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Ready for a challenge? Ritika Sehgal takes us through her journey in founding Challenge Island San Diego Coastal, a locally owned, award-winning program designed to inspire STEAM development among the younger generation through creativity, collaboration and innovative thinking.

Ritika grew up in India, but moved to San Diego early in her career. She initially pursued management roles for tech companies, working primarily on product and application development. After having her son, she noticed a lack of organic learning methods, prompting her to explore more ways to engage young kids in creative learning. She then discovered STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programs. She appreciated the relatability and inclusivity provided by such programs. With that, she launched Challenge Island.

Challenge Island encourages a balanced education by eliminating compartmentalized learning and perfectly combining creative thinking with practical knowledge. By merging greatly contrasting fields like math and art, students with varying interests and backgrounds are able to participate and further develop their skills through uniquely designed projects and activities. The program itself is mobile; they travel to schools, libraries and organizations with instructors and whatever materials are necessary.

Ritika eventually decided to join Connect All at the Jacob's Center accelerator to learn more about the intricacies of startup growth and ways in which she can further enrich her program. Coming out of the program, she has a greater understanding of her roadmap and is thankful for the opportunities she has come across as a result. Going forward, she is looking for more ways in which she can give back to the community and involve more organizations in her program. She hopes to bring Challenge Island to children's hospitals or areas with little access to schooling and resources, and is looking to connect with people interested in collaborating or brainstorming more ideas. Reach out to Ritika if you are interested in contributing to the growth of Challenge Island in the San Diego community!

Ritika's Favorite Tacos:

Puesto at the Headquarters

Connect with Ritika:

LinkedIn

Keep up with Challenge Island San Diego Coastal:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook: @challengeislandSDCoastal

Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.