About Success Through Technology Education (STTE) Foundation
Stories, STEAM & Startups
STTE Mission
To develop and deploy entrepreneurship and STEAM-based educational programs for students and adults that accelerate and advance economic development.
STTE Vision
To become a national leader in innovation, entrepreneurship, and STEAM education impacting a globally competitive marketplace.
STTE, a nonprofit organization, launched in 2018 in the Southwest Texas Borderplex Region with the intent of a twenty-year vision to support efforts that develop, deploy, and advance educational programs focused on harvesting entrepreneurship ecosystems, a STEAM ready workforce, and technology comprehension. Within our existence, we have collaborated with industry partners to address challenges through the design and deployment of innovative educational products.
Strategic Goals
1. Develop a virtual adaptive learning space, aided by a teaching assistant, to support educators in enhancing student learning.
2. Increase the Percentage of students going into STEAM Fields.
3. Build an entrepreneurial ecosystem through innovative programs, mind-setting products and access to capital opportunities.
Board Leadership
Dr. Beto Pallares, Chairman
With over 20 years of experience in developing ecosystems, Dr. Pallares, Adventure Capitalist is the founding member for the STTE Foundation. Dr. Pallares is a professor at New Mexico State University and the Sun Cruces Angels Chairman.
Noah Carp, Board Member
With over 20 years of experience in education, technology, and professional services firms, Noah’s successful career in finance, operations, and strategic planning leadership roles has spanned non-private, privately held, and public companies. Noah is passionate about addressing the gaps of inequity that continue to exist in our education systems.
Cory Grenier, Board Member
Cory brings a wealth of experience as a seasoned technology leader. His career includes pivotal roles as Chief Revenue Officer at Firework and Director of Sales & Marketing at Snapchat, where he helped scale the company from a startup to a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Cory has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Peking University Guanghua School and Cal Polytechnic Orfalea College of Business.
Kathy Hansen, Board Member
Kathryn Hansen, New Mexico State University, Arrowhead Center’s Director, has extensive experience in the management of programs and in business and technology development. She has managed large technology development contracts for both the private and public sector.
Dr. Jack Loveridge, Board Member
Jack is a historian of technology, startup founder and co-president of the Texas Chapter of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs, supporting Southwestern U.S. ventures. He has been an advocate for the proactive governance of AI as a co-founder of Initiate: Digital Rights in Society. His academic journey includes advanced research on South Asia’s Green Revolution and fellowships at institutions like Oxford, Yale, and Harvard. Jack currently serves on the El Paso ISD Board of Trustees.
Mica Short, Board Member
Mica has an MPA and a BA in Political Science from The University of Texas at El Paso. She is currently the VP of Development at the Paso del Norte Foundation, collaborating with stakeholders to improve health, education, and quality of life in the region. Previously, she was the Community Relations Manager at Texas Gas Service and Executive Vice President of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, focusing on advocacy for economic growth and sustainability in El Paso.
Alysha Swann, Board Member
Alysha Swann is the former Executive Director for Insights Science Discovery and current Director of Community Outreach & Special Programs. Alysha has a wealth of experience in workforce development and youth programs. Alysha has a proven track record and a passion for serving youth.
STTE’s Operations
Joseph Sapien, CEO
With over 17 years of Experience Developing STEAM Educational Programs, Joseph leads the organization through Innovation, Project Management, Brand Strategy, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building. Sapien holds a B.A. in Design, Innovation and 3D.
Stephanie Schilling
Stephanie Schilling is the Ventures Manager at STTE. Stephanie’s arrival marks a significant milestone, bringing a wealth of experience and a rich educational background to our team. She is pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration from Marywood University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Arizona.
STTE’s Journey
2018
2018 – Launched the first TechStars Youth Startup half-day camps in the two largest El Paso school districts, impacting 1,082 high schoolers.
2018 & 2019 – Organized two mega STEAM career exploration conferences, impacting 3,020 youth with $75K dispersed in prizes and scholarships.
2018-2020 – Launched three teacher awards ceremonies that recognized and rewarded 26 stellar educators from the region.
2019
2019 – Developed and deployed the first-ever Virtual Reality Sun City Renewable Energy Challenge, impacting and rewarding $10K to youth.
2018 & 2019 – Organized Summer STEAM Camps with Robotics, App & Game Development, and Entrepreneurship impacting 400 youth.
2019 & 2021 – Launched 2 Dia de los Muertos Startup Pitch events with 25 startups participating and $211K cash and prizes gifted.
2020
2020- Deployed Laptop Donation Drive-Thru to help low-income students by providing 25 laptops.
2020 – Launched E-Series, virtual panel discussions to provide insight into remote learning with 125 attendees.
2020 – Launched Unicorn Academy, the first-ever entrepreneurship virtual workshop in Augmented Reality, with 60 participants.
2020 & 2021 – Launched SayWhat.tv, a news media channel educating teens on issues that matter. Partnered with NexStar Media and reached over 10K in viewers.
2021
2020 and 2021 – Designed and deployed the first-in-the-world Augmented Reality Science Fair climate change book with seven countries signed up to compete.
2021-2022 – Launched LatinXPV, assisting ten startups through a five-pillar approach and $120K in resources.
2022
- El Paso Pitch Startup Competition where ten Hispanic led startups pitched to access venture capital on May 21, 2022 at UTEP. InternBytes. com won first place. $30K in non-dilutive cash prizes was awarded to startups. Learn more here.
- LatinX EdTech Summit and Educator Awards: Bridging the Digital Divide took place on June 16, 2022 at the Starlight Event Center.
- Unicorn Academy – Entrepreneurship education in the metaverse with interactive textbook launches first version. Learn more here.
2023
- Open AI Hackathon – Ten teams competed with two startups created and $1.7 million total fundraised. Learn more here.
- Dia de Los Muertos – The third installment was a two-day event with four high school teams, seven college teams, fifteen investors, twenty startups and $50K in non-dilutive prizes awarded to startups. Learn more here.
- STTE Ventures: Launched the “STTE Ventures” program that supported 5 startups through a methodology rooted in five pillars—People, Place, Partners, Program, and Pitches. The program created 19 new jobs, a $855K fundraiser, and a $1.6M economic impact. Learn more here.
- LatinX EdTech Summit and Metaverse Teacher Awards: Bridging The Digital Divide – Awarded 8 hologram educators and awarded $20K to EdTech providers. Learn more here.
- Skills for Sustainability Launched – The first U.S. funded project by The Trust for the Americas, provides training for the water industry. In 2023 the program trained 20 and placed 13 participants in jobs in the water industry. Learn more here.
- The Inaugural Southwest Collegiate Cup – Seven college startup innovations competed in the First-ever southwest region startup cup. Colorado State University won first place with New Mexico Tech winning second. Other colleges included University of Texas at El Paso, University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, Texas Tech Lubbock, and University of Texas Permian Basin.
2024: A Year of Milestones and Impact
Industry AI Hackathons: Hosted two transformative hackathons where tech enthusiasts and industry leaders from healthcare, education, nonprofit, and energy sectors collaborated to tackle real-world challenges through artificial intelligence. These events sparked the creation of 10 working prototypes with 3 startups forming, driving meaningful advancements in these critical industries.
Startosphere AI Accelerator: Launched our proprietary AI Accelerator that dramatically accelerates the development from ideation to paying customer in 3 weeks. Created by STTE’s founder community, STTE will continue to improve the accelerator to help founders.
LatinX EdTech Summit at L’ATTITUDE: This premier annual event highlights emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in EdTech, with a specific focus on empowering LatinX communities. The summit continues to inspire and connect key stakeholders across the industry. Learn more here.
Collegiate Cup 2.0 & Southwest Startup Showdown: This dual-event platform showcased the region’s brightest talent, featuring five high school teams, seven collegiate teams, 23 startups, and over 10 investors. With $35,000 in cash prizes awarded, these events demonstrated the power of collaboration and innovation in shaping the future. Learn more here.
STTE Ventures Year 2: In its second year, this innovative program supported five high-potential startups with funding, mentorship, and unparalleled networking opportunities. The program strengthens the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem while fostering economic growth. In the programs first two years, STTE has helped ten startups fundraise $1.2M, with $514K ARR for a total $2.9M economic impact. Learn more here.
Innovision AR Career Exploration Mirrors at La Nube: Launched in August, this groundbreaking exhibit features augmented reality mirrors that provide interactive career exploration experiences. With over 110,000 visitors impacted, it has become a pivotal tool for inspiring the next generation of professionals. Learn more here.
- Skills for Sustainability: Focused on building a workforce skilled in sustainable practices, this program graduated 84 participants in 2024, with 66 successfully placed in the water industry at El Paso Water Company. The program continues to address critical workforce gaps in sustainability sectors. Learn more here.
Planning for 2025: Pioneering Innovation and Impact
STTE is excited to unveil a dynamic lineup of programs and initiatives for 2025, designed to push boundaries and create transformative change in education, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
- TechTeach: A groundbreaking accelerator program that empowers educators to conceptualize, develop, and launch cutting-edge EdTech products, fostering innovation in classrooms and beyond. Learn More
- AI in the Borderlands: A visionary one-day summit in collaboration with Carnegie Endowment of California, focusing on leveraging AI to navigate regional corridors and networks amidst complex global policy challenges, enhancing regional competitiveness and connectivity.
- Virtual Teaching Product Launch: In alignment with our new strategic vision, STTE will pioneer the design and development of an immersive AI-powered virtual teaching experience, setting new standards in education and accessibility.
- STTE Ventures: Building on the success of previous cohorts, STTE will launch its 3rd cohort of five innovative ventures. These startups will receive critical support to drive economic impact and entrepreneurship across the Southwest region.
- Enterprise-Driven AI Hackathons and AI Accelerator: Through these targeted hackathons, STTE will collaborate with the private sector to identify pain points and transform them into actionable AI-powered solutions, fostering growth and efficiency. Participants will enter into STTE’s AI Accelerator to help advance innovations into paying customers.
- Día de Los Muertos Startup Pitch Event: This end-of-year signature event will spotlight emerging entrepreneurial talent, featuring a vibrant pitch competition that celebrates innovation, culture, and the spirit of startup excellence.