MAES

What MAES does

MAES (Mexican American Engineers and Scientists), legally MAES – Latinos in Science and Engineering, is a Houston-headquartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in Los Angeles in 1974 by Robert Von Hatten to increase Latino representation in technical and scientific fields. The organization operates a national "Pipeline" of programs spanning pre-college STEM exposure (Science Extravaganza, FIRST), undergraduate and graduate support (multi-tier scholarships, student chapters at 50+ universities including Arizona State, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, UCLA, and UC Berkeley), and professional development (MAES Leadership Academy, Chapter Development Summits, mentorship, Bravo/Medalla awards). It is structured into four U.S. regions (West, South, Central, East) and runs student, professional, and junior chapters.

The technology footprint is intentionally lightweight: an online membership management platform at membership.mymaes.org supports self-service tier signup and a separate employer job-posting portal. There are no proprietary AI/ML systems, patents, or app products; the core "product" is community, programs, and credentialing (membership tiers, scholarships, awards).

MAES funds operations through four streams: membership dues (Associate free, Student At-Large $10/year, Professional $35/year, Lifetime $1,000 one-time), employer job-posting fees ($300 for one, $1,000 for five, $1,500 for ten, each 30-day duration), Industry Advisory Council corporate sponsorships, and individual/organizational donations supporting scholarships. Governance is volunteer-led (100% volunteer leadership per the organization) with a 17-member National Board of Directors and zero disclosed external investors or parent company.

Name

MAES

Legal name

MAES (Mexican Americans in Science and Engineering)

Website

https://mymaes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

MAES is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1974 that runs a national Latino STEM pipeline of scholarships, mentorship, leadership academies, and 50+ student chapters across four U.S. regions, funded by membership dues, employer job postings, corporate sponsors, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• STEM professional society
• Latino engineering education
• STEM mentorship programs
• Diversity in engineering
• Engineering scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees collected from Associate, Student, Professional, and Lifetime members. Associate membership is free, Student At-Large is $10/year, Professional is $35/year, and Lifetime is $1000 one-time payment.
2. Employer Job Postings: Revenue generated from charging employers to post job listings on the MAES system. Pricing tiers: $300 for 1 posting, $1,000 for 5 postings, $1,500 for 10 postings, all expiring 30 days from access request.
3. Corporate Sponsorships and Industry Advisory Council: Financial support from corporations and organizations that join the Industry Advisory Council, providing advice and counsel to the National Board of Directors in exchange for partnership with MAES.
4. Donations: Individual and organizational donations supporting academic scholarships and organizational programs for Latino STEM students and professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MAES (Mexican Americans in Science and Engineering) is a nonprofit membership organization that delivers a STEM pipeline of programs for Latino students and professionals, from pre-college through professional career stages. The organization offers tiered membership (Associate, Student, Professional, Lifetime), STEM enrichment programs (Science Extravaganza, MAES Leadership Academy, FIRST mentoring), scholarships, awards, and a Career Center with employer job postings, supported by a national network of 50+ student and professional chapters across four U.S. regions.

Product overview

MAES (Mexican-American Engineers and Scientists) is a nonprofit membership organization, not a technology product company. The organization operates as a unified portfolio of STEM pipeline programs including the MAES Leadership Academy, Chapter Development Summits, Science Extravaganza, FIRST Program, MAES Bravo Awards (Medalla de Oro and Medalla de Plata), and MAES Scholarships. These programs are supported by membership tiers (Associate, Student, Professional, Lifetime) and services including Employer Job Postings and the Industry Advisory Council. The organization was founded in 1974 in Los Angeles to increase Mexican American and Hispanic representation in technical and scientific fields.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAES Leadership Academy (MLA) An intensive leadership training program that provides student chapter leaders with training to develop leadership skills and emotional intelligence. Targeted at Latino college students serving as MAES chapter leaders.
• Chapter Development Summits (CDS) Regional summits bringing together elected officers of neighboring student chapters to strengthen chapter governance, share best practices, and foster collaboration. Targeted at student chapter leadership across all four MAES regions.
• Science Extravaganza (SE) A hands-on STEM enrichment experience for middle and high school students aimed at creating awareness of STEM careers, especially within Latino communities. Targeted at pre-college Latino youth.
• MAES Scholarships Scholarship program established to increase the number of Latino students completing higher education goals in STEM, awarded to MAES student members. Categories include Graduate Scholarship, Founders Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, and General Scholarships.
• FIRST Program Program providing opportunities for Professional and Student members to work with pre-college members of the Latino community as mentors and volunteers, fostering intergenerational STEM engagement.
• MAES Professional Membership Membership tier for Latino STEM professionals in the workforce at $35/year. Includes Welcome Letter, Electronic Membership Card, Career Center Access, MAES Scholarships, MAES Discounts, full MAES Online Community access, and Mentorship Opportunities.
• MAES Student Membership Student membership option available as Associate (free), Student At-Large ($10/year), or Student with Chapter (free with chapter purchase code). Includes access to MAES Scholarships and the Online Community.
• MAES Lifetime Membership Premium one-time payment membership at $1,000 including all Professional benefits plus Access to VIP Events. Provides lifetime engagement with MAES programs and community.
• Employer Job Postings Job posting service for employers to reach qualified Latino STEM candidates within the MAES member community. Pricing tiers: $300 for 1 posting, $1,000 for 5 postings, $1,500 for 10 postings, all expiring 30 days from access request.
• Industry Advisory Council (IAC) Corporate partnership program in which companies and organizations join the IAC to participate in MAES programs, provide financial support, offer counsel to the National Board of Directors, and gain access to a Latino STEM talent pipeline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Scholarship applications open February 13, 2026 and close April 12, 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• Industry Advisory Council (IAC) MemberscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Industry Advisory Council is a select set of companies and organizations that recognize MAES as a model STEM organization. IAC members participate in MAES programs, provide financial support, advice, and counsel to the National Board of Directors.
• GEM FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAES provides links to GEM Fellowship resources, a prominent organization providing graduate fellowship opportunities in STEM fields for underrepresented students.
• National Science FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAES provides links to National Science Foundation resources, supporting STEM education and research initiatives.
• Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHACU represents more than 450 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success. MAES chapters at HACU member institutions collaborate on student development.
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSACNAS encourages Chicano/Latino and Native American students to pursue graduate education and obtain advanced degrees. Shared mission of increasing diversity in STEM.
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSHMBA exists to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development, complementing MAES focus on STEM.
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSBE's mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically and succeed professionally. Shared diversity in engineering focus.
• American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAISES substantially increases the representation of American Indians and Alaskan Natives in engineering, science and related technology fields.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWE empowers women to succeed and advance in engineering and leadership. MAES affiliates with SWE to advance diversity in STEM fields.
• Association of Latino Professionals in Finance & Accounting (ALPFA)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerALPFA is dedicated to enhancing opportunities for Latinos in accounting, finance and related professions with shared focus on professional development.
• National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBMBAA leads in the creation of educational opportunities and economic growth for Blacks, sharing common goals around professional advancement in business and technical fields.
• ASPIRAmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPIRA's mission is to empower the Puerto Rican and Latino community through advocacy and leadership development of youth, aligning with MAES outreach goals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES): AISES runs scholarships, student chapters, leadership development, and corporate partner programs for Indigenous STEM students and professionals. Its mission and chapter-driven delivery model are structurally identical to MAES’, and it is listed as a MAES affiliate.
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): NSBE operates student/professional chapters, leadership programs, scholarships, and a career fair focused on Black engineers and scientists. Its chapter-based membership and IAC-style corporate engagement model are directly analogous to MAES, serving as a parallel diversity-in-STEM nonprofit.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): SWE operates professional/student/collegiate chapters, scholarships, leadership training, and a large annual career fair for women in engineering. Its scale and member-pipeline model closely parallel MAES’ intended trajectory.
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE): SHPE is the largest Hispanic-focused STEM organization in the US with student/professional chapters, scholarships, leadership programs, and corporate partners. It directly competes with MAES for the same Hispanic STEM student/professional audience and corporate sponsorship dollars.
• SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanos and Native Americans in Science): SACNAS runs chapter-based programming, scholarships, and an annual conference aimed at increasing representation of Chicano/Hispanic and Native American students in STEM. Its member pipeline, university chapter model, and corporate partner strategy closely mirror MAES, and the two organizations are listed as mutual partners.

Emerging players

• National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA, now Prospanica): Prospanica/NSHMBA represents Hispanic professionals in business/management, with chapters, scholarships, and corporate partners. It overlaps with MAES’ professional segment (especially STEM professionals moving into management) and is a listed MAES affiliate.
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF): HSF is a large Latino-focused education nonprofit providing scholarships, leadership programs, and career services. It competes with MAES for Latino STEM student mindshare and corporate scholarship sponsorship dollars, but is not chapter-based.
• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): HACU represents more than 450 Hispanic-Serving Institutions and supports Latino student success via scholarships, internships, and leadership programs. Many MAES student chapters sit at HACU member institutions, making HACU a host-channel rather than direct product competitor.
• Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA): ALPFA serves Latino professionals primarily in accounting and finance via chapters, professional development, and corporate partnerships. It targets overlapping members with MAES’ professional STEM segment and is a listed MAES affiliate.
• Great Minds in STEM (GMiS): GMiS runs the HENAAC Scholars program, STEM conferences, and awards recognizing Hispanic STEM professionals and students. It overlaps heavily with MAES’ Bravo Awards and scholarship pipeline but is not a full chapter-based member organization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maes_national
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maes_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MAES