Dean Kamen, Founder
Dean Kamen is known to many people as the inventor of many modern products, such as the Segway, the first insulin pump, and the iBOT, an electric all-terrain wheelchair. He founded FIRST in 1989, with the goal of inspiring high school students everywhere to explore science and technology. In just a few years, FIRST has grown from a tiny organization with just 28 high school teams to a renowned worldwide competition that reaches over 200,000 students of all ages. He is also the founder of DEKA Research and Development, whose mission is to "foster innovation." However, FIRST remains one of his proudest accomplishments.
Dr. Woodie Flowers, Co-founder
Dr. Woodie Flowers is the FIRST Executive Advisory Board Chairman and the Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He specializes in engineering design and product development, and participates in the design of the FIRST Robotics Competition game every year. He coined the term "Gracious Professionalism™", a cornerstone of FIRST philosophy, which emphasizes the value of respecting individuals and the community, and prizes high-quality work.
Dave Lavery, Game Design Committee
Dave Lavery is well known in the FIRST community as a member of the FRC Game Design Committee. He is also the Program Executive for Solar System Exploration at NASA Headquarters, and is very involved with the development of the Mars Exploration Rovers.