OpenAI and ChatGPT celebrate 26 young people and teams who are building, researching, creating, and expanding what is possible to them through AI technology. This includes three Wharton undergraduates: Jack Patel, W’27, Praja Tickoo, W’27, and Crystal Yang, EAS’29, W’29. Each inaugural ChatGPT Futures Class of 2026 honoree — collectively representing over 20 international universities and institutions, including Penn — will receive a $10,000 grant and access to cutting-edge technologies to move their ideas forward.
Wharton undergrads Patel and Tickoo — along with Penn classmate Sanz — are recognized for developing CaseLink, a platform designed to eliminate workflow bottlenecks for case managers at West Philadelphia’s Alain Locke School, where nearly 25% of students experience homelessness or housing instability. CaseLink uses ChatGPT’s API (application programming interface) to help case managers instantly generate a personalized action plan for families, connecting them to the most relevant local resources and providing them with critical support faster.
Yang, a student in the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, is similarly recognized for building audio-first learning games for blind and visually impaired students through Audemy. The nonprofit’s gaming solutions are now in use by more than 200,000 learners and supported by a team of over 60 volunteers, and Yang was also named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for games. In building out her nonprofit, she has used ChatGPT throughout the process — from writing grants and tailoring applications to coding, brainstorming product ideas, and working through hardware, privacy, and legal questions.
Read the full blog post here, and see profiles of all honorees here.
Posted: May 22, 2026
