Dhanvinkumar Ganeshkumar

Dhanvinkumar, a student innovator from Virginia, turned a near-blindness diagnosis into a mission to build more inclusive, accessible technology. After discovering he had a silent retinal detachment – undetected for over seven months and nearly irreversible – he underwent emergency surgery. The experience was life-altering. It led him to ask: how many others lack access to timely diagnosis or assistive tools?

In response, he co-founded Swype AI, a hands-free computer control platform designed for people with motor disabilities. Using just a smartphone camera, Swype enables users to operate their computers through gestures and voice commands. Unlike traditional systems that cost thousands and require specialised hardware, Swype installs in minutes, works cross-platform, and has already reached 5,000+ users. It’s been recognised by over 15 disability organisations, tested live with US accessibility programmes, and won awards including Best AI Hack at Google Boost Hacks-II.

His innovation continued in the lab. At Harvard Ophthalmology, he developed CataractSAM-2, a real-time AI model that boosted surgical image segmentation accuracy from under 50% to over 95%. At Stanford, he is building AI-guided focused ultrasound systems for noninvasive brain therapy, and at MIT, he is creating generative AI systems to automate surgical tool design.

As a speaker, he’s presented his innovations at SXSW EDU, Harvard Global Health Forum, MIT URTC, and the International Annual Patient Conference, reaching 30,000+ individuals. Whether helping surgeons or enabling someone with Parkinson’s to access a computer independently, Dhanvinkumar brings deeply personal passion to every solution.

Beyond research, Dhanvinkumar organised HackTJ, the largest high school–run hackathon on the East Coast, and scaled the International Research Olympiad to over 5,600 students across 89 countries. He also served as a Youth Leader for the Harvard Vision Global Health Conference, helping coordinate a 700-person international event that connected researchers, public health leaders, and student changemakers to explore solutions in global health equity. He has spoken at SXSW EDU, the International Annual Patient Conference, MIT, and Harvard, reaching 30,000+. As a Givology podcast host, he has spotlighted global voices in education and disability inclusion – from Uganda to the World Literacy Foundation.

Now, Dhanvinkumar is raising funds to scale Swype globally – training its AI to perform better across skin tones, environments, and languages. If awarded the Global Student Prize, he plans to expand Swype to 100,000 users, localise it into 10 languages, and distribute free assistive tech kits to underfunded clinics and non-profits.