Today we’d like to introduce you to Arjun Bajpai.
Hi Arjun, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been into building things. As a kid, I found a lot of satisfaction in creating — origami, robotics kits, Legos. I even started a small nonprofit effort where I made and donated paper crane ornaments for charity. That early interest in creating and giving back stuck with me.
During COVID, I lost a lot of motivation. Like many people, I stopped working on projects altogether. But in 2023, I got serious again. I focused hard on programming, learning AI, and figuring out how to actually build things that could make a difference. I also started thinking a lot about startups and what it takes to turn an idea into something real.
In the summer of 2024, I had a turning point. I saw firsthand the kinds of challenges students in underserved areas were facing — schools with barely any funding, kids trying to learn STEM without proper resources, and a real lack of awareness around technology and creativity. That’s what pushed me to start the DreamSteam Foundation on my own. It started with a school funding campaign, then grew into STEAM awareness work in India, donations in Punta Cana, presentations, and even building websites for small organizations that needed help. It was my personal way of taking action and giving others access to opportunities I had.
Around that same time, I co-founded AGrader.ai with my friend and business partner Shouqi Han. We’d been brainstorming different ideas — some small, some that didn’t work — but AGrader was the last idea on our list. It started out as a simple tool to help students get feedback on their essays, but once we started integrating the more features and testing it with real users, we realized how powerful it could be. It ended up solving a real problem for both students and teachers — especially in AP and IB programs — and it’s grown a lot since then. We’re expanding every day to make the experience and impact even better.
Both DreamSteam and AGrader came from the same mindset: seeing a need, and building something to meet it. Whether it’s through nonprofit work or scalable tech, I’m always looking for ways to create meaningful impact.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It wasn’t a smooth road. I spent a few hundred hours going back to fundamentals — not just in programming, but also the math behind AI and machine learning. I wanted to fully understand what I was working with before building anything serious.
With AGrader.ai, our early struggles came from the fact that most of our initial ideas didn’t work. We had to pivot multiple times before landing on something that had real potential. Once we started building AGrader, one of the biggest challenges was figuring out who our target audience actually was and how to reach them. That forced us to adjust our strategy and messaging.
DreamSteam, on the other hand, was pretty smooth. Since it was something I ran on my own and driven by a clear personal mission, there weren’t any major challenges in getting the projects off the ground.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Right now, everything I do is focused on building things that make a real impact — especially in education and tech. My personal life and work life are basically the same. I’m 16, and for the past couple of years I’ve been fully focused on learning, creating, and improving every day.
I started the DreamSteam Foundation after seeing the challenges students face in underserved areas — limited access to STEAM education, underfunded schools, and little exposure to tech. It’s a personal nonprofit I run on my own to promote STEAM awareness and opportunity. I’ve led school funding campaigns, donated supplies internationally, given educational presentations, and built websites for small organizations that needed help getting online. DreamSteam is my way of using what I’ve learned to help students who don’t always get the same access.
I also co-founded AGrader.ai with my friend and business partner Shouqi Han. It’s an AI-powered platform that gives students fast, accurate feedback on their AP and IB essays. What sets AGrader apart is that it’s not just a simple tool — it actually analyzes student writing, applies official rubrics, and gives detailed feedback that’s genuinely useful. I lead the backend and AI development for the platform.
What sets me apart is that I’m 100% self-taught. Everything I’ve built — from the backend systems to the AI logic and infrastructure — I learned through online resources, trial and error, and a lot of late nights figuring things out on my own. I don’t come from a traditional background or formal training, but I’ve taken the initiative to learn deeply and apply it in ways that actually work. And more than anything, I’m proud of the progress. Time flies, and even though I’m always pushing forward, I try to look back and recognize how far I’ve come.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Nothing that comes to mind as I don’t work in a “professional” work environment yet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://DreamSteam.life and Arjunbajpai.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscool2b
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunb699
- Other: https://linktr.ee/ArjunBajpai
