21 In April 2018, high school junior “Ava,” who competed on an NYC FIRST robotics team, won the prestigious Dean’s List Award, the top individual honor in the nation for robotics. She was one of 10 winners out of 25,000 eligible students. Ava has an exceptional talent for engineering and robotics, but as a girl from a low-income immigrant neighborhood in Queens, she might never have discovered that talent if she hadn’t attended an NYC FIRST STEM Center course made possible, in part, by Dan DeWolf, Chair of Mintz’s Technology Practice. “One of the wonderful things about New York City is its tremendous private/public partnerships. Here, the tech community partnered with the city’s public schools to expand science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by providing resources to underserved schools,” Dan said. Dan’s friend Michael Dubno, formerly Chief Technology Officer at Goldman Sachs and an NYC FIRST board member, was among the first to help launch a new initiative to provide local high school students with an aptitude for STEM with opportunities to develop their interests and skills. Early on it was decided that the new STEM initiative would live under the NYC FIRST umbrella, expanding the organization’s original mission—providing robotics programs and competitions for grades K-12—to encompass a broader approach to bringing STEM opportunities to under- served schools and communities as well as groups underrepre- sented in STEM fields. The team envisioned STEM Centers in centralized locations across the city that would offer science and technology courses, access to labs, and hands-on training and experience. Dubno and another friend, Michael Zigman, Chief Executive Officer of NYC FIRST, approached Mintz for legal assistance. “I told them Mintz would be delighted to help,” Dan said. Mintz attorney Rachel Gholston helps NYC FIRST ensure compliance with regulations, particularly nonprofit fundraising guidelines. She also drafts agreements, waivers, and releases for the program’s volunteers and participants. “I love being able to support an organization that’s passionate about providing opportunities to students in the New York area, especially students who might not otherwise have access to this type of STEM education,” Rachel said. Mintz attorney David Alin provides real estate counsel. Last year he negotiated the lease for NYC FIRST’s new STEM Center at the Cornell Tech engineering campus on Roosevelt Island, a premier innovation hub for technology companies and professionals. “Speedy and helpful advice from David and others at Mintz allowed us to move forward quickly and make the most of that strategic leasing opportunity,” said NYC FIRST CEO Zigman. The Center opened in September 2017 and provides state-of-the-art labs and equipment to create and assemble robotics. “It’s our flagship space,” Zigman said. “It’s wonderful when we can use our legal skills to promote a great cause,” David said. STEM training through NYC FIRST is already taking lives in new directions. Ava intends to study engineering and robotics in college, starting in the fall of 2019. Big Apple Students Turn to STEM “To have Mintz as a true partner has been invaluable as we try to run our nonprofit organization and pursue our mission. The firm has been helpful in so many ways, both strategic and tactical.” Michael Zigman Chief Executive Officer NYC FIRST