Our Story
Two debaters from opposite sides of the world, seeking to bridge the gap
A journey to make public speaking learning
resources globally accessible
Sam and Justine noticed that debate was often isolated into small communities, observing that competitors in the United States often only viewed debate from a Western and US-centric lens, despite a world of different perspectives and debaters waiting to be discovered. After winning the national championship in Vietnam, Justine wanted to explore how she could challenge herself and her debate community to expand diverse perspectives. Thus, Outreach Debate began expanding beyond the United States and Vietnam.
From there, a global mission expanded.
From September 2021 onwards, Sam, Justine, and a growing team of like-minded students strived to reach as many debate communities as possible around the world. After establishing a team of 7 initial members in Vietnam and the USA, they contacted as many debaters around the world, from Thailand and Beijing to South Africa and Paris. As the team's efforts were met by international enthusiasm, a strong community was formed. Within this community, the team launched a global series of debate camps, workshops, resource drives, and mentorship programs to help underprivileged students around the world. Soon, the team of 7 had grown to a network of national branches across more than 20 countries around the world.
The world's largest debate nonprofit
Today, Outreach Debate has grown to become the world's largest student-run debate nonprofit. Our reach extends to more than 20 countries, 20 American states, more than 1700 members, and more than 250 volunteers. We've hosted six debate camps, eight tournaments, and dozens of online workshops at no cost to students. As Sam and Justine's initial vision, this organization's ultimate goal is to make the life-changing speech and debate accessible to every student in the world.
Executive Team
Our success is powered by our dedicated team, whose expertise, commitment, and hard work drive our achievements and innovation.
Nikhil Daniel
Executive Director
Kaushik Sathiyandrakumar
Executive Director
Nathan Lee
National Director
Aarush Tiyyagura
National Director
Feliks Lin
National Director
Nicky Wang
Chief Communications Officer
Lawand Muhsen
Chief Development Officer
Aarav Motivala
Chief Fundraising Officer
Tristan Mankovsky
Chief Programs Officer
Zayn Charania
Director of PF and LD Resources
Avi Sawhney
Middle School Board Director
Pravith Munipalle
Chief Financial Officer
Alexander Zhang
Director of Scholarships
Pranav Aiyer
Director of Policy Resources
Aaron Tian
Director of Mentorship
Felo Joseph
Director of Social Media