Our Story
Born in a slum.
Built for geniuses.
SlumGenius was founded in 2016 when Rajan Mehta, a teacher in Dharavi, noticed that some of his brightest students were dropping out — not from lack of talent, but lack of resources. He decided to do something about it.
Rajan Mehta
Founder & Executive Director
Our Mission
Talent is equally
distributed.
Opportunity is not.
We exist to close that gap. Through a three-step model of discovery, development, and launch, we ensure that where a child is born does not determine how far they can go.
"A child from a slum solving equations on the ground with a stick is still a mathematician. They just need a classroom."
— Rajan Mehta, Founder
Discover
We deploy community scouts and partner with local schools to identify children with exceptional abilities in science, arts, sports, and academics.
Develop
Identified prodigies receive scholarships, mentors, tools, and structured programs tailored to their specific talent and learning style.
Launch
We connect graduates with universities, fellowships, and career opportunities so their trajectory continues beyond our programs.
Our Journey
A decade of determination
Founded in Dharavi
Rajan Mehta starts with 12 children and ₹80,000 in personal savings.
First scholarship cohort
34 children receive full scholarships. First corporate donor (Tata Trusts) joins.
Expanded to 5 cities
Programs launched in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Chennai.
STEM Lab launched
State-of-the-art mobile STEM labs reach 15 communities.
800+ prodigies served
Milestone of 800 children reached. International recognition from UNESCO.
National expansion
Targeting 50 cities and 2,000 children by end of year.
The People Behind It
Our team
Rajan Mehta
Founder & Executive Director
Former teacher in Dharavi with 18 years in education. Padma Shri nominee 2025.
Ananya Krishnamurthy
Director of Programs
IIM Ahmedabad alumna. Led education initiatives at Teach For India for 6 years.
Devraj Pillai
Head of Community Outreach
Grew up in Govandi, Mumbai. First-generation graduate. Knows every alley by heart.
Sunita Bose
Chief Financial Officer
Chartered accountant with 14 years in nonprofit finance. Ensures every rupee counts.
What We Stand For
Our values
See Every Child
We believe every child has potential. Our job is to look past poverty and see genius.
Radical Transparency
92 paise of every rupee reaches programs. Annual reports published openly.
Community First
We work with communities, not for them. Local scouts, local mentors, local pride.
Celebrate Difference
Math genius, dance prodigy, chess champion — all talents are equally celebrated.