How To Win A $1M Prize And Fixing The Global Education Crisis | Adam Huh Dam of Stick ‘Em - EP682

Is AI actually making our kids smarter, or just better at cheating? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au sits down with Adam (Huh Dam), co-founder of Stick ‘Em, a Singapore-based startup bringing affordable STEAM education to the world.

From being rejected by his primary school robotics club to winning a $1 million prize in London, Adam shares his "rebel" journey through the Singapore education system (ACS Independent) and his mission to bridge the digital divide. We dive deep into the "disastrous" impact of increased screen time, the ethics of AI in homework, and why learning how to think is more important than ever in the age of autonomous agents.

Discover:

Why traditional EdTech might be "useless" for actual learning outcomes.

The $1M journey: How two student founders from Singapore beat the world’s best.

How to scale a hardware-software startup across Southeast Asia.

00:00 – The Disaster of AI in Schools

01:32 – Meet Adam Huh Dam: The $1M Prize Winner

02:20 – Building a Mars Rover at Age 6

03:22 – Rejected! The Traumatic Entry into Robotics

04:31 – The "Rebel" Years: Finding Character in ACSI

05:40 – Student-Led Learning vs. Corporate Teaching

07:22 – Competing on the Global Stage (Vex Robotics)

08:51 – Meeting Co-founder Kai: The Creative & The Strategist

10:33 – Why EdTech? Choosing Impact Over Boston Dynamics

12:22 – The Reality of Building a Social Enterprise

14:18 – Scaling STEAM Education Across Borders

15:50 – Winning the $1M Prize: Authenticity Over Perfection

20:05 – Why Modern EdTech is Failing Students

23:33 – The "Brain Dead" Era: AI and the Death of Homework

27:39 – Will AI Replace Lawyers, Accountants, and Coders?

30:05 – Being Brave: The Lunch That Changed Everything

32:20 – Closing Thoughts: The Future is Human

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/adam-stickem-steam-education 

Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at https://www.bravesea.com

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