Skype A Scientist

What Skype A Scientist does

Skype a Scientist is a US-based educational nonprofit founded in 2017 by squid biologist Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D., that connects a global database of volunteer scientists with K-12 classrooms, families, libraries, and scout troops for free live Q&A sessions. The core Scientist-Classroom Matching Program, supported by a two-person core team, has facilitated more than 11,600 connections and engaged over 5,900 scientists (figures dated 2020). The organization's primary customer segments — K-12 classrooms, families, libraries, and youth organizations — access the service via Google Forms and a searchable web portal, with no formal pricing structure.

The technology stack is deliberately minimal: Google Forms for registration, a custom searchable scientist directory at confirm.skypeascientist.com, YouTube for livestreaming and archival of past events, and Big Cartel for the Squid Facts Shop. There is no native mobile app, no API, and no proprietary matching algorithm — matching is performed manually by the Matchmaker. Beyond the core matching service, the organization has expanded into a Public Art and Mural Program featuring QR-coded environmental education installations in Philadelphia, Quarterly Zines covering science topics, a Native Plant Poster Project, and curated educational resources for teachers and scientists.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded with no paid pricing. Revenue streams include individual donations via Givebutter, recurring monthly support via Patreon, institutional grants (notably the Richard Lounsbery Foundation), and merchandise sales from the Squid Facts Shop sub-brand. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on earned media (Forbes, NPR, Nature, Science Friday), organic social (Twitter/X), and word-of-mouth across educator and scientist networks, with multilingual support across ten languages.

Name

Skype A Scientist

Legal name

Skype a Scientist

Website

https://skypeascientist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Skype a Scientist is a US-based educational nonprofit founded in 2017 that connects a global database of over 5,900 volunteer scientists with K-12 classrooms, families, libraries, and scout troops for free live Q&A sessions on science.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Outreach Services

akta.pro primary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• Science education outreach
• Scientist classroom matching
• Volunteer scientist network
• Live science Q&A
• Educational nonprofit programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals via GiveButter platform and monthly support through Patreon
2. Institutional Grants: Support from foundations including Richard Lounsbery Foundation
3. Merchandise Sales: Squid Facts Shop selling merchandise (t-shirts) that funded mural projects

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Skype a Scientist operates a free matching service that connects a global database of thousands of volunteer scientists with classrooms, families, libraries, scout troops, and other groups for live Q&A sessions about science. The organization also produces livestream events, public science murals, and quarterly zines, and is supported by donations, grants, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Skype A Scientist is an educational nonprofit that operates primarily as a matching platform connecting scientists with classrooms, families, libraries, scout troops, and other groups worldwide for live Q&A sessions. The core Scientist-Classroom Matching Program forms the foundation of their offering. Supporting this core product are several complementary modules including the Public Art and Mural Program (which communicates science through community murals), Livestream Events (live presentations with scientists), Quarterly Zines (science publications), and the Native Plant Poster Project. Additional offerings include Science Communication Resources for Scientists and Educational Resources for Teachers. The organization also operates a merchandise store called the Squid Facts Shop. The organization is supported by individual donors, Patreon supporters, and foundations including the Richard Lounsbery Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scientist-Classroom Matching Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,900+ scientists available for connections
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• East Kensington Neighbors AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Living City mural project at H.A. Brown elementary school in Philadelphia. Hosted community paint days with 300+ students and 65 community members.
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental ProtectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder for the Fishtown River Critters mural project in Philadelphia featuring local aquatic wildlife.
• Fishtown Neighbors AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Our Aquatic Neighbors mural featuring Delaware River wildlife with QR codes for education.
• Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with student body on the Our Aquatic Neighbors mural project in Spring 2023.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• iCouldBe: Online mentoring platform connecting underserved middle school students with adult mentors for career exploration. Comparable e-mentorship model with similar nonprofit funding dynamics.
• Data Nuggets: Provides K-12 classroom modules built around authentic scientific datasets for inquiry-based learning. Listed by Skype a Scientist as a recommended teacher resource and serves the same classroom STEM enrichment use case.
• Letters to a Pre-Scientist: Pairs real scientists with K-12 students via pen pal letter exchanges for STEM exposure and career exploration. Listed as a partner resource by Skype a Scientist and shares an analogous scientist-to-student matchmaking mission.
• Zooniverse: Largest people-powered research platform enabling volunteers to participate in real scientific projects. Overlaps with Skype a Scientist on engaging the public with working scientists, though via research contribution rather than live classroom interaction.
• BrainPost: Distills neuroscience research into accessible weekly summaries for broader audiences. Listed as a teacher resource by Skype a Scientist and shares the science communication-to-public mission.
• Scientists, Inc. Connects scientists with career and visibility opportunities. Board member Parmvir Bahia is CEO; close organizational overlap with Skype a Scientist and similar mission of expanding scientist-public engagement.
• Mystery Science: K-12 science education platform offering engaging science lessons and videos for classrooms. Targets the same educator buyer as Skype a Scientist but delivers asynchronous video content rather than live expert Q&A.
• Citizen Schools: Nonprofit providing career-connected learning programs that pair professionals with students. Shares the volunteer-expert-to-student enrichment model and similar nonprofit/grant funding profile.

Broad incumbents

• Science Friday: Established science media organization that has covered Skype a Scientist. Operates much more broadly in science communication but competes for the same public attention and educator mindshare.
• Outschool: Well-funded marketplace for live K-12 enrichment classes across subjects including science. Represents a scaled, paid alternative to Skype a Scientist's free scientist Q&A model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8ACFFu-SAvWxoYZebXof7Q
• Xx.com/SkypeScientist
• Facebookfacebook.com/skypeascientist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skype-a-scientist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Skype A Scientist