Who Is Navya Tuteja? 17-Year-Old Builds AI Startup After ChatGPT Ban At School

Last Updated:September 28, 2026, 12:32 IST

Two months after its launch, the platform had attracted more than 1,000 users and 20,000 job listings. Navya Tuteja is currently offering it free.

Navya Tuteja is also president of her school’s AI club. (Image: LinkedIn)

A school ban on ChatGPT has not stopped 17-year-old Navya Tuteja from building an AI startup. Instead, the experience has influenced how the high school student uses generative AI — as a tool, rather than a substitute for learning.

Tuteja, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia, recently launched Raaha, a free platform designed to help neurodivergent job seekers assess whether a job listing could be a suitable match before applying. Two months after its launch, the platform had attracted more than 1,000 users and 20,000 job listings, according to Fortune.

The idea came to Tuteja after her school blocked ChatGPT, Claude and similar generative AI tools. She told Fortune that the restriction meant she used AI much less during school and had to complete schoolwork and prepare for exams more independently. She does not believe AI itself is necessarily the problem, but thinks students need to learn how to use it properly. Tuteja is also president of her school’s AI club.

The idea for Raaha was partly inspired by Tuteja’s experience with her mother, who is hard of hearing, and by her observations of job advertisements aimed at neurodivergent candidates.

She noticed that many listings focused heavily on employer requirements but offered little information about what the workplace or day-to-day job experience might actually be like. Raaha analyses job listings across several factors to help applicants assess potential fit before applying.

Tuteja is currently offering it free. She has said the longer-term business model could involve employers and workforce organisations paying to use the platform or improve their job postings.

Raaha is not her only project. She has also developed Legible, a tool designed to simplify special-education documents such as IEPs and 504 plans for families.

For now, Tuteja plans to attend college, but has said she would consider running Raaha full-time if the startup continues to grow.

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What is Raaha and how does it help neurodivergent job seekers?

Raaha is a free platform launched by 17-year-old high school student Navya Tuteja that helps neurodivergent job seekers evaluate whether a job listing is a suitable match before applying. The platform analyzes job listings across several factors to provide better insight into the workplace and day-to-day job experience.

How did a school ban on ChatGPT influence Navya Tuteja’s AI startup?

After her school blocked ChatGPT, Claude, and similar generative AI tools on its Wi-Fi, Tuteja had to complete schoolwork and prepare for exams much more independently. This restriction shaped how she views generative AI as a tool rather than a substitute for learning, eventually leading her to build Raaha.

What other educational tools or projects has Navya Tuteja developed?

Aside from her startup Raaha, Tuteja has also developed a tool called Legible. Legible is designed to simplify complex special-education documents, such as IEPs and 504 plans, so they are easier for families to understand.

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