Logicbroker’s Gears Giving Back Initiative Set To Sponsor Three Robotics Teams In Various Events

Logicbroker’s Gears Giving Back initiative, which began in the early stages of the organization’s founding, was created to give back to the community while invoking a passion for STEM in youth organizations. This year, Logicbroker is sponsoring three FIRST Robotics Competition teams in New England. 

Logicbroker is sponsoring: Team 95, the Grasshoppers, which Logicbroker Software Engineer Nick Arnold is currently helping mentor; Team 8889, the Wilby High School robotics team; and Team 230, the Gaelhawks, which is mentored by Logicbroker CEO Peyman Zamani and Client Success Manager Gio Mendez. 

“I watched all three of my sons go through the FIRST Robotics program,” Zamani said. “As a father I enjoyed spending time not only with my sons but hundreds of students in our program tackling many real world challenges: learning about team work, collaborating under pressure, working with mentors professionally… These robotics competitions aren’t just for students looking to get into STEM programs but also those who like to build, design, promote, and even market across the country and, if they are lucky, across the globe. No matter how far these students and teams go through this season of competition, they will come up much more prepared for their post-high school and professional career for life.”

Giving Back

For Logicbroker employees Mendez and Arnold, giving back to the community comes in many forms. As a software engineer, Arnold participated in FIRST Robotics competitions during most of his high school career. When he worked his way through college and hit the workforce, Arnold saw returning to his old team as a way to pay that experience forward. 

“When I was a student, it made a huge impact on me,” Arnold said. “There were a lot of people I met that helped me through and now going back to it, I enjoy teaching people how I was taught to build an efficient and unique robot. I also just really like helping people.” 

Arnold’s team, the Grasshoppers, is one of the oldest FIRST Robotics teams in the country and has worked on robots for 27 years, teaching countless students and winning over 30 awards as a team. Arnold is in his second full year as a mentor and helps students learn the ins-and-outs of robot programming at the high school level. 

When he approached Logicbroker to get a little extra funding for his team, Arnold said Zamani quickly agreed and provided any and all support he could need to help Team 95 continue their storied history. 

“When I reached out to have some money to buy some things for the robot, Peyman jumped right on it. It’s really cool to work for a company that is involved in all of these unique activities. Having coworkers interested in robotics is amazing,” he said. 

Mendez, who is a Client Success Manager with the company, said that he first got into mentoring the robotics program when his son showed interest. 

“He started off by drilling holes into the robot and working mechanically with their team,” Mendez said. “It’s not just about building. It’s about a website, marketing, analytics, design, – really anything for the team. Eventually, we saw more kids get interested in doing that kind of stuff.” 

Mendez currently helps the entire Gaelhawks squad with all practical marketing for their robot and team. Mendez said Team 230 also promotes all of their events with newsletters and scripted videos, all while tracking analytics from other teams to find unique ways to stay ahead. 

“For me, it’s actually an incredible learning experience teaching kids a real-world experience. They are gaining practical skills by using things like photoshop, Adobe, etc.,” Mendez said. 

A Culture for Change

FIRST Robotics may have first grabbed the heart of Zamani’s children, but has quickly blossomed into a company-wide competition. With three teams to cheer for, Logicbroker employees regularly donate their time and attention to help whenever possible. Mendez said he enjoys watching the students he helps mentor grow and find their passions throughout their four years on the team. 

“It’s a great feeling and everyone should at one point should do something like this to help your community,” Mendez said. “I’m just lucky that I work at a company that is so committed to robotics and the community.” 

For those looking to follow along and get in on the competitive excitement, you can watch all competitions here. All three teams will be meeting in Hartford, CT later this month for the NE District competition.

About Logicbroker

Logicbroker is the premier Supply Chain Experience Management (SCXM) eCommerce platform. Our unique B2B and D2C offerings give manufacturers and retailers a single source of truth for their supply chain, yielding real-time visibility and communications, higher compliance rates, lower transaction costs, and exceptional customer experiences. Through drop ship, marketplace, and supply chain visibility solutions, Logicbroker can help your organization achieve Supply Chain Excellence. 

Our integrated suite connects all participants of an organization’s supply chain regardless of the type of business model: owned inventory, drop ship, or marketplace. We work with mid-market and Enterprise manufacturers and retailers across a number of verticals including Health & Wellness, Home Improvement, Consumer Electronics, Toys & Babies, and Consumer Packaged Goods and service brands such as Samsung, The Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens, Coca-Cola, and RiteAid.