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Timmy McKeegan and Rishi Parikh

Grade: 9 and 11

Location: Connecticut

Business Name:

Prilo

Revenue: $100

Meet Timmy McKeegan and Rishi Parikh, two young and ambitious entrepreneurs reshaping how students prepare for DECA and other CTSOs (Career and Technical Student Organizations). At just 14 and 16, Timmy and Rishi have combined their skills to create Prilo, a suite of AI-powered tools aimed at transforming student learning and competition prep.


What is Prilo?


Prilo offers students a one-stop platform to prepare for DECA competitions—from roleplays to exams—using cutting-edge AI. It delivers personalized feedback, practice tools, and analytics, all accessible from a laptop.


Timmy explains:

“DECA has competitions where students simulate real-world business scenarios. Our AI tools provide the guidance and feedback students often struggle to get from advisors or parents. It’s like having an AI tutor, coach, and analyst rolled into one.”


The mission? To make competitive prep as seamless and effective as possible, helping students excel and gain the edge they need to succeed.


The Genesis of Prilo


The story began when Rishi, a DECA competitor from New Jersey, realized how hard it was to get the one-on-one feedback necessary to excel. “I wanted something better than relying on sporadic meetings with advisors or feedback from parents,” Rishi shares.


Timmy, a tech prodigy and homeschooled freshman with a passion for coding, joined forces with Rishi after connecting on Twitter through their shared interest in SaaS. In just six weeks, they built and launched Prilo, balancing school, DECA competitions, and coding.


The Secret to Speed: Leveraging AI


What makes Prilo’s rapid development even more impressive is the duo’s mastery of AI tools. Timmy describes the process:


“I used AI agents and tools like ChatGPT, Bolt, and Replit to accelerate development. Tasks that might have taken months just a year ago now take days—or even hours.”


The result? A dynamic platform with features like flashcards, AI-powered feedback, and analytics that track student progress.


Reaching Students (and Their Schools)


Rishi and Timmy adopted a creative, two-pronged approach to reach their audience:

  1. Direct-to-Student Marketing: They utilize social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit, posting relatable and engaging content.

  2. School Partnerships: By getting individual students excited about the product, Prilo naturally finds its way to school advisors and state organizations.


“We’ve seen students introduce Prilo to their advisors because they see the potential for their entire chapter to benefit,” Rishi explains.


With 20+ individual users and two schools signed on within weeks, Prilo’s traction is growing rapidly.


The Bigger Vision: Beyond DECA


While Prilo’s initial focus is DECA, the team has ambitious plans. They’re already developing an AI-powered AP study platform to help students prepare for advanced placement exams with tools like flashcards, quizzes, and real-time analytics.


Timmy reveals:

“AP exams were a personal pain point for me. So, we’re building tools that not only help students track progress but also give instant feedback.”


This vision extends to other CTSOs like FBLA and even broader markets like SAT prep.


Lessons for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs


Timmy and Rishi share these tips for budding entrepreneurs:


  1. Start with a problem you care about.“Be a user of your own product,” says Rishi.

  2. Leverage AI tools.“AI accelerates everything. Test tools like ChatGPT, Bolt, and Replit to bring your ideas to life faster,” Timmy suggests.

  3. Focus on distribution.“It’s not just about building a great product. You need to get it into the hands of users,” Rishi emphasizes.


Where to Find Prilo


Interested in Prilo’s DECA platform or beta-testing their AP product? Visit:

You can also follow their journey on social media at @TryPrilo or connect with Timmy and Rishi directly on Twitter.


The Future is Bright


With a Formidable Fellowship grant in hand, Timmy and Rishi plan to double down on marketing and refine Prilo’s AI-powered features. Their vision? To make personalized learning tools available to every student, starting with DECA and expanding to AP, SAT, and beyond.


In their own words:

“We want to build tools that not only help students succeed but also make learning fun, accessible, and tailored to their needs.”


Timmy and Rishi are proving that age is no barrier to innovation. They’re just getting started—and the future looks incredible.


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