Leadership, Leadership Quote of the Week

Always Remember the Bigger Goal of Making a Difference

Gitanjali Rao

Published Dec 07, 2020

Nikol Chen

Design and Development Manager, Laidlaw Foundation

Always Remember the Bigger Goal of Making a Difference

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*"While solving problems, you will continue to encounter failures. Accept them, but persist with the problem. Do not give up, and always remember the bigger goal of making a difference."*

Gitanjali Rao (2005-) is an Indian-American inventor, author, scientist, and STEM promoter. On December 4th 2020, Rao was named TIME Magazine's first-ever 'Kid of the Year' for her technological innovations that aim to tackle issues such as cyberbullying, opioid addiction, and contaminated drinking water.

At only 15 years old, Gitanjali has several serious achievements to her name. In 2017, she won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and was awarded $25,000 for her invention, Tethys. The device uses carbon nanotube technology to measure lead content in water — a project Gitanjali became interested in after hearing about the Flint water crisis.

In 2019, she was awarded the Top 'Health' Pillar Prize for the TCS Ignite Innovation Student Challenge for a tool that helps to diagnose prescription-opioid addiction at an early stage.

She was recognized in 2019's Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her innovations, and was honoured with the United States Environmental Protection Agency President's Environmental Youth Award in 2018.

Nikol Chen (She/Her)

Design and Development Manager, Laidlaw Foundation

Hello! I have been with the Laidlaw Foundation for over 3 years, helping us strengthen the global Laidlaw community and expand our programmes to break the cycle of poverty, reduce inequality, and develop a new generation of leaders. I am originally from Kazakhstan and I studied Human Sciences at UCL. I am a fan of all things human- and design-related, as well as an amateur naturalist, avid swimmer, and obsessive podcast listener. Drop me a line if you'd like to chat and let's connect on LinkedIn! 💬👀

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Brandon Yu

over 2 years ago

This is incredible! It is really inspiring to see how more and more youth are getting involved in high-impact projects – and that professionals are becoming more receptive to them.