{"693165":{"#nid":"693165","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Student Inventors to School Safety Startup: How Georgia Tech\u2019s K-12 InVenture Prize Sparked a Journey of a Lifetime","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBy Randy Trammell, College of Lifetime Learning Communications\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Rohan Kumar and William Susskind first began working on their comprehensive school safety platform QuickSecure (then called Door Bully), they were not trying to build a company. They were trying to save lives and make their own high school safer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn Idea Born from Need\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter a student allegedly attempted to 3D-print parts for a weapon at school, the two Paul Duke STEM High School juniors were shaken. They decided to act and began exploring ways to make classrooms more secure. They built a system with a digital lock for classroom doors during emergency lockdown situations that also uses AI technology to help responders locate perpetrators. What started as a student project soon attracted the attention of educators who saw something bigger.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0022We were trying to build something so that we could feel safer in our own school,\u0022 said Kumar.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEncouraged by CEISMC\u2019s Jeff Rosen and their engineering teacher and mentor John Mobley, the students entered the K-12 InVenture Prize, a decision that would change the trajectory of their lives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We owe everything to the K-12 InVenture Prize,\u0022 Kumar said. \u201cI think it led us to where we are today.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELearning to Think Like Entrepreneurs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe K-12 InVenture Prize is an invention and entrepreneurship program and competition within the College of Lifetime Learning that challenges students to identify real-world problems and design novel solutions through analysis, creativity, and the scientific method.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EK-12 InVenture Prize Director Danyelle Larkin said that being a part of the foundation of Susskind and Kumar\u2019s amazing journey has been both humbling and inspiring, particularly based on what their success demonstrates to other young inventors and dreamers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRohan and William embody the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship \u2014 young people exploring being makers and creators,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of thing our program and our college supports. That\u2019s why we are here.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Susskind, the competition helped the young inventors really understand the entrepreneurship side of the equation \u2014 realizing that innovation is about more than building a pr oduct. Innovation is about communicating an idea, understanding customer needs and refining a solution through feedback, he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe never would have had the opportunity to pitch it to so many people, or the platform to actually grow it ... along with the support from both administrators, teachers, staff at Georgia Tech, and then also people at the Henry Ford.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFollowing their success at Invention Convention U.S. Nationals \u2014 where they placed third in their grade level and received the Patent Application Specialty Award \u2014 Kumar and Susskind worked to pursue and ultimately received a full patent for their technology while also working to get their invention in several local schools.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey both enrolled at Georgia Tech and in their freshman year they were approached by producers of the television show \u201cShark Tank,\u201d who had been tracking their success since their junior year in high school. Though they ultimately withdrew during the casting process to pursue other investment opportunities, Kumar said the experience taught them how to commercialize their product while being immersed in the startup world.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe realized that there\u0027s really an opportunity for us to build something that was big and something that we really cared about here,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaking the Next Step\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMotivated by all they had learned, Kumar and Susskind took a leap of faith and rented an office in New York for the summer. \u201cWe just went heads down on building a product that we thought customers would really like and signed our first customer that July. And then it\u0027s been a crazy whirlwind ever since,\u201d Kumar said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir next big break came when the duo landed a spot in Elbow Grease, an accelerator program run by Gutter Capital in New York. During the 10-week program, Susskind and Kumar closed their largest contract to date, grew their engineering team, and built a strong pipeline of school districts that have since closed deals with the startup.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe pair moved to New York in January and began building up the company. They hired their first two employees and are now in the process of scaling the business, splitting their time between their New York and Atlanta offices.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor now, the pair are taking a leave of absence from classes, Susskind said, while they scale and grow their business. But neither sees stepping away from the classroom as the end of their education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech is always there. So, if something was to change in our path and we want to go back to school, I think that option is still available, he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Sussking, returning to Georgia Tech reflects the role education can play as careers and companies evolve.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnd we know education will always be there, which is why Georgia Tech is so unique. I totally see the value in kind of going back in the future, especially if it\u0027s online classes and just a little bit more education to kind of better ourselves,\u201d Susskind said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese days Rohan and Susskind lead busy lives with little sleep, but the two company founders are happy.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMaking a cost-effective and efficient method of saving lives and keeping the future of innovation and creativity alive was something where I felt, \u2018We have to do this,\u2019\u201d said Susskind, QuickSecure CTO. \u201cWe have to expand this and keep on working on it no matter what.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECEO Kumar said that QuickSecure now covers the full range of what a school needs to stay safe and run smoothly, from active shooter response to the daily operational work of asset management, like flagging a door that needs repair. He calls it software built to work at every level of severity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;The company has now raised two rounds of funding and is expanding its engineering team as it expands. For Kumar, this stage makes the path from high school invention to growing organization truly remarkable.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWilliam and I are very fortunate that we were able to raise two successful rounds of fundraising, which is an extremely amazing opportunity for an early-stage company,\u0022 he said. \u0022It\u0027s a really exciting thing of getting the people around the product and getting the feet under the company so we can get running.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;It\u0027s an impressive journey that began with two high school students trying to solve a problem they saw, and with a program that gave them a place to test their idea and tell its story. Imagine how far it can go.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EAfter identifying a need for better school security, high school students Rohan Kumar and William Susskind developed a classroom safety system that evolved into QuickSecure. Through Georgia Tech\u2019s K-12 InVenture Prize, they gained entrepreneurial skills, national recognition, and support to grow their idea. Today, the company has secured funding, expanded its team, and provides safety and operations software to schools, demonstrating how student innovation can become real-world impact.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s K-12 InVenture Prize helped two high school students turn a school safety invention into QuickSecure, a fast-growing startup serving schools."}],"uid":"34907","created_gmt":"2026-10-09 15:39:24","changed_gmt":"2026-10-09 16:13:15","author":"James-Addis Hill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681389":{"id":"681389","type":"image","title":"image--19-.png","body":null,"created":"1791560627","gmt_created":"2026-10-09 15:43:47","changed":"1791560627","gmt_changed":"2026-10-09 15:43:47","alt":"Image of K-12 InVenture Prize inventors Rohan Kumar and William Susskind discussing their project with 2 adults.","file":{"fid":"265772","name":"image--19-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/09\/image--19-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/09\/image--19-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2444452,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/09\/image--19-.png?itok=_n60zD2V"}},"681390":{"id":"681390","type":"image","title":"image--18-.png","body":null,"created":"1791560627","gmt_created":"2026-10-09 15:43:47","changed":"1791560627","gmt_changed":"2026-10-09 15:43:47","alt":"Image of K-12 InVenture Prize inventors Rohan Kumar and William Susskind sitting at desks working on their project on computers.","file":{"fid":"265773","name":"image--18-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/09\/image--18-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/09\/image--18-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":665652,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/09\/image--18-.png?itok=kcXv0ZCb"}},"681391":{"id":"681391","type":"image","title":"Inventor-Rohan-Kumar-and-William-Susskind.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1791560627","gmt_created":"2026-10-09 15:43:47","changed":"1791560627","gmt_changed":"2026-10-09 15:43:47","alt":"Image of K-12 InVenture Prize inventors Rohan Kumar and William Susskind.","file":{"fid":"265774","name":"Inventor-Rohan-Kumar-and-William-Susskind.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/09\/Inventor-Rohan-Kumar-and-William-Susskind.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/09\/Inventor-Rohan-Kumar-and-William-Susskind.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":965661,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/09\/Inventor-Rohan-Kumar-and-William-Susskind.jpeg?itok=wq6koFo9"}}},"media_ids":["681389","681390","681391"],"groups":[{"id":"361651","name":"Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC)"},{"id":"598218","name":"K-12 Connection"},{"id":"592706","name":"K-12 InVenture Challenge"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"}],"keywords":[{"id":"178283","name":"K12 InVenture Prize"},{"id":"46351","name":"K-12 education"},{"id":"177613","name":"K-12 InVenture Prize"},{"id":"411","name":"CEISMC"},{"id":"178531","name":"Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}