{"id":28907,"date":"2026-10-14T11:39:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T06:09:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ekyaschools.com\/blog\/?p=28907"},"modified":"2026-10-14T11:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T06:12:19","slug":"young-founders-challenge-bringing-learning-and-innovation-together-at-ekya-schools-and-cmr-national-pu-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ekyaschools.com\/blog\/young-founders-challenge-bringing-learning-and-innovation-together-at-ekya-schools-and-cmr-national-pu-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Founders Challenge: Bringing Learning and Innovation Together at Ekya Schools and CMR National PU College"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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What if the next big business idea came from a classroom?<\/b><\/p>

A student notices a problem in their neighbourhood. Another imagines a better way to reduce waste. Someone else wonders whether technology could make everyday life easier.<\/span><\/p>

These observations may seem small, but they carry the beginnings of something extraordinary.<\/span><\/p>

Turning an idea into a solution takes curiosity, creativity, persistence, and the willingness to learn from experience. It also takes guidance from people who understand what it means to build something from the ground up.<\/span><\/p>

This is where the<\/span> Young Founders Challenge (YFC)<\/b><\/a> brings a valuable opportunity to school students.<\/span><\/p>

Through real-world problem-solving, entrepreneurial thinking, and interactions with experienced industry professionals, YFC encourages students to explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and discover what it takes to create solutions that matter.<\/span><\/p>

At the heart of this experience is a distinguished jury of ten professionals who bring expertise from entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, engineering, business strategy, product development, and innovation.<\/span><\/p>

Learning From People Who Have Built, Led, and Innovated<\/b><\/h2>

Imagine explaining your business idea to someone who has launched a company, developed innovative products, or led teams working on complex real-world challenges.<\/span><\/p>

What questions might they ask? What possibilities might they help you discover?<\/span><\/p>

For young entrepreneurs, such interactions offer an opportunity to understand how ideas are evaluated beyond the classroom.<\/span><\/p>

The Young Founders Challenge brings together industry professionals who can challenge students to think critically about their ideas, consider customer needs, evaluate feasibility and communicate their solutions effectively.<\/span><\/p>

Their experience helps connect classroom learning with the realities of entrepreneurship, where asking the right questions can be just as important as finding answers.<\/span><\/p>

Meet the 10 Industry Professionals on the Young Founders Challenge Jury<\/b><\/h2>

Each jury member brings a distinct perspective, giving young innovators an opportunity to understand the different skills and decisions involved in developing an idea into a viable solution.<\/span><\/p>

1. Bhaskar Singhania: From Ideas to Entrepreneurial Ventures<\/b><\/h3>

Founder & CEO, Roobaroo.ai<\/b><\/p>

Bhaskar Singhania brings experience in entrepreneurship, education, product development, and startup mentoring.<\/span><\/p>

His work with founders, educational institutions and innovation ecosystems offers a practical understanding of the journey from identifying a problem to building a business around its solution.<\/span><\/p>

For students, his expertise highlights an essential entrepreneurial question: How do you know whether your idea solves a problem people genuinely face?<\/span><\/p>

His perspective brings attention to customer discovery, business models, market validation, and the importance of communicating ideas with clarity.<\/span><\/p>

2. Apoorva Pandey: Exploring the Future With Artificial Intelligence<\/b><\/h3>

AI Strategy Leader, Sears\/Transformco; Former Managing Director, Sears India<\/b><\/p>

With experience in artificial intelligence, product strategy, digital transformation and technology leadership, Apoorva Pandey brings an understanding of how emerging technologies are shaping businesses.<\/span><\/p>

As students increasingly encounter AI in their everyday lives, an important question emerges: How can technology be used to solve problems rather than simply make existing tasks faster?<\/span><\/p>

His expertise encourages young innovators to look beyond technological possibilities and consider responsible, practical applications that create value for people.<\/span><\/p>

3. Ankit Bansal: Connecting Innovation With Real-World Needs<\/b><\/h3>

Open Innovation Lead, Shell<\/b><\/p>

Ankit Bansal’s experience spans deep technology, financial technology, consumer products, energy technology, and product design.<\/span><\/p>

Innovation often begins with an exciting idea, but its success depends on whether it addresses a genuine need.<\/span><\/p>

His industry perspective brings attention to understanding markets, identifying opportunities, and evaluating the relevance of a proposed solution.<\/span><\/p>

For young founders, this reinforces an important lesson: A strong idea begins with a clear understanding of the problem.<\/span><\/p>

4. Dr. Vijay Tijare: Turning Creative Thinking Into Practical Solutions<\/b><\/h3>

Senior Director, Engineering, Dover Corporation<\/b><\/p>

Dr. Vijay Tijare brings expertise in mechanical engineering, product design, the Internet of Things, creativity, and design thinking.<\/span><\/p>

His experience connects technical innovation with practical application.<\/span><\/p>

For students who enjoy designing, building, and experimenting, his expertise highlights the importance of moving beyond an initial concept.<\/span><\/p>

A prototype may not work perfectly the first time. Testing can reveal unexpected challenges, and each refinement can bring a solution closer to becoming functional.<\/span><\/p>

This process of experimentation and improvement lies at the heart of innovation.<\/span><\/p>

5. Sandeep Manepalli Gururaj: Understanding What Makes a Product Valuable<\/b><\/h3>

Senior Product Manager, Pegasystems<\/b><\/p>

Sandeep Manepalli Gururaj brings experience in product management, financial services, Agile methodologies, and storytelling.<\/span><\/p>

Building a product involves more than developing features or creating something visually appealing. It requires understanding people, identifying their needs, and responding to feedback.<\/span><\/p>

His expertise offers students a perspective on how products evolve through research, collaboration, and continuous improvement.<\/span><\/p>

It also introduces an important shift in thinking: Instead of asking only what can be built, ask why someone would need it.<\/span><\/p>

6. Sathish Vimalraj: Bringing Product Thinking and Technology Together<\/b><\/h3>

Head of Product & Technology<\/b><\/p>

Sathish Vimalraj brings expertise at the intersection of technology and product development.<\/span><\/p>

For students exploring digital solutions, the challenge often lies in connecting an exciting idea with what is technically possible and useful.<\/span><\/p>

His perspective highlights the importance of functionality, usability and bringing different components of a product together.<\/span><\/p>

Young innovators can begin to appreciate how thoughtful design and technical decisions contribute to creating solutions that work in practice.<\/span><\/p>

7. Gagandeep Singh: Understanding the Business Behind an Idea<\/b><\/h3>

Vice President, Sales, Angel One<\/b><\/p>

Gagandeep Singh brings experience in sales, business operations, and product-related decision-making.<\/span><\/p>

A great idea needs more than a working product. It also needs a clear explanation of its value and an understanding of the people it is designed to serve.<\/span><\/p>

His experience provides insights into customer relationships, sales strategy, and taking solutions to market.<\/span><\/p>

For students, this introduces an important dimension of entrepreneurship: learning how to communicate why an idea matters.<\/span><\/p>

8. Deepak Jain: Building Strong Connections With Customers<\/b><\/h3>

CEO, Wisdom Group<\/b><\/p>

Deepak Jain brings leadership experience and expertise in marketing.<\/span><\/p>

Even the most innovative solutions need to reach the right audience.<\/span><\/p>

His professional perspective highlights how businesses understand customers, communicate their offerings, and distinguish themselves in competitive environments.<\/span><\/p>

For young founders preparing to present their ideas, this brings attention to the power of clear communication and a compelling value proposition.<\/span><\/p>

After all, explaining a solution effectively is an important part of helping others understand its potential.<\/span><\/p>

9. Rajiv Jayaraman: Leadership, Learning, and Entrepreneurship<\/b><\/h3>

Founder & CEO, KNOLSKAPE<\/b><\/p>

Rajiv Jayaraman is an entrepreneur with experience in experiential learning, leadership development, and digital transformation.<\/span><\/p>

Through KNOLSKAPE, his work has focused on technology-enabled learning and assessment solutions for organisations.<\/span><\/p>

His experience offers a broader understanding of entrepreneurship, one that extends beyond products and business plans to include people, leadership, collaboration, and continuous learning.<\/span><\/p>

For students, it reinforces the idea that building something new also involves learning to work with others, adapting to challenges, and growing through experience.<\/span><\/p>

10. Pranav Tanna: Building Technology That Solves Problems<\/b><\/h3>

Software Engineer II, Walmart Global Tech<\/b><\/p>

Pranav Tanna brings experience in software engineering and early-stage product development.<\/span><\/p>

Developing a technology-based solution requires an understanding of both the problem being addressed and the steps needed to create a working product.<\/span><\/p>

His expertise highlights how technical skills, structured problem-solving, and an understanding of user needs come together in product development.<\/span><\/p>

For young innovators interested in technology, his perspective connects their curiosity about building digital products with the practical thinking involved in making them useful.<\/span><\/p>

What Can Students Gain From Interacting With Industry Professionals?<\/b><\/h2>

One of the most valuable aspects of the Young Founders Challenge is the opportunity to connect entrepreneurial learning with perspectives from the professional world.<\/span><\/p>

These interactions can help students develop skills that extend well beyond a competition.<\/span><\/p>

  1. Learning to ask better questions<\/b><\/li><\/ol>

    Students begin to look beyond their initial ideas and consider the problems they are trying to solve, who might benefit, and what could make their solutions more effective.<\/span><\/p>

    1. Building confidence in communicating ideas<\/b><\/li><\/ol>

      Explaining an idea to experienced professionals encourages students to organise their thoughts, articulate their reasoning, and respond thoughtfully to questions.<\/span><\/p>

      1. Understanding the value of feedback<\/b><\/li><\/ol>

        Constructive feedback provides an opportunity to rethink assumptions, identify areas for improvement, and recognise that a first attempt is rarely a final solution.<\/span><\/p>

        1. Connecting classroom learning with real-world applications<\/b><\/li><\/ol>

          Concepts such as technology, design, mathematics, communication, and problem-solving take on new relevance when students see how they contribute to professional decisions.<\/span><\/p>

          1. Developing an entrepreneurial mindset<\/b><\/li><\/ol>

            Students begin to understand that entrepreneurship is not simply about starting a business. It involves curiosity, resilience, collaboration, creativity and the willingness to take initiative.<\/span><\/p>

            These experiences can help children see themselves not only as learners, but also as individuals capable of developing ideas that contribute to the world around them.<\/span><\/p>

            Why the Young Founders Challenge Matters<\/b><\/h2>

            Children are naturally curious. They notice things adults sometimes overlook, question everyday routines, and imagine different possibilities.<\/span><\/p>

            The <\/span>Young Founders Challenge<\/b><\/a> creates a platform for students to channel that curiosity into purposeful problem-solving.<\/span><\/p>

            Whether their interests lie in technology, sustainability, design, social impact, or everyday challenges, the programme encourages students to explore ideas through an entrepreneurial lens.<\/span><\/p>

            With exposure to industry perspectives and opportunities to receive professional feedback, students can begin to understand the journey from identifying a problem to developing and presenting a potential solution.<\/span><\/p>

            More importantly, the experience encourages them to recognise that their ideas deserve to be explored, tested, questioned, and improved.<\/span><\/p>

            Your Idea Could Be the Beginning of Something Bigger<\/b><\/h2>

            Every entrepreneur begins somewhere.<\/span><\/p>

            Every entrepreneur begins somewhere.<\/span><\/p>

            Sometimes, it starts with a problem that needs solving. Sometimes, with an observation, a conversation, or a simple question: <\/span>What if there were a better way?<\/span><\/i><\/p>

            At <\/span>Ekya Schools<\/b><\/a> and <\/span>CMR National PU College<\/b><\/a>, we believe in nurturing curious minds, encouraging independent thinking, and giving students opportunities to turn their ideas into action.<\/span><\/p>

            The <\/span>Young Founders Challenge<\/b><\/a> brings this belief to life, inviting school and pre-university students to explore possibilities, learn from experienced professionals, and discover what they are capable of creating.<\/span><\/p>

            Have an idea you want to explore? A problem you would like to solve? Or simply the curiosity to try something new?<\/b><\/p>

            Take your first step with the Young Founders Challenge.<\/span><\/p>

            Bring your ideas. Learn from industry leaders. Build something of your own.<\/b><\/p>

            Because tomorrow’s innovators are already asking today’s most interesting questions.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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