Gitanjali Rao’s profile and achievements defy conventional wisdom on human growth. At 15, this Indo-American girl hailing from Colorado is a scientist, an innovator and a motivational speaker, who wants to change the world and alleviate the human sufferings through science and technology.

In her Twitter profile she calls herself a “Student, fencer (cyber game player), author, speaker, community volunteer, science enthusiast, STEM promoter and board member.” 

The latest feather in her cap is her appearing on the cover of the Time magazine for being selected, among 5,000 contestants, the kid of the year.  

At 12, she delivered her first Ted Talk, something that is usually reserved for persons with fame and experience. So far, she has delivered three Ted talks and several talks to parents and educators to motivate them to help children become innovators.

Is Gitanjali a superhuman or just a precocious child?

In her interview with Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, Gitanjali revealed the secret behind her extraordinary achievements: curiosity, concern for fellow humans and propensity to pick a problem for solving. “There wasn’t any Aww moment!” she told Jolie on being asked about when she found her inclination to become a scientist. A blend of charm and confidence her countenance during the interview stole everyone’s heart.  She told Jolie, she aspires to study genetics and epidemiology in famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at the same time she is preparing to become a trained pilot.

 In September, Gitanjali’s book, “A young innovators guide to STEM: 5 Steps to problem-solving for students, educators and parents” was released. The idea behind the book that is for sale on Amazon website is to make everyone a problem solver. Her generosity to spread scientific temper is too praiseworthy as she treats science as a means of solving the problem and not something is done in isolation of a lab full of chemicals and devices.

 Gitanjali was awarded as America’s top young scientist of 2017 by Discovery Channel in a competition. While receiving the award, she, with the simplicity and purity of a young girl of her age, said many of her innovations had been inspired by just watching news!
She was ten-year old when she watched the coverage of Flint water crisis on television. The water of Flint river had got contaminated and the same was being supplied to the local communities. She also remembered falling sick after drinking water from her grandmother’s house in India way back when she was just a four-year old.  

Based on these experiences, Gitanjali came up with her first major invention - sleek and inexpensive handheld device that she calls Tethys. Run on a 9-volt battery, the device uses carbon nanotubes to detect the harmful element in the water and conveys the information through Bluetooth. If lead is present in water, it will get deposited on carbon. 

A simple logic that pure drinking water is essential for life was the idea that motivated her to make Tethys. The invention fetched her 25,000 USD and is she is currently working with the Denver Water facility to convert it into a viable product available in the market.
Another of her inventions is ‘Kindly,’ a Mobile Application (App) that could check online cyber bullying in the initial stages. With her trademark sweetness, she says Kindly works on bullies to persuade them to give up their efforts and is not punitive. 

As schools are shut online bullying has increased by 70 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic and Gitanjali didn’t want to sit over this problem. She was also awarded for inventing Epione, a diagnostic tool for early detection of opium addiction requiring medication.

She simply used the information obtained from the website of MIT that she reads regularly.  The list of her awards as a scientific mind and motivator is long and impressive.

Dealing with problems through science aren’t the only thing this extraordinary girl knows so well. Gifted with a generous heart and a large mind, she believes in creating a community of innovators who can motivate each other. When an Indian Television anchor asked her if any of the Indian institutions had contacted her for collaboration, she answered many have but she prefers them contacting other young innovators too.

This amazingly spirited girl has mentored about 20,000 innovators all over the world. Her mantra for innovations, in her motivational workshops she shares, "observe, brainstorm, research, build, communicate." She has associated with many international institutions and organizations to hold such workshops.

Gitanjali is lucky to be born in a country where the enterprise is valued and schooling is enough to shape young men and women to deal with life all by themselves. STEM – science technology, engineering and maths - is an integral part of the school curriculum in the USA . 

 However, it’s a simple observation of life around and having a sense of concern – for the environment – and responsibility – in solving the basic problems. Her mind is not mapping abstract ideas but the real and mundane problems that all of us can see and but most of us choose not to do anything to solve them. Keeping her eyes and mind open, this 15-year old girl says her generation has inherited modern and conventional problems that require solutions.

Gitanjali’s mantra to motivate young innovators is, ‘if I can do it, so you can’.

 After reading her story every child would like to be like her. Well is that possible? Ask Gitanjali and she has a formula for everyone to excel in problem-solving. She says she had never pushed herself to do things that didn’t interest her. She says, children must learn to observe the environment and become curious about everything around; interest will come naturally provide one is raised with values of empathy for fellow humans and life forms.

Life of the young scientist isn’t dull and boring as Gitanjali’s may seem to be to most of the children who may not have the same zeal and approach. She loves biking and is a pianist. Again she learnt piano to cheer up people who are sick and lonely.