Forbes Under 30

When young students return to school in the fall, they might have lost around three months of math and reading learning that teachers have to spend valuable time reteaching. Karim Abouelnaga is a product of the public school shortfalls and triumphs as he struggled his way through his early education. With the support of key mentors, non-profits and his own persistence, he graduated from Cornell. His time there was transformative, and he wanted to give back to young students like himself to help them thrive in the world. So, he started Practice Makes Perfect, a summer school reframed so that kids want to go to it. He's taking on one public school system at a time starting with the behemoth that is New York.