Black in Robotics
Black in Robotics is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports Black robotics researchers, students, and professionals through community chapters, a resume book platform, educational workshops, corporate partnerships, and student fellowships, based in Stanford, CA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersStanford, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Black in Robotics does
Black in Robotics (BiR) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2020 at the IROS conference and headquartered at PO Box 18964, Stanford, California. Its mission centers on building community among Black robotics researchers, students, and industry professionals, advocating for inclusion in robotics, and supporting career advancement through mentorship and direct funding. BiR serves Black individuals in robotics and STEM fields through chapters, programming, and partnerships with major robotics employers.
BiR's core products include a digital Resume Book platform connecting diverse robotics talent with employers, an educational workshop series covering ROS2, Arduino, drones, AI/ML, Python, and mechanical design (Fusion 360), a Speakers Bureau, and two regional chapters (Bay Area launched August 2022 and Boston launched March 2021). Supporting offerings comprise three fellowship/award programs — the 3M MS Student Tuition Fellowship ($15-25k per student), the Google BiR Doctoral Student Award ($25k per finalist), and Legacy Fellowships/Scholarships (up to ~$36k USD) — plus student conference travel reimbursements up to $2,000. BiR has no proprietary technology stack beyond standard community platforms (Slack, Eventbrite, PayPal, Squarespace, Google Colab) and uses off-the-shelf tools like the OpenAI API and ROS2 in instructional settings.
Revenue is generated through four streams: a tiered corporate partnership program (disclosed partners include Amazon Robotics, Toyota Research Institute, Google, 3M, Kodiak Robotics, MultiplyLabs, Teradyne, and MathWorks), individual donations via PayPal (under $5k) and stock donation platform (over $5k), merchandise sales ($13-$38.50 per item), and workshop fees ($5-$35 per participant plus Eventbrite charges). The organization is governed by National Directors with volunteer-led regional chapters and shows no parent company, funding rounds, or institutional investors.
Black in Robotics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black in Robotics
- Legal name
- Black In Robotics INC
- Website
- https://blackinrobotics.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Black in Robotics is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports Black robotics researchers, students, and professionals through community chapters, a resume book platform, educational workshops, corporate partnerships, and student fellowships, based in Stanford, CA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Black in Robotics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Community Development
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Robotics Learning Platforms (EDAFANAB), AI & Machine Learning for Robotics Programs (EDAMADAK)
Keywords
Where Black in Robotics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stanford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Black in Robotics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate Sponsorships: Tiered corporate partnership program with three levels of financial membership. Corporate partners invest in BiR initiatives, receive access to resume book and talent pipeline, and get tiered sponsorship listings for chapters and conferences.
- Individual Donations: Private donations under $5k accepted via PayPal. Stock donations accepted for amounts over $5k through stockdonator.com. Black in Robotics INC is a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
- Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded apparel including hoodies ($28-$38.50), sweatshirts ($25), t-shirts ($13-$20), and water bottles ($25). Merchandise sales support outreach activities.
- Workshop Fees: Educational workshops and events with participant fees ranging from $5 to $35 plus Eventbrite service charges. Workshop topics include ROS2, Arduino, drones, AI, Python programming, and mechanical design using Fusion 360.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Store merchandise items priced $13-$38.50 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Workshop fees $5-$35 per participant |
| Other | Annual | 3M MS Fellowship: $15-25k per award |
| Other | Annual | Google PhD Award: $25k per finalist |
| Other | Annual | Legacy Scholarship: up to $50k CAD (~$36k USD) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Student Conference Travel: up to $2,000 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Black in Robotics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Black in Robotics (BiR) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports and promotes Black individuals in robotics and STEM fields. It operates a community membership platform offering a Resume Book connecting members with employers, a Speakers Bureau, educational workshops (ROS2, Arduino, drones, AI/ML, mechanical design), student fellowships and scholarships (3M MS Fellowship, Google PhD Award, Legacy Scholarships), conference travel reimbursements, local chapters (Bay Area, Boston), and a merchandise store funding outreach.
Product overview
Black in Robotics (BiR) is a 501c3 non-profit organization offering a portfolio of community programs focused on inclusion in robotics and STEM. The core offerings include the BiR Resume Book platform connecting diverse robotics talent with employers, the Speakers Bureau featuring BiR members for speaking engagements, and educational workshops covering robotics (ROS2, Arduino, drones), AI/ML, and CAD. Supporting programs include student fellowships (3M MS Fellowship, Google PhD Award, Legacy Scholarships), conference travel reimbursements up to $2k, local chapters (Bay Area, Boston), and a merchandise store with proceeds supporting outreach. The portfolio is connected through a community membership model where BiR members gain access to the Resume Book, workshops, fellowships, and networking events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BiR Resume Book Digital resume book platform connecting employers with diverse robotics professionals through searchable member profiles with CVs.
- BiR Educational Workshops Online and in-person educational workshops covering robotics fundamentals (ROS2, Arduino, drones), AI/ML, and mechanical design (Fusion 360) with hands-on kits for participants.
- BiR + 3M MS Student Tuition Fellowship Master's student fellowship partnering with 3M Corporation providing $15-$25k tuition assistance, mentorship, and networking toward internship/job opportunities at 3M for Black robotics MS students.
- Google BiR Doctoral Student Award Award providing $25k to 3-4 PhD students per cycle for graduate education based on academic merit and personal journey, with mentorship from BiR and Google.
- BiR Legacy Fellowships and Scholarships Scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing robotics careers at US/Canadian universities, with awards up to $36k USD paid directly to university for tuition.
- BiR Student Conference Travel Awards Travel reimbursement awards up to $2,000 for students and postdocs to attend robotics-related conferences with accepted publications.
- BiR Speakers Bureau Directory of BiR members available for speaking engagements, panels, and podcast interviews covering robotics, AI, ethics, and STEM education topics.
- BiR Bay Area Chapter Local community chapter in Bay Area hosting meet and greet events, workshops, career fairs, and outreach for robotics students, researchers, and practitioners.
- BiR Boston Chapter Local community chapter in Greater Boston Area hosting networking events, workshops, and outreach for Black robotics students and professionals.
- BiR Merchandise Store Online store selling branded apparel including hoodies ($28-$38.50), sweatshirts ($25), t-shirts ($13-$20), and water bottles ($25) with proceeds supporting BiR outreach.
- BiR Corporate Partnership Program Tiered corporate sponsorship program providing partners access to BiR Resume Book, email list for job postings, chapter sponsorship, and conference visibility in exchange for funding BiR inclusion initiatives.
Companies that use Black in Robotics
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Black in Robotics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability8 records
Black in Robotics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Kodiak RoboticsminorSupports BiR Bay Area Chapter activities and events. Hosted Bay Area Chapter Summer BBQ 2025 and Computer Vision Workshop on May 20, 2023.
- Harvard UniversityminorBoston Chapter leadership includes faculty from Harvard University (Seun Araromi, Researcher; Radhika Nagpal, Faculty). Contributes expertise and chapter leadership to BiR Boston.
- Stanford UniversityminorBay Area Chapter leadership includes Monroe Kennedy III, PhD, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford. Mailing address is Stanford, CA. Contributes leadership and academic expertise.
- Northeastern UniversityminorBoston Chapter leadership includes Kris Dorsey, Faculty at Northeastern University. Contributes academic leadership to BiR Boston Chapter.
- MIT Media LabminorBoston Chapter leadership includes Randi Williams, PhD Student at MIT Media Lab. Contributes student leadership to BiR Boston Chapter.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Black in Robotics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Black Girls Code: Nonprofit providing technology education to Black girls, including robotics and AI workshops. Comparable in workshop-based learning model, demographic focus, and corporate sponsorship funding structure.
- Black in AI: Nonprofit community organization supporting Black researchers and practitioners in artificial intelligence. Closely parallel to BiR in mission, structure, and corporate partnership model, but focused on AI broadly rather than robotics specifically.
- AI4ALL: Nonprofit increasing diversity and inclusion in AI through education programs targeting underrepresented students. Operates an analogous fellowship/education pipeline model to BiR's robotics fellowship programs.
- Queer in AI: Nonprofit community organization for LGBTQ+ individuals in AI/ML with academic workshop presence at major conferences. Structurally analogous to BiR as a community-led DEI nonprofit with conference programming and academic affiliations.
- Latinx in AI: Community organization for Latinx professionals in AI with conference workshops and corporate partnerships. Highly comparable to BiR in mission, structure, and academic conference presence.
- Women in Robotics: Community organization advancing women in the robotics field through networking, awards, and conference programming. Directly comparable to BiR as a community-building nonprofit within the robotics ecosystem, though focused on a different demographic.
- BlackComputeHER: Nonprofit supporting Black women in computing and technology. Comparable in mission, community structure, and partnership-driven funding model.
Broad incumbents
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): Large, established student and professional organization supporting Black engineers across disciplines, including robotics. Comparable as a Black-in-STEM community with chapters and corporate partnerships, but much broader in scope than BiR's robotics focus.
- AnitaB.org: Major nonprofit advancing women in technology with corporate partnerships, talent programs, and conferences. Comparable in scale, corporate partnership tiering, and conference presence to BiR, but with broader tech focus.
- Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM): National LGBTQ+ STEM professional society with chapters, conferences, and corporate partnerships. Comparable chapter-based community model with corporate sponsor tiering, though broader in STEM scope than BiR's robotics focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Black in Robotics social profiles
Digital presenceBlack in Robotics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black in Robotics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Black in Robotics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black in Robotics 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 Black in Robotics
What does Black in Robotics do?
Black in Robotics (BiR) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports and promotes Black individuals in robotics and STEM fields. It operates a community membership platform offering a Resume Book connecting members with employers, a Speakers Bureau, educational workshops (ROS2, Arduino, drones, AI/ML, mechanical design), student fellowships and scholarships (3M MS Fellowship, Google PhD Award, Legacy Scholarships), conference travel reimbursements, local chapters (Bay Area, Boston), and a merchandise store funding outreach.
Is Black in Robotics a public or private company?
Black in Robotics is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Black in Robotics founded?
Black in Robotics was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Black in Robotics based?
Black in Robotics is headquartered in Stanford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Black in Robotics make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Corporate Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, merchandise Sales and workshop Fees.
Who are Black in Robotics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Black Girls Code, Black in AI, AI4ALL, Queer in AI, Latinx in AI, Women in Robotics and BlackComputeHER. Broad incumbents are National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), AnitaB.org and Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM).
Does Black in Robotics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Black in Robotics.
What industry is Black in Robotics in?
Black in Robotics's product category is Professional Community Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAA, Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs, with a secondary code of EDAFANAB, Robotics Learning Platforms. Its NAICS code is 61169.