At just 17 years old, Aditya Singh, a Grade 12 student, is on a remarkable mission to unite cultures through a shared love of food. In an exclusive interview with Skill Outlook, Aditya, the founder of Bridging the Gap (BTG), shares how he has transformed his platform into a global initiative, using food and culture as powerful tools to foster connections across diverse communities.

• What inspired the creation of Bridging the Gap?

From a young age, I’ve always been interested in culture. My experience of being half North Indian, half South Indian and born in the US most likely contributed to this, my life being a combination of different cultures. This experience led me to understand that the seemingly large differences that we let rule our lives are truly not that significant and that the appreciation of different cultures allows us to live happier and more fulfilling lives. I figured that there needed to be some sort of hook or idea that people can use to connect themselves to different cultures, the first thing that gets them invested and as a longtime food lover, I chose food. This led me to create Bridging the Gap, the platform for increasing intercultural understanding through the shared medium of food.

• What is the core mission and vision of your platform?

Our mission is to unite and educate global youth by creating immersive culinary experiences that celebrate cultural diversity and our vision is that of a world where food bridges cultural gaps, fostering a more informed, connected, and peaceful global youth community.

• Can you share some success stories where your platform has made a tangible impact?

Bridging the Gap has held 3 events so far in different schools like Ramagondanahalli High School and Ananya School! When trying to identify an example of a direct tangible impact I think of some of the students in our events like Nihal at Ananya School who told me that our event taught him that he wasn’t isolated within his own culture, that the world was so much bigger and more connected than he initially thought. Stories like that, where BTG caused people to have a realization about their relationship with the world around them, is what I would consider a success story.

• How do you measure the success of your initiatives?

Like I previously mentioned, BTG regularly holds events at different schools where we teach interculturalism, cultural practices etc. While I could give a variety of data-based answers, say the number of attendees or the ratings of the talks, my true answer would be the number of kids who walk away with a new mindset. Being completely honest, around 90% of attendees will leave the events happy but without any significant change in their thought process or views on cultures. However, that 10% of the few kids who walk away thinking about how they’re connected to the world, about how they don’t exist in a monolith, that 10% ‘s thoughts are what I measure the success of BTG’s events in.

• Have there been any collaborations or partnerships that significantly boosted your mission?

So as previously mentioned, we’ve held events at several different schools and these were incredibly helpful, allowing us to work with students firsthand and really impart our message directly as opposed to our more online mediums like our Instagram (@bridgingthegap_org). We’ve also interviewed several prolific heads of restaurants that specialize in different foreign cuisines such as Chef Arvonio of ALBA, Chef Mandaar of Oota and Ms Calderoni, founder and head of Milano Ice Cream and Pizza! These interviews offered us a great view of the true traditions surrounding these cuisines and how they’re fundamentally intertwined with the culture of the area they originate from! Another collaboration that proved incredibly fruitful was our partnership with StartUpYou which helped BTG get off the ground!

• Are there any specific projects or campaigns underway that you’re particularly excited about?

We’re currently planning an Europe event at Ramagondanahalli High School sometime in January.