What you need to know
Sharda, a 13 year old who lives in Round Rock, told Community Impact in an interview that his organization would begin offering micro grants to members in April, ranging from $25 to $100 per project.
Funds will be used for initiatives like purchasing web domains or conducting research, he said, to help members get their startups off the ground. TLEEM will also provide mentorship to its members, to help them become self sufficient.
The grants are funded through another organization Sharda founded, Allagi Capital, which is sponsored by companies like Walmart.
About the program
TLEEM—an acronym representing Technology, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Engineering and Mathematics—is a peer mentoring organization that was founded by then 12-year-old Sharda while he was living in Leander.
Sharda saud he founded TLEEM to foster mentorship, community and relationships among his peers, including and outside of the school setting, via networking.
His organization makes networking more accessible to young entrepreneurs, he said, as Austin-area events like South by Southwest can be out of the price range for most.
How it works
Sharda said each chapter of TLEEM holds meetings for members to explore mutual interests and help each other develop ideas.
"It's hard to meet new people who are working in the same area as you without going to pricey conferences [or] pricey meetups," he said. "This can be changed. I want people to be able to change the world by meeting new people who have relevant expertise."
What they're saying
After years of attending school virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharda said his return to in-person schooling revealed weak spots in peer-to-peer networking that he had become accustomed to online.
"Here in Austin, the city's called 'Silicon Hills,' right?" Sharda said. "But there's barely any networking events, and I'm a low-income student. Conferences like SXSW are expensive. They're $2,200, and they're the only programming conference or conference in general here in Austin. Other conferences are age restricted, pricey, inconvenient or just barely happening."
Did you know?
Sharda's nonprofit organization has expanded globally in the two years since it was founded. TLEEM has 37 chapters in 11 countries.
