Harsha Gaddipati’s journey from his first Grand Challenges (GC) project to his current role as the tech lead at Bubble Date is a testament to the power of community-driven innovation. When Harsha first joined GC, he was seeking an ecosystem of like-minded individuals eager to push boundaries. Little did he know it would deeply influence his approach to innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗖 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 
Harsha credits much of his growth to GC, where he and his team tackled black ice and the environmental impact of road salt. He developed crucial leadership and outreach skills by speaking with Reddit users to gather firsthand experiences. Although his team ultimately determined the problem was better suited to specialized academic research, this project taught Harsha valuable lessons in problem-solving and stakeholder engagement. 

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗖 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 
In 2024, Harsha became the Tech Lead at Bubble Date, a startup platform designed to reduce loneliness by fostering social connections through group dating. Harsha focuses on developing the AI matching algorithm that allows individuals or groups to meet and form connections in a safe, inclusive environment. The lessons Harsha learned from GC—community engagement, seeking feedback, and iteration—have shaped his work at Bubble Date. 

As Harsha nears graduation, the Bubble Date team is refining the platform and expanding its user base. While the future remains uncertain, they aim to create a connected, authentic culture and explore promotional events that align with their mission.

Meet Founder, our Pawfessor of Innovation! 🐶✨

If you come to a Grand Challenges class or event, you’ll probably see Founder making his rounds, brightening everyone’s day with tail wags and cuddles. But did you know he once had a very different career path?

Founder originally trained to be a service dog, working hard to master seizure response protocol, ambulatory assistance duties, and various tasks such as opening doors and answering the phone. But as it turns out, his biggest strengths — an undying love for naps and an irresistible snuggle instinct — weren’t exactly service dog material. So, he pivoted to become the first-ever Pawfessor of Innovation at GC!

Rather than seeing this as failure, Founder found a new way to make an impact — just like we encourage in GC. His story is a reminder that setbacks aren’t the end of the road; they’re often just a redirection to something better. Now, Founder is thriving in his true calling: boosting morale, making friends, and proving that sometimes, failure is just an opportunity to grow.

After two semesters of ideation, iteration, and hands-on discovery, our Grand Challenges students wrapped up with an incredible end-of-year poster showcase!

Over 150 guests — including industry professionals, stakeholders, and curious minds — joined us to explore the projects and invest their "GC bucks" 💰 in solutions they believed held the most promise for real-world impact 🌍.

Nearly 50 teams of first-year students tackled global issues with creativity and grit. Just a few of the brilliant ideas included: 
🦾 Using phase-change materials in prosthetics to reduce heat and improve comfort, addressing prosthetic abandonment.
💧 Using biofilm filtration and yeast treatments to clean contaminated water.
🥦 Transforming food waste into paper to lower methane emissions.
🗑️ Leveraging black soldier flies for contaminated compost reclamation.

We couldn’t be prouder of this cohort and the hard work they’ve put in this year!

And, we're excited to see where our students go with their projects, whether continuing to prototype through the GC sophomore experience, gaining international insights and experiences through the GC Global Experience, or refining their business model through numerous incubator initiatives on campus, such as Georgia Tech CREATE-X.

Thank you to the countless individuals who served as subject matter experts, coaches, mentors, and guest judges to support our students as they lived out the Georgia Institute of Technology's mission of advancing technology and improving the human condition!