Hong Kong teen makes cents of finance, taps AI to tackle economic inequality

Agastya Rekhi, a 17-year-old secondary school student from Hong Kong, has dedicated nearly three years to teaching finance and economics to younger students. His initial volunteering work revealed that while providing information on prices, investments, and economic news was crucial, the way that information was communicated played an equally vital role.

Rekhi, a finalist for the Spirit of Youth Award in this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, has since established three student-led initiatives addressing financial education, simplified economic news, and AI support for smaller organizations.

Launched at age 14, Launchpad initially taught economics, business, and financial literacy to children through engaging activities. Rather than using textbooks, Rekhi focused on making complex economic concepts more relatable, such as explaining the "tragedy of the commons," a term coined by American ecologist Garrett Hardin, using a game with marshmallows and chopsticks.

Rekhi's second project, The Bottom Line, emerged two years ago as a school newsletter simplifying economic and financial news in plain English. The newsletter has grown to include an 18-member team and is distributed to over 6,500 readers each month through 23 partner organizations. This growth prompted Rekhi to recognize the need to serve a broader audience, leading to the introduction of a Chinese edition to cater to Cantonese speakers.

His third initiative, Illuminet, connects students with an interest in artificial intelligence (AI) to charities and small and medium-sized businesses that lack the resources to implement AI technology. Through Illuminet, students assist these organizations in setting up AI-driven tools such as automated drafting and simple chatbots, enabling them to utilize AI without hiring dedicated technical staff.

Rekhi highlighted that while larger companies possess the capability to adopt new technologies, smaller organizations risk falling behind.

Despite their distinct approaches, Rekhi views all three projects as responses to the issue of economic inequality. He aims to pursue economics at university and eventually contribute to shaping policies that ensure financial growth benefits individuals across all income brackets. Rekhi reiterated his commitment to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, possesses the knowledge and interest to engage with the financial system.