Meet Samaya Shah—a dynamic Indian-American teen entrepreneur, founder of the National Young Leaders Association (NYLA), and a rising force empowering the next generation of change-makers. Through NYLA, she’s creating platforms for students to embrace leadership, innovation, and social impact—from speaker series with top CEOs to the upcoming Entrepreneurathon, where young visionaries will launch real startups in just one day. Passionate about representation and paying it forward, Samaya is redefining what it means to be a young leader today.
What inspired you to start the National Young Leaders Association (NYLA – mynyla.org), and how did your own journey as an Indian-American teen influence that decision?
The National Young Leaders Association was born from a simple question: Why don’t more students, especially high schoolers, see themselves as leaders or change makers? As an Indian-American teen, I grew up surrounded by stories of resilience and determination. However, I didn’t always see people who looked like me leading in the spaces that I was passionate about – entrepreneurship and social impact. I wanted to change that. I started NYLA to give students the tools, resources, and networking opportunities they need to see potential in themselves as entrepreneurs. My mission from day one has been to build a community that says, “You belong here. You can do this.”
The upcoming Entrepreneurathon sounds incredibly exciting! What inspired this idea, and what sets it apart from other student entrepreneurship competitions?
The upcoming Entrepreneurathon was inspired by a desire to make entrepreneurship tangible. There are so many programs that teach theory, but I wanted students to do. This is a full-day, immersive experience where students across New Jersey will be paired with real mentors, tasked with building the initial plan for a startup in one day, and judged by actual CEOs and professionals in their respective fields. What sets it apart is the mindset that is being taught. It’s fast-paced, collaborative, and diverse by design. Students will walk away on May 10th having lived the founder experience, not just studying it. There really isn’t anything like this for high school students currently, and I believe it is crucial to build the foundation of the next generation’s young leaders.
As a young founder balancing high school and running an organization, what have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced—and how have you overcome them?
There are honestly two big challenges that have stood in my way: embarrassment and doubt. Balancing high school classes, exams, extracurriculars, and NYLA is no joke. But I’ve learned to manage my time like a startup CEO —prioritizing and protecting what matters most. In terms of embarrassment, in the beginning of NYLA’s journey, I hesitated to reach out to professionals or pitch big ideas because I worried I wasn’t “qualified enough”. But over time, I realized there’s no shame in being young and ambitious. In fact, that’s what makes NYLA so special. I had to push past that fear (which was not easy at all), and remind myself of my purpose. I started getting more comfortable with putting myself out there.
How do you envision NYLA growing as you head into college and beyond?
I see NYLA becoming a national network with chapters in every major city across the nation, more Entrepreneurathons across the country, and a mentorship roadmap that connects teens with professionals across industries. In college, I plan to scale what has been started, build partnerships, and ultimately launch a NYLA fellowship program to support student founders with funding and guidance. This is just the beginning, there’s still a long way to go.
What advice would you give to other young people—especially young South Asian women—who want to make an impact but don’t know where to start?
Start small, and more importantly, start scared. Just start. You don’t need a perfect plan or a million followers. Actually, all you need is the willingness and motivation to take that first step. Remember that your perspective is your power. As South Asian women, our stories matter. The world needs your ideas—so speak up, show up, and build something.
