Gitanjali Rao: The Young Inventor Tackling Global Challenges.
Gitanjali Rao, an Indian-American innovator born November 19, 2005, in Lone Tree, Colorado, has made waves in STEM since her early teens with inventions addressing real-world problems like water contamination and opioid addiction. Now a 19-year-old bioengineering student at MIT, she continues to blend science, advocacy, and mentorship to inspire youth globally.
Early Sparks of Innovation.
From a young age, Rao was drawn to science, inspired by global issues like the Flint water crisis. At 10, she began researching lead detection, leading to her first major invention: Tethys, a portable device using carbon nanotube sensors and a mobile app to test water for lead in real-time. This project won her the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, marking her entry into the spotlight as a problem-solver.
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Groundbreaking Inventions.
Rao’s creativity extended to Epione, a tool for early opioid addiction detection via colorimetry, and Kindly, an AI app to combat cyberbullying by identifying harmful language. These inventions earned her an EPA Presidential Environmental Youth Award and patents, showcasing her focus on health, environment, and social tech solutions.
Speaking Out and Inspiring Others.
As an author of A Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM (2021) and speaker at TED events, Rao promotes innovation through workshops reaching over 80,000 students worldwide. She emphasizes empathy in problem-solving, mentoring young creators and advocating for accessible STEM education to foster diverse participation.
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Your support helps sustain our three core-programs which have reached and impacted 8.2M+ viewers this year alone!
Major Awards and Recognition.
In 2020, Rao became Time’s first Kid of the Year, interviewed by Angelina Jolie, and featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30. Her accolades include the 2025 Starmus Stephen Hawking Junior Medal for Science Communications, recognizing her efforts in public engagement with science.
Recent Pursuits and Future Vision.
As a rising MIT junior majoring in biological engineering with a minor in business management, Rao balances academics with ongoing advocacy. In 2025, she continues speaking on innovation’s role in empathy-driven change, aiming to bridge science and societal needs for a more inclusive future.
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