.org/
• Learn more about the National Innovator Challenge: https://nationalinnovatorchallenge.org/
• Learn more about the Global Innovation Challenge: https://www.inventfuture.global/gic/

The Innovation World Young Collaborators Podcast Series host Ruth Gelaye, a high school student from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda Maryland interviews Taylor Quinn (Tailored Food), who partners with ambitious local nutrition entrepreneurs in designing and selling food products to families hardest hit by malnutrition.

Taylor Quinn is an inspiring innovator and changemaker dedicated to ending global hunger by 2030 in alignment with UN global goal #2. He does this by designing food systems that are not only nutritious but also affordable and sustainable. Taylor’s impactful work spans the globe in over 30 countries, where he collaborates with farmers, local entrepreneurs, and global organizations to create tangible change in communities facing food insecurity. As the founder of Tailored Food, he is a recognized leader in the fight against malnutrition, with over 7 million meals produced and distributed to those in need. Taylor’s journey is one that offers both powerful insights and great inspiration to anyone who wants to drive change in the global fight for food security.

About the host: Ruth Gelaye is a co-founder and president of Novasta, an organization aimed at alleviating food waste and food insecurity by redirecting food that is left over at restaurants at the end of the day to homeless shelters. What makes Novasta unique is their triple focus on food waste alleviation, food insecurity alleviation, and policy and advocacy.

Learn more about Tailored Food: Tailored Food

Learn more about Novasta: https://linktr.ee/novastaboston

Listen to more young innovator podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1589629

Learn more about Innovation World: https://innovationworld.org/

Host of the Innovation World Young Collaborators Podcast Series, Suchita Srinivasan, a junior from Cheshire High School in Cheshire, Connecticut interviews Aarin Bothra, a junior at Oswego East High School in Oswego, Illinois.

Aarin shares about his non-profit organization, Seeds of Hope, which teaches the community and provides seeds at local library set ups in an effort to restore the prairie plants necessary to protect the environment Illinois. He will also share about Algae Air, an invention he and his high school teammates created to combat poor air quality. The Oswego Algae Air team was selected by Lemelson's InventTeam as one of 10 teams to provide funds to and year-long mentoring.

Aarin is a multi-talented 15-year-old. In addition to the exceptional things, he is doing at school and outside of school he is also volunteers for Innovation World as their Growth and Social Media Intern, Editor-in-Chief of the Innovation Insider Magazine, frequent podcast host, Global Story author, Lead Host on the Global Innovation Field Trip 24-hour event and language translator as needed.

About the host: Suchita is also a multi-year award-winning inventor, flutist, avid reader, and a podcaster.

Learn more about Seeds of Hope: https://www.ourseedsofhope.com/

Listen to more young innovator podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1589629

Learn more about Innovation World: https://innovationworld.org/