MakerState

What MakerState does

MakerState, LLC is a New York City-based STEM education services provider founded in 2003 that designs and delivers hands-on maker, coding, robotics, and 3D design programming to K-12 students (primarily ages 5-14) and professional development to their teachers. The company's core technology is its curriculum architecture, built around a proprietary Design Cycle framework (Discover, Create, Improve) and grounded in an NSF-funded research-practice partnership with NYU Steinhardt (Award #1742320, 2018) that integrated computational thinking and computer science into elementary science instruction. MakerState offers five primary service lines: After School Programs, Summer Rising STEM Summer Camps, Professional Development for teachers, In-School and Community-Based Organization programming, and Family & Community Engagement events, supported by a catalog of 40+ curriculum tracks (Junior Engineers, Inventor's Club, Rocket Scientists, LEGO WeDo/Mindstorms robotics, Scratch/Minecraft coding, Tinkercad 3D design) and aligned to NGSS, Common Core, ISTE, and CSTA standards.

The business operates on a transaction-based services model with no recurring subscription layer. Pricing is per-session ($35-$40 per student per 60-minute session, or $290-$450 flat per session), per-week for summer camps ($350 per child or $2,800-$6,600 flat fee tiers for groups up to 30), and per-workshop for teacher professional development ($1,200-$2,400 per session, plus $1,000 per embedded coaching day). Distribution is conducted through direct sales to schools and PTAs, NYC Department of Education procurement (MakerState holds vendor registration #046340636), community-based organization partnerships, and direct family registration via the company website. The company's go-to-market combines a sales-led field motion targeting school administrators with event-driven demand generation through STEM showcases, the annual Scratch Design Challenge competition, and the Building the Future Award community recognition program.

MakerState serves a hybrid customer base spanning enterprise (NYC DOE and partner schools, including Concourse Village Elementary), individual families registering children for camps and after-school programs, and K-12 teachers seeking training. The firm is privately held and founder-controlled by Stephen Gilman, who also leads the related nonprofit StudentUnion (501c3), which provides scholarship pathways and access to economically disadvantaged schools. Operations are concentrated in NYC across all five boroughs, with five summer camp locations (Upper West Side, Upper East Side, West Village, Lower East Side, Park Slope) and headcount in the 11-50 range. Recent diversification includes a 2023 launch of Builder Birthday Parties, extending the maker education offering into consumer-side family event services.

Name

MakerState

Legal name

MakerState, LLC

Website

https://maker-state.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MakerState is a New York City-based STEM education provider delivering hands-on coding, robotics, and 3D design programs to K-12 students, teachers, and families across all five NYC boroughs through after-school, summer camp, and professional development services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 STEM Education Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning Programs (EDAMADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE), STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL), Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• After-school enrichment
• Teacher professional development
• Coding and robotics
• Maker education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. After School Programs: Per-session fees for hands-on STEM programs in coding, robotics, 3D design, and sustainable technology delivered at schools and community centers. Pricing at $35-$40 per student per session or flat rates of $290-$450 per session.
2. Summer Camp Programs: Weekly summer camp registrations at $350 per child per week with volume discounts. Also offers flat fee pricing tiers based on group size (up to 10 kids: $2,800; 11-20 kids: $4,700; 21-30 kids: $6,600).
3. Professional Development Services: Teacher training workshops and coaching sessions including single day training ($1,200-$2,400), multisession workshops ($225-$450 per session), embedded coaching ($1,000 per school day), and curriculum integration support.
4. In-School and CBO Programming: Hourly and per-station pricing for during-school makerspaces, holiday break programs, and pop-up makerspace experiences at schools and community events.
5. Family and Community Engagement Events: Workshop and showcase event fees for school fairs, open houses, and STEM career design challenges, with option pricing starting at $400 plus per-station charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MakerState delivers hands-on STEM education programs to K-12 students through after-school makerspaces, summer camps, and in-school/community programming covering coding, robotics, 3D design, and sustainable technology. It complements these programs with teacher professional development workshops, embedded coaching, and curriculum integration support. Programs are built on the proprietary Design Cycle framework (Discover, Create, Improve) and aligned with NGSS, Common Core, ISTE, and CSTA standards.

Product overview

MakerState is an education services provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of STEM education programs and professional development services for K-12 students and teachers in New York City. The core offerings include After School Programs with hands-on projects in coding, robotics, and 3D design; Summer Rising STEM Summer Camps featuring immersive project-based learning; and Professional Development for teachers integrating project-based STEM into classrooms. The program portfolio includes specialized curriculum tracks such as LEGO Robotics Teams, Scratch Coding Clubs, Junior Engineers, Inventor's Club, and Digital Design with Tinkercad and Minecraft. MakerState also provides Family & Community Engagement events, In-School Makerspace programming, and community awards like the Building The Future Award. The company operates alongside its sister organization StudentUnion and is led by NSF research partnerships, with curriculum aligned to NGSS, ISTE, CSTA, and Common Core standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• After School Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Students develop proficiency in computational thinking, problem-solving, and 21st century skills through hands-on project-based learning aligned with NGSS and Common Core standards.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Research-practice partnership to develop and test professional development model and curriculum materials for integrating CS/CT into elementary science through maker pedagogy.
• NYC Department of EducationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegistered vendor (#046340636) providing STEM programs to NYC public schools through official procurement channels. Stephen Gilman led CS4all teacher training cohorts.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEGO robotics competition league providing competition structure and values framework for MakerState robotics teams. FIRST teaches discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, and teamwork.
• StudentUnion (501c3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated nonprofit organization founded by same executive director Stephen Gilman, serving NYC public schools with STEAM, SEL, career prep and game-based learning programs, particularly for economically disadvantaged schools.
• MIT Media Lab (Scratch)Technology or IntegrationMakerState curriculum extensively uses MIT's Scratch programming language and TinkerCAD 3D design tools as core educational platforms for coding and design instruction.
• Schools That CanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership providing scholarship pathways for students to access MakerState STEM Summer Camp through need-based financial assistance programs.
• Urban Assembly Maker AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStephen Gilman is a founding board member of this public high school focused on maker education and experiential learning.
• Carnegie Learning CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStephen Gilman is a founder of this educational organization.
• Math for AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKofi Bosompim served as Emeritus Fellow of Math for America, supporting STEM teacher development and mentorship.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iD Tech: iD Tech operates STEM summer camps and after-school programs for kids and teens covering coding, robotics, game design, and engineering. Like MakerState, it delivers hands-on project-based STEM enrichment through both in-person and online formats with a similar curriculum and target demographic.
• Engineering For Kids: Engineering For Kids provides after-school STEM enrichment programs for K-8 students in engineering, coding, and robotics through franchise-based school partnerships. It directly competes with MakerState in the school-partnership STEM enrichment category with similar age group targeting and project-based pedagogy.
• STEM For Kids: STEM For Kids offers hands-on STEM programs including coding, robotics, and engineering for K-12 audiences delivered through after-school, camp, and in-school formats. It targets the same school partnership and family registration channels as MakerState.
• Bricks 4 Kidz: Bricks 4 Kidz delivers LEGO-based STEM after-school programs, camps, and in-school field trips with a similar maker/engineering focus. It operates through franchise and direct school partnerships comparable to MakerState's distribution model.
• CodeWizardsHQ: CodeWizardsHQ provides structured coding education for kids and teens through live online classes covering Scratch, Python, and web development. While primarily online, it competes for parent STEM education dollars in the same demographic as MakerState's coding programs.

Emerging players

• Scratch Foundation: Scratch Foundation (MIT Media Lab) operates the Scratch programming platform extensively used by MakerState's coding curriculum. As an ecosystem partner, it enables MakerState's programs while also offering its own educational content and community resources that overlap with MakerState's coding offerings.
• CoderKids: CoderKids delivers STEM and coding programs for kids including after-school and summer camp formats in select markets. It overlaps with MakerState's STEM enrichment focus at a similar operational scale and educational philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST runs the LEGO robotics competition leagues that MakerState's robotics teams participate in. As an existing partner, FIRST shapes the competitive framework MakerState leverages while also operating its own robotics programs at schools nationally.
• LEGO Education: LEGO Education provides K-12 STEM curriculum, robotics kits (WeDo, Mindstorms, SPIKE), and teacher PD at global scale. MakerState integrates LEGO Education hardware into its programs and competes for the same school district curriculum and PD budgets as a smaller specialty provider.
• Code.org: Code.org is the leading nonprofit advancing K-12 computer science education through free curriculum, teacher PD, and the CS4all movement that MakerState's founder helped lead in NYC. It shapes the same CS education ecosystem and policy framework that drives demand for MakerState's programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MakerState
• Facebookfacebook.com/makerstate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makerstate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MakerState