Project ‘DiscoverSTEM’ began in 2016 with an interesting series of events and observations. Our founder Mirza Faizan, a globally recognized aerospace scientist, and a serial inventor, was invited to evaluate students’ innovations at a global innovation competition conducted at NASA Kennedy Space Centre and International Science & Engineering Fair. During those two years, he interacted with and evaluated students’ ideas from around 85 countries and made two interesting observations.
“Children are ‘natural out-of-the-box thinkers’ and they get some very bright and promising ideas.”
“Since children lack a structured thought process that innovation requires, they don’t know how to convert an idea into a robust innovation. They just drop their concept & idea, and it goes to waste.
Mr. Faizan decided to capitalize on this untapped, bright, and promising resource of ideas and mentor young kids to convert their ideas into innovation. To do this, he, along with his brother Dr. Mirza Rizwan, who has a doctorate in ‘Innovation and Corporate Sustainability,’ decided to develop a course module to mentor young kids to identify real-world problems and innovate novel & patentable STEM solutions to these problems.
A unique DiscoverSTEM course module was developed within a year, which includes two innovative and proprietary tools – ‘STAR’ (Structured Thinking, Analyzing, and Reasoning) and ‘Problem-to-Innovation Process (PIP).’ It is a step-by-step process that starts with identifying problem statements and ends with a novel and often patentable STEM solution to those problems.
In 2019, Faizan left his job as the Director and Head of Aerospace, Defence & Space Engineering at a multi-billion dollar MNC and devoted his life to the mission to mentor young innovators and entrepreneurs of the future.
Ever since then, DiscoverSTEM students have been on an innovation streak! Creating innovative solutions to many real-world problems, taking those solutions to win various innovation competitions at NASA and other global innovation competitions. So far, we have filed patents for over 320+ kids aged between 10-18, won 57+ titles at global innovation competitions, and even launched some of these bright ideas as a product!
Today, our team comprises individuals dedicated to making a positive impact and helping DiscoverSTEM kids learn and grow. They recognize the importance of nurturing their skills at an early stage by teaching them how to collaborate, think critically, and be inquisitive. DiscoverSTEM’s team and its panel of experts include leading scientists, innovators, motivational speakers, educators, behavioral experts, technologists, corporate leaders, management consultants, and mentors.
To be identified as the ‘cradle of innovations’ where practical, purposeful, and powerful ideas emerge to get transformed into implementable solutions, impacting billions and solving the world’s biggest problems.
DiscoverSTEM seeks to accelerate a purposeful impact in the world by mentoring critical thinkers and problem-solvers of tomorrow. We are here to power the next generation with innovative and transformative thinking that paves the way for an innovation-based economy.
