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Our Story
Our Story
Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, yet many students and communities lack access to the knowledge and experiences needed to keep up. Test-centered education, outdated curricula, and limited opportunities for hands-on research leave motivated learners underprepared and disconnected from real-world innovation. Meanwhile, many adults and seniors face barriers to accessing clear, actionable insights from modern science, limiting their ability to make timely, informed decisions that impact their lives.
Inspira Foundation's goal is to bridge these gaps through community-centered education and outreach. We educate students to become real-world problem solvers through accessible, hands-on learning, while proactively sharing scientific knowledge and practical innovations with underserved communities, ensuring that the benefits of scientific progress are accessible to all.
Our Founders
Our Founders
Lucas is a student at The Harker School interested in the intersection of computer science and medicine. An avid programmer, he enjoys developing multiplayer cognitive games and exploring how technology can serve purposes beyond entertainment. During the summer of his sophomore year, he began building CogniPlay, a deep learning–powered, multimodal mobile app for cognitive health screening that uses speech and gamification. This personal project brings together his interests in AI, app and game development, and his commitment to addressing real-world health challenges. Lucas believes that accessible, non-invasive screening and timely medical intervention are critical to improving outcomes for older adults facing debilitating conditions such as dementia.
Outside of school and his projects, Lucas is currently an intern at UCSF TechLab. Previously, he attended Stanford CSI to learn techniques such as performing sutures, kidney dissection and history taking for patients. He also conducted research at UCSB and published under the mentorship of Dr. Kirstin Rollins, PhD.
In his free time, Lucas enjoys playing the violin, chess variants and Tetr.io.
Saria is a student at The Harker School with a passion for ballet and biomedical research. Her research journey began with a project on improving seaweed-based biofabric as an alternative to single-use plastic by replacing the toxic firming agent calcium chloride with food-safe, eco-friendly calcium lactate. The project earned multiple awards at local and state science fairs and was named a Top 300 at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge. Beyond its environmental impact, the project also sparked Saria’s interest in studying products at a chemical and formulation level, particularly skincare and cosmetic products that often fail to meet the needs of individuals with sensitive skin.
At school, Saria is a co-leader of the Harker WiSTEM STEM Buddies program designed to inspire kids 12 and under about science. She is also an officer at the Harker Research Club, an Assistant STEM Editor for Harker Aquila, and an independent researcher pursuing a project at the intersection of material science and biology.
In her free time, Saria enjoys writing (English and French), classical ballet and contemporary dance.
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