This 12-year-old founder created an AI-powered receptionist to help small businesses build clientele (www.businessinsider.com)

Mana Jampala, a 12-year-old from British Columbia, has launched Voxa, an AI-powered receptionist designed to assist small businesses by managing calls and securing clientele. Inspired by her observations at her father’s workplace, where missed calls often meant lost revenue, Jampala created Voxa to offer round-the-clock assistance, book appointments, manage missed calls, and summarize interactions. Within less than a year of its release in November 2025, Voxa is already handling hundreds of calls and Jampala is actively pursuing her first paying customer. Voxa represents a significant step in enabling young innovators in the AI/ML space, demonstrating how accessible technology can empower a new generation of entrepreneurs. Jampala utilized tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude for coding before developing her own backend system, illustrating a practical hands-on approach to AI development. Facing challenges related to her age while pitching her product, Jampala is leveraging online platforms and personal networks to build customer relationships. Her journey reflects not only the potential for AI integration in small businesses but also how youth are increasingly becoming tech-savvy founders, eager to transform their ideas into impactful products.