(March 4, 2022) Did you know that IT’s top brass like Larry Page, Bill Gates, and Steve Dorsey were all coding prodigies before they launched ground-breaking tech conglomerates? Not too long ago, coding was considered the forte of computer geeks, an intimidating concept to many. Yet, that seems to be changing with coding clubs mushrooming across the country. And one such Indian coder looking to change how coding is perceived is Krish Samtani.
The 19-year-old student of UC Berkeley launched 0Gravity coding, a non-profit startup, back when he was a school student in Bengaluru. The free coding club encourages students as young as 10 to learn the nuances of coding to explore a world of innovation and problem solving. Today, the teen, who received the Leadership Award Scholarship by the alumni association of his college, has educated over 1,500 children, including the children of sex workers. Incidentally, Krish is also an Ashoka Changemaker for creating social impact through his venture.
When tech called, Krish answered
Born in New Jersey, Krish, the elder of two siblings, moved to Bengaluru when he was eight-years-old. Both his parents – Gunjan and Dimple – work with leading financial service companies, and Krish was always encouraged to push his boundaries and go beyond the ordinary. As he schooled at the International School Bengaluru, Krish found himself drawn to the world of technology when he attended a summer camp as an eighth grader at Johns Hopkins University.
“That summer camp was one of the first times I got the opportunity to learn an applied style of education, where I did some basic mathematical modelling using coding for climate change,” Krish tells Global Indian, adding, “As opposed to the heavily theoretical curriculum I was studying back in India, this style of learning gave me a chance to build my knowledge on a practical level, rather than being confined to a textbook. As such, my passion for applied coding grew stronger over the years.”
Krish with his family
Inspired by this applied education, Krish was looking to attend such a class back home in Bengaluru. Unable to find any, he founded a movement to teach other children applied computer science. “That’s how 0Gravity came about in 2017. The purpose was to spark an interest and a vision amongst children that education goes far beyond the classroom, by making the sessions fun and interactive,” this Indian coder says.
Unscrambling the code
Since its inception, 0Gravity has had executives and professionals from leading technical industries deliver lessons, and talks to students. The idea, says Krish, has been to impart knowledge that can give students a glimpse of the opportunities the workforce offers. “We organise workshops that last three months, with around 20 students per batch. We have managed to educate 1,500+ students, including 700 girls in the five years since 0Gravity launched,” says the young coder, who is now a sophomore at University of California, Berkeley, where he is studying applied mathematics with a concentration on data science.
Krish with his 0Gravity batch of students
On how he’s connected with students at 0Gravity as a mentor, he says, “The premise of 0Gravity has always been to create an enjoyable, inclusive, and immersive learning environment. Although I was responsible for mentoring students and in growing the movement across companies, I was certainly learning a lot about myself, the students, and the growing importance of technology in the process. In addition to coding fundamentals, some of the things I picked up in my 0Gravity journey were communication (speaking with different audiences), time management, working with a team, and the various stages involved in starting an organisation.”
A ‘firm’ knowledge
Krish has partnered with several firms to establish 0Gravity programmes in three countries – India, US and England. “The firm that has been the most crucial to our expansion globally is Saggezza Inc, with whom we have set up programmes in Bengaluru, Chennai, Sunderland, and Chicago,” reveals the coder, who says that the world is becoming increasingly digitised in every facet of life and the industry. “Coding is as important a skill as reading and writing in our contemporary lives. In order to build strong foundational bases, it is important for children to hone their coding skills,” says Krish, whose father Gunjan has been the backbone of his journey with 0Gravity.
Krish with his professors at University of California, Berkeley
As a student in the US, Krish has been involved in various clubs and college activities including the data science and entrepreneurship clubs. “Learning here has been a pleasure too. A lot of my professors are Noble laureates and I’ve had the opportunity to meet many new people,” says the coder, who doesn’t mind bridging the time difference to continue conducting 0Gravity workshops. “I enjoy attending sessions on weekends, and value those couple of hours highly.”
- Follow Krish Samtani on LinkedIn
