Seattle Inno Under 25: Afeef Sheikh, The Literacy Crusade founder

Afeef Sheikh, 22

What does your company/project do? My desire to make a difference in the lives of others resulted in the founding of The Literacy Crusade (TLC) with the goal of empowering underprivileged children and youth globally. Together with over 30 partner organizations, TLC has touched the lives of over 25,000 disadvantaged children across three continents, 15 countries, and more than 50 cities. We have donated educational materials to remote locations, funded mobile classrooms, read to budding students and helped build schools.

How did you come up with the idea? In the summer of 2012, I had gone to visit my grandparents in India. As we got into the car to head home after savoring a delicious meal at a popular restaurant, a boy with dirt-covered skin, tattered clothes and a somber look on his face stretched out his hand in my direction. Before I could react, our car began to move away. I knew he desperately needed anything: food, money, a change from the difficult life he was living. As he slowly faded from sight, I made a promise to myself. No matter what it took, no matter who it was, and no matter how little I could do, I would always reach back.

What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs? Never worry about the outcome. Do whatever is in your control and leave the rest. In the context of service, don’t feel as if you have to contribute significantly to make an impact. Every little bit counts. Remember that even the smallest of stones cast into a body of water can create ripples.

Other interests? Some of my projects at school include designing an air-levitated pod to compete at SpaceX’s Hyperloop Pod Competition, creating a device that allows rescue workers to see through walls and debris, an augmented reality-based treatment for Phantom Limb Syndrome, and designing a material capable of controlling its own stiffness at the Nanoscale Design and Manufacturing Lab in UT Austin.