EnlightApp

Redefining Access to Knowledge

When Dieumerci Christel was a child growing up in a refugee camp in Tanzania, knowledge was often locked away behind barriers of access, affordability, and opportunity. He remembers desperately wanting to learn and explore the world, but finding that resources were scarce and opportunities felt out of reach.

Years later, after resettling in the United States and navigating his own path through education, Christel founded EnlightApp, a platform designed to democratize access to knowledge by connecting students with bite-sized, peer-created educational content. The vision: to empower anyone, regardless of their background, to learn from relatable voices and lived experiences.

“The whole idea of EnlightApp is to allow people to learn from one another — not just from experts or institutions, but from peers who’ve been in their shoes,” Christel explains. “If you’re a first-generation college student, imagine being able to hear from another first-gen student who’s just a year or two ahead of you.”

EnlightApp harnesses short-form video and AI-powered search to deliver practical, accessible insights across a wide range of topics — from navigating financial aid and internships to developing professional skills. By lowering the barrier to knowledge-sharing, Christel hopes to create a new ecosystem where everyone can be both a learner and a teacher.

His journey hasn’t been without challenges. As a young founder and immigrant entrepreneur, Christel has often found himself straddling two worlds — one where he feels like an outsider, and another where he sees the immense potential of his lived experiences to shape something meaningful. That dual perspective has become a driving force behind EnlightApp’s mission.

Through programs like Catapult, Christel has gained critical mentorship and support to refine his model, sharpen his focus, and grow his reach. But at the heart of it all remains the same vision that started years ago in a Tanzanian refugee camp: unlocking access to opportunity through the power of shared knowledge.

“I know what it feels like to be hungry for information and not have access to it,” Christel says. “With Enlight, I want to make sure no one else has to feel that way again.”