Nikil Swamy
I ask people who look like they have it figured out what they were actually dealing with at my age.
Danville, California
What I’m building
A youth-led interview series
Before They Were
CEOs sit down and talk about what they were carrying at sixteen — the parts that never make it into the bio. Filmed by students, for students. Proceeds support Teen Esteem.
Watch the episodesAbout
Most of the adults I admire will tell you the polished version if you let them. The interesting stuff is what they were dealing with before any of it worked out, and almost nobody thinks to ask.
So I started asking, and I put a camera on it. That became Before They Were.
I am a senior in high school. I got my CNA license last year, which mostly taught me that showing up matters more than knowing what to say. I want to study neuroscience and go into medicine.
