Nithin Jilla

Nithin is a passionate educator and social entrepreneur who believes in educating & empowering the next generation of young innovators. He aspires to help spread the “learning by doing” model to the younger generation with the philosophy: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” ~ Confucius

Nithin’s journey as a social entrepreneur started when he entered high school in 2006. He co-led Kenya Dream, an organization that aims to support students in Kenya with scholarships and enhance the quality of education, and went on to start the first college branch at UC Irvine. He became very involved in entrepreneurship at UC Irvine – helping to pioneer new collaborative initiatives, launch 2 small ventures and received his B.S. in Computer Science in 3 years in 2013. Currently, he is the Director of Programs at the Kay Family Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation and the Co- Project Director of AppJam+, a STEM education program that is recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative and teaches underserved and low-income middle school kids how to make mobile apps while exposing them to STEM careers.

He serves on the Board of Directors for Child S.H.A.R.E, the largest independent foster parent recruitment organization in the U.S., finding “forever” homes for abused and neglected foster youth. Nithin has an interest in technology, education and enjoys working collectively with leaders to bring about positive impact. He aspires to build models and systems that are sustainable, and empower the next generation of youth to become leaders in their local community.