Build & prototype
Students construct physical mechanisms, sensor rigs, and digital environments that respond in real time.
NYC - Founding Beta Class
Alpha Builder Club
The ABC of the Future
AAI & Adaptive Logic
BBuilding & Robotics
CComputational & Systems Thinking
A founder-led technology masterclass for ambitious young builders ages 12-14. Students build real systems, prototype with robotics hardware, and showcase working projects.
First class: Saturday, September 26, 2026 · 10:30 AM-4:00 PM · $199 per student
3
Working systems
Every student leaves with a portfolio-ready build story.
12
Students per cohort
Small group size by design, with more mentor time.
1
Take-home robot
A sound-controlled mechanical system students keep.
15
Minute momentum
Each sprint starts with something that moves, reacts, or lights up.
The Accelerator Framework
This is not a traditional coding camp.
There are no generic kits, passive lectures, or copy-the-instructor projects. Alpha Builder Club is an immersive systems lab where students build physical hardware, experiment with AI-inspired behavior, and learn how engineering, creativity, and invention connect.
Experiment & debug
Constraints become data. Students test, revise, and learn the engineer's rhythm of iteration.
Collaborate & showcase
Teams present actual working projects and explain how the system behaves, fails, and improves.
Why It Exists
Most kids' tech classes teach recipes. We teach invention.
Students move from core concepts to ambitious projects across robotics, automation, sensors, physical computing, generative systems, and spatial computing.
The goal is not simply teaching technology. The goal is helping students realize: I can build the future too.
One Cohort. One Future.
A focused builder lab for ages 12-14.
Ages 12-14
The Alpha Builders
For curious, creative students ready to move beyond beginner STEM experiences and explore robotics systems, AI-inspired interactions, creative coding, and environmental intelligence.
- Visible progress through movement and immediate feedback
- Design decisions framed like real engineering tradeoffs
- Hardware, software, and environment as one system
- Demo-ready presentation coaching
The 15-Minute Rule
Confidence comes from momentum.
Every sprint is designed so students see something move, react, light up, evolve, or respond within the first 15 minutes. Small wins stack quickly into the confidence needed for bigger technical challenges.
The Pilot Projects
3 sprints. 3 working systems.
Each sprint blends a concrete build with a larger systems-thinking concept.
AI Creature Arena
Students create a digital creature that evolves and reacts based on live light, sound, motion, and environmental sensor input.
Generative systems
Environmental intelligence
Mixed-Reality Holographic Studio
Students build a holographic projection experience with acrylic materials, optical principles, custom visuals, and spatial display techniques.
Spatial computing
Interactive design
Sound-Controlled Mechanical Systems
Students build a responsive mechanical system using motors, sensors, sound-triggered interactions, and programmable logic, then take it home.
Sensors
Automation
Take-home project
What Students Learn
Beyond robotics, students practice founder-grade thinking.
Systems thinkingHow hardware, software, and environment interact.
Creative confidenceTurning intimidating ideas into functioning systems.
Problem solvingRedefining failure as data through debugging.
CollaborationExplaining technical concepts clearly to teammates.
Founder mindsetTechnology as something students can create, not just consume.
Saturday, September 26, 2026 · 10:30 AM-4:00 PM
The first full-day builder lab, ending with a parent showcase.
Arrival, Welcome & Environment Setup
Sprint 1: AI Creature Arena
Interactive Team Challenge
Lunch & Social Break - pizza and refreshments provided
Sprint 2: Mixed-Reality Holographic Studio
Founder Check-In & Technical Reset
Sprint 3: Sound-Controlled Mechanical Systems
Demo Day Prep & Presentation Coaching
Parent Arrival Window
Demo Day: Parent Showcase + Founder Fireside Chat
Class Concludes & Pickup
Students present what they built, how it works, what challenges they solved,
and how they approached the design process.
Meet Your Instructors
Learn from people who actually build technology companies.
James Steinberg
YC Robotics Founder & Engineer
A robotics engineer, Y Combinator alumnus, and exited deep-tech founder specializing in autonomous systems, robotics, and applied engineering.
Monika Kochhar
Two-Time Tech Founder & Operator
A serial entrepreneur, executive operator, and former Wall Street structured products specialist focused on creativity, systems thinking, and confidence-building.
Founding Beta Class · September 26, 2026
Apply for a spot.
Founding beta tuition is $199 per student. Tuition includes all materials, electronics, custom hardware, lunch, snacks, refreshments, Demo Day, and direct founder-led instruction.
Specialized materials
Take-home hardware
Parent showcase
NYC area
Parent FAQ
Common questions.
Does my child need prior coding or robotics experience?
No. The workshop is designed for curious students of varying technical backgrounds.
Is this too advanced?
No. Each sprint is structured around visible progress, intuitive logic, and guided experimentation.
Will students work individually or in teams?
Both. Students get individual engineering time and collaborative team challenges.
Is this a recurring class?
The first one-day immersive workshop is Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Future dates may expand into advanced AI and robotics programs.
For Schools & Enrichment Teams
Bring a builder lab to your after-school program.
Alpha Builder Club partners with schools, PTAs, enrichment directors, and community programs to run hands-on robotics and AI-inspired engineering labs after the final bell.