Hannah Joseph pitched her nonprofit to hundreds of professionals at Cincy AI Week and earned recognition no teenager had received before: the 2026 AI Next Generation Award, part of the Cincinnati AI Leadership Awards.

Joseph, a sophomore in Indian Hill High School's Class of 2029, attended the conference through Indian Hill Experienceships, a district program that connects students with real-world learning opportunities through the Indian Hill Entrepreneurs' Center. The district's partnership with Cincinnati AI Catalyst gave her a seat alongside working professionals exploring artificial intelligence applications.

She didn't stay quiet once she got there.

Joseph introduced herself to attendees, asked questions, stayed after sessions to meet speakers and pitched Seniors Go Digital, her nonprofit. That initiative, she said in the district's announcement, made her "the first teenager ever considered for, and honored with, a Cincinnati AI Leadership Award."

"Cincy AI Week was incredibly eye opening," Joseph said. "I learned so much about the possibilities of AI, but my biggest takeaway was something entirely different: initiative has no age requirement."

Indian Hill High School principal Andy Gruber praised Joseph's willingness to step into an unfamiliar space and contribute her own ideas. Gruber said the Experienceships program and the Cincinnati AI Catalyst partnership give students a chance to do more than study the future, and that Joseph seized it.

"Hannah represents what we hope for every Indian Hill High School student," Gruber said in the district announcement.

Indian Hill Schools announced the award on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The IH Experienceships program had already featured Joseph in its 2026 Summer Impact Series on Aug. 14, one day after the school year began at Indian Hill Middle School and Indian Hill High School on Aug. 13.

Joseph's claim to be the first teenager honored has not been independently verified, but the district highlighted the distinction in its official announcement. The Experienceships program continues to place Indian Hill students in professional settings through the Entrepreneurs' Center, with additional features from its 2026 Summer Impact Series expected in the coming weeks.