> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Elaine Elizabeth Jinto, 16, Built a Global Magazine for Young Writers and a Tool to Make It Open to Everyone - URL: https://www.foundedbywomen.org/next-gen-founders/elaine-elizabeth-jinto-16-built-a-global-magazine-for-young-writers-and-a-tool-to-make-it-open-to-everyone/ - Published: 2026-10-12T05:24:34.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-12T05:24:34.000Z - Author: Editorial team - Tags: Next Gen Founders At nine years old, Elaine Elizabeth Jinto handed her parents a folder of handwritten poems and stories and told them she wanted to be published. Her mother searched for places that accept student writing, and the first result was Stone Soup. That online community stayed with her for years. Now 16 and in the tenth grade, Elaine is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Blue Bell Review, a magazine for and by youth ages 6 to 16\. She started it because she was disappointed that India had almost no prestigious platforms for creative children. In ten months, what began as a small corner of the internet for Indian kids has become an international community. A teen editorial board spanning India and the USA has published two general issues and two special issues featuring the work of more than 90 students. Submissions have come from India, the United States, Canada, the UAE, Luxembourg, Turkey, China, the UK, Singapore and South Korea. The magazine has formed partnerships with SAMA Foundation, Sakhi Trust, Phosphorescent Lit and Beyond the Lines, and has been listed on Duotrope and interviewed by NewPages. The biggest surprise, she says, has been the number of AI-generated submissions, because the magazine exists to feature young voices with all their imperfections. Her answer to that challenge is Ink for Iridescence, an initiative that began as a school social action project and grew into something much bigger. It is built around the Iridescent Assistant, a tool that helps neurodivergent, disabled and non-English speaking students get their own words onto the page, with speech-to-text, text-to-speech, an OpenDyslexic mode, translation into major Indian languages and handwriting-to-text, and it never writes for them. Elaine pairs it with customized workshops and special issues that compile the work from each session. In this interview for Founded by Women, she talks about what inspired the magazine, what surprised her along the way, and her plans to register the magazine at 18, pay contributors and publish full-length books. > Know a founder (or are one) doing incredible work? **Founded by Women Awards** are open for entries. If you're building something bold, leading with purpose, or driving change in your industry, we'd love for you to enter. 👉 [foundedbywomen.org/awards](https://www.foundedbywomen.org/awards/) --- ### **What inspired you to start *The Blue Bell Review*, and what has surprised you most about running it these first ten months?** I still remember the day I presented my parents with a folder of ten poems and stories painstakingly written out in my best handwriting—a big deal when one is nine years old. I told my parents that I wanted to get published, and to my surprise, they agreed. My mom grabbed her phone and searched for a place where students could submit writing, and the first thing she saw was *Stone Soup*. That is where my journey began. It was an amazing community: warm, friendly, and teeming with creativity. I am a writer like any other. I rejoice over the rare acceptance, collect rejection emails with false bravado, and write at the most inconvenient times. But *Stone Soup* has been a constant in my life since that evening—a source of inspiration, motivation, and entertainment. I wanted to create a platform like that myself for students all around the world. One thing I have always been disappointed about is the fact that there are virtually no prestigious platforms based in India for creative children. I wanted to remedy that, and here we are! The magazine has grown in ways I would have never imagined when I asked my parents if I could start a project like this. I was definitely thrilled by the variety of submissions we receive each day. It was meant to be a small corner of the internet for Indian kids to share their stories, but it has snowballed into an international community for young writers and artists. The platform attracts contributors at all levels, from emerging writers seeking certificates to established authors participating in in-depth interviews. We have received submissions from India, the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Luxembourg, South Korea, UAE, UK, Turkey and China and partnered with four organisations: Phosphorescent Lit, SAMA Foundation, Sakhi Trust and SAMA Foundation. The most surprising and disappointing thing is the number of AI-generated pieces we get. We want to feature youth voices with all their imperfections and errors, but sometimes people don’t seem to get that. It’s sad when we have to reject a piece because it was AI-generated. ### What led you to create *Ink for Iridescence*, and what difference do you hope it makes for neurodivergent, disabled, and non-English speaking students? It’s a surprising story! I am currently in the tenth grade. When the academic year started, all students were told to work on a Social Action Project (SAP)—a project where we give back to the community in some way. I wasn’t too interested in it initially, as the magazine took up a lot of my spare time, but my parents (my greatest supporters and sponsors) pointed out that when I launched the magazine, I had wanted to feature the voices of neurodivergent, disabled, and non-English speaking students alongside mainstream students. They suggested that my SAP should focus on making the magazine more accessible and inclusive. After some research, I got really excited about the idea and built the Iridescent Assistant first. I know I complained about receiving AI-generated submissions, but the Iridescent Assistant doesn't do the writing for you. It just helps you put your words on the page through features like speech-to-text, text-to-speech, OpenDyslexic mode, a minimalistic UI, translation to major Indian languages (for now), direct submission to our magazine, and handwriting-to-text. However, to make people aware that such a tool exists, I had to build a better network. I first launched a YouTube channel with writing advice and how-to guides integrating the Iridescent Assistant, but it didn’t reach as many people as I hoped it would. That’s why we launched *Ink for Iridescence*: writing and art for a change through customized workshops that integrate the Iridescent Assistant, alongside special issues compiling all the art and writing from each session. That's how I started reaching out to various NGOs and experts in the field. I am really grateful to the Sakhi Trust and SAMA Foundation, who collaborated with me for the first three sessions of *Ink for Iridescence*, and to experts like Dr. Bhagyalakshmi, Paul Ramanathan, Dr. Veerupaksha Devaramane, Prarthana Ma’am, and Prateek Sir, who advised me every step of the way. *The Blue Bell Review* exists to spotlight the stories and perspectives of students in any circumstance through any medium. *Ink for Iridescence* aims to make it easier for people who might face linguistic, technical, and physical barriers to showcase their talent. They create; we amplify their voices. Through this initiative, I hope to give people a brief glimpse into the world of neurodivergent, disabled, and non-English speaking youth. ### What's next for *The Blue Bell Review* and *Ink for Iridescence*? I love this question, and I have big dreams for the magazine and the initiative! As soon as I am 18 (which is going to happen an eternity later), I want to register the magazine, and I hope that we will be able to pay contributors. Print-on-demand issues are also something I am looking into. I want to go beyond publishing short fiction and poetry to publish full-length books so that our contributors get bigger opportunities to share their stories. In the case of *Ink for Iridescence*, we are consistently improving the AI Assistant and experimenting with different features we can add. The workshops will continue, and we will release more special issues. We would also be honored to collaborate with more organizations that work with neurodivergent, disabled, and non-English speaking students. We provide tailored art and writing workshops to suit the students’ needs, teach them how to use our AI assistant, and guide them hand-in-hand to create a piece. These pieces will then be published in a Special Issue compiling all the work created during the session. Eventually, I hope that we will get submissions from neurodivergent, disabled, and non-English speaking students outside of these workshops and events as well. > Are you a woman leader with an inspiring story? Founded by Women elevates the voices of women making an impact. > Breaking barriers or paving the way for others? We'd love to feature you. Get in touch! 👉 [hi@foundedbywomen.org](mailto:hi@foundedbywomen.org)