Kavin Sharma

Kavin Sharma grew up in the rural village of Mahapura, Jaipur, facing numerous challenges that tested his resolve to pursue education and make a difference in his community. Despite socioeconomic disadvantages and being a first-generation learner, he was determined to overcome these obstacles. Kavin started volunteering at 14, mentoring kids in his street.

Inspired by his father's resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, Kavin founded Mauka, a digital platform connecting students with 70 different NGOs, which has empowered over 5,000 students to contribute more than 10,000 hours of service, addressing critical social issues. Inspired by platforms like Instagram and Tinder, using a matching algorithm and a mutual rating system to connect NGOs and students, the platform evolved from a WhatsApp group to a sophisticated web-based system, featuring personalized volunteer opportunities and a mutual rating system to enhance service quality. From humble origins, Mauka, have expanded from India to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is also now on the verge of getting impanelled with the state government of Rajasthan.

In addition to Mauka, Kavin initiated Janam to address women's sanitation issues in rural villages, providing education and repurposing shipping containers into health pods. Janam has significantly improved maternal health outcomes and empowered women with knowledge about their health. Looking ahead, Kavin aims to expand Mauka's global reach and scale Janam's impact to more villages outside Jaipur, ultimately democratizing volunteering globally and empowering over a million students worldwide.

Kavin's academic achievements include all A stars in his IGCSE exams with a score of 96.6% and achieving a predicted maximum score of 45/45 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. He was accepted into the prestigious Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) program and received a letter of recommendation from his school's academic director. Triumphs in academic competitions include ranking in the top 25% in the Stanford Math Tournament and achieving world number one in the GK Olympiad. His engagement in social impact projects like Rags2Bags and Mauka have earned him awards including the Harvard CBE grant and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) grant.

As the leader of a student body of over 2,500 students, Kavin raised over $12,000 for the NGO Paathshala Trust and another $6,000 for making fridges that run without electricity for villages near his school. He has also taken part in initiatives to support students suffering stress and anxiety in Kota, the efforts leading to the creation of an online mental health platform called Serenity and hiring a personal therapist for the Kota students.

Kavin’s boundless creativity and innovation show through endeavours including the development of the Mauka app and website, a daily news bulletin for students, and a YouTube channel featuring speeches and SAT preparation videos. He co-created a podcast series interviewing successful alumni and participated in dance competitions and a student musical production.

Initiatives like Mauka, coupled with bidding to participate in international conferences, underscore his commitment to fostering cultural understanding, breaking down barriers, and collaborating with individuals and organizations worldwide. Through these efforts he aims to contribute to a more interconnected and compassionate global community.