Board Chair's heartfelt speech at SPARK STEM Gala event.

Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen.

On behalf of our entire team, thank you for joining us tonight for our first-ever fundraising Gala. 

As Melissa mentioned, our cause is about providing digital skills – to K-8 children in underserved communities.

I was introduced earlier as the founder of this cause - but  no social cause can be about a person, or their last name, or their wallet size. Though at this event - wallet size may be important😊.

I’d rather be called the Chief Belief Officer – and tonight, it is my intent to make all of you believers too!

Before I go into why this cause is important – I’d like to share a personal story with you.

Years ago, I was pursuing my master’s at Carnegie Mellon, and after my first year, I went to India for summer break - and when I came back, I found out that I’d been awarded not one, but two fellowships. I hadn’t applied for either. Our office manager, Dianne, had filled out and submitted the applications on my behalf.

I thanked her profusely - but I don’t think I really internalized it in that moment.

44 years later – in 2017, after we sold our last company – as I looked back at my life and reflected, I realized something prof

That this country, this society, had given me and my family the opportunity to live the American Dream. That success may be individually driven, but society plays an important role in the opportunities we have, to succeed.

Dianne’s act was the personification of this.

It was time to give back.

But what? And how could we make a sustained impact?

Around the same time, I was reading Nelson Mandela’s auto-biography - Long Walk to Freedom and one particular sentence resonated deeply:

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

This begs the question: Do all children in our community have a fair chance to live the American Dream, like my children did?

We had our answer.

And thus was born this Non-Profit  – inspired also by our very own Mother Theresa – Kathleen Conlogue, sitting at our table tonight.

So, what do we provide?

1. We focus on computer science, AI, and STEM – because 92% of jobs will require these skills. Digital literacy can no longer be optional. 

2. We focus on K–8 children – because these are a child’s peak learning years. That's why countries like China, Russia, UK, South Korea, Singapore and others mandate digital literacy classes in primary school.

3. We focus on underserved communities - because less than 10% of K-8 schools in these areas have access to computer resources

4. We focus on experiential learning by teaching in-person using robots and gaming -because children learn best when they touch, do, and experience.

These are the foundational drivers of what we do.

But, there’s more.

We don’t just teach digital skills. We teach Future Proof Skills. Problem Solving. Critical Reasoning. Creativity.

We don’t just lecture. We provide Hope. Compassion. Empathy.

We don’t just close the digital gap. We open the door to a future STEM career.

Some talk about meritocracy –but meritocracy only works when the playing field is level. Let’s be honest: It’s not.

“Education has always been, and continues to be, the greatest force for leveling the playing field.”

And that’s why we do what we do.

I’ll turn to what we’ve accomplished to date:

Starting with just 15 students in 2017 –today we teach over 4,300 students every year –and deliver over 180 classes a week across 20+ schools and institutions

80% of the students we teach qualify for free lunch – a federal program called Title 1, which provides funding for schools serving lower income communities. Proof that we’re reaching the neediest.

And our retention rate is 100% since inception. Every school we’ve worked with has asked us to return.

That’s our report card – in a nutshell.

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But, none of this could’ve been accomplished without our dedicated team -  led first by Kathleen, and then Casey, and now Melissa.

I’d like to ask our team and the board to please stand-up:

First, our teachers -  our angels, who inspire our children every single day.

Our staff – Our heroes, working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all happen.

Melissa and Maisha: Our leaders, driving our mission forward – with passion and conviction.

And our board — Our north stars, ensuring we stay true to our purpose.

This team – has delivered over 380,000 student classes since inception. 380,000! Incredible. Thank you.

And of course – we wouldn’t exist without the support of our generous donors and partners - foundations, corporations, individuals, and schools. Our champions who fuel our mission -- who stand beside us not just in spirit but in action. A heart-felt thank you to all of you.

But there’s so much more – we can do.

With just $2.5 million a year, we could support 10,000 Title 1 K–8 students.

Even if just 10% - a thousand of them - pursue STEM careers, this would result in $2 billion in excess earnings in one generation – and $6 billion over two generations.

Imagine – an innocent bundle of energy and curiosity, a second grader who probably doesn’t have an iPad or a Laptop or even WiFi at home, who after working with a BeeBot (a small robot) says, “Mr. Jason – I want to become a robotics engineer.”

That’s a true story. Multiply that by a thousand.

And now, think about the millions more who are being left behind — simply because they don’t have access – stuck behind a door to the American Dream that never opens.

Ladies and Gentlemen, can we deny the need for this cause?

In conclusion:

Abraham Lincoln, at his Gettysburg Address, said;

“Our great nation was conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Tonight, I say to you;

“Our cause was conceived in the promise of education, and dedicated to the proposition that all children are created equal.”

This is about giving my child, your child, every child - regardless of the zip code they live in - a fair chance to learn and to provide the critical skills and knowledge they need to thrive and succeed.

This, Ladies and Gentlemen,

this is not a handout.

It’s an investment.

An investment in the social bond, that makes us deeply human: to treat every child as our very own. One that delivers on the promise of hope, opportunity, and prosperity - the ideals that define this great nation.

In Mandela’s words, this would be the truest reflection of our society’s soul.

Tonight — we invite you to do more than donate.

Join our Cause…Embrace our Children…..Share our Story……Become Believers.

Thank you — for your support, and thank you for being here tonight.