KC STEM Alliance
KC STEM Alliance is a Kansas City nonprofit backbone organization, founded in 2011, that convenes regional STEM education by serving as the local partner for PLTW and FIRST Robotics, operating programs like STEM Connect-KC and the KC Engineering Zone, and reaching over 100,000 K-12 students across 55 school districts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KC STEM Alliance does
KC STEM Alliance is a nonprofit backbone organization for the Kansas City metropolitan STEM learning ecosystem, founded in 2011 as an independently operated program of the University of Missouri–Kansas City with a $3.2M founding grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It coordinates STEM education activity across the region by serving as the local implementation partner for two national programs — Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and FIRST Robotics — and operates a portfolio of signature initiatives including STEM Connect-KC (a regional directory and calendar aggregating 132+ STEM-serving organizations), Girls in Tech KC, the Black & Veatch KC Engineering Zone, Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains (spanning 55 school districts), Remake Learning Days-KC, and The Connector platform (in partnership with PREP-KC). The organization reaches approximately 101,300 students, 1,391 volunteers, and 1,074 educators through these programs.
The organization monetizes through a tiered corporate sponsorship program (Palladium $100K+, Platinum $50K–$99K, Gold $25K–$49K, Silver $10K–$24K, Bronze under $10K), individual donations routed through the UMKC Foundation, programmatic and foundation grants, and pass-through funding from national PLTW and FIRST Robotics partners. It operates with a lean staff of eight employees headquartered at 4825 Troost Avenue in Kansas City and was recognized in 2015 as a national STEM Learning Ecosystem by the STEM Funders Network. In January 2024, Dr. Chelsea Barbercheck was named Executive Director. As a nonprofit, "customers" are split between corporate funders, foundation grantors, individual donors, and the K-12 schools/districts and students who consume the programming at no cost.
KC STEM Alliance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KC STEM Alliance
- Legal name
- KC STEM Alliance
- Website
- https://kcstem.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KC STEM Alliance is a Kansas City nonprofit backbone organization, founded in 2011, that convenes regional STEM education by serving as the local partner for PLTW and FIRST Robotics, operating programs like STEM Connect-KC and the KC Engineering Zone, and reaching over 100,000 K-12 students across 55 school districts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KC STEM Alliance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 STEM Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)
Keywords
Where KC STEM Alliance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
KC STEM Alliance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Corporate and Foundation Sponsorships: Primary revenue source from corporate sponsors at multiple giving levels: Palladium ($100,000+/year), Platinum ($50,000-$99,999/year), Gold ($20,000-$49,999/year), Silver ($10,000-$19,999/year), and Bronze (under $10,000/year). Also includes in-kind gifts and event-specific sponsorships.
- Individual Donations: Financial gifts from individual donors. KC STEM Alliance is an independently operated program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and collects gifts through the UMKC Foundation.
- Mini-Grants Administration: Administers mini-grant funding for Remake Learning Days-KC events through the Community Capital Fund.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Palladium Sponsor: $100,000 or higher per year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Platinum Sponsor: $50,000-$99,999 per year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Gold Sponsor: $20,000-$49,999 per year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Silver Sponsor: $10,000-$19,999 per year |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bronze Sponsor: Under $10,000 per year |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
KC STEM Alliance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KC STEM Alliance is a nonprofit collaborative network functioning as the backbone organization for Kansas City's STEM learning ecosystem. It delivers and coordinates K-12 STEM education programs, including Project Lead The Way (PLTW) curriculum support, FIRST Robotics competitions, mentor and volunteer matching, regional STEM competitions, and equity-focused initiatives such as Girls in Tech KC. The organization provides shared services to schools, educators, students, families, and corporate partners through its STEM Connect-KC directory, volunteer platform, and the KC Engineering Zone workspace.
Product overview
KC STEM Alliance operates as a nonprofit collaborative network functioning as the backbone organization for Kansas City's STEM learning ecosystem. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of programs and platforms centered around three core pillars: (1) STEM Connect-KC, a dual-component system combining an events calendar and a directory of 132+ STEM education providers; (2) PLTW Portal with associated Capstone Innovation Experiences providing wrap-around support for Project Lead The Way curriculum including mentor connections, design challenges, and the annual Senior Showcase; and (3) KC FIRST Robotics support for LEGO League through high school robotics competitions. The portfolio extends to Girls in Tech KC, the KC Engineering Zone collaborative workspace, Remake Learning Days-KC festival, educator resources including career exploration tools, and a summer camps directory. All programs are supported by a CERVIS-powered volunteer platform enabling community engagement across initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- STEM Connect-KC: Kansas City's STEM learning ecosystem - a collaborative network working to ensure access and equity to quality STEM experiences for all students in the region.
- KC Engineering Zone (KC EZ)
- Girls in Tech KC
- Girls in STEM
Products and services
- STEM Connect-KC Calendar A searchable events calendar that lists STEM enrichment programs for kids of all ages, educator development opportunities, and activities across the Greater Kansas City region. Targets families, students, and educators seeking local STEM experiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- 101,300 students reached through STEM programs annually
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use KC STEM Alliance
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
KC STEM Alliance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
KC STEM Alliance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- US EngineeringcoreOne of five major founding partners for KC Engineering Zone, providing support for K-12 urban student STEM programming in partnership with UMKC.
- HoneywellcoreFounding partner for KC Engineering Zone and ongoing sponsor supporting FIRST robotics and STEM workforce initiatives.
- JE DunncoreFounding partner for KC Engineering Zone and hosts PLTW Gateway Teacher Mentor Day events.
- NNSA (National Nuclear Security Administration)coreFounding partner supporting KC Engineering Zone operations and urban STEM education access.
- PREP-KCcoreStrategic partner managing The Connector platform that connects industry professionals with classrooms for virtual mentoring and career exploration.
- Union StationcoreHost venue for PLTW Senior Showcase and Greater Kansas City Science & Engineering Fair.
- STEM Funders NetworkflagshipNational initiative that recognized Kansas City's STEM learning ecosystem in 2015 as part of the STEM Ecosystems effort.
- StartlandcorePartner co-hosting Innovator Awards with KC STEM Alliance and Commerce Bank to recognize student innovation.
- Climate Action KCminorPartner providing annual Sustainability Challenge focused on renewable energy for PLTW students.
- University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)flagshipKC STEM Alliance is an independently operated program of UMKC. Partnership includes KC Engineering Zone co-location and UMKC School of Science & Engineering collaboration.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KC STEM Alliance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FIRST Inspires (FIRST Robotics): National nonprofit running K-12 robotics competitions; KC STEM Alliance serves as FIRST's regional partner with a dedicated Regional Director and runs KC FIRST Robotics programming across FLL through FRC.
- STEMconnector: National STEM workforce-development network convening corporate, education, and policy stakeholders — comparable to KC STEM Alliance's STEM Connect-KC convening function.
- Citizen Schools: Nonprofit connecting industry professionals to K-12 students through extended learning programs — analogous mission to KC STEM Alliance's The Connector (Nepris) and KC Engineering Zone model.
- Remake Learning: National learning ecosystem network hosting Remake Learning Days festivals; KC STEM Alliance is the KC affiliate running Remake Learning Days-KC, sharing an identical festival + ecosystem model.
- Project Lead The Way (PLTW): National STEM curriculum nonprofit for K-12; KC STEM Alliance operates as PLTW's regional partner, running the PLTW Portal, Senior Showcase, and Capstone Innovation Experiences — directly comparable mission and program stack.
- Destination Imagination: Nonprofit running K-12 STEM/STEAM project-based competitions; comparable to KC STEM Alliance's Battle of the Brains, KC Invention Convention, and Science & Engineering Fair portfolio.
- Million Women Mentors: National initiative mentoring women in STEM — directly mirrors KC STEM Alliance's Girls in Tech KC and Girls in STEM programming with overlapping funder ecosystems.
- MIND Research Institute: K-12 math and STEM nonprofit using innovative curricula; comparable mission to expand equitable STEM access and quality, with similar funder base among foundations and corporations.
Broad incumbents
- Code.org: Major national nonprofit expanding K-12 computer science access; operates at much larger scale than KC STEM Alliance but shares the K-12 STEM access and equity mission, including Girls in Tech-adjacent work.
- National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI): National nonprofit scaling STEM teaching and curriculum; comparable in mission to expand K-12 STEM access, with adjacent PLTW partnership history.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KC STEM Alliance social profiles
Digital presenceKC STEM Alliance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KC STEM Alliance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
KC STEM Alliance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KC STEM Alliance 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 KC STEM Alliance
What does KC STEM Alliance do?
KC STEM Alliance is a nonprofit collaborative network functioning as the backbone organization for Kansas City's STEM learning ecosystem. It delivers and coordinates K-12 STEM education programs, including Project Lead The Way (PLTW) curriculum support, FIRST Robotics competitions, mentor and volunteer matching, regional STEM competitions, and equity-focused initiatives such as Girls in Tech KC. The organization provides shared services to schools, educators, students, families, and corporate partners through its STEM Connect-KC directory, volunteer platform, and the KC Engineering Zone workspace.
Is KC STEM Alliance a public or private company?
KC STEM Alliance is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was KC STEM Alliance founded?
KC STEM Alliance was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KC STEM Alliance based?
KC STEM Alliance is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does KC STEM Alliance make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate and Foundation Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations and mini-Grants Administration.
Who are KC STEM Alliance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FIRST Inspires (FIRST Robotics), STEMconnector, Citizen Schools, Remake Learning, Project Lead The Way (PLTW), Destination Imagination, Million Women Mentors and MIND Research Institute. Broad incumbents are Code.org and National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).
Does KC STEM Alliance have an API?
No public API is recorded for KC STEM Alliance.
What industry is KC STEM Alliance in?
KC STEM Alliance's product category is K-12 STEM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAG, STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.