We had the good fortune of connecting with Spencer Chaisanguanthum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Spencer, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Throughout middle and high school, I have been fortunate to be involved in academic debate—as the co-captain of my school’s team and through a multi-year position on the Student Leadership Council of the National Speech & Debate Association. Debate has taught me innumerable skills: the ability to articulate a perspective with clarity and confidence, the research skills to construct a cogent argument through evidence, a lifelong community of friends, and an innate curiosity about the world around me. In a society dominated by artificial intelligence, shrinking attention spans, political polarization, and misinformation, debate is a valuable antidote. It slows us down enough to ask, What exactly is the claim here? Where is the evidence? Are these two concepts connected by causation, or simply correlation?

However, as I attended more debate tournaments, I grew frustrated by the activity’s inaccessibility and high barriers of knowledge. As I analyzed entry fees and spoke with students and school administrators alike, I left with one universal takeaway: an activity that I loved so dearly was out of reach for far too many. For example, residential summer training camps cost upwards of $5,000 for just two weeks, effectively limiting participation to individuals with the financial means.Tournaments—long viewed as bastions of inclusivity and community—have only increased entry fees by 63% over the past decade while scholarships dried up. Therefore, rural, low-income, and Title 1 schools often lack the economic, social, or political capital needed to fund and maintain a program.

In 2022, at just 13-years-old, I resolved to channel my frustrations into action. What started as a series of local fundraisers has blossomed into the world’s largest youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on debate accessibility: Eloquence Academy. Through four low-cost programs, an online library with public speaking curricula, and the support of 185 volunteers, 116 partners, and 36 grant awards, we have successfully empowered over 20,000 students across all 50 states and 6 inhabitable continents. We envision a future in which all young people are actively engaged in critical discourse, informed by evidence, and empowered to serve as dynamic leaders within their communities.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The earliest days of the organization were characterized by 40-plus hour work weeks, 15,000+ cold emails, and countless all-nighters, all in hopes that something would stick. Slowly but surely, our organization grew. Most importantly, our first grant—a mere $100 from the Hershey Company—lended us legitimacy and media coverage, in turn allowing our mission to attract a more diverse coalition of supporters.

Today, the most meaningful part of my work is harnessing creativity and innovation to allow debate to flourish in unexpected places. When a small rural middle school in California lacked enough students for a debate team, I collaborated with a volunteer to design an engaging, SpongeBob-themed lesson on logical fallacies. Later, I invited guest speakers from nearby recycling and water conservation centers to help students research the merits of a single-use plastic ban and understand the local, community-specific consequences. Our partnerships with the Jay Pritzker Academy and four campuses of Kaabe Schools contributed to the first-ever debate coaching programs in rural Angola, Cambodia, and Somaliland.

One of our greatest milestones came in 2024, when I applied for and won $150,000 of in-kind and monetary grant support from Google, Microsoft, and the Hershey Company. Their funding enabled me to expand our curriculum across borders. Since then, we have digitally published nearly 100 public speaking resources in English, and through a partnership with the Latino Education Advancement Fund, Spanish. Complete with video modules, quizzes, and interactive worksheets, that webpage has received 39,036 visits.

In part because of Eloquence Academy’s successes, I have received dozens of messages from young leaders wanting to build their own nonprofits and community betterment initiatives. At first, I used my social media platform to broadcast my best tips, with 250 posts, 75,000 words, and 1,073,274 impressions shared across four platforms. While I continue a weekly nonprofit advice series to this day, I have always been eager to work with other young people more directly. Last year, I began serving as an independent nonprofit consultant and advisor, providing customizable, strategic advice on grant writing, volunteer management, and program development. So far, I have worked with 60 chapters, organizations, and young leaders. Together, we have donated 30,000 items (primarily menstrual health products, hot meals, and winter coats) and removed 500 pounds of trash from the ocean, benefiting 15,000 individuals in need.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am extremely fortunate and grateful to the team at Eloquence Academy, including our part-time employees, Board of Trustees, and volunteers. I learn so much from each of them on a daily basis, and admire their dedication to our mission, commitment to their work, and spirit of passion, integrity, and generosity.

We have been questioned, doubted, and underestimated countless times. Unfortunately, adults often perceive youth-founded or youth-led organizations as inexperienced and naive. However, we have now established 39 active chapters across the globe, through which volunteers organize in-person programs at libraries and community centers, learn about nonprofit operations, and liaise with our national team about local developments on their debate circuits. Our Regional Directors—who lead these chapters—have demonstrated courage at its finest and the tenacity to persevere in the face of rejection. I am consistently inspired by them.

Website: eloquenceacademy.org

Instagram: instagram.com/eloquenceacademy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-c-bb2841281/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChqjCt06gzLkSUuiMwYLlLg

Image Credits
Abhimanyu Sharma, Rudri Soni, Kira Waldhalm, Andrea Peterson-Longmore

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