In mid-April, Berkeley’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) welcomed a cohort of high school students from across India through the 1M1B (1 Million for 1 Billion) Purpose Academy. A global partner of SCET since 2022, 1M1B aims to empower youth through purpose-driven innovation. Over the course of a week, these students immersed themselves in Berkeley’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, exploring how technology, business, and social impact intersect to shape meaningful innovation.
Inspired by the entrepreneurial methods he learned at Berkeley, Manav Subodh founded 1M1B in 2014 with a bold mission: activate 1 million young leaders to positively impact 1 billion people worldwide. 1M1B is currently a United Nations accredited nonprofit with special consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council.
One of its flagship initiatives is the Purpose Academy, which empowers high school students to tackle complex global challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing skills in creative thinking, digital technologies, responsible AI, problem solving, public speaking, and collaboration.
Real World Projects
Each student works on a project addressing a key global challenge, focusing on issues including healthcare, education, energy, and women’s empowerment.
Examples include:
- Quality Education: Pauravi Nandy (Grade 10; Kolkata, India) is developing EduNexus to combat high school dropout rates in the rural Sundarbans through awareness campaigns, scholarships, financial aid, and teacher development programs.
- Accessible Healthcare: Karthik Nayak (Grade 10; Bangalore, India) is building Rural Health Link, a health-tech initiative connecting villagers, ASHA health workers, and doctors via mobile apps to enable early detection and treatment of non-communicable diseases in rural Karnataka.
The SCET Experience
While at SCET, the students engaged in two SCET courses:
- SportsTech, Entrepreneurship and the Future of Sports: Teams pitch their MVPs to a panel of venture capitalists and industry experts, examining how AI and innovation are transforming the sports industry.
- AltMeat: Product Design of Plant-Based Foods: Students from interdisciplinary teams of undergraduates and graduates from around the world collaborate to design plant-based, sustainable food products and to rethink global food systems.
One standout moment came when Purpose Academy students delivered 30-second elevator pitches to Berkeley students while observing the SportsTech class. This exchange became a powerful moment where the students realized how unique and important their work was.
Elizabeth Saunders, Purpose Academy instructor and mentor, explains: “Rather than teaching it in silos, SCET combines entrepreneurship, engineering, and technology.” This aligns closely with the Purpose Academy’s mission to shift student mindsets by emphasizing that impactful work and successful careers are not mutually exclusive, but can go hand in hand. She adds, “I think SCET is what we’ve always worked towards, a place where engineering can do both good and do well. I think it’s a perfect fit.”
An Insider Look into the Purpose Academy
Workshops challenged students to reflect deeply on their motivations, digging deep into simple questions like, “Why did you buy that particular item?” Such self-reflection helped them understand themselves as consumers, leading to the light bulb “aha” moment when they realize “I am also able to influence change with my own consumption choices, not just through what I’m creating, but how I act every day.”
Learning Beyond the Classroom
In addition to SCET courses, the Academy students visited tech companies including Intel, Uber, and NVIDIA gaining behind-the-scenes insight into how cutting edge technologies are developed. They also explored downtown San Francisco, cruised under the Golden Gate Bridge, and enjoyed iconic Bay Area sights.
Building on the knowledge and inspiration gained during their Berkeley experience, the students will present their projects at the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
As the world faces unprecedented challenges, SCET is proud to help cultivate the next generation of changemakers and entrepreneurs making lasting, positive change.
In mid-April, Berkeley’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology (SCET) welcomed a cohort of high school students from across India through the 1M1B (1 Million for 1 Billion) Purpose Academy. A global partner of SCET since 2022, 1M1B aims to empower youth through purpose-driven innovation. Over the course of a week, these students immersed themselves in Berkeley’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, exploring how technology, business, and social impact intersect to shape meaningful innovation.
Inspired by the entrepreneurial methods he learned at Berkeley, Manav Subodh founded 1M1B in 2014 with a bold mission: activate 1 million young leaders to positively impact 1 billion people worldwide. 1M1B is currently a United Nations accredited nonprofit with special consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council.
One of its flagship initiatives is the Purpose Academy, which empowers high school students to tackle complex global challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing skills in creative thinking, digital technologies, responsible AI, problem solving, public speaking, and collaboration.
Real World Projects
Each student works on a project addressing a key global challenge, focusing on issues including healthcare, education, energy, and women’s empowerment.
Examples include:
- Quality Education: Pauravi Nandy (Grade 10; Kolkata, India) is developing EduNexus to combat high school dropout rates in the rural Sundarbans through awareness campaigns, scholarships, financial aid, and teacher development programs.
- Accessible Healthcare: Karthik Nayak (Grade 10; Bangalore, India) is building Rural Health Link, a health-tech initiative connecting villagers, ASHA health workers, and doctors via mobile apps to enable early detection and treatment of non-communicable diseases in rural Karnataka.
The SCET Experience
While at SCET, the students engaged in two SCET courses:
- SportsTech, Entrepreneurship and the Future of Sports: Teams pitch their MVPs to a panel of venture capitalists and industry experts, examining how AI and innovation are transforming the sports industry.
- AltMeat: Product Design of Plant-Based Foods: Students from interdisciplinary teams of undergraduates and graduates from around the world collaborate to design plant-based, sustainable food products and to rethink global food systems.
One standout moment came when Purpose Academy students delivered 30-second elevator pitches to Berkeley students while observing the SportsTech class. This exchange became a powerful moment where the students realized how unique and important their work was.
Elizabeth Saunders, Purpose Academy instructor and mentor, explains: “Rather than teaching it in silos, SCET combines entrepreneurship, engineering, and technology.” This aligns closely with the Purpose Academy’s mission to shift student mindsets by emphasizing that impactful work and successful careers are not mutually exclusive, but can go hand in hand. She adds, “I think SCET is what we’ve always worked towards, a place where engineering can do both good and do well. I think it’s a perfect fit.”
An Insider Look into the Purpose Academy
Workshops challenged students to reflect deeply on their motivations, digging deep into simple questions like, “Why did you buy that particular item?” Such self-reflection helped them understand themselves as consumers, leading to the light bulb “aha” moment when they realize “I am also able to influence change with my own consumption choices, not just through what I’m creating, but how I act every day.”
Learning Beyond the Classroom
In addition to SCET courses, the Academy students visited tech companies including Intel, Uber, and NVIDIA gaining behind-the-scenes insight into how cutting edge technologies are developed. They also explored downtown San Francisco, cruised under the Golden Gate Bridge, and enjoyed iconic Bay Area sights.
Building on the knowledge and inspiration gained during their Berkeley experience, the students will present their projects at the 1M1B Activate Impact Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
As the world faces unprecedented challenges, SCET is proud to help cultivate the next generation of changemakers and entrepreneurs making lasting, positive change.