We were lucky to catch up with Tanvi Gupta recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tanvi , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
As a child, I spent most of my days surrounded by cardboard and masking tape on the floor of my family home. Despite the mundanity of the craft supplies that I lived amongst, my childhood was vibrant, as each day a new origami sword or cardboard robot made from our house’s garbage appeared by my bedside table. To my eight year old self, the possibilities of what I could create seemed endless.
However, as I grew up, this vibrancy faded. When I entered high school, I found that my peers and I became more accustomed to memorizing facts rather than actually applying our knowledge. We only ever worked in perfect scenarios in school, with questions that were made to be answered, and restricting tests that rarely ever allowed us to stray from an answer key.
So, as a way to re-ignite my own inspiration for creativity, but also bring back a passion for genuine learning and innovation among young students, I decided to create CADthinkers, a company which runs 3D printing and robotics lessons at local aftercare centers. Using my background knowledge from various 3D printing and Robotics projects, I began to teach younger students how to utilize their imaginations to create actual finished products, ranging from their own custom fidget spinners, pencil holders, to entirely new products they created by themselves, such as an action figure for their own awesome superhero.
By teaching these students and seeing their pure excitement to build and create, not only have I found myself more motivated to learn technical skills to share with them, but I’ve also become more excited to learn in general, now considering how the topics from school and my environment can contribute to more awesome projects. As CADthinkers has grown to encompass four high schools throughout Dallas, I’ve seen our volunteers undergo a similar effect, as they’ve immediately bonded with our eager and curious students, and found ways to spark their own curiosity alongside the CADthinkers program.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
CADthinkers is an educational organization which runs 3D printing and robotics lessons for young students, aged 7-13 years old. We are currently based in local aftercare centers in Arlington, TX, and our main priority is serving relevant, engaging lessons to our students as we try to pique their problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Our lessons generally begin by prompting students with a real-world challenge, such as in a recent lesson, we talked about obstacles within city planning, and we allowed the CADthinkers to bring to life their own city designs through 3D printing. As an organization, CADthinkers not only focuses on building the technical skills of our students, but also their awareness about challenging situations throughout Texas and nationally. We don’t just focus on the serious things though, as our students love to design their favorite superheroes and disney characters into any project they’re working on. (Lilo and Stitch is a fan favorite!)
Apart from in-person lessons, we also write blog posts, speaking on local causes we are passionate about. We provide volunteering hours and leadership opportunities for high schoolers interested in engineering, business, or medicine. We also love making our own organization-wide projects, such as on our Youtube channel, where we make CAD and Robotics tutorials for beginners to create projects such as prosthetic hands and realistic animals.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Throughout my journey in developing CADthinkers, the most important skills I’ve developed have been proactivity, consistency, and playfulness.
Over the past year, CADthinkers has grown immensely by proactively addressing challenges early and creating efficient systems. In the first few months, developing new 3D-printed projects, lessons, and initiatives took months. However, as summer ended and I realized many team members wouldn’t have much time to contribute as consistently during the school year, I knew we needed a better system. Now, CADthinkers runs on a four-week cycle, giving each department a full month to develop content (YouTube videos, social media posts, lessons). This structure ensures consistent posting, fair workload distribution, and allows us to roll out new initiatives weekly rather than monthly.
Learning consistency and proactivity went hand in hand for me. As I planned for future obstacles, setting clear goals for CADthinkers made it easier to be consistent. Breaking tasks into small, daily steps came naturally, as the team and I worked toward our long-term goals.
However, the most important skill I’ve learned is playfulness. Before starting CADthinkers, I thought being a leader meant sticking to a strict plan and staying serious. Yet, I quickly realized that it wouldn’t create an exciting environment for our students or volunteers. So instead of conducting traditional lessons with lectures and homework, we encourage students to talk about their favorite superheroes and shows to inspire their creations, all while their favorite music plays in the background. During our meetings, the team and I love to discuss the latest innovations we find interesting, and after workshops or summer camps, we often grab a bite to eat together. Building a fun, playful community at CADthinkers has been key to our success, as the friendships we’ve formed have consistently motivated and inspired all of our members to continue empowering young innovators.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed, I like to journal and listen to music. It’s a common feeling for me since I’m often juggling schoolwork, CADthinkers initiatives, and other clubs I’m part of. When deadlines start to pile up and I feel incapable of keeping up, I do things that help me slow down and stay present. Journaling allows me to quickly express my thoughts and then go back to analyze them. It’s easier to recognize if anxiety or unnecessary worries are taking over when I can see my thought processes from a third-person perspective.
After journaling, I usually take a warm shower, make some tea, and listen to music to calm down. These simple tasks help me move past the initial feelings of fear and worry. If I’m in a time crunch, I’ll switch my usual music to 40 hz gamma waves or brown noise. Not only are they calming, but they also help me focus by tuning out distractions.
For anyone who often feels overwhelmed or anxious, I think it’s important to find what grounds you. Whether it’s listening to music, watching a comedy special, or going for a run, find something that helps you step out of your thoughts and brings a sense of calm. The rest will fall into place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cadthinkers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cadthinkers_/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cadthinkerstutorials
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