The MassTLC Tech Top 50 celebrates tech companies and leaders across the region who have made a significant impact in the community during the past 12 month. This year, we are excited to recognize winners across 11 categories: Business Accomplishment, Environmental Impact, Leadership, Mosaic (for DEI leadership), Social Responsibility Impact, and the Technology of the Year categories: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Tech, Consumer Tech, Cybersecurity, Healthcare Tech, and Robotics.
Forty-nine honorees were chosen across these categories, with the final recognition, the Commonwealth Award, given to industry pioneer and co-creator of the spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin. View the full list of Tech Top 50 winners, here.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing more about each of the recipients to spotlight their accomplishments and their impact on customers, partners, employees, and the broader community.
Today, meet iRobot®, one of this year’s honorees for Social Responsibility Impact.
iRobot®, the leading global consumer robot company, designs and builds the world’s most thoughtful robots and intelligent home innovations that make life better. iRobot created the home robot cleaning category with the introduction of its Roomba® robot vacuum in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold more than 40 million robots worldwide. iRobot’s product portfolio features proprietary technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation. Leveraging this portfolio, iRobot engineers are working to build an ecosystem of robots and smart home devices to help consumers make their homes easier to maintain and healthier places to live.
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What program(s) have you created/supported in the past year (since May 2021) that have made a meaningful impact toward social responsibility?
Our STEM program has formed a number of partnerships around the US with groups serving youth in underrepresented areas. We have provided those partners with our Root coding robot, training and interactive activities for these students to learn coding. We continue to provide monthly check-ins, activities and will be connecting them with a variety of industry partners to learn about career opportunities in STEM.
What measurable success has this program(s) achieved (this can be qualitative and/or quantitative
As this is a long term commitment, we will be seeing their progress in coding over time. In April, for National Robotics Week, we will bring them together for a coding competition. That competition will include an oral presentation where we can hear more of their experience, what they learned and insights into their growth. But, seeing their coding at the competition, as well as the social -emotional skills they gain will be a good measure.
What does it mean to be recognized with the other Tech Top 50 honorees?
It’s exciting to be recognized. We have been working in the STEM outreach area for over 12 years and will continue to share our passion for STEM. Hopefully we can inspire others to do the same.
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Congraulations to iRobot®!
