The Knowledge Society (TKS) is a human accelerator for the next generation of entrepreneurs, scientists, and innovators who want to solve the world’s biggest problems. Follow us on instagram, twitter, or linkedin for more updates.
We kicked off a new year of Activate with 85 teens invited back for another year across 30+ different cities! As an invite only program, Activate is set for the most globally ambitious, curious, and community minded.
Here’s the tl’dr for this newsletter:
Intro to Activate: 85 ambitious teens, 32 sessions, 10 months, and 2 unconventional directors.
Check out featured student content, projects, and newsletters
Monthly ask: become a mentor.
1. Activate is 85 ambitious teens, 32 sessions, 10 months, and 2 unconventional directors.
As a 10 month long accelerator, we have weekly sessions covering knowledge, skillsets, and mindsets needed to begin tackling the world’s biggest problems, including medical errors, layer 1 v layer 2 scaling in ETH, patent challenge, hackathons, and more.
Along the way everyone:
Works on their own projects in emerging and exponential tech and/or science
Meets weekly in mastermind style squad meetings
Has personalized coaching help through 1-1s with directors
And we’re all nerding out online, both in public and on slack. We track the latest #thisiscool news in tech + science or #thisisnotcool updates on global problems.
We call the program Activate, because our focus is about making things happen in the world, ie. being a force responsible for impactful change.
If you are curious to see what last year’s crew did, check out demo day recap.
The last few Activate programs have been run by Navid + Nadeem, founders of TKS, and this year we have another unconventional team to lead the way for an unconventional crew of activators.
Meet Michael, a serial innovator and educator, who’s worked across the global food system and in digital healthcare. He is currently figuring out ways to solve for Earthshot level problems.
Meet Brandon, an R+D engineer and entrepreneur, who is obsessed with high performance as he is close—ie. minutes— away qualifying for ironman world championship.
And now, time to meet some students 👇.
2. Featured content, projects, and newsletters
Every month Activators are building, researching, hustling, and making progress. These are some highlights.
Interesting reads:
Using machine learning to detect polycystic ovary syndrome by Manasi
Muse 101 — How to start developing with the Muse 2 right now by Anush
Conducting a cell orchestra: a conceptual bioelectricity review by Amy
Unconventional summer experiences:
Xiangan’s cryptocurrency research internship at Polychain Capital
Valkyrie + team winning Moonshot Pirate competition with Project Firefly
Naila’s CTV national feature as an environmental researcher in bioplastics
To best follow individual growth journeys check out monthly newsletters:
Sofi’s summer update: Leading TKS iGem team, working on invitro cotton, and an internship at Grow Your Own Cloud
Sam’s summer update: Winning an international hackathon and building in blockchain
If you liked any of the above, please share and repost. Tag the authors or us @thesociety.
3. Monthly ask: become a mentor.
In order to train the next generation of Olympic level Activators, we need an Olympic level village of support.
Our goal is to crowd source feedback with office hour style openings with mentors of different experiences and backgrounds for our teens. If you (someone you know) would make a great mentor click here. We are looking for
Technical mentors with experience in AI, quantum computing, blockchain, gene editing, stem cell research, robotics, personalized medicine, cell ag, nanotechnology, or full stack development.
Growth mentors with interesting experiences and unique skillsets in industry or research who want to help guide teens down unconventional paths.
We are also always open to collaborating. If you have interesting ideas, shoot us an email at michael@tks.world.
Forward, onwards,
Michael + Brandon | Activate Directors
✌