While other kids were at home watching television, a 13-year-old named Iddris Sandu spent most of his childhood in the library, reading texts about the theory of relativity and studying the German industrial designer Dieter Rams.

Now 21, the self-made entrepreneur and California native has made quite a name for himself in the worlds of technology and entertainment.

With a passion for tech and culture, Sandu has written algorithms and code for tech giants like Uber, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, received the Presidental Scholar Award from President Barack Obama.

His "wunderkind" reputation has allowed him to have boldface names like NBA star Steph Curry and Tesla CEO Elon Musk on speed dial.

Private consultant, software engineer, and technologist are just a few hats Sandu wears - though, he prefers the title architect. According to Sandu, he was offered admissions to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology twice, but he declined in order to be a change agent for African-American culture.

"Most people can see, but not everyone has vision," Sandu told CNBC in a recent interview, summarizing his life's philosophy and entrepreneurial drive.

Back in 2009, a Steve Jobs podcast served as the spark for Sandu's desire to learn more about the technology world. As a teenager, the child of Ghanaian parents had a a fateful encounter in a library with a designer from Google. Shortly thereafter, he landed his first internship with the tech behemoth.

Since then, the young entrepreneur has been broadening his horizons by partnering with some very prominent entertainers. Sandu recently partnered with Kanye West and Jaden Smith on a few future businesses, clothing lines and disaster relief projects that are set to launch in 2019.