Tinkerama is a venture to bring hands-on STEM (Science, Tech, Engg & Math) education to children aged between six and fifteen years. The children learn to build everything from circuits to model airplanes. A curated curriculum, kits and guidance impart skills like critical thinking.
Founded by Smitha Pisupati who has a master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and eleven years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Tinkerama is inspired by the Maker Movement. Smita says she experienced, first-hand, through conducting maker-oriented workshops in the Bay Area in USA and in Bangalore, the sense of achievement that children enjoy when they build something that works.
Smita Pisupati of Tinkerama.
Smita conducts workshops, summer camps, and year-long programmes both for schools and through her unique space called ‘Playhouse of Science and Wonder’. She says she has taught over 550 students in the last four years and believes that when a child learns by making something, the learning is lifelong, and the confidence gained, priceless.
She believes NSRCEL’s Women Startup Program has helped Tinkerama immensely by making her focus on the big picture, getting a go-to-market strategy in place, and with networking. “NSRCEL has helped us stay motivated in these tough times and helped us work on our ventures with clarity,” she adds.
