Our Story
Let’s understand the story of DiscoverSTEM in four simple phases
1. The Origin
(How It All Began)
In 2016, when Mirza Faizan became a father, he realized that by the time his daughter grows up, nearly 50% of today’s jobs may no longer exist due to AI and automation. Traditional education wasn’t preparing children for this future.
While judging global competitions at NASA and ISEF, he saw that kids have brilliant ideas but no structured way to transform them into innovations.
This sparked DiscoverSTEM: a program built to help children develop creativity, problem solving, and innovation skills through structured tools like STAR and PIP.
2. The Challenge (What Problem We Are Solving)
Education built for the industrial era still teaches memorization and obedience skills that automation will replace first. Reports predicted massive workforce disruption, but schools weren’t changing.
Faizan noticed that children’s creativity fades in systems designed for repetition, not innovation.
DiscoverSTEM was created to solve this gap: to give children a structured path to think critically, innovate boldly, and convert their ideas into patent-worthy solutions.
3. The Discovery (What We Learned From the World)
During his years as a judge at NASA and international innovation fairs, Faizan made two discoveries that changed everything:
1. Children naturally think outside the box.
2. Without the right guidance, their ideas stay unexplored and unshaped.
These insights led to a unique curriculum combining structured thinking, problem to innovation methodology, and real world mentoring laying the foundation of DiscoverSTEM.
4. The Impact (What We Achieved & Why It Matters)
From a personal realization in 2016 to a global movement today DiscoverSTEM has transformed student innovation.
- 700+ patent filings by young students.
- 345+ granted patents across countries.
- 90+ awards at NASA and global innovation events.
- Student ideas turning into startups.
Backed by aerospace scientists, educators, and innovators, DiscoverSTEM equips children with the mindset and tools to solve real problems and shape the future.
DiscoverSTEM was founded by Mirza Faizan and Mirza Rizwan with a vision to nurture curiosity, critical thinking, and innovation in young minds.
The proprietary STAR and PIP frameworks were created, and DiscoverSTEM’s first team won First Prize at the Conrad Challenge, NASA Kennedy Space Center.
Team Dark Horse won the Power Pitch Award at the Conrad Challenge.
A DiscoverSTEM middle-school team secured 2nd Place Worldwide at the NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest, competing against 6,700 students from 21 countries.
DiscoverSTEM innovators won 1st Place Worldwide at the NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest, outperforming 10,000+ participants from over 30 countries.
Founder Mirza Faizan left his corporate role as Director & Head of Aerospace, Defense & Space Engineering to dedicate himself fully to DiscoverSTEM’s mission.
Founders Mirza Rizwan & Mirza Faizan became the first Indians to receive the George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation (USA).
DiscoverSTEM launched its first Innovation Day, celebrating 150+ student patent filings.
Students from DiscoverSTEM’s Neurotechnology & BCI Research Lab won Most Innovative Research Abstract at the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Summit for their work on an EEG-controlled wheelchair.
The second Innovation Day honored 200+ students awarded patents in the US and other countries, marking DiscoverSTEM’s transformation into a global innovation movement.
Founder Mirza Faizan was named Top Inventor of Dallas.
The third Innovation Day celebrated 250+ patented student innovators, alongside global partnerships with America’s Top Young Innovators and UAE’s Top Young Innovators.
The Texas House of Representatives recognized DiscoverSTEM through House Resolution 403, declaring DiscoverSTEM Innovation Day.
83% of ILM graduates were admitted to Top 10 US universities, and 94% to Top 21 schools, while the fourth Innovation Day honored 80+ newly patented students.