Each year, our students and alumni take the world by storm with their achievements. From securing patents to starting their own companies and even presenting at noted science events at the White House, the Conrad Challenge is just the first step on their journey!
ILLUMINATING PATHS TO INNOVATION
By: Indu Gadiraju and Narayani Garg (Conrad ‘23)
We are Team UV Shield, and we were Finalists in the Health and Nutrition category of the 2022-23 Conrad Challenge. Our company, UV Shield, is a shade technology that filters harmful radiation to reduce overall UV exposure and risk of skin cancer to those inside their homes. Using carbon nanotube and Geiger–Müller counter technology, UV Shield’s unique shades allow users to track and control their radiation exposure. As a team from a rural public high school, our Conrad Challenge Summit experience was remarkable and transformative, bolstering our entrepreneurial spirit.
Our journey with the Conrad Challenge began when we were freshmen in high school. As an ambitious and curious freshman in high school, Indu participated in the Conrad Challenge Junior Hackathon in 2021, where she presented a solution to improve active learning in an educational setting. She also worked with a team to conceptualize, design and prototype an augmented-reality-based learning system. For Narayani, her involvement with the Conrad Challenge began based on her interests in medicine and technology. We collaborated to develop UV Shield through several months of brainstorming, experimentation and refinement. In the Innovation Stage, we learned applicable skills in project management, teamwork, prototyping, market research and presentation techniques.
On the 2022-23 Finalist announcement day, we were shocked when we found out that we were Finalists! We were the first team from our school, district and region to be selected as Conrad Challenge Finalists. We earnestly accepted the opportunity and began the trek to the 2023 Innovation Summit.
With just over a month to prepare, we devoted countless late nights and dozens of hours each week to curate our Power Pitch. This process involved developing slideshows, designing the briefing deck and rehearsing our script. We also designed business cards, 3D printed custom keychains, created brochures and worked on our provisional patent application. Two weeks before the Summit, we conducted a mock pitch presentation to invite several teachers to provide feedback and ask anticipated questions.
The 2023 Innovation Summit marked the pinnacle moment in UV Shield’s journey and gave us a platform to showcase our innovation to a global audience of industry leaders, mentors and fellow innovators. The entire Summit experience was incredible; we pitched our company to industry experts, introduced UV Shield to the public at the EXPO, networked with Conrad Alumni and forged friendships from around the world. The Innovation Summit allowed us to receive invaluable feedback and instilled us with confidence. The Summit, imbued with innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, was a life-changing and transformative experience.
After the Summit, we continued working on UV Shield, kept in touch with our fellow Conrad Finalists and are now Conrad Challenge Ambassadors within the Conrad Alumni Network. At our school, we founded a Conrad Challenge Club where we mentor aspiring teams and guide them through the innovation process. The Conrad Challenge has instilled in us enduring skills – leadership, innovation and collaboration – that transcend the competition itself. We now have the confidence to pursue our goals relentlessly and to confront real-world challenges with unwavering resolve.
Team UV Shield (Indu Gadiraju ‘22-23, Narayani Garg ‘22-23)
Team Atmos (Pratham Patel ‘21-22, Aditya Mehta ‘21-22, Naveen Ramasamy ‘21-22, Rhea Modey ‘21-22, Archita Khaire ‘21-22)
IGNITING ENTREPRENURIAL PASSION BEYOND THE COMPETITION
By: Rhea Modey (Conrad ‘22)
Our 2021-22 Conrad Challenge team, Atmos, came together with a shared passion to reach Mars. We noticed a significant issue surrounding landing on the Red Planet’s harsh atmosphere, and we aimed to create a parachute that would provide soft landings for descents on Mars.
I still remember the day I was at my teammates’ house when the 2021-22 Conrad Challenge Finalists were announced. I thought we hadn’t made it at first, but someone from our school sent us a congratulatory text and my heart was beating so fast when I saw that our team was listed on the Finalist website page!
The following months of preparation were all a blur and one of my most cherished memories. Our team worked with our mentors, Dr. Anglin and Dr. Cooper, to solidify the design of our product and practice presenting our pitch. We also presented in front of several North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics faculty, instructors and friends and they provided valuable feedback as we prepared for our Power Pitch presentation.
The 2021-22 Innovation Summit was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I learned different innovative concepts and met a community of passionate entrepreneurs that I'm still connected with through the Conrad Alumni Network. The competition grew my confidence in business and STEM and furthered my interest in entrepreneurship, which led me to pursue several initiatives in college. For example, I recently attended a trip to New York to meet various companies, such as Adore Me, an e-commerce fashion company, and Liminal, a technology firm.
I am more than satisfied with my experience at the Conrad Challenge and highly recommend anyone interested in business and entrepreneurship to get involved in the competition!
Summit Victory onto Mars!
By: Aarna Nair (Conrad ‘23)
My partner Allaire and I were awarded the Pete Conrad Scholar Award in the Aerospace & Aviation category of the 2023 Conrad Challenge. Our product, BLOOMx2FM, is a plant growth promoter and accelerator that is facilitated by the use of a unique combination of electromagnetic fields and sound stimuli to induce biological responses in crops.
While we had a deep belief in our product and its purpose throughout the competition, the moment we were announced as Finalists, our hypothetical idea transformed into a tangible reality. I remember being in English class when all of the sudden I got an ominous text from Allaire: a link to the Conrad website. Upon opening it, I saw we had been selected as Finalists and were going to the Summit! I think my heart might have stopped beating in shock, but afterwards, I was inexplicably excited. I couldn't even finish my essay because I was thinking of all the possibilities ahead.
We had to prepare in one month. We worked on our pitches and EXPO materials for almost 20 hours each week leading up to the Summit, putting together an Executive Briefing, scripts, slideshows and practicing for our presentation. In addition to pitching to our parents, we also pitched to industry experts, venture capitalists and teachers to perfect our pitch (we could probably still recite the pitch on command!). To prepare for the Q&A, we asked them to come up with some questions about the product. Concurrently, we filed for a provisional patent and made our EXPO banner, brochures and business cards. While it was a long and grueling process, all our preparation definitely paid off.
The entire Conrad experience was incredibly helpful in creating the backbone of our company — product and business model-wise. Our experience at the Summit truly springboarded our next steps to becoming a company. Allaire and I could both tell you that even during the first dinner of Summit, we knew this would be an experience that changed our lives. Filled with incredible speakers, alumni and Nancy Conrad herself, the opening dinner set an undertone of innovation for the entire week. In the next couple of days, our time was filled with rewarding activities. Whether we were pitching, listening to others pitch, networking, or touring Space Center Houston, we were constantly learning and collaborating.
We learned the most during the EXPO. The opportunity to interact with other teams and audience members and specifically to gain constructive feedback from our Judges enabled us to fine-tune our product. Additionally, the positive responses we got from the Judges and other industry experts instilled confidence in us about our product! The Summit experience was life-defining and helped immensely in planning steps beyond Conrad.
Today, BLOOMx2FM is a registered company working hard to provide a solution to food deserts both on Earth and on Mars! We are currently testing our first prototype through the NASA’s Plant the Moon & Plant Mars Challenge and looking to test with labs this summer. We cannot begin to thank the Conrad Challenge enough for unlocking our potential and introducing us to a world of innovation and community we wouldn't have known otherwise!
Team Bloomx2FM (Aarna Nair ‘22-23, Allaire Fahy‘22-23)
Team The DisPATCH (Kohko Kamimura ‘22-23, Michelle Chan ‘22-23, Seung Yi Han ‘22-23, Eon Ko ‘22-23)
From Passion to Impact: Navigating Challenges and Transforming Dreams into Solutions for Japan's Elderly
By: Michelle Chan (Conrad ‘23)
Our Conrad Challenge team came together driven by a shared passion for biology and medicine, as well as a growing awareness of the increasing elderly population in Japan as we became members of Firebird, an elite science club at Seisen International School. We were motivated by the distressing reports of neglected solitary deaths that we encountered on social media, and we felt a strong calling to address this critical issue.
Coming from different corners of the world and fluently speaking English, Japanese, Korean and Cantonese, our team was able to leverage our diverse backgrounds to collaborate in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo. As for my personal journey, transitioning from Hong Kong to Tokyo was pivotal. Serendipitously, I found myself joining Firebird, driven by my deep-rooted personal interest in science.
During the Lean Canvas Stage, our journey was marked by a structured and collaborative process. Our Monday Firebird sessions at school catalyzed our brainstorming and topic selection. We initiated our brainstorming sessions by delving deep into the significant issues plaguing Japan’s elderly population. We held extensive group discussions and were given guidance by our school and teachers, who acted as our coaches. Through these collaborative efforts, we narrowed down our focus on the critical problem of unnoticed elderly solitary deaths, setting the stage for the development of our innovative solutions.
From the moment I joined the team, I experienced a range of emotions, from excitement and enthusiasm to moments of frustration and uncertainty, not only in the Lean Canvas Stage but the entire process in the Conrad Challenge. One of the most challenging aspects was the limited time we had and the struggle to identify the best method to ensure competitiveness and select the idea (mainly about the solution to the problem) that would best fit our team of four members. Teamwork was undeniably hard work as we navigated our busy schedules and aligned our diverse perspectives and skill sets.
These memorable and unique experiences at different stages of the Conrad Challenge have left an indelible mark on me as I evolved into a stronger, more critical thinker and an innovative problem solver. The challenges we faced were an integral part of the journey, and the sense of accomplishment we felt at each stage was incredibly rewarding. In the end, the hard work and perseverance paid off, and the opportunity to present our ideas and solutions on a global stage was deeply gratifying.
Striving for excellence within our team presented me with emotional challenges, but the combined effort we invested in this endeavor ultimately made it a fulfilling experience. I am profoundly grateful to witness the transformation of our team into a cohesive unit that successfully reached the Power Pitch Stage. The Conrad Challenge journey taught me the impact of determination, collaboration and the ability to effect positive change in the world through compassion and innovation.
Plastisearch by Shrey Gupta (CONRAD ‘21)
My team and I are grateful that we attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — a school that gives us STEM opportunities inside and outside the classroom at an undergraduate level. We started by thinking of ideas for innovations to help our community environmentally, but we struggled to find a way to execute our plan.
We shared our business idea with our friend who was a former Conrad participant, and that is when we were introduced to the Conrad Challenge. The Challenge served as the perfect opportunity to apply our technical knowledge and develop strong business and communication skills.
We fell in love with the ‘Oceans: The Plastic Pollution Problem’ category. As we conducted background research, we noticed the major detriment microplastics have on both humans and marine life, as well as the lack of proper solutions in this field. We decided to focus on this category because we wanted to address this pressing, underrepresented issue.
A skill my teammates and I share is computer science. We used this to develop our innovation, Plastisearch, a software that uses computer vision and machine learning to determine microplastic densities. During our research, we noticed that current solutions for this issue are costly and lack an overall structure for where they needed to be used. Plastisearch aims to fill that data gap by providing governments and corporations with microplastic densities from around the world.
We were incredibly grateful and have made it to the final round of the Conrad Challenge, claiming the titles of Conrad Innovators and Finalists. We were all proud to be among some of the smartest young minds from across the world. The most valuable memory I had was watching the judges see our team's months of hard work, research and passion in our presentation.
The Conrad Challenge has inspired me to study business and economics in college alongside my STEM interests. Furthermore, it has allowed me to stay involved with the entrepreneurship community through the Alumni Leadership Council, where I have met talented individuals with similar interests and goals.
Top Left to right: Vikas Medavarapu ‘20-’21, Shrey Gupta ‘20-’21
Bottom Left to right: Ron Nachum ‘20-’21, Arjun Jagannathan ‘20-’21
Left to right: Gabriella Antunes '20-'21, Natalie Catalano '20-'21, Kirsten Nelson '20-'21, Ella Bianco '20-'21
Eir Clean Company by Ishani Ashok (CONRAD ‘19, ‘20)
When the pandemic started, four high schoolers started brainstorming ideas on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since nearly 1.9 billion people travel every year, these young women wanted to make travel safer during the pandemic and founded the Eir Clean Company. Eir Clean Company’s mission is to sanitize aircrafts for the safety of all traveling passengers and crew during the spread of viruses. The four co-founders: Gabriella Antunes, Ella Bianco, Natalie Catalano and Kirsten Nelson met through the program, It’s a Girl’s World Inc. This program is an all-girls STEM mentoring program that connects girls in grades 8-12 from rural southern New Jersey.
Their original idea was to use a drone to clean and sanitize airplanes, but after more brainstorming, they realized this idea would be impractical and moved towards an air filtration system. Through the Conrad Challenge, they were able to further develop their idea and created ValkEIRe, an Ultraviolet C Light (UVC) and spray disinfectant autonomous cleaning unit. They also learned several entrepreneurship skills such as how to write an executive summary and business plan. By attending the webinars and info sessions provided by the Alumni Leadership Council, these co-founders were able to form the beginnings of a business.
The team has contacted a local robotics team and is working alongside them to build the product and make their prototype a reality. They also plan to get the product FAA approved and hope to test the product on aircrafts as soon as possible. The team’s hard work culminated in winning the Power Pitch award in the Aerospace and Aviation category of the 2021 Conrad Challenge.
ScintillaVR and Ishani’s Conrad Journey By ishani Ashok (CONRAD ‘19, ‘20)
In the summer of 2018, Reyna and I participated in a hackathon organized and run by our math teacher. This hackathon showcased rising technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR), allowing us to explore how these technologies work. That hackathon was where the initial idea for ScintillaVR blossomed.
ScintillaVR is a virtual reality educational app that presents textbook content through VR. Imagine Khan Academy, but through a VR experience. The company provides VR content to supplement students' learning.
The following year, our chemistry teacher encouraged her students to participate in the Conrad Challenge, and our team was formed. At first, we were extremely nervous and unsure if our idea would progress to the second round, but after further developing the idea, talking to classmates, teachers, friends and mentors, we gained the confidence to submit a strong Investor Pitch for Round 1 of the Challenge. We successfully passed the first round and were headed to the next.
That was when we received a life-changing email from SMART Technologies, the sponsor of the Conrad Challenge’s “Transforming Education through Technology” category from 2018-2020. They invited us to present our company and innovation at the LearnIt World Education Conference. At the conference, we met world leaders, CEOs and other key individuals that helped our company grow. It was a momentous experience that we will never forget. We were also able to attend the BETT Educational Conference, one of the largest educational conferences in the world. There, we saw how technology is related to education and how it can be utilized to help it.
Though we did not make it to the final round of the Challenge that year, we were determined to turn our product into a reality… We decided to register for the Challenge again the following year. During our second attempt to become Finalists, we were sure to manage our time more effectively. We also developed an improved Business Plan to submit for Round 2 and spent hours on each section, receiving advice from countless business professionals. Due to our hard work, we ended up winning the Power Pitch Award at the Summit in the Transforming Education through Technology category!
Since our participation in the Conrad Challenge, Reyna and I have remained determined to make ScintillaVR a reality for students. Through our achievement with the Conrad Challenge, we were put in contact with mentors from Harvard, who pointed us in just the right direction! We created an intern program with 10 high school students who have been helping us develop content for the app. We are currently working on building the app for iOs and Android and hope to launch it soon.
I will forever be thankful that we had the courage to submit the Investor Pitch and grateful for the experiences and relationships I built through the Conrad Challenge.
Left to right: Reyna Rajkumar ‘19 & ‘20 and Ishani Ashok ‘19 & ‘20.
Left to right: Sam Greenberg ‘19, Joshua Gao ‘19, Srisahith Korandla
safe by ella gupta (CONRAD ‘20)
While in the middle of a brainstorming session in October 2018, Joshua Gao and Sam Greenberg, Conrad ‘19, learned that six firemen had passed away as a result of California wildfires. Impacted by this news, the duo decided to create a product related to fire safety and quickly discovered an outdated method of using sound waves to control fires. The problem was transmission loss. The further sound waves go, the more energy they lose, and their ability to extinguish a fire is diminished. The team developed a technology to focus it and reduce transmission loss in order to effectively extinguish fires at long range with sound. They created a modular system to be placed on the ceiling which automatically detects and then extinguishes a fire with sound waves.
Becoming Pete Conrad Scholars was a springboard for Gao and Greenberg. “After competing in the Conrad Challenge, we transformed our project into a company,” said Greenberg. The Conrad Challenge gave them confidence and unlocked amazing opportunities. After competing in the Challenge, the team spent the summer at the Tufts Accelerator Program, where they learned how to develop a business. Gao also attended the Nexus Summit in New York City, and his team attended the Hive Summit in Silicon Valley. As Greenberg puts it, “The Conrad Challenge laid the foundation for the network we gained through other conferences. The confidence and passion we have today came from that day Nancy Conrad called our name at the awards ceremony.”
Greenberg’s favorite parts of the 2019 Summit were watching other teams pitch and meeting students from around the world. He still keeps in touch with friends from Africa, Singapore and Colorado. He reflects, “I met kids from all over the world and built lasting connections. Conrad taught me how to connect with people.” He describes the Conrad Challenge community as a “family” and appreciates how kind and welcoming everyone is.
Team SAFE has secured funding to begin developing a prototype. Their plan for the near future is to implement their technology in warehouses, where they currently have numerous letters of interest. Additionally, they are working to develop an MVP for warehouses and, within the next three years, hope to have an MVP for homes.
Nexkap by Ella Gupta (CONRAD ‘20)
My team became involved in the Conrad Challenge through our school’s Startup Challenge Club. We were fortunate enough to have been 2020 Finalists and the Power Pitch winners in the Smoke Free World: Repurposing Farmland & Tobacco Crops category. As residents of North Carolina where tobacco is a major crop, this area of the challenge resonated with us. As the popularity of cigarettes has significantly decreased over the last decade, tobacco farmers have needed to develop new ways to maintain their livelihoods. Traditionally, the tobacco industry is known for creating deleterious products that cause many diseases and are responsible for millions of deaths. We aimed to “repurpose” tobacco into a product that would cure ailments instead of causing them.
As we collectively reflected on the issues we face in our daily lives, my team found that we all struggled with certain skin problems as women of color. Upon researching this further, we discovered we are not alone. There is a limited number of products available to fulfill the specific skin care needs of darker-complected people, and this demographic is more likely to suffer from certain skin maladies like hypopigmentation.
To address this problem, we created an anti-inflammatory, plant-based skin cream utilizing tobacco seed oil as the primary active ingredient. The cream acts as a natural remedy for common skin ailments, including eczema, sunburns and acne, without the negative side effects of steroid creams such as skin discoloration. Tobacco seed oil is extracted from the seeds of a tobacco plant and contains linoleic acid. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, linoleic acid moisturizes the skin and acts as a viable natural alternative to corticosteroids.
Throughout the process of developing our product, we gained a nuanced understanding of the tobacco industry. The unconventionality of our product required us to go through what our team captain referred to as “a seemingly eternal discovery process.” Through our product “Nexkap”, named after the Greek word for “tobacco”, we hope to reinvigorate stagnant tobacco farming communities.
As a result of our participation in the Conrad Challenge, my team was able to develop an understanding of the patent process and learned how to produce a persuasive marketing pitch. The highlight of my Conrad experience was talking to and learning from fellow Finalists during the 2020 Virtual Innovation Summit. It was amazing to meet other competitors with diverse perspectives and inspiring inventions. I established global connections in places ranging from India to Australia to California, and meeting virtually with thought leaders working to solve pressing societal issues during the Summit helped me develop as a real entrepreneur.
The Conrad Challenge empowered me to become an entrepreneurial problem solver and provided a launchpad for Nexkap. The feedback our team received from the judges was invaluable and helped us solidify our vision. Additionally, our success in the Challenge gave us credibility and unlocked exciting opportunities for the team, including working with a pharmaceutical company to develop the cream. I am tremendously grateful for my Conrad experience and for all of the wonderful relationships that were formed.
Left to right: Natasha Sachar ‘22, Mila Patel, ‘21, Sonia Shah ‘22, Ella Gupta ‘23
Young Influencer shines at the united nations
On the opening night of the NEXUS Global Summit, NEXUS members gathered at the United Nations where they were addressed by inspiring leaders, including one of the newest and youngest NEXUS members, 13 year old Alfolabi Williams from Nigeria.
Alfolabi was recognized as a winner of the 2017-2018 Conrad Challenge along with his team, who created a mobile app to help revolutionize farming in Africa. During his presentation, he reminded the NEXUS members and UN leaders of the power of their own potential when they solve challenges with no box around their thinking. His eloquence and warmth carried across the gathering and opened the summit with a clear message of abundance and possibility for making a positive difference in the world.
No small task: addressing cyber issues in harsh environments
The Department of Defense has a great need for high-performance computing modernization. Current operations – including everything from training to navigation and defense/attack to C4ISR – are often performed off-grid, out of any high-speed cellular coverage. TIER, a team from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, FL, developed the Mini BlackBox to address this modernization need. It allows people to access high-performance computing in difficult operating and/or harsh environments – whether the location is a Navy ship, a desert tent or a shelter in the Arctic. The product consists of a process and an internal design theme that allows computing components to operate at peak efficiency within an enclosure designed to endure outdoor or underwater conditions. TIER took first place in the Cyber-Security category at the Conrad Challenge and its members were named Pete Conrad Scholars. All of the team members joined forces to create Northern Leap, a company dedicated to creating innovative and disruptive products. Northern Leap is currently pursuing a major capital investment opportunity which, when secured, will allow them to test multiple prototypes of Mini BlackBox and explore other new manufacturing solutions to achieve the highest product effectiveness.
“There are very few events such as the Conrad Challenge, which aggregates high school students developing industry-changing innovations. The connections and valuable insight gained at the event have definitely sent our company into directions we never would have foreseen.”
- Alexander Cordero
2017 Pete Conrad Scholar | Co-founder, Northern Leap LLC
“Connections were definitely the top thing we took from the Conrad Challenge as a team. I developed skills like teamwork, project management and network creation. I also massively improved my presentation skills. The size of the competition is probably the most important thing. It enables a great amount of interaction between teams and also gives the competition a more personal feel.”
- Hans Rueckschnat
2017 Pete Conrad Scholar | Co-founder, Northern Leap LLC
Conrad Product goes to space!
Sisters Mikayla and Shannon Diesch created a nutrition bar to be used as a meal supplement for astronauts. After wowing judges with their concept at the Innovation Summit, the Conrad Foundation worked closely with the Diesch sisters to get their product to space as they continued with their product development. Just one year after competing in the Conrad Challenge, the sisters' STEM-bar flew in the resupply payload on mission STS-134! But that wasn’t the end of their story. Today, the young ladies have founded their own company, Solar Flare, where they sell STEM-bars to the mainstream market. Click here to learn more.
providing Clean water to those in need
Team Gulliver International developed a low-cost potable water filtration system as part of their Conrad Challenge entry. Their water purification device was originally intended to help the people of Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Not only was it delivered to the people of Haiti, it was also adopted into nine other countries and provides clean drinking water for 500,000 people. Plus, it was integrated into a birthing clinic in Nigeria so newborn babies can be washed in clean water. Now that’s designing the future! For its innovation, Team Gulliver International received the Heart of Haiti Award and was asked to attend the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
business woman before college freshman
Kavya Kopparapu is a passionate nonprofit leader, accomplished innovator, experienced public speaker, and student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
In 2016, 17-year-old Kavya and her team invented Eyeagnosis, a 3D-printed lens system and mobile app. The device snaps a photo of the retina and analyzes it with artificial intelligence to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication that can lead to blindness, without the need for an extensive eye exam. Along with her team, Kavya was named the Pete Conrad Scholar in Cyber-Technology and Security.
Following her participation in the Conrad Challenge, Kavya founded and serves as CEO of the Girls Computing League (www.girlscomputingleague.com). She is dedicated to sharing her passion for computer science with others, especially young girls, as the field has given her a world of opportunity and has given her the opportunity to be recognized by several organizations and the White House. Her organization has reached more than 1,500 students over the past two years in the Virginia-DC-Maryland region and is on track to impact many more. Kavya hopes to work towards a world where women are given equal opportunities for professional and personal development in the STEM fields, a world where she is not regarded as a girl who happens to be a computer scientist, but rather a computer scientist who happens to be a girl.
Kavya enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge with others. She believes education is the ultimate weapon to fight ignorance and hopes to continue to play a role as an educator throughout her schooling and career.
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