High School Visionary Ruhaan Munjuluri Is Bringing Students' Bold Ideas To Life

LIVINGSTON, NJ, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- High school junior Ruhaan Munjuluri is inspiring changemakers across New Jersey with Young Minds Big Ideas (YMBI), a nonprofit organization and emerging youth incubator that empowers students to turn bold, socially impactful ideas into reality. Since its creation in April 2023, the initiative has grown into a powerful movement with over 240 students, 21 chapters, and 172 bold ideas.

Through community collaboration, individualized mentorship, and statewide competitions, YMBI provides a platform for young people to explore entrepreneurship, innovation, and civic engagement. Its initiatives, like the Young Minds Think Tank and Coffee Chat Series—which has provided entrepreneurial literacy to over 240 students—challenge participants to address real-world issues ranging from sustainability to equity and inclusion. Winning teams receive funding and ongoing support to develop their ideas into actionable projects while working alongside local leaders, businesses, and government officials.

“Youth aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow—they’re the problem-solvers of today,” says Munjuluri, President and Founder of YMBI. “Our mission is to guide young changemakers through every stage of the idea-to-impact journey, equipping them with the tools, network, and confidence to make a lasting difference.”

Munjuluri was inspired to create YMBI after learning about struggling local businesses, financial literacy of youth in county schools which do not offer enhanced learnings for youth and hearing from high schoolers who wanted to make a difference but felt they had no means to do so. Realizing there are many motivated young people with innovative ideas and eagerness to be productive members of the community, he decided to build a platform to help students pitch and develop civic solutions.

He turned to his high school for institutional support but was rejected due to concerns of feasibility and scale. So he pivoted and pitched his idea to town council member, Michael Vieira, who saw the potential and backed the program, helping YMBI gain legitimacy and connecting Munjuluri with local officials and nonprofits.

With Vieira’s support, Munjuluri began identifying the biggest problems in the community from infrastructure to inclusion. He built a board of committed peers, launched a publicity campaign, and interviewed with local news outlets. Within six months, YMBI received 40 student submissions and invited five finalists to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and civic leaders. The winning ideas—LED-powered street light implants to protect citizens after dark, and a multicultural food competition to promote local businesses and raise money for charity—were presented to the mayor and town council. YMBI worked with the winners to raise funds, petition local officials, and push the ideas toward implementation.

The following year, YMBI expanded its reach across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Munjuluri helped launch 21 new chapters, built over 20 partnerships with sponsors and local businesses, and led a statewide media campaign that garnered 50,000 views and raised over $6,000. His success was recognized by the local Tap Into, Hanover Eagle, and West-Essex Tribune. He also received commendation from the Livingston Mayor and Town Council.

Munjuluri is now leading YMBI’s second annual Think Competition, focused on making businesses more accessible and sustainable. The event will feature a prize pool of several thousand dollars and forge partnerships with sponsors such as C2, Family Healing Center, Best Brains, and AI4A to help implement the winning ideas across their businesses and others throughout the tri-state area. Students can submit their solution to help businesses become more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable at https://forms.gle/7Lr5duRZVpkbhYxd9. Finalists will be invited to pitch their ideas at the event on May 18th at the Livingston Community Senior Center.

YMBI is also hosting a Coffee Chat Series on April 24th, where students can connect with peers and mentors over real-world problem solving. Register to join at https://www.youngmindsbigideas.com/event-details-registration/coffee-chat-finale.

Want to support the next generation of innovators? Donate to YMBI and help fund student-led solutions for a better tomorrow: https://gofund.me/6d8c101e.
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About Ruhaan Munjuluri

Ruhaan Munjuluri, Founder of Young Minds Big Ideas, is a visionary youth innovator, civic leader, and AP Scholar. In addition to his academic and entrepreneurial pursuits, Munjuluri is an internationally ranked competitive fencer, placing 21st at the 2025 Prague International Fencing Circuit. He also serves as Captain of his high school’s Varsity Fencing Team and is a co-founder of an incubator-backed startup, VentriLinks. Munjuluri plans to pursue a career in social entrepreneurship, drawing on the skills and experience he’s developed through civic innovation and student leadership.

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Media Contact

Ruhaan Munjuluri
Young Minds Big Ideas
https://www.youngmindsbigideas.com/