Project Scientist
Project Scientist is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free bilingual STEAM education programs to girls ages 4-18 from underrepresented communities across 26 U.S. states and Mexico, funded by corporate grants and foundation donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Project Scientist does
Project Scientist is a national 501(c)(3) education nonprofit founded in 2012 (with founding activity beginning in 2010) by Sandy Marshall in Charlotte, North Carolina, after she could not locate STEAM programs for her four-year-old daughter. The organization delivers hands-on, joyful science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) programming to girls ages 4-18 from underrepresented communities, with services free to families and delivered in English and Spanish. Since inception it has reached more than 30,000 girls across 26 U.S. states and Monterrey, Mexico, delivered over 160,000 STEAM experiences, hosted 384 industry expeditions, and engaged 1,800+ women STEM professionals as volunteer role models.
The organization's product surface consists of four core programs: Innovation Lab (immersive summer STEAM camp), Explorers Club / After-School STEAM Club (flexible out-of-school programming), Scholars Circle (virtual and in-person STEAM leadership program for ages 13-18), and the Elevated Institute (educator training in gender- and racially-equitable teaching strategies). Delivery occurs through partnerships with school districts, individual schools, library systems, and nonprofit organizations serving underestimated communities, supplemented by virtual self-serve programs. Programs are supported by an in-house curriculum developed over a decade, validated by reported outcomes of 91% participant confidence boost and 93% of participants envisioning future STEM careers.
Project Scientist is funded almost entirely by corporate grants and foundation donations rather than direct family fees. Documented financial partners include Trane Technologies (cumulative $2.2M+ since 2021 including a $1.2M grant in June 2024), Albemarle Foundation ($100,000), GM, Kellogg Company, Takeda, NBA Foundation, Lowe's, Ingersoll Rand, and 2K Foundations, supplemented by individual donations and an annual virtual 5K fundraiser. The organization is fully remote with staff distributed across California, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, North Carolina, and Monterrey, Mexico, and is governed by an independent board chaired by the Global Chief Sustainability Officer at Genesys. The current President and CEO, Dr. Patrice S. Johnson, succeeded founder Sandy Marshall in August 2023.
Project Scientist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Scientist
- Legal name
- Project Scientist
- Website
- https://projectscientist.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Project Scientist is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free bilingual STEAM education programs to girls ages 4-18 from underrepresented communities across 26 U.S. states and Mexico, funded by corporate grants and foundation donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project Scientist industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth STEAM Education Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science) (EDAMALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE)
Keywords
Where Project Scientist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Project Scientist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Foundation and Corporate Grants: Primary revenue stream from corporate partners and foundations that fund STEM education programs. Programs are provided at no cost to families.
- STEM Girls Run the World Virtual 5K: Annual virtual fundraising event where participants raise money through running and walking. Individual registration $35, Corporate Team Members $45.
- Donations: Individual donations accepted through website donation portal, providing tax-deductible contributions to support girls in STEM education.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free Programs for Girls |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Project Scientist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Scientist is a 501(c)(3) national education nonprofit that delivers no-cost, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programs to girls ages 4-18, primarily from underrepresented communities. Its core offerings include the Innovation Lab summer camp, Explorers Club out-of-school program, Scholars Circle teen leadership program (ages 13-18), Elevated Institute teacher training, and an After-School STEAM Club. Programs are offered bilingually in English and Spanish, in partnership with schools, districts, nonprofits, and library systems, and are funded by corporate and foundation grants plus individual donations.
Product overview
Project Scientist is a national education nonprofit that offers a multi-program STEAM education platform for girls ages 4-18. The organization provides four core programs: Innovation Lab (summer camp), Explorers Club (out-of-school program), Scholars Circle (teen leadership program ages 13-18), and Elevated Institute (teacher training). All programs are provided at no cost to families, offered in English and Spanish, and feature hands-on, joyful learning experiences designed to build confidence and belonging in STEM.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Innovation Lab: A joyful, hands-on, immersive summer STEAM camp designed to build confidence and spark curiosity in girls.
- Explorers Club
- Scholars Circle
- Elevated Institute
Products and services
- Innovation Lab
Quantifiable outcome
- 91% boost in participant confidence in STEM abilities
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Project Scientist
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Project Scientist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Project Scientist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- HBCU Early Prep SchoolcoreFirst-of-its-kind HBCU public school partnership in Queens, NY. Launching Scholars Circle STEAM leadership program for teens ages 13-18. Part of broader NYC expansion with three additional schools.
- 2K FoundationsmajorPartnered with Angel Reese to deliver 6-week STEM program for female student-athletes. Focus on empowering girls through sports and STEM education.
- McKinsey.orgminorProject Scientist was featured on McKinsey.org for how organizational health practices internally help deliver greater impact for girls in STEM externally.
- Ingersoll RandcorePartnered with Project Scientist to solve STEM gender gap. Hosted ribbon cutting and ongoing partnership for girl-focused STEM programming.
- STEM Companies (Expedition Partners)corePartnerships with leading STEM companies to host expeditions, provide role models, and engage employees as volunteers. Companies host over 380 expeditions for students.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Project Scientist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Girls Who Code: National nonprofit focused on closing the gender gap in technology through K-12 programming, clubs, and summer immersion programs for girls. Direct peer with overlapping mission, target audience (girls in STEM), free delivery model, and corporate/foundation funding base.
- Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit providing technology education to Black girls and girls of color through workshops, hackathons, and after-school programs. Closely comparable mission around underrepresented girls in STEAM, similar age range, and similar corporate-funded nonprofit model.
- TechGirlz: Nonprofit inspiring middle school girls to explore careers in technology through free workshops, summer camps, and TechShopz in a Box curriculum. Smaller scale than Project Scientist, but direct overlap on hands-on tech education for girls delivered free through community partnerships.
- ChickTech: Nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of women and girls in technology through programs including summer camps, high school programs, and community events. Comparable girls-in-tech nonprofit model with similar age-cohort programming and volunteer-driven delivery.
- National Girls Collaborative Project: National network bringing together organizations committed to encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. Functions as both a peer (girls STEM mission) and an ecosystem connector, with overlapping funding sources (NSF, corporate sponsors) and complementary programming portfolios.
- STEM for Her: Nonprofit focused on advancing STEM education for young women and girls through grants, scholarships, and program partnerships. Direct peer in girls-in-STEM mission with similar corporate-driven funding model, though smaller scale and more grant-making oriented.
Broad incumbents
- Girls Inc. National nonprofit inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, with research-based programming including STEM/Eureka! programs. Broader mission than Project Scientist (whole-girl development rather than STEM-only), making it an incumbent across the girls' empowerment space with overlapping corporate and foundation funding sources.
- NCWIT (National Center for Women & Information Technology): Nonprofit working to increase the meaningful participation of women in computing across K-12, higher education, and industry. Broader incumbency across the girls/women-in-tech space with research, advocacy, and program components — overlapping target audience but distinct delivery model.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth development nonprofit with extensive STEM programming including robotics, coding, and maker education across thousands of club locations. Overlap on STEAM enrichment for youth, but broader youth-development mission and far larger scale; partners with Project Scientist's corporate sponsors.
Emerging players
- Million Women Mentors: National movement engaging one million mentors (male and female) to support girls and women in STEM careers. Comparable girls-in-STEM nonprofit mission with overlapping corporate partnerships, but anchored on mentorship rather than direct educational programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Project Scientist social profiles
Digital presenceProject Scientist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Scientist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Project Scientist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Scientist M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Project Scientist
What does Project Scientist do?
Project Scientist is a 501(c)(3) national education nonprofit that delivers no-cost, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programs to girls ages 4-18, primarily from underrepresented communities. Its core offerings include the Innovation Lab summer camp, Explorers Club out-of-school program, Scholars Circle teen leadership program (ages 13-18), Elevated Institute teacher training, and an After-School STEAM Club. Programs are offered bilingually in English and Spanish, in partnership with schools, districts, nonprofits, and library systems, and are funded by corporate and foundation grants plus individual donations.
Is Project Scientist a public or private company?
Project Scientist is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Scientist founded?
Project Scientist was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Project Scientist based?
Project Scientist is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project Scientist make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Corporate Grants are the primary driver. The others are STEM Girls Run the World Virtual 5K and donations.
Who are Project Scientist's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Girls Who Code, Black Girls CODE, TechGirlz, ChickTech, National Girls Collaborative Project and STEM for Her. Broad incumbents are Girls Inc., NCWIT (National Center for Women & Information Technology) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Million Women Mentors is listed as an emerging player.
Does Project Scientist have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Scientist.
What industry is Project Scientist in?
Project Scientist's product category is Youth STEAM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMALAC, STEM & Science Camps (Biology, Chemistry, Space, Lab Science), with a secondary code of EDAMABAA, Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs). Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8200.