A Star Rises in the Concrete Jungle

New York City never sleeps. Every day, millions of people chase their dreams amid its chaos, neon lights, and insatiable ambition. Some sprint in suits, others wait tables, mop floors, or drive Ubers through midnight traffic. Among them was Ayan Rashid — a quiet, brown-skinned boy with deep eyes and deeper hunger.
He was seven years old when he moved to the city, clutching his father's hand tightly. The bright skyline dazzled him at first, but it didn’t take long to realize — in this land of opportunity, opportunity doesn’t come free.
Chapter One: The Accent and the Alienation
He was known as "the curry kid" at school, the one with the "odd accent" and "strange food." Kids mocked his lunchbox, giggled when he mispronounced words, and whispered “go back to your country” under their breath. Ayan didn’t cry. He listened. He was taken in. And then, slowly, he transformed that pain into purpose.
Every day, he sat alone in the library while others played. His mother, working long hours at a nail salon, left him a wrinkled dollar under his pillow for lunch. He rarely used it. Hunger became his companion — not just for food, but for dignity.
He was taught early: "Carve your own space if no one gives you any." Chapter Two: High School — Between Survival and Scholarship
By the time Ayan reached high school, he had conquered English, but was still wrestling with poverty. His father delivered food; Ayan worked part-time at a Chinatown convenience store after school and cleaned shelves in the campus library. Weekends were spent working hard rather than playing video games or sports. He wasn’t the loudest. He wasn't the most cool guy. But he was always the sharpest in the room.
One teacher once told him, “Your resilience is your superpower.”
Like a prayer, he remembered those words. Chapter Three: College — Breaking Down, Rising Again
Ayan obtained a MIT scholarship through unrelenting effort. There, reality hit again. His roommate came from Silicon Valley, had three Apple devices, a Tesla, and a startup idea already funded. Ayan arrived with a secondhand laptop and two changes of clothes.
Then came the night someone stole his laptop. In three days, the final project is due. No money to replace it.
His eyes were burning from lack of sleep as he sat in the cold computer lab of the dorm, sipping the remaining cafeteria coffee. When a classmate said, “Why don’t you just take a break?” he smiled and replied,
“Because my break... would break me.”
He didn’t stop.
Fourth Chapter: One Idea, One Success In his final year, Ayan developed an app — an interactive language and culture-learning game for immigrant kids like him. Simple. Honest. Powerful. He knew the pain of being voiceless; he wanted others to have one.
That app won “Best Social Impact Innovation” in a national startup competition. The pitch brought investors to tears. He secured $1.2 million in seed funding within a month.
He cried that night. Not out of pride but rather to let go. because in that one moment, years of shame were swallowed, meals were skipped, insults were ignored, and sleepless nights were endured. Today, Who Is Ayan?
Today, Ayan Rashid is the CEO of an EdTech company impacting children in over 26 countries. His TED Talk, titled "Born on the Edge, Built for the Center," has received a lot of attention. However, the way he tells his story remains the same: > "The funding wasn't what won me the first time. It was believing in myself long before anyone else did.”