GIRLS STEAM INSTITUTE

What GIRLS STEAM INSTITUTE does

Girls STEAM Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers young women ages 13-26 in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) through virtual reality and AI-enabled educational programming. Founded in 2014 and spun off from ASTRA Society International in 2018, the organization is headquartered in Sunriver, Oregon, and operates with a small leadership team supplemented by an active board that includes Dr. Tom Furness III ("Grandfather of VR") and Dr. Angelina Rinehart.

The organization's flagship offering is the Global Team Business Challenge, an annual international competition delivered on the ENGAGE XR virtual reality platform that enables cross-border team collaboration. Programs are provided free of charge to participants. The 2025 edition introduced a two-track structure separating Participant and Mentor cohorts, and a Parent/Teacher/Mentor track was added in 2024 to extend the program to the adult support ecosystem. Curriculum reach includes space-focused content through the STEAM AHEAD with NASA program.

The business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than fee-based. Revenue is generated from individual donors and a small set of corporate sponsors, including First Interstate Bank, Cesco Inc., Tara Swift Productions, and Omega Engineering. The organization extends its footprint through a network of partnerships — NASA, Educators in VR, Virtual World Society, ENGAGE XR, and Africa VR Center — and has begun international expansion with active delivery in Kenya via Africa VR Center. Scale signals remain modest, with annual participant counts described in the hundreds.

Name

GIRLS STEAM INSTITUTE

Legal name

Girls STEAM Institute

Website

https://girlsteaminstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Girls STEAM Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers young women ages 13-26 in STEAM fields via VR-enabled Global Team Business Challenges and related programs, delivered free of charge and funded by donations, grants, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEAM Education and Youth Entrepreneurship Services

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coding, Game Design & Computer Science Camps (EDAMALAD), Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)

Keywords

• STEAM education programs
• Youth entrepreneurship training
• Virtual reality learning
• Girls in technology
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts charitable donations to support programs, scholarships, and mentorship opportunities for young women in STEAM.
2. Event Sponsorships: Calendar sponsors (First Interstate Bank, Cesco Inc., Tara Swift Productions) and individual sponsors (Dr. Tom Furness III, Jeff McClelland, Doug Hohulin) support events and programs.
3. Membership Programs: Active membership with benefits for students to expand STEM/STEAM skills and opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Girls STEAM Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free STEAM education and entrepreneurship programs for young women ages 13-26, including in-person workshops, online classes, and virtual reality business hack-a-thon challenges hosted on the ENGAGE XR platform. Its flagship Global Team Business Challenge combines a startup weekend format with UN Sustainable Development Goal-aligned problem solving, complemented by special events such as STEAM AHEAD with NASA, an annual Holiday Gala, and a Women's History Month online conference series.

Product overview

Girls STEAM Institute is a 501(c)(3) international nonprofit organization that operates as an educational program provider rather than a technology product company. The organization delivers a portfolio of in-person, online, and virtual reality programs centered on empowering young women ages 13-26 to become entrepreneurial leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). The core offerings include the Global Team Business Challenge, a VR-based startup weekend/hack-a-thon competition held on the ENGAGE XR platform, supplemented by special events like STEAM AHEAD with NASA, the annual Holiday Gala, and the Women's History Month Series. The organization partners with Educators in VR and Virtual World Society for program delivery and maintains media partnerships including sponsorship of the XR News show.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Team Business Challenge Annual VR-based entrepreneurship competition for young women ages 13-26 to develop technology-based business solutions to real-world problems, aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Combines startup weekend format with hack-a-thon creativity in virtual reality environments.
• Parent/Teacher/Mentor Track Free public track during Global Business Challenges providing workshops on mentoring strategies, STEAM career support, funding and scholarships, and AI/VR impact on education and careers for parents, teachers, and mentors.
• STEAM AHEAD with NASA In-person event partnership with NASA featuring hands-on space and technology experiences for high school girls, including workshops on metaverse, AI in healthcare, and VR for global challenges.
• Annual Holiday Gala Annual recognition event celebrating GSI participants, alumni, mentors, and pioneers in emerging technology and leadership, featuring keynote speakers and awards.
• Women's History Month Series Online conference series honoring women in STEAM fields with expert speakers discussing various topics related to women in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics careers.
• Virtual Reality Workshops and Classes In-person, online, and virtual reality workshops and classes focused on STEAM education, entrepreneurship, and leadership development for young women ages 13-26.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of girls empowered since 2014
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Educators in VRcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partnership for XR News show sponsorship and VR event collaboration. GSI sponsors the weekly XR News show in ENGAGE XR. Educators in VR provides production expertise and platform access for GSI events since 2018.
• Virtual World SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on virtual reality events and programs. Virtual World Society co-presents annual Business Challenges with GSI. Dr. Tom Furness serves as co-founder and board support.
• ENGAGE XRcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary VR platform for hosting Global Team Business Challenges and events. GSI conducts all major events on this professional social VR platform since 2021.
• NASAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM AHEAD program partnership bringing NASA resources, astronaut connections, and space technology education to young women. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Astronaut Cady Coleman participated in events.
• Africa VR Center and CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership supporting VR education for girls in Kenya. GSI awarded Africa VR Center the 2024 Champions of Future Girl Innovators in VR Excellence Award. Collaborative programs and network membership.
• First Interstate BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalendar sponsor supporting GSI events and programs through financial contributions.
• Cesco Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalendar sponsor providing support for GSI events and programs.
• Omega EngineeringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Women's History Month online conference series honoring Women in STEAM.
• Sunriver ObservatoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for in-person events in Oregon, hosting 'Evening Under the Stars' astronomical observation sessions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Broad incumbent: large nonprofit promoting computer science education broadly (not gender-exclusive). Comparable in delivering K-12 STEAM/computing curriculum but at much larger scale and broader demographic scope than GSI.
• National Girls Collaborative Project: Broad incumbent: national network of organizations serving girls in STEM; less a direct program operator and more of a collaborative/network model. Comparable in mission focus but operates as an umbrella rather than direct program provider.

Emerging players

• Kode With Klossy: Emerging player: nonprofit running free summer coding camps for young women and gender-nonconforming teens. Comparable in mission (women/girls in tech), demographic targeting (teens), and free summer-camp delivery model.

Direct peers

• Black Girls CODE: Direct peer: nonprofit delivering technology education programs (coding, robotics, VR/AR) to girls of color. Closely comparable demographic targeting, STEAM curriculum, and event-driven workshop model.
• Girls Who Code: Direct peer: large U.S. nonprofit running summer immersion programs, clubs, and college-loops to close the gender gap in technology. Highly comparable mission (girls in tech/STEAM) and uses a mix of in-person and online delivery — though at materially larger scale than GSI.
• Technovation: Direct peer: nonprofit running an AI/tech entrepreneurship competition for girls worldwide, where teams develop and pitch tech-based startups. Highly comparable to GSI's Global Team Business Challenge format, including global participation and business-pitch deliverables.
• Girlstart: Direct peer: nonprofit providing STEM education programs for girls K-12 through after-school clubs, summer camps, and community programs. Comparable mission and program structure, though Girlstart is more locally grounded in Texas.

Others

• Educators in VR: Adjacent: nonprofit organization running XR education events, including the weekly XR News show in ENGAGE XR that GSI sponsors. Highly comparable in immersive-technology education methodology and platform (ENGAGE XR), and a current GSI partner.
• EngineerGirl: Adjacent program operated by the National Academy of Engineering to promote engineering to girls. Comparable demographic targeting and K-12/youth focus but operates primarily as a content/awards program rather than direct workshop delivery.

Regional players

• STEM for Her: Regional peer: nonprofit focused on advancing women and girls in STEM, primarily in the D.C./mid-Atlantic region. Comparable mission focus and event-driven programming model, but with narrower geographic reach than GSI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cesco-inc
• Xx.com/girlsteaminst

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 GIRLS STEAM INSTITUTE