About Me.

My name is Akshaj Tanay Kumar, but I usually go by Akku. In Hindi, Akshaj means “One Who Can Never Be Defeated,” while in German, Akku means “Rechargeable Battery.” Though I don’t think my parents knew the German translation of Akku before giving me that nickname, I feel as if both describe me well: While I fail quite a bit and make many mistakes, I always have an indomitable source internal energy that helps me to persevere. I am a dedicated student and tenacious CEO; voracious adventurer and avid reader; and most importantly, a caring son, brother, and friend. All these things give me that energy to keep working on the things I love doing.

I grew up in a small town on the edge of rurality in central Pennsylvania, but through the encouragement and belief from family and friends, sheer hard work, and lots of mistakes, I am now in a place where I get to work on interesting technologies in aviation and meet even more interesting people every day.

The first to every graduate Texas A&M with a BS Aero Degree in 3 years, I am currently attempting to complete my MS in just one year while supported by the prestigious NSF Graduate Fellowship. I am also the co-founder and CEO of Arrow Analytics, where I combine business acumen with vast technological experience.

I am also an adventurer, having been to all 7 continents, 30 countries, 50 states, and all 429 national parks before the age of 21. In June 2024, I became one of the 50 youngest people to ever summit Denali and I am training to become one of the youngest to climb the “7 Summits.”

Finally, I am extremely interested in both personal and community development, having had the opportunity to help hundreds of high school students to learn about STEM topics. Attempting to read two books every month, I constantly push himself to learn more and use my knowledge to help others.