What Minnesota STEM Partnership does

Minnesota STEM Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity founded in 2018 and headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, that delivers K-12 STEM education, workforce development, and family support services primarily to BIPOC students in the Twin Cities. The organization operates two physical robotics hubs — 1200 Plymouth Ave N in North Minneapolis and 1063 Iglehart Ave in Saint Paul — alongside a field location at MURA Field (Lincoln Middle School), and runs year-round programming through the FIRST robotics portfolio (FIRST LEGO League for ages 4-16, FIRST Tech Challenge for grades 7-12, and FIRST Robotics Competition for high school), a Spring Sumo Robot Wrestling tournament with Middleweight and Mammoth Heavyweight divisions, a Drone League, and the NSBE Jr Twin Cities chapter. Technical instruction includes Java-based robot programming, autonomous driving, and introductory AI concepts at the advanced division level.

The business model is donation- and sponsorship-driven rather than fee-based: families and students register for free membership, and the operating budget is funded through individual donations (PayPal, Cash App, USPS, GiveMN.org), corporate sponsorships with tiers ranging from $25 supporter merchandise to $10,000 Drone League full-program packages, and foundation grants channeled through the Wulf Family Foundation as fiscal sponsor. Disclosed revenue is not available, and the organization has published a $150,000 fundraising target. The customer base is split between a long-tail of free-program beneficiaries (BIPOC K-12 students, college interns from Minnesota State, Iowa State, and the University of Minnesota, and their families) and a small set of corporate sponsors seeking brand visibility and a diverse STEM talent pipeline.

The organization is founder-led by Executive Director Dr. Michael G. Wulf, who brings 36 years of corporate and volunteer experience and a doctorate in education; he received the 2024 National NCWIT AiC Educator Award. Partnerships with Revival Fitness LLC (STEAMFiiT Wellness), WebDemoZ Technical Education Consulting (internship pipeline), NSBE Jr Twin Cities, BDPA, Blacks in Technology, INROADS, and several Minnesota post-secondary institutions extend the organization's reach. Geographic operations are concentrated in the Twin Cities with a 2025 expansion of the Sumo Robot Wrestling tournament to a multi-state Midwest regional event including Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Name

Minnesota STEM Partnership

Legal name

Minnesota STEM Partnership

Website

https://mnstempartners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Minnesota STEM Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 that delivers K-12 robotics, career coaching, and wellness programs to BIPOC students and families in the Twin Cities, funded by donations, sponsorships, and the Wulf Family Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

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 industry

STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Robotics competitions
• K-12 career coaching
• Youth mentorship programs
• Drone league training

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting robotics initiatives. Processed through PayPal, Cash App, and USPS mail. 100% of donations go directly to support Minnesota STEM Partnership activities.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorships for robotics teams, drone league, and general programs. Sponsorship tiers include Team Sponsor ($4,500), League Sponsor, and Major Donor packages with brand recognition on marketing materials and event speaking opportunities.
3. Student Sponsorship: Fundraising for individual student participation covering equipment, supplies, snacks, and competition fees. Includes $250 student sponsorship, $200 coaches fuel, and $25 supporter merchandise.
4. Wulf Family Foundation: 501(c)(3) public charity structure. Donations to the Wulf Family Foundation are 100% tax-deductible and support all MSP activities including $150,000 fundraising goal.
5. GiveMN.org Platform: Giving Tuesday campaign through GiveMN.org platform for tax-deductible donations supporting student programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Minnesota STEM Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free STEM education, robotics competitions, career coaching, internships, and wellness programs to BIPOC K-12 students and families in Minnesota. Core offerings include FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Robotics Competition, Sumo Robot Wrestling, a Drone League, NSBE Jr Twin Cities, STEAMFiiT Wellness, and the MNSTEM Internship Experience, supported through local robotics hubs and national partner organizations.

Product overview

Minnesota STEM Partnership is a K-12 workforce development nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs focused on robotics, career development, and student wellness. The core program portfolio includes three FIRST robotics competition programs (FIRST LEGO League for ages 4-16, FIRST Tech Challenge for grades 7-12, and FIRST Robotics Challenge for high school students), supplemented by the Sumo Robot Wrestling tournament with Middleweight and Mammoth Heavyweight divisions, a Drone League program, and the NSBE Jr Twin Cities chapter. These robotics programs are complemented by Student & Family Career Coaching services focused on guiding students from kindergarten through career, the MNSTEM Internship Experience for high school students, and the STEAMFiiT Wellness program providing fitness and nutrition coaching. The organization serves primarily BIPOC students and their families, functioning as a lifelong support partnership rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FIRST LEGO League (FLL) A guided global robotics program from FIRST that introduces STEM to children ages 4-16 through fun, hands-on learning, enabling participants to gain real-world problem-solving experiences and develop habits of learning. Delivered through Minnesota STEM Partnership for local BIPOC students.
• FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) A robotics competition where teams of up to 15 members in grades 7-12 design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in head-to-head alliance-format challenges using Java-based programming, with participants eligible for $80M+ in college scholarships. Delivered to students through Minnesota STEM Partnership.
• FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) A high school robotics competition described as the ultimate Sport for the Mind, where student teams raise funds, design a team brand, hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to compete in difficult field games with guidance from volunteer professional mentors. Delivered through Minnesota STEM Partnership.
• Sumo Robot Wrestling Minnesota STEM Partnership's boundaryless robotics program run every Spring with two levels: a Middleweight Division for new robotics students and a Mammoth Heavyweight Division featuring coding, autonomous driving, and AI for advanced students; culminates in a State Sumo Robotics Tournament hosted regionally in the Midwest.
• Drone League A drone program that exposes students to real-world 3D adventure while teaching workforce skills needed in aviation and drone certification, funded through team equipment sponsorships and field trip opportunities.
• NSBE Jr Twin Cities A K-12 chapter program providing access to engineering professionals, scholarships, and workshops that build and reinforce a STEM identity in youth, with monthly meetings alternating between St. Paul and Minneapolis locations.
• STEAMFiiT Wellness A student wellness program offered in partnership with Revival Fitness LLC and Revival Mentoring that provides coaching and counseling to students during their professional development journey, addressing fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being.
• Student & Family Career Coaching A K-12 workforce development program providing family support in navigating STEM options from kindergarten through career, leveraging decades of STEM experience to promote a sustainable high school pipeline toward education and technology careers.
• MNSTEM Internship Experience An internship initiative for high school students that connects students with local STEM opportunities, facilitated through WebDemoZ Technical Education Consulting, which has placed thousands of college students from Minnesota State, Iowa State, University of Minnesota, and beyond.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants eligible for $80M+ in college scholarships through FIRST robotics programs
• +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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Revival Fitness LLC & Revival MentoringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing coaching and counseling to students during their Professional Development Journey. STEAMFiiT wellness program addresses fitness, nutrition, and well-being perspective. Powered by ReviveYourLight.com.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing FIRST LEGO League (ages 4-16), FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7-12), and FIRST Robotics Competition programs. Participants eligible for $80M+ in college scholarships.
• NSBE Jr Twin CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 program providing critical knowledge, access to engineering professionals, scholarships, and workshops reinforcing STEM identity. Monthly meetings alternate between St. Paul and Minneapolis locations.
• WebDemoZ Technical Education ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative sponsor ensuring students have STEM opportunities locally. Has placed thousands of college students from Minnesota State, Iowa State, U of MN, and beyond.
• BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization partnership bringing additional STEM support and off-ramp options from Minnesota-only programs when necessary.
• BiT (Blacks in Technology)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization partnership leveraging national family of STEM students and professionals to enable student success locally and abroad.
• Minnesota State Colleges and UniversitiesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-secondary affiliate providing internship opportunities and college student recruitment. One of multiple institutions where MSP has placed thousands of students.
• University of MinnesotastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-secondary affiliate providing internship opportunities and pathway support for MSP students pursuing higher education in STEM.
• University of St. ThomasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-secondary affiliate institution for student pathway development.
• Hamline UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-secondary affiliate institution for student pathway development.
• GiveMN.orgstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerGiving Tuesday platform partner for tax-deductible donations supporting student programs.
• A-STEM VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational community affiliate organization supporting STEM education initiatives.
• The STEAM RevolutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational community affiliate organization for STEM/STEAM education support.
• INROADSstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional affiliation providing workforce development and internship pathways for underrepresented students.
• MLB TwinsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness sponsor providing support and visibility for STEM programs.
• NBA TimberwolvesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness sponsor providing support and visibility for STEM programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Code.org: National nonprofit delivering K-12 computer science and STEM education with significant focus on expanding access for underrepresented students. Directly comparable mission of broadening STEM participation among school-age youth through free programming and educator support.
• Black Girls CODE: National nonprofit providing technology education to girls of color, with chapter-based delivery and a focus on BIPOC representation in STEM. Comparable mission and target demographic to MSP, with similar K-12 coding, robotics, and tech exposure programs.
• Blacks in Technology (BiT): Community and nonprofit organization supporting Black technologists through networking, mentorship, and K-12 outreach. Comparable focus on BIPOC representation in tech; listed by MSP as a national partner.
• BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates): National nonprofit focused on advancing Black professionals in STEM and IT, with K-12 youth programs and a chapter model. Direct mission overlap with MSP on BIPOC STEM pipeline development; MSP lists BDPA as a national partner.
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): National STEM nonprofit with K-12 pre-college programs (including NSBE Jr) serving Black students in engineering. MSP is already a chapter partner, making NSBE both a direct peer and a partner organization in the same mission space.

Emerging players

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free tech workforce training and career placement to underrepresented adults. Comparable mission of opening tech pathways for underserved populations, though focused on adult re-skilling rather than K-12.
• Citizen Schools: Nonprofit partnering with schools in underserved communities to expand learning through extended-day STEM programming and mentorship. Comparable after-school STEM delivery model and equity-focused mission.
• Genesys Works: Nonprofit providing high school students from underserved communities with pathways into STEM careers through corporate internships and coaching. Comparable K-12-to-career pipeline model and target demographic.
• Iridescent: Nonparent-run family science and engineering education nonprofit with a focus on underserved communities and family engagement. Comparable focus on engaging families alongside K-12 students in STEM learning.

Broad incumbents

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): National youth robotics organization that operates the FLL, FTC, and FRC programs MSP delivers as a partner. Functions as the upstream incumbent platform whose programs and scholarship pool ($80M+) MSP extends into underserved communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mnstempartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Minnesota STEM Partnership