New charitable foundation and hands-on robotics, software, and STEM lab to operate from Plug and Play Foundation’s Innovation Lab, offering immersive learning and industry events
Plug and Play LLC, a global innovation platform and venture capital firm known for being an early investor in companies launching game-changing startups like PayPal, Honey, and Dropbox, announced today the launch of the Plug and Play Community Foundation. The foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization under Code Section 501(c)(3). and is dedicated to empowering the next generation of technology entrepreneurs. Plug and Play will support the foundation with an initial $1 million, and the foundation is also seeking financial contributions from individuals and corporate donors.
The foundation will run out of the Plug and Play Foundation Innovation Lab, a dedicated space that will offer hands-on learning opportunities for STEM students to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs. Set to open in the fall of 2025, the lab includes a hands-on area for robotics and hardware innovation, giving participants opportunities to learn about various robotics processes through real-time device interactions with robotics hardware from leading startups and tech corporations. It will also include an ideation and software hub for coders and aspiring entrepreneurs to work with the latest tools for development and design.
Bay Area nonprofit organizations supported by the foundation include 10,000 Degrees of San Jose, Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School, Foundation for a College Education, Hack the Hood, Oakland Lacrosse League, StreetCode Academy, and The Hidden Genius Project, along with several other organizations. Plug and Play Foundation is planning multiple activities in collaboration with these nonprofits, leading up to one to two-day-long summer camps in 2026 to gather youth and aspiring entrepreneurs together in the Bay Area, and other initiatives designed to engage local communities. This includes raising travel funds for individuals to travel to Silicon Valley for immersive learning and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The foundation aims to develop an ecosystem of collaboration among these nonprofits to amplify their impacts across the broader Bay Area community, with the goal of expanding the program to other U.S. cities in the future.
“At Plug and Play Foundation, we believe that the world’s most transformative ideas can come from anyone, anywhere,” said Dominique Reese, Executive Director of the Plug and Play Foundation. “Our goal is to ensure that individuals from all backgrounds, especially those historically excluded from the innovation economy, have access to the tools and support they need to thrive. While our first-year focus is in the Bay Area, we have bold plans to expand our activities throughout the United States in the coming years.”
The foundation’s work is anchored by three core pillars:
Empower – Nonprofit & Small and Medium-Sized Business Innovation
- The foundation connects small businesses and nonprofits to the startup ecosystem to enable mission-driven and technology-forward organizations.
Access – Economic Empowerment
- The foundation empowers people of all ages with a pipeline to success through skills, resources, and support services needed for lifelong career growth.
Impact – Innovating for Good
- The foundation backs social impact-driven entrepreneurs with tailored programming and investment opportunities to solve real-world problems through innovation and purpose.
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