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The Jawa Sisters are engineers and created the STEM Center USA in 2011 to help students learn how to work in engineering. They are passionate about sharing their enthusiasm for engineering with middle school, high school, and college students.
The STEM Center USA has a physical location in Claremont, CA, where students can learn about STEM principles through hands-on, experiential learning.
They have developed several products and educational programs to help students learn about STEM careers. Those companies also developed products that allow students to learn more about STEM subjects, such as robotics.
The STEM Center USA is a nonprofit organization based in Southern California that offers a broad range of STEM-related programs that students of all ages can participate in, including high school and college.
The STEM Center USA aims to inspire students to become STEM leaders by inspiring them to become passionate about science and technology early and by helping them remain interested through middle and high school.
What Is STEM Center USA?
STEM Center USA is an educational organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders through hands-on, engaging experiences for K-12 students.
STEM Center USA is an educational platform that uses a practical teaching method to educate students. The mission of STEM Center USA is to share their enthusiasm and excitement for engineering with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students.
Founded by sisters Melissa and Lavanya Jawaharlal, the center offers personalized learning at Creativity Centers, virtual and on-site Federal Programs, and educator-recommended products and kits.
Trusted by parents, educators, and students alike, STEM Center USA fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a maker mindset, ensuring technology literacy for all.
Lavanya was a student at UC Berkeley’s Mechanical Engineering program, while Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems employed Melissa.
STEM Center USA is physically located in Claremont, California, where students engage in hands-on, experiential learning to learn STEM fundamentals.
| Company Name | Stem Center USA |
| Entrepreneur | Melissa Jawaharlal And Lavanya Jawaharlal |
| Product | Getting children and adults involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) |
| Investment Asking For | $150,000 For 15% equity in STEM Center USA |
| Final Deal | $200,000 For 20% equity in STEM Center USA |
| Shark | Lori Greiner |
| Episode | Season 10, Episode 11 |
| Business Status | In Business |
| Website | STEM Center USA Website |
Who Is The Founder Of STEM Center USA?
Lavanya and Melissa Jawaharlal are the founders of STEM Center USA. Founded in 2011, the Jawa Sisters – Melissa and Lavanya Jawaharlal, began the STEM Center USA.
STEM Center USA, founded by sisters Lavanya and Melissa Jawaharlal and dedicated to educating the next generation of engineers, could be incredibly powerful if the information were powerful.
Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California. She then worked as a principal designer at the Information Sciences Institute, building two satellites currently in orbit.
She had also worked in software optimization for the United States Air Force and presented her work at MIT and through Inventor’s Digest.
Lavanya, her younger sister, studied mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and shared her passion for robotics, science, and technology.
However, they also wished to foster an interest in technical subjects among the younger generation by establishing the STEM Center USA.
STEM refers to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, all considered basic courses in which future generations will need to become more proficient due to the technologically dependent age they will be living in.
They set up a creativity center in Claremont, California, where children from kindergarten to college could attend summer camps. The company invented a programmable robot that could be assembled for $75.
Their self-assembly product was launched on their website in 2014, adding another lucrative revenue stream to their business after a highly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014.
STEM Center USA wanted to benefit children nationwide, not just those lucky enough to live near their single location. The sisters required a substantial monetary injection to fund an expensive franchise setup.
They took their educational venture to the Shark Tank in October 2015 to secure an influential shark partner and the funding necessary to launch their objective to increase technical learning possibilities across the country.
How Was The Shark Tank Pitch Of STEM Center USA?
Lavanya and Melissa pitched STEM Center USA on Shark Tank, requesting an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 15% of their firm.
Lori Greiner offered an investment of $200,000 for a 20% equity in STEM Center USA. The Jawahar sisters were happy to accept Lori’s offer and had a deal.
Lavanya and Melissa left the Shark Tank stage with a deal from Lori Greiner for STEM Center USA.
Final Deal: Lori agrees to invest $200,000 for a 20% stake in STEM Center USA.
What Happened To STEM Center USA After Shark Tank?
The popularity and sales of STEM Center USA got a great boost after its appearance on Shark Tank. There is currently only one STEM Center in Claremont, California, and they plan to expand to other areas soon.
If you do not reside in Southern California but want to build robots, the STEM Center sells robot kits for students and professional engineers.
The PiBot, a complete robot kit, costs only $99.00 and is sold in quantities depending on how many people will take the course.
STEM Center USA stated that it would use Lori’s funds to file franchise papers to expand Stem Center nationwide.
The deal between STEM Center USA and Lori was never finalized. STEM Center USA is still in business, with an annual revenue of $3.5 million.
STEM Center USA Shark Tank Update
Lori’s addition as a partner was described as a ‘dream come true by the sisters following the performance. Choosing Melissa over Chris Sacca was due to her belief in the company and her position as a strong female role model.
The sisters were far too wise to give away more of the STEM business than was needed, so Lori’s offer had been the more financially advantageous. Since the piece first aired, Melissa and Lavanya have received considerable accolades for portraying strong female characters.
The business they started has been lauded for its noble goals by corporate leaders and educational authorities, and they have also gotten a few personal praises. They were named one of the ‘Eight Women You Need to Know by ‘Muses and Visionaries magazine.
Melissa featured entrepreneur on the popular and influential ‘Business Rockstars with Ken Rutkowski. The sisters are taking the first steps toward launching a franchise program for STEM centers nationwide with the investment they received from Lori in the tank.
Melissa and Lavanya will benefit from having a partner like Lori to help them better understand the challenges that will face us all in the coming years.
Is STEM Center USA Still In Business?
STEM Center USA is still in business and has established an online product line. They now offer the Pi-Bot Kit. It provides a general overview of mechanical, electrical, and computer science engineering.
The Pi-Bot program has been adopted by many institutions, including UC Berkeley’s Girls in Engineering Summer School and Google’s Per Scholas Outreach Initiative in the Bronx.
The Pi-Bot kit costs $99 and includes instructions on building and wiring it, a sample code that lets it move, and video lessons.
The valuation of STEM Center USA was $1 million after securing an investment from Lori Greiner on Season 10 of Shark Tank. The current net worth of STEM Center USA is estimated to be $5 million.
