(June 26, 2024) ‘We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?’ This quote of Steve Jobs is one of the favourites of Texas teen Arjun Sharda. “The thought resonates deeply with me and has become my life mission,” he tells Global Indian. Last year, the 13-year-old founded TLEEM, which stands for Technology, Leadership, Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Math to help K12 students network and excel in these fields. Within months Arjun and his team have formed 15 chapters of TLEEM across seven countries.
Inspired by Steve Jobs’ salesmanship, the teenager has even authored a book titled ‘The Salesperson’s Direction to Clients’. Pushing his limits, the youngster has been establishing himself as a social entrepreneur, author, speaker, and programmer.
Arjun Sharda
Arjun is happy about the early milestones of TLEEM. For helping K12 students build a learning network at an early age, his venture has received a $500 USD donation from the Salice Family Foundation. “This contribution will support our future programs and general operating costs. We are incredibly thankful for this generous donation,” remarks the teenager who has spoken at events like DevOpsDays Austin and DevelopersWeek as one of the youngest speakers.
Turning passion into social entrepreneurship
With TLEEM, Arjun aims to empower students to develop skills that schools might not teach by creating a learning network. “We’re tomorrow. We’re the next leaders and CEOs. If someone has a burning passion for something, they should be able to follow it, regardless of age. And I think that networking plays a big role in being able to follow it,” he remarks.
From a young age, Arjun developed a keen interest in technology, leadership, entrepreneurship, engineering, and math. He started coding at the age of seven and has since developed expertise in Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Java, contributing to various open-source projects available on platforms like GitHub. Some of his significant projects include Searchor, TimeConv, and Passeo. “These are being used by businesses and individuals,” he shares, adding, “I also attended an engineering class and participated in a gifted program called PACE Math where seventh-grade students studied eighth-grade mathematics.”
Arjun Sharda
However, his school did not have a club that supported his multidisciplinary interests. Determined to pursue his passions, Arjun founded a school club and named it TLEEM. In this endeavour, he received support not only from his schoolmates but also from teachers and the assistant principal of his school.
Creating milestones
When Arjun and his friends started posting about TLEEM’S activities on online forums, they were delighted to receive interest from youngsters in other parts of the globe and within a short frame of time TLEEM grew into an organisation with 15 chapters across seven countries. “We have chapters in countries like Morocco, Indonesia, Croatia, Slovakia, India, and the USA,” Arjun says. TLEEM provides options for two types of chapters – school chapters and community chapters.
Arjun Sharda
Interspersing love for technology, marketing and writing
Apart from his deep interest in technology, it was curiosity that led Arjun to self-publish the book, ‘’The Salesperson’s Direction to Clients’ which is his personal analysis of the sales data of companies such as Apple and Google.
“While searching for a new phone online, I got curious about how big companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung sell their products. For example, how does Apple manage to sell iPhones for $1,000 and make a fortune, even though Google’s Pixel or Samsung smartphones might have better technical specifications for the same price or even cheaper?” he remarks.
Intrigued, he researched and found interesting information about Apple’s marketing strategies. For instance, a simple design and easy-to-use interface attract more customers, even if another phone brand has better technical specifications, as customers want comfort. “I wrote a short book about my findings and published it in April 2023, using Amazon KDP and Draft2Digital, LLC. I was just 11 at that time,” he says.
Arjun Sharda
Support from family
Happy about his accomplishments and TLEEM’s growth, Arjun thanks his mother for being a significant contributor, especially with the paperwork required to make TLEEM a registered 501(c)(3) organisation.
Born in Santa Clara, California, Arjun lives with his parents in Austin, Texas. “My parents are from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and moved to the United States in 2008. I have an intelligent and loving brother, Arin, who will be turning four in a few days,” says the youngster, who is also a contributor to GREY Journal and the editor-in-chief of Generation Insider magazine.
- Follow Arjun Sharda on LinkedIn
