Tejasvi Manoj

This 17-year-old won TIME’s Kid of the Year for building an AI tool that protects seniors from online scams.

In 2024, a scammer pretended to be Tejasvi Manoj’s uncle and asked her 85-year-old grandfather for $2,000.

He was minutes away from sending it… until Tejasvi’s dad called him back.

But for Tejasvi, that close call sparked an idea.

She went home, locked herself in her room, and started researching.

She found this…

In 2024, the FBI received 860,000+ reports of scams

Reported losses: $16B

Losses from adults over 60: $5B, up 32% from 2023

Older adults losing $100K+? That number went up 7x since 2020

So Tejasvi decided to build Shield Seniors.

A cybersecurity platform that helps older adults stay safe online.

She was just 16.

The platform is simple.

Analyze: Upload a suspicious message. The AI flags scams with 95% accuracy, and explains why

Ask: A chatbot answers questions in two sentences or less, built specifically for non-tech-savvy users

Learn: Internet safety tips written in plain language, covering fake charities, urgent payment requests, and more

Report: Direct links to 14 agencies depending on the type of fraud.

The site uses large fonts, soft colors, and was user-tested with her grandparents and other seniors.

It’s built for clarity.

And it gives seniors back their digital independence.

Tejasvi coded it herself. Using Java, Python, HTML, and AI tools.

She learned by taking free YouTube tutorials and joining Girls Who Code and Cyber-Patriot, the Air Force’s cybersecurity challenge.

But she’s not just a coder.

She plays violin in her school orchestra.

She earned her Eagle Scout rank in Scouting America.

She tutors Bhutanese refugees.

And she volunteers with the North Texas Food Bank Young Advocates Council and packs meals with TangoTab.

In 2024, she was recognized with an honorable mention in the Congressional App Challenge.

And in 2025, she became TIME’s Kid of the Year, and the first ever to also be named a TIME for Kids Service Star.

Today, Shield Seniors is in private preview mode.

But Tejasvi is actively fundraising to move to a commercial AI platform and launch publicly by year’s end.

Meanwhile, she’s applying to college. Her list includes UT Austin, Georgia Tech, and Purdue.