Saawan Duvvuri

As a first generation American citizen and student of color growing up in the Southern United States, Saawan constantly noticed the racial and social inequities his classrooms faced, not only in school resources but also in his educational curriculum, which often lacked diverse cultural and racial representation. In response, Saawan Duvvuri founded LiteratureDiversified, an international DEI education non-profit that champions racial inclusivity by providing free educational resources across humanities and social science curricula that spotlight marginalized voices across academic fields, as well as workshops, webinars, and book lists to empower students of color.

Through LiteratureDiversified, Saawan leads a team of over 400 student members and advocates, spanning 36 states and 11 countries, with 22 global chapters actively promoting educational equity. LiteratureDiversified has partnered with over 60 schools and school districts to achieve its mission of solving global educational disparities, directly teaching over 12,700 students in over 315 partner classrooms. In addition, LiteratureDiversified has received over $15,000 in grants and fundraising, including from Prudential Finance, Taco Bell, and the Bill of Rights Institute.

Saawan also serves as the youngest of 10 Ashoka Young Changemakers selected nationwide by the Ashoka Foundation. Through his role, Saawan focuses on providing mentorship to underrepresented students on social entrepreneurship and youth action, empowering the next generation of diverse changemakers to solve the world’s growing issues through social good.