Raj Mehta, a driven high school senior from Suwanee, has a vision that reaches far beyond the confines of a typical teenager’s world.
While other students have been busy navigating social media and the anxieties of adolescence, Mehta has been working to make life better for others.
Mehta, a top student at Forsyth County’s Lambert High, said he has been motivated in large part by what he saw during the pandemic – “long food bank lines, job losses, global economic shutdown, and overall anxiety with no end in sight.
“Everyone’s life was upended, and many people were experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic,” the 17-year-old said. “When I saw this, I wanted to contribute and make a positive impact.”
The World Bank and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation reinforced Mehta’s concerns, reporting that the pandemic would push the international poverty rate from 7.8% to 9.1% and that 5.9 million Americans lack access to essential services, such as loans and checking and savings accounts.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Raj Mehta
Credit: Photo courtesy of Raj Mehta
While still a high school freshman, Mehta founded the Fluid Ice Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on financial literacy, public policy, advocacy, awareness and the promotion of technology solutions for the larger societal good. The all-volunteer foundation also served as the springboard for Mehta’s development of a global social equity platform catering to the concerns and aspirations of underserved and underprivileged communities.
It also aims to strengthen the grassroots of the community by supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, community financing, and more.
Mehta developed a free, online and self-paced financial literacy essentials course. He’s also published a repository of 100-plus literacy resources with the goal of helping people make better and more informed financial decisions.
Amit Pandit, who sits on the boards of several banks and businesses, is a visiting faculty at leading business schools, and is an advisor to the Fluid Ice Foundation, said he has been amazed by Mehta’s dedication and perseverance. He also said it was impressive how quickly the teen scaled the foundation’s efforts from a concept to a tangible and effective grassroots initiative.
“What he is doing is a unique way of helping one understand global perspectives instead of only a specific country perspective,” Pandit said. “The global financial literacy rate is just over 33%. Every country is grappling to educate its people, and Fluid Ice Foundation’s impact will only grow from here.”
Saiprasad Muzumdar, a retired global technology leader with the Royal Bank of Scotland, Citibank, and others, shares Mehta’s passion for financial literacy and is now an adviser to his nonprofit. Muzumdar is working full-time in retirement to educate young adults on financial planning and fully embraces Mehta’s work.
“As we see the world post-pandemic, with almost 500 million people worldwide pushed into poverty, Fluid Ice Foundation’s efforts will continue to play a pivotal role for those who are excluded to be able to access and reap the benefits of mainstream financial services,” Muzumdar said.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Mehta manages the nonprofit’s 25+ member team/advisory board while taking college-level classes, authoring academic research papers and giving speeches. He founded Crowdruption, an AI/ML startup focused on innovative synthetic data solutions.
Mehta has also authored and published a 440-plus page book, “SKope: The Social Kaleidoscope – Economics of Global Social Equity,” focusing on global socio-economic challenges, especially in the Africa, Asia and Latin America regions.
Mehta’s dedication to education is undeniable. He has an impressive roster of awards and achievements, ranging from national-level math competitions to music (avid saxophonist and jazz aficionado), chess, golf and more. And he’s taken college-level courses throughout most of high school.
“As my journey continues, I am constantly reminded that my privilege carries a responsibility to harness it for the betterment of society and to champion causes that uplift those without the same opportunities,” Mehta said.
HOW TO HELP
To learn more about the projects Mehta has launched, go to fluidice.org.
