What MINDDRIVE does

MINDDRIVE is a Missouri-incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2010 by Steve Rees and Linda Buchner in Kansas City, Missouri. The organization delivers free, project-based STEM education to local high school students through five core programs: Welding Art Studio, Electric Vehicle Design Studio / Automotive Design Studio, Drone FPV Racing, eSports, and a forthcoming AI Design Studio. Students work alongside community mentors at a 2:1 mentor-to-student ratio on tangible projects including welding, fabrication, electric vehicle design, drone engineering, and competitive gaming.

The technical work is the organization's differentiator. Since founding, MINDDRIVE students have built 18 electric vehicles, including a 454 MPGe conversion of a Lola Indy race car, the world's first student-built electric muscle car (a 1969 Chevelle SS converted with a Tesla drivetrain), and competing Electrathon race cars. Drone students build and pilot racing drones, including PCB design and flight physics instruction. All programs are free to students, removing financial barriers and operating with a mission to expand equitable access to STEM learning.

MINDDRIVE's revenue model is philanthropy-based: it is funded through individual and corporate donations (processed via Square), foundation and corporate grants (with Bridgestone America as the founding investor and Karbank Properties as a supporting partner), modest sales of student-created welded sculptures ($25–$475 per piece), and in-kind volunteer mentorship. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on school partnerships, word-of-mouth referrals, community events such as the Sparks of Art exhibition, the Driven Mind Awards, and the Kansas City Auto Show. Operations are concentrated in the Kansas City Metro with facilities at the MINDDRIVE headquarters on Holmes Street and at the Operation Breakthrough Ignition Lab.

Name

MINDDRIVE

Legal name

MINDDRIVE Inc.

Website

https://minddrive.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MINDDRIVE is a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2010 that delivers free, project-based STEM education to high school students through programs in electric vehicle design, welding, drone engineering, eSports, and forthcoming AI design.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM Education Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning Programs (EDAMADAB), STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• After-school mentoring
• Electric vehicle conversion training
• Welding and fabrication instruction
• Youth drone racing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations provide the primary funding for MINDDRIVE's programs. The organization accepts donations through Square payment processing on their website.
2. Grant Funding: Support from foundations and corporations including initial investment from Bridgestone America and ongoing support from Steve Karbank/Karbank Properties.
3. Welding Art Sales: Sale of student-created welded metal art sculptures through the Sparks of Art program. Pieces are sold at various price points ($25-$475) with artists credited.
4. Mentor/Volunteer Contributions: Community members volunteer as mentors, providing in-kind support with a goal of maintaining 1 mentor to 2 students ratio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MINDDRIVE delivers free, after-school and school-sponsored project-based STEM learning programs to Kansas City-area high school students. Students work alongside volunteer mentors at a 2:1 ratio on real-world projects spanning electric vehicle conversion, Electrathon race car construction, drone FPV racing, welding and metal art fabrication, eSports, and (coming soon) AI design. The offering is free to students and funded through donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

MINDDRIVE is a project-based experiential learning program offering after-school STEM education through multiple programs including Welding Art Studio, Electric Vehicle Design Studio, Drone FPV Racing, eSports, and an upcoming AI Design Studio. The core offerings include hands-on automotive projects (building Electrathon race cars, converting classic cars to electric), welding/art fabrication, drone engineering, and competitive gaming. Students work with mentors on real-world projects including the world’s first student-built electric muscle car (1969 Chevelle SS), with programs running evenings throughout the school year. The organization also operates the Sparks of Art welding art exhibition featuring student-created sculptures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Welding Art Studio After-school program teaching metal fabrication and welding (MIG, TIG, and Metal Arc) to high school students in Kansas City; students create welded art sculptures from scrap metal displayed at the annual Sparks of Art exhibition.
• Electric Vehicle Design Studio / Automotive Design Studio After-school program in which students build electric race cars for Electrathon competition, restore classic cars, and convert them to electric vehicles using Tesla drivetrains and modern EV technology.
• Drone FPV Racing After-school program teaching students to build and pilot racing drones using simulators and micro racing drones (tiny whoops), covering PCB design, coding, and physics of flight.
• eSports Team-based competitive gaming program where students develop adaptive problem-solving skills, communication, and strategic thinking while competing in games such as Brawlhalla and Rocket League.
• AI Design Studio Upcoming high school program exploring artificial intelligence through hands-on design challenges, using AI tools for creativity and problem-solving, with teams presenting real-world solutions.
• School-Sponsored Engineering & Digital Content Design Programs School-sponsored credit-earning programs in Engineering and Digital Content Design delivered at partner schools, including Electrathon racing teams, Drone Engineering teams, and Digital Content Design instruction.
• Sparks of Art Welding Art Exhibition Annual exhibition showcasing student-created welded metal sculptures, with select art pieces available for online purchase at price points ranging from $25 to $475.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate among MINDDRIVE students
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and foundational.

• Operation BreakthroughcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMINDDRIVE works out of Operation Breakthrough's Ignition Lab facility for drone and esports programs. Major projects like the 1969 Chevelle SS conversion were completed at this location with over 80 students participating.
• 87 & Running Foundation (Travis Kelce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce's 87 & Running foundation collaborated with MINDDRIVE on the 1969 Chevelle SS electric muscle car project. Kelce participated in the project kickoff and helped with disassembly work alongside students.
• DeLaSalle Education CenterfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerMINDDRIVE originated as a class in creativity taught by Steve Rees at DeLaSalle Education Center before becoming an independent non-profit in 2010.
• Guadalupe Centers High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Guadalupe Centers High School designed and built the 816 Electrathon race car, which won first place in Standard Battery Class in October 2023 - the first Electrathon first-place trophy in MINDDRIVE history.
• Crossroads Prep AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Crossroads Prep Academy designed and built the 117 Electrathon race car as part of MINDDRIVE's school-sponsored programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Project Lead The Way: Project Lead The Way provides K-12 STEM and computer science curricula adopted by thousands of US schools, overlapping with MINDDRIVE's engineering and digital content design offerings but as an in-school curriculum provider rather than an after-school program operator.
• Code.org: Code.org is a major nonprofit promoting computer science education in K-12 schools through curriculum, teacher training, and the Hour of Code, comparable in scale and mission to MINDDRIVE's STEM access goals though focused on CS rather than fabrication/EV projects.

Direct peers

• iD Tech: iD Tech runs tech-focused summer camps and after-school programs in coding, engineering, and robotics for kids and teens. It is comparable to MINDDRIVE in audience (K-12 STEM enrichment) but operates as a paid commercial provider rather than a free nonprofit.
• Citizen Schools: Citizen Schools provides extended-learning, mentor-led STEM and career exposure programs for middle-school students in underserved communities, closely matching MINDDRIVE's free-to-student, mentor-intensive, equity-focused model.
• Maker Ed: Maker Ed is a nonprofit advancing maker-centered education through project-based learning in schools and community spaces, directly comparable to MINDDRIVE's welding art, EV fabrication, and drone engineering studios.
• STEM For Kids: STEM For Kids provides hands-on engineering, robotics, and maker enrichment programs for K-12 students through after-school and camp formats, overlapping with MINDDRIVE's EV, drone, and welding offerings, though operating as a franchise rather than a single-site nonprofit.
• Botball Educational Robotics: Botball organizes team-based educational robotics competitions for middle and high school students, comparable to MINDDRIVE's Electrathon racing teams and drone racing clubs in audience, format, and project-based engineering focus.
• Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code runs free after-school clubs and summer programs teaching coding and STEM to high-school students, overlapping with MINDDRIVE's free, community-based, project-driven STEM clubs but with a gender-focused mission.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST runs K-12 robotics competitions and after-school STEM clubs nationwide, closely mirroring MINDDRIVE's after-school, project-based, mentor-supported model for high-school students, though with a national rather than regional footprint.

Others

• 4-H: 4-H is a nationwide youth development network offering STEM, engineering, and maker programs through local clubs and extension offices, adjacent to MINDDRIVE in audience and program type but operating through an established agricultural-extension infrastructure rather than a single-site nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/driven717
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minddrive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 MINDDRIVE