Meet Our Team
We understand that choosing the right learning environment for your child is one of your most important decisions. Our team combines technical expertise with genuine passion for youth education, creating a safe, supportive space where every student can explore, learn, and thrive.
Co-founder
Matt Phillips
I’m a retired U.S. Navy Captain and STEM education entrepreneur with over two decades of leadership experience in high-stakes environments—from commanding warships to launching youth robotics programs that empower the next generation of engineers and innovators.
Co-founder
Tarun Upaday
I build and tinker at the edge of product, technology, and go-to-market. Currently leading Routespring, where we’re rethinking how enterprises move people and money. I also advise and serve on boards of high-growth startups in the U.S. and India.
Director of External Programs
Madeline Smerchansky, PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison, PhD, Biomedical Engineering and Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Dream robot: A robot that can knead bread using many different techniques and monitor and regulate the dough temperature. I love baking sourdough and my helper robot would enable me to bake a lot of many different types of bread!
Classes: FLL Explore, FLL Challenge, Intro to Robotics
Lead Instructor
Nils Schofer
American University, B.S. in Computer Science
Dream robot: A bot like R2-D2. BB-8 or B2EMO. A close companion I could share a bond with, who could also hack control panels if needed.​
Classes: Intro to Robotics, FLL Challenge Class and Teams, and FIRST Tech Challenge
Marketing Manager
Rita Perez
Georgetown University, M.A. in Communication, Culture, and Technology and B.A. in Communication Studies (UCLA)​
Dream robot: A robot that puts my clean laundry and dishes away!
Instructor
Madhobee Kabir
University of Maryland, B.S. in Neuroscience
Dream robot: I would build a pocket-robot that keeps track of my tasks and events, and when I ask her to, she’ll give me a large hologram view of my calendar. I remember things well enough, but I’d like to keep reminders somewhere outside of a phone or planner, and being able to see it on a big screen would give me some peace of mind!​
Classes: FLL Discover and FLL Explore
Instructor
Shine Park
George Washington University, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
​Dream robot: A robot that can translate what my dog says to me. It would take the input of my dog's barks and tell me what it means in English. I would build this because I know my dog loves me, but I would love to hear it as affirmation.​
Classes: FIRST FTC Robotics
Instructor
Adrian Luque
Florida Atlantic University, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (BSME)​
Dream robot: A dance robot to help beginners with timing and movement.​
Classes: FIRST Tech Challenge
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