Gitanjali Rao (born 2005) is an American inventor. She won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge in 2017. She was honored as Forbes 30 U 30 for her innovations. She was named TIME Top young innovator in 2020 for her innovations and "innovation workshops" she conducts across the globe. In the December 2020 cover, "Time " named Rao the first "Kid of the Year". Rao was born in Lone Tree, Colorado.