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 Test-centered education, outdated curricula, and limited opportunities for hands-on research leave motivated learners underprepared and disconnected from real-world innovation.

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 communities of all ages, ensuring that the benefits of scientific progress are accessible to all.

Our Founders

Lucas Lum

Founder & Co-President

Lucas is a student at The Harker School interested in the intersection of computer science and medicine. He is particularly interested in exploring how gameplay and AI together can serve meaningful purposes beyond entertainment.

An avid programmer since 7th grade, Lucas has launched a number multiplayer cognitive games, as well as productivity and learning tools on both web and mobile platforms. During the summer of his sophomore year, he developed a high-performing multimodal deep learning model using speech, handwriting and gamified task data, proving that accessible early detection of cognitive decline is possible.

Outside of school, Lucas is an intern at UCSF TechLab, working on a gamified digital diagnostic platform for early ADHD and Autism detection. Additionally, he will be conducting serious games research under Dr. Sang Nam, professor at GMU and co-director of the Virginia Serious Game Institute. Previously, he attended Stanford CSI to gain early exposure to the field of medicine through clinical immersion and hands-on training under direct mentorship from Stanford faculty.

In his free time, Lucas enjoys writing code, playing the violin, chess variants and Tetr.io.

Saria Lum

Founder & Co-President

Saria is a student at The Harker School with a passion for ballet and biomedical research. Her research journey began in middle school 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. Now in high school, Saria is conducting research at the intersection of biochemistry, molecular biology and material science. Her latest project, PatchPal, is a novel hydrogel-based solution designed to accelerate skin barrier repair for eczema patients post-flare-up.

At school, Saria is a key leader in the scientific community. She is part of the organizing team for the annual Harker Research Symposium, a major event showcasing student research and innovation, and the leader of the WiSTEM STEM Buddies program, an initiative aims to spark interest in STEM among young learners through hands-on workshops and activities. She is also the STEM Editor for Harker Aquila and Winged Post, and the Co-editor of Sans Limite, an annual magazine published by the French Honor Society.

In her free time, Saria enjoys writing (English and French), classical ballet and contemporary dance. She has recently published her first French ebook, Les aventures de Kiki Kiwi.

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