While many 12-year-olds are busy balancing schoolwork, sports, and friendships, Mana Jampala stands out by simultaneously managing an artificial intelligence startup with global reach.
Hailing from Kelowna, British Columbia, this Grade 7 student has developed Voxa, an AI-driven receptionist designed to help businesses capture customer calls that might otherwise be missed. With implementations already in Canada, India, and Cambodia, Mana has quickly gained recognition as one of the youngest founders in the AI sector, attracting international interest for her innovative approach.
Mana's tech journey began at an impressively young age. She initially discovered coding through Scratch camps, progressing to Python when she was just nine. By 11, she was actively creating her own AI solutions. Her skills have garnered accolades from beyond the classroom, including a special prize at a collegiate-level science competition during a trip to India. In addition, she received funding from the Medici Project of the 1517 Fund, which helps young entrepreneurs launch their startups.
Despite her entrepreneurial success, Mana maintains a balanced life filled with soccer, time spent with friends, and networking with other young innovators.
The inspiration for Voxa came from observing her father’s work environment, where employees frequently missed calls while assisting customers. This observation sparked the creation of Voxa, a 24/7 AI voice assistant tailored for industries like restaurants and pharmacies. By ensuring no call goes unanswered, Voxa helps businesses avoid lost revenue opportunities.
Voxa’s capabilities are impressive; it can handle incoming calls, schedule appointments, take food orders, manage follow-ups, and provide conversation summaries. As of now, Mana reports that Voxa is managing hundreds of calls and expanding its reach within Canada.
In her development process, Mana utilized AI-based coding assistants like ChatGPT and Claude for help, though she emphasizes that she never relied solely on them to create the product. Instead, she built her software meticulously, writing small segments of code, troubleshooting issues, and gradually constructing her backend. This hands-on experience allowed her to gain a comprehensive understanding of her software.
Looking ahead, Mana is already envisioning the next stage of her journey with a new initiative called Voxa Agents. This feature enables users to develop autonomous AI agents simply by articulating tasks in plain language. Whether it's monitoring competitors or preparing meeting briefings, these agents automate processes, offering significant value.
As she continues to grow her business, Mana aspires to join a prestigious startup accelerator, setting her sights on scaling her operations even further. At a time when many of her peers are just beginning to contemplate their career paths, Mana Jampala is already making waves in the tech world, illustrating how the next generation is entering the AI revolution far earlier than expected.
