Deep breaths only, for 24 hours straight.

A 2min update from Jess, the 16y/o on a journey to extend the human healthspan.

Hey, it’s Jessica! I’m a curious learner exploring new approaches to old age diseases. Each month, I send an update of my progress to people I look up to. Feel free to reply with anything—thoughts, questions, science puns :)

Highlights from a Whirlwind Month

READ-E Project Update

Three months ago, inaccessible education in rural Nigeria felt like a messy, complex problem too overwhelmingly difficult to tackle. Despite this trepidation, my team decided to address it head-on for a hackathon. We built READ-E: an AI-powered flip phone system teaching girls to read from home.

Fast forward to today, and we’re fresh off the adrenaline rush of pitching to Craig Elias, Bow Valley’s Enterpeneur-in-Residence. We’ll be starting weekly mentorship sessions with Craig to kickstart READ-E’s development!

Preparing to pitch alongside an amazing team—Moniola, Kayla, and Andrea!

Hands down the most valuable lesson learned from this experience is the power of networking. After all, our team made it to where we are through a chain of introductions and “I know a guy”s.

After the hackathon, we reached out to judges, following up 3 times before getting a response. We pitched to the Applied Research Team from Bow Valley College, who ended up introducing us to Craig and his business team. Networking can seem daunting, but each cold email is like opening a portal of opportunity.

Project Gaea Update

Last month, my team for the Q-munity Vision Challenge decided the status quo of palm oil wasn’t working out. Why? Because we (alongside entire industries) are dependent on a product inextricably tied to deforestation, child labour, and growing health issues in our nation.

We needed an alternative, one that would allow palm oil to exist without its devastating health and environmental impacts…and the answer lay in CRISPR/Cas9. We pitched Project Gaea, an idea for a startup producing synthetic red palm oil through genetically modified e. coli bacteria.

Our website! (secret password: ProjectGaea)

To our delight, Project Gaea won the Vision Challenge Grand Prize! Alongside a cash prize, we were given a spot in the League of Innovators (LOI) startup incubator. Moving forward, we’ll be working with LOI to access mentors and begin validation of our solution. Updates are on the way, but in the meantime…

Now, a Tidbit of Wisdom

Have you noticed how shallow our breaths are? A conversation with a friend brought this to my attention. He discussed how the present moment, much like our breath, passes by unnoticed 99% of the time. Mindfulness is an immense superpower, yet it’s too easy for our monkey minds to simply forget the present.

I was challenged to take only deep breaths for 24 hours straight. And I can honestly say it was life-changing. Each moment felt real. Background noise (anxieties and overthinking) faded away. I emerged out of those 24 hours feeling in control of my life and emotions.

I challenge you to do the same. For the next 24 hours, try taking only deep breaths. Set reminders and Post-It Note triggers so you don’t forget. I have a feeling you’d be amazed at the transformative power of simply breathing!

Coming Up!

• Weekly mentorship sessions with Craig Elias to turn READ-E into reality.

• Consulting for the United Nations to bridge the gender digital divide.

• Pondering the ethics of longevity part 2, and putting those thoughts into paper (expect an article very soon!)

• More progress on my 2021 “Making Moonshots Happen” Goals!

In Closing

Thank you so much for glancing into my whirlwind of a month. I hope you were able to gain value from this newsletter!

Also, did you know you can reply directly to this email? It’s a pretty cool way to send over any feedback or thoughts. Looking back on newsletter conversations always makes me smile. And of course, you can drop me a line through Twitter or LinkedIn too!

Till next month,

Jessica :)