KEVIN ZHU
UNITED STATES, 17
He/Him
Project: The Incandescent: The Incandescent Review & The Incandescent Studio
During COVID-19, Kevin noticed a disconnect in society as the world switched to remote life. The lack of human interaction exacerbated the already high rate of mental health challenges among youth worldwide. In March 2020, Kevin joined peers across the globe to create The Incandescent Review – an international literary magazine designed to illuminate youth voices and promote teenage mental health through creative expression. Published quarterly, The Incandescent Review features artists, writers, and other creative explorers online and in print, along with weekly blog articles. They also run multidisciplinary galleries, provide resources for emerging writers, and lead campaigns for initiatives including Artists4BLM and UNICEF. The Incandescent Review has published 10 literary magazine issues, ~350 blog posts and 2 summer studio anthologies- featuring 150+ student creatives and reaching 150,000+ viewers in 111 countries. In December 2020, Kevin became CEO and Editor-in-Chief, and transformed The Incandescent Review into a broader brand, The Incandescent. The Incandescent made space for multiple projects with the same mission, including The Incandescent Summer Studio – a mentorship program for aspiring writers in middle school, pairing mentees with established writers. The Incandescent brand will include The Incandescent International – international chapters creating galleries to showcase their cultures, The Incandescent Clothing Brand, The Incandescent Ambassador Program to promote mental health, and The Incandescent Accelerator, a program providing student founders with resources to launch creative projects that impact their communities. Already leading a team across North America, Europe and Asia, Kevin expects The Incandescent will be in all six inhabited continents soon