(May 9, 2026) About two years ago, Shaan Guru was sitting inside a Panera Bread outlet in Orlando, the popular American bakery-cafe chain known for sandwiches, soups, and fresh bread, when he noticed trays of perfectly usable food being discarded at the end of the day. The scene stayed with him long after he left the restaurant.
“There is no reason good food should go to waste when people in the same community need it,” Shaan tells The Global Indian. “If we can connect sustainability with service, we can help both people and the planet.”
That moment became the starting point of the Green Guru Project, a youth-led nonprofit initiative through which the Indian American high schooler is working to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger, decent work and economic growth, and climate action. What began with weekly food pickups has since expanded into financial literacy workshops for migrant communities, sustainability partnerships, and youth volunteering initiatives.
Shaan while presenting the Green Guru Project to members of the Orlando community and Windermere Prep
Turning food waste into community support
Shaan began by researching Panera Bread’s Day-End Dough-Nation programme, which allows registered nonprofits to redistribute surplus food. After securing 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for Green Guru Project, he partnered with a local community refrigerator initiative called Neighborhood Fridge. Every Sunday, he personally handled food pickup and delivery runs.
Over time, the initiative evolved into a volunteer-driven system with multiple students helping transport food regularly. According to Shaan, “Green Guru Project has now grown to 43 members across 15 countries and has raised over $500 for community initiatives.” The food redistribution effort alone has helped donate more than 1,500 pounds of food.
The Neighborhood Fridge also became a space for wider community outreach. One school-led event involved packing healthcare kits for homeless individuals who rely on the fridge network.
For Shaan, sustainability is closely tied to dignity and access. “I thought this would be a great opportunity to reduce food waste and stimulate the local economy,” he says.
Shaan with volunteers of the Green Guru Project
Teaching financial literacy to migrant communities
Another major focus area for Green Guru Project has been financial literacy education for Latin American migrant communities in Orlando.
Recognising that many new arrivals from Brazil and other South American countries struggled with unfamiliar systems such as taxation, budgeting, and banking in the United States, Shaan began organising workshops in Spanish and Portuguese. More than 200 migrants have attended the sessions across eight programmes so far.
The experience also changed the way he approached leadership and communication. “At first, I was giving a lecture and the room felt dull,” he recalls. “Then I changed my program, and I decided to ask them what questions they had.”
That shift turned the sessions into conversations rather than classroom-style instruction. Participants exchanged perspectives on how financial systems in Brazil, Colombia, India, and the US differ from one another, making the workshops more interactive and culturally grounded.
The online financial literacy sessions conducted through the Personal Finance Project were held in English, while his Orlando community workshops took place in Spanish and Portuguese. Shaan says learning both languages helped him connect more deeply with the communities around him.
“Orlando is a multicultural city with lots of people from South America,” he says. “It is very cool to interact and network with people from different countries.”
Economics, sustainability and policy interests
A student at Florida’s Windermere Preparatory School, Shaan balances his nonprofit work alongside the rigorous International Baccalaureate programme. He says careful time management allows him to handle academics, volunteering, and research simultaneously.
His academic interests strongly reflect his long-term goal of studying political economy and sustainability at university.
He has already published research examining the economic impact of US presidential election years across five academic and research platforms, including SSRN, ResearchGate, and the International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research. The paper reportedly received hundreds of downloads and ranked 16th on one platform.
In 2025, he also participated in the Euro Challenge, where he and his team presented research on Spain’s GDP growth and tourism economy before officials associated with the European Union and European Central Bank. The team modelled climate and economic risk scenarios over a ten-year period, including the impact of tourism and energy policies.
Beyond research, Shaan has interned with Spinosa Wealth, where he assessed ESG disclosures of S&P 500 companies and studied sustainable investment strategies. He has also completed pre-college programmes at Duke University, Brown University, and University of Chicago in areas ranging from financial literacy to global political economy.
“I hope to one day make equitable policies that care about the environment and equities in the GDP, not just raw growth,” he says.
Shaan with peers at a multicultural fundraiser
Expanding sustainability partnerships
As Green Guru Project expanded, Shaan also began collaborating with organisations focused on environmental innovation and economic education.
Through a partnership with Ecotone Renewables, he supported efforts to launch ZEUS biodigester technology in Orlando, aimed at converting food waste into usable byproducts. The initiative received an $850 grant from Target and is planned for future expansion.
Green Guru Project has additionally partnered with organisations such as the Arizona Council for Economic Education, Florida Council for Economic Education, and Chicago Bears Outreach Charity. Through one collaboration linked to the Caleb Cares Foundation, the initiative supported outreach connected to a coat drive that distributed thousands of winter coats.
At school, Shaan also founded the institution’s first Economics Club, which has grown to more than 40 members and organised fundraising support for Children’s Miracle Network.
His work has earned several recognitions, including a top 1 percent international ranking in the Wharton Investment Competition, selection as a delegate at the NAE Global Summit, and invitations as a TEDx Youth speaker and Nord Anglia student leader.
Shaan with a peer at the Economic Club Booth
Between Indian heritage and community service
Shaan’s family history reflects multiple journeys between India and the United States. His maternal grandparents immigrated from Santa Cruz in Mumbai, while his father moved from Mumbai to Chicago as a teenager. His paternal grandparents continue to live in Mysore.
Despite growing up in the United States, he says Indian traditions remain an important part of family life. The family regularly participates in activities organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Orlando and celebrates festivals such as Diwali with the local Indian community.
Whether he is coordinating food donations, discussing sustainable economics, or conducting workshops in multiple languages, Shaan’s work is rooted in a simple idea he first encountered inside a bakery-cafe in Orlando, that small local actions can create meaningful community impact.
ALSO READ: L’Oreal honours Maryland teen Shrusti Amula for her crusade against food waste
