Focus on what you can control. I used to obsess over trivial things like whether someone had responded to my e-mail or if an application was accepted. However, now I realize that thinking about those things is pointless, and stressing will not change any outcomes. Instead, it is important to focus on what you can control, which is creating more opportunities and reaching out to more people.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Crystal Yang.
Crystal Yang is 17-year-old social entrepreneur who loves using computer science and business for social impact. Her initiatives have impacted 20,000+ people from marginalized genders and underprivileged backgrounds.
She is the executive director of alGIRLithm, a programming contest for girls, and KatyYouthHacks, a hackathon promoting social good.
Yang is dedicated to the world of computer science research. Her paper about creating accessible conversational interfaces has been published in international conferences such as ACM ICMI ’23 in Paris.
Currently, Yang is building Audemy, an education platform for blind and visually impaired students, which is being used in 5+ schools around the nation.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Of course! I love the world of computer science and business because being able to create whatever I can dream of is so exciting to me.
When I first discovered computer science I fell in love with the endless possibility of creation. I remember the first article I read about computer science topics and languages where I discovered the
multitude of different technologies I could learn and use like website development, machine learning, and robotics. My mind flooded with all the different ideas of things that I could create, and I still carry this love for creation with me today.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
Something that has really surprised me about creating an organization this how beneficial reaching out to others is. By reaching out to teachers, I have been able to create connections with schools and increase the reach of my game. By reaching out to assistive technology specialists, I have learned about ways to make the game more accessible for blind students. By reaching out to companies, I have been able to obtain monetary and resource sponsorships that have been able to help the development of Audemy. Overall, I have learned communicating with others is the best way to make progress in an organization.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
During a business pitch contest that I was attending, I did not carefully read the instructions and I did not realize that I needed to create a slideshow for the contest. I spent the car ride there making my slides. They ended up being a little bit scuffed, I ended up winning first place at the pitch contest. I learned two things from this: 1. Proofread instructions, but more importantly 2. The content of a pitch and the way you talk about a product is what stands out.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
Over 70% of blind students are at least a grade level behind in school.
My organization, Audemy, is creating accessible online games for blind and visually impaired students. We currently have been used in schools for the blind in 5 states. We have the goal of getting the game into every single state school for the blind and visually impaired. Audemy has also raised over $70,000 from corporate resources and grants. Based on user feedback, we have seen how the game has taught and supported young students in their educational journeys.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I was inspired to create Audemy after talking to Kelsie, a blind student in my grade at my high school. Kelsie is super kind, and I could feel that she was extremely smart and had the potential to do remarkable things. However, academically, Kelsie was extremely behind in concepts such as math and language. I recommended to Kelsie some math games and educational websites that I found were beneficial, but Kelsie told me that almost all online learning platforms were extremely hard to navigate for blind people, even with the addition of current accessibility technologies like screen readers, incentivizing me to create Audemy to help blind and visually impaired students all around the world.
One month later when I came back to her with my first prototype, she immediately thought the games were engaging and had educational value. She was so excited about my project that we played my games and talked about future goals for the game for over an hour. At the end, she said that she felt more experienced with assistive technology and was able to practice core learning skills in ways she had never been able to before.
It is truly inspiring to see how something as simple as accessible games can excite and benefit others.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Develop more assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired. Currently 70% of blind and visually impaired students state that they do not have enough resources to be supportive in their educational journey.
- Make existing online resources accessible. Simply making websites accessible through compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies this enough to drastically change the world of inclusion for people with disabilities.
- Increase awareness of challenges that blind and visually impaired people face. As more people continue to learn about challenges, more people can help the blind and visually impaired.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is the act of inspiring others to follow the causes that you are enthusiastic about.
Many times I think people believe internally that leadership is being the best at bossing others around or telling others what to do but in my opinion the best leaders is the one that inspire others to create change while also giving them room to go grow and bring their own ideas and expertise into their actions. When I recruit people for my organizations that I am a part of, I do not just look for how well they can follow what I tell them to do, I instead observe how their innovative ideas can bring value to the organization.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Reach out to others. At the beginning of my business journey, I was extremely scared to reach out to others. The first time I sent out in e-mail to a professor who I needed help from, I immediately clicked the send button, closed my computer, ran away, and was too scared to check for an entire day. However now as I continue to grow, I have learned that reaching out to people is the best way to make drastic strides in your journey. The resources and knowledge of others are always going to outweigh yours when navigating a topic that you are unfamiliar with, and most people who respond are going to treat you with kindness respect and encouragement, meaning that there is nothing to fear at all.
2 . You are the one in control of your life. If you want to achieve success do not sit around and wait for anything to happen. You need to find opportunities yourself. I have seen so many people want to be successful, however they do not take the initiative and seek out chances to make themselves successful. You never know where you are going to find an opportunity. However, the more you put yourself out there, the more chances there are that opportunities will find you.
3 . Socialize with everyone you meet. Talking to others is the best way to learn new things. Everyone around you has their own stories. Ask people what their plans are for this summer or what experience they’ve had in something you’re interested in. You will never know what opportunities others can bring into your world. Just talking to random classmates that I meet has led me to discover grant opportunities and schools to bring Audemy into.
4 . Stay committed to your goals. Oftentimes I see people create a startup or set a goal and then give up on it before any substantial progress was made. To be successful, you need to continue working towards your goal.
5 . Focus on what you can control. I used to obsess over trivial things like whether someone had responded to my e-mail or if an application was accepted. However, now I realize that thinking about those things is pointless, and stressing will not change any outcomes. Instead, it is important to focus on what you can control, which is creating more opportunities and reaching out to more people.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could create any movement to help people, I would ensure every child has access to quality education, regardless of background. Education is a fundamental right that drives progress and development. I would encourage awareness of different challenges that students around the world face in obtaining education.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is: “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson
The development of Audemy exemplifies the spirit of this quote for me. By consistently working on my project, regardless of the time it took, I was able to create a platform that made a significant impact. This initiative-taking approach underscores the importance of continuous effort and innovation, rather than passively awaiting solutions to emerge.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
If I could choose anyone for a private breakfast or lunch, it would be Tracy Chou. I admire her journey to fame in the tech industry and her dedication to promoting diversity. Learning about her path to success would be incredibly valuable to me as an aspiring entrepreneur. Tracy’s actions to foster inclusion resonate deeply with my own values, and I believe her insights could help me make a meaningful impact in my field.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Check out Audemy’s website, connect with me on my Linkedin, and follow me on my Twitter!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Crystal Yang of Audemy Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.