Cupertino teen writes the book on circular economy
A Cupertino teen who won national recognition earlier this year for his circular economy initiative backing up his work with a book series and a podcast.
Aaryan Doshi, 16, was among five grand prize winners in Prudential Financial’s Emerging Visionaries program in May. The program honors teens ages 14-18 across the United States for leading initiatives that result in solutions to financial and societal challenges.
The Monta Vista High School student received $15,000 for his CirFin initiative that helps young people use financial technology to develop more sustainable economies. The initiative has more than 100 participants across four international chapters.
Aaryan is writing the first book in a series about taking steps to move toward a circular economy and sustainable world. He is also working on launching a podcast with a focus on interviewing individuals who share his goals.
“Through CirFin, I intend to build a global network of students and future leaders interested in the convergence of circular economy and fintech,” Aaryan said. “The take-make-waste approach of the linear economy is unsustainable. Circular economy attempts to address this by regenerating waste and keeping materials in circulation longer. However, the lack of participation and financial incentives for the poorest members of the globe impedes its success. We must bring about a generation of changemakers that use fintech to help connect these members.”
Among the projects Cirfin is tackling is using blockchain technology to track the financial value of smartphones over their recycled lifecycle. This project harks back to the incident that led Aaryan to create Cirfin. When he saw his mom trading in her old smart phone for a new one, he asked what would happen to the trade-in and was told she would get credit for it.
“So I researched as much as possible about trading old phones, which is when I came across the circular economy concept,” Aaryan recalled. “I also understood financial and transactional literacy was equally essential to incentivize more individuals to join this movement.
“It dawned on me that the onus was on me to raise awareness of the circular economy and fintech among young people.”
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