How a Village Graduate Turned IB Excellence into AI Innovation in Silicon Valley

The Village School: A Foundation for Excellence

Choosing Village School was a big decision for his family. With a highly competitive middle school and a strong elementary feeder program, they knew the environment would be challenging. But that’s exactly what made it the right choice.

“Older students helped push each other to achieve success. The bar was set high because Village attracts those kinds of students,” he reflected. He and most of his classmates seamlessly transitioned from middle to high school, creating a tight-knit group that constantly pushed each other to excel.

Math competitions like TMSCA were a defining experience. He recalled the rigorous academic expectations, extracurricular travel, and the support students received to pursue their passions outside of the classroom. One major turning point was attending the Rice Leadership Summer Camp as a sophomore. There, he gained a deeper understanding of networking, leadership, and the world beyond school, forming connections that would shape his future.

IB: Preparation for Stanford & Entrepreneurship

Choosing to do the IB program at Village put him a step ahead when he arrived at Stanford. One math class placed him a year ahead of his peers, a testament to how Village supports advanced learners.

“The school works for the students rather than the other way around,” he explained. The IB program also developed his writing skills—giving him the ability to communicate research at a university level. While some of his Stanford classmates struggled with their first-year assignments, he felt prepared thanks to the heavy workload and high expectations of IB.

But beyond academics, IB also taught him resilience—an essential trait for entrepreneurs. “The expectations of IB prepared me. I was used to managing a heavy workload, which made the transition to college and later running a startup more manageable.”

The Competitive Edge of Village’s Peer Group

Surrounding yourself with driven, high-achieving peers can make all the difference. At Village, he was constantly challenged to keep up, excel, and lead.
“You find your talents in environments like that,” he said. Extracurriculars and class choices played a key role in shaping his future. Whether it was leading Model UN, organizing a voter registration drive, or exploring different academic interests, Village allowed him to differentiate himself—a crucial factor in college applications and later, in the startup world.

This environment also prepared him for one of the toughest parts of launching a business: funding. Startup accelerators like Y Combinator operate in ‘batches’, where startups are admitted in highly competitive rounds. His experience at Village—where students constantly strived to stand out, compete, and achieve—helped him navigate the high-stakes world of startup funding.

Launching a Startup with Purpose

His startup, Twine, focuses on AI-powered automation for small businesses, helping industries like pest control and accounting manage high-volume customer interactions. Instead of hiring additional staff, businesses use the company’s AI assistant to automate scheduling, follow-ups, and customer communication.
The company began with one pivotal client in Kansas City, whose referrals helped them gain early traction. Today, the startup works with 50+ clients, helping them streamline operations and grow. Businesses often see 20–30% growth after adopting the AI solution, which is designed to reassure customers their requests are being seen and handled.

The co-founder, Omar Imtiaz, also took a bold step to pursue the startup. Omar graduated a year early from UT’s renowned Computer Science program in order to dedicate himself full-time to building the business.

Together, the founders have emphasized sustainability and precision. Their main expense is founder salaries, and they maintain a lean burn rate—spending only around $1,000 per month on costs outside of payroll.

Lessons in Selling, Rejection, and Curiosity

One of the most powerful messages he delivered to students was about the importance of selling.

“Learn how to sell as early as possible. It’s the most important part of a business. Sell yourself, sell your idea, sell your product. Sell yourself to yourself.”
He encouraged students to get comfortable with rejection, stressing that sending cold emails and pitching your value concisely are non-negotiable skills in entrepreneurship.

“Be comfortable looking ‘stupid.’ Arrogance can be perceived as stupidity. If you don’t know something, ask.”

He left students with a simple but powerful mantra: “We didn’t start this because it was easy. We did it because we thought it was worth it.”

Advice to students: Start Now

He closed by offering guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs at Village:

• Don’t cave to peer pressure. Pursue what interests you.
• Start building communication skills early. Ask questions, make connections.
• Explore AI. There are tools and platforms available now that can help you test ideas, build prototypes, and validate concepts before you even graduate.

His journey from The Village School hallways to Silicon Valley boardrooms proves that early ambition, community support, and a willingness to try (and fail) can lead to incredible outcomes.