At first glance, it might seem unusual for a 14-year-old to be building a streamlined website for his school’s uniform store, a 10-year-old to be creating a virus education platform that helps users learn about viruses, vaccines, and virologists through fun games and quizzes, or an 11-year-old to be developing a donation app that lets people contribute to important causes in under five minutes. But for students learning under the leadership of Sam Eseyin and Malik Gwandu at Xelaris, it’s just another week in class.

Sam and Malik are the minds behind Xelaris and have been close friends for eight years. Xelaris is an education startup equipping kids with the skills and mindset to solve real-world problems using technologies like AI, blockchain, and web3.

Experienced Educators with a Proven Track Record

They are not new to this space. Before founding Xelaris, both were previously involved in innovative educational startups like Synthesis, an experimental learning platform inspired by Elon Musk’s Ad Astra school at SpaceX, Springboard, an online learning platform for working professionals ready to level up or make a major career shift, and Ideal Robotics, one of Nigeria’s largest K–12 coding education providers for students. Together, they have taught thousands of students, built educational systems from scratch, and helped scale programs that made coding part of the school curriculum in over 150 schools.

But after years of working with adults and helping them break into tech, a simple but powerful question kept nagging at them: Why wait until adulthood to start learning these skills? What if kids could start earlier? What if they could explore emerging technologies while their creativity and curiosity were at their peak?

The Spark

“During our time at Springboard and Ideal Robotics,” Sam recalls, “we worked with adults in their 30s and 40s, people juggling jobs, families, and responsibilities, desperately trying to reinvent themselves for the digital age. It was inspiring. But we kept thinking, what if they had this opportunity earlier?”

That question turned into a vision: a platform where kids as young as 10 could start learning the future-facing skills revolutionizing industries, tailored to their age, creativity, and curiosity.

Drawing from experiences with global leaders and innovative education models, they designed the program based on first principles thinking, focusing not just on coding but on exposing kids early to emerging technologies, the mindsets of top innovators, and real-world problem-solving skills.

“We didn’t want to build just another coding bootcamp,” Malik adds. “We wanted to create a space where kids could think like builders, makers, and innovators, and most importantly, where their ideas are taken seriously.”

So they launched quietly. No funding. No ads. Just high-quality, hands-on teaching and a commitment to helping every child build something real.

Rather than following traditional education models, they have created a system where students learn by building, failing, iterating, and ultimately succeeding. Unlike conventional coding classes, this program teaches children to see interconnections between technologies and real-world applications. Students do not just learn blockchain as an isolated subject; they explore how it connects to digital ownership, community governance, and the future of commerce. Similarly, when learning AI, they work with tools like TensorFlow and computer vision libraries to create practical applications that solve problems they care about.

Built by Experts. Taught by the Top 2 Percent

One thing that sets the startup apart is who is doing the teaching. They have built a team made up of experienced instructors who pass a rigorous selection process, accepting only the top 2 percent of applicants based on technical assessments and teaching demonstrations. These expert mentors are not only technically skilled but also passionate about inspiring kids to think creatively, build confidently, and fall in love with learning.

“It’s not just about knowing how to code,” Sam explains. “We look for people who can connect with kids, who can mentor, coach, and really bring out that inner maker.”

The result is instructors who act more like collaborators than lecturers. Mentors guide kids not just through syntax and logic, but through how to take an idea, iterate, and bring it to life.

Leadership Expansion: Building a World-Class Team

As part of their commitment to building a world-class team, they recently brought on Aisha Abdukadir to lead the School of Software Engineering, Casweeney to lead the School of Blockchain and Web3, and Emilia Zhang to lead the School of Artificial Intelligence.

Aisha is not only a seasoned software engineer but also a proven leader. She previously served as a Team Lead at Corely Technologies, where she guided cross-functional teams in building scalable solutions for clients across Africa. Before that, she was a Software Engineer at Stetis, working on critical infrastructure projects for enterprises and government organizations.

Casweeney Ojukwu is a seasoned Smart Contract Developer with deep expertise in developing secure, efficient, and scalable blockchain solutions. He specializes in crafting smart contracts for both EVM-compatible and Starknet blockchains, leveraging a strong command of Solidity, Cairo, and Rust. Casweeney has contributed to innovative projects across the Web3 space, working with prominent blockchain companies including Insomnia Labs, Moon Chain, and Naomi.

Emilia Zhang is a seasoned AI specialist with deep expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence. She holds an MSc in Artificial Intelligence and has contributed to cutting-edge projects, building NLP personalization modules that adapt reading exercises to individual student needs. Her passion for education extends beyond her professional work.

She regularly hosts hackathons for local teens to create chatbots and AI solutions. At Xelaris, she teaches machine learning, model training, evaluation techniques, and deployment workflows, guiding students through hands-on projects that transform complex AI theory into real-world solutions.

Organic Growth Through Parent Satisfaction

That quiet start did not stay quiet for long. Their first handful of students started building ambitious projects. Parents were amazed, not just by the tech skills, but by the confidence, focus, and creativity their kids began to show.

“We didn’t run ads. We didn’t push hard,” Sam says. “Every new student we got came from a parent telling another parent, ‘You have to see what my child is building.'”

Today, their students come from 11 different countries, all through referrals. The program has maintained a 98 percent retention rate, with most students continuing their learning journey well beyond their initial enrollment period.

And their biggest advocates are parents who watched their children transform.

What Kids Are Building Will Blow You Away

One of the most powerful aspects of their model is that students are not just learning. They are creating. Every child works one-on-one with an experienced instructor who is also their mentor, learning to code, design, and build around their own interests and ideas. Here are just a few projects students are working on:

Zoja Ivanovic (10 years old)

Zoja is creating a platform that helps people identify and treat viral infections. Her interest in this project stems from her fascination with her mother’s work as a virologist. This platform aims to give users information and resources that improve their understanding of viral diseases.

“The problem I am addressing is that many people get sick without knowing the cause of their symptoms, like wheezing. VirusRule helps users learn about viruses, vaccines, and virologists through fun games and quizzes,” Zoja says. “I created VirusRule because I believe learning about health should be enjoyable and easy. When we make learning fun, we can help people take control of their health.”

Owen Li (11 years old)

Millions of people struggle to pay for urgent medical care and hospital bills every year.

Healthcare treatments are often very costly, and many cannot afford them. Lifeline

Donations exist to ease that burden by connecting generous donors with patients in need.

Every dollar contributed goes directly toward covering medical expenses for someone who needs help. We hope this platform brings hope, healing, and support to those who need it most. Together, we can make a life-changing difference, one hospital bill at a time.

Fedir Piatoval  (12 years old)

Many families have toys they no longer use, but do not know how to sell them. At the same time, other families are looking for affordable toys to buy. My project, Toycycle, is a web app that helps solve both problems.

On Toycycle, people can buy or sell new and used toys. Buyers can choose the condition, price, and how far away the seller is. Sellers can upload photos of their toys and use a helpful guide to sell faster. Toycycle makes it easy for families to find great toys and give old ones a new home.

Nikolas Goncharova (11 years old)

Nikolas, a Canadian student, is passionate about helping people around the world. Inspired by learning about global challenges at school, he decided to create ImpactFund, a web app that makes it easy and meaningful to donate to important causes.

ImpactFund simplifies the donation process, allowing users to give in under 5 minutes and even set up automatic monthly contributions. A progress bar shows donors the impact of their support, helping build trust and transparency.

“I realized a lot of people want to help but face obstacles when donating,” says Nikolas. “I built ImpactFund to make giving easier and more rewarding.”

Zach Richardson (14 years old)

Every school year, parent volunteers struggle to keep the uniform store website updated with new products, sizes, and inventory changes. This creates frustration for families trying to find what they need and extra work for busy volunteers.

Zach is building a streamlined website for his school’s uniform store that makes it incredibly easy for parent volunteers to update throughout the year. His solution focuses on simplicity and efficiency, ensuring families can quickly find and purchase what they need.

“I started coding through game development, but I realized web development could solve real problems,” Zach explains. “I love the problem-solving aspect of coding – figuring out how to overcome challenges and make things work better.”

I have never seen her so motivated or having so much fun with homework-she’s even asking for more! The topics and exercises are age-appropriate but also tailored to individual progress and ability. I definitely feel like she is getting a head start on valuable life skills while having fun.

— Zoja’s mom

A New Model for Early Tech Education

Classes are held live over their platform in one-on-one sessions, with instructors matched to each child’s learning style. The experience is flexible, structured, and completely personalized.

“It’s not just about teaching a child to code,” Malik explains. “It’s about helping them think like builders. To see themselves as people who can create, solve problems, and bring their ideas to life.”

The Big Picture

For Sam and Malik, this is not just about today’s projects. It is about what happens when a generation of kids grows up already thinking in systems, products, and global impact. “We believe that the next generation of innovators, startup founders, and problem-solvers are already here,” Sam says. “They are just 10, 11, or 12 right now.”

And with students already building projects in 11 countries, a curriculum grounded in curiosity, and parents championing the experience at every step, they might just be right. Want to see what kids are really capable of? You do not need to wait 10 years. They are already building it.