Syon Goel is the founder of Re-imagine Robotics and a lifelong robotics competitor whose passion for STEM and engineering was shaped through years of hands-on experience in competitive robotics. Beginning VEX Robotics in 3rd grade, Syon has competed on more than ten different teams throughout his robotics journey, giving him exposure to a wide range of engineering approaches, leadership styles, and team dynamics while helping him build extensive technical expertise and meaningful connections across the robotics community. Through his experiences, he discovered firsthand how transformative robotics programs can be for students, not only by teaching engineering and programming skills, but also by building confidence, communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities. Recognizing that many schools in his area lacked access to these opportunities, Syon founded Re-imagine Robotics in 9th grade with the goal of making high-quality STEM education and competitive robotics more accessible to younger students. Since then, the organization has grown substantially and has already impacted more than 100 students through camps, classes, mentorship, and competitive teams. Alongside his work as a founder and mentor, Syon has achieved significant success in robotics competition himself, earning numerous awards at the VEX Robotics World Championship and closely coaching a team that went on to win the VEX World Championship overall. Beyond VEX, he is also the founder of two FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams and currently competes on FRC Team 8866, where he serves in major leadership and technical roles including driver and mechanical/design lead, contributing to several competition victories. Through Re-imagine Robotics, Syon continues working to inspire the next generation of engineers by creating programs that combine technical excellence, mentorship, creativity, and real-world problem solving.
With nearly a decade of experience in the VEX Robotics community, Mini Goel has become a highly respected leader, mentor, judge, and advocate for STEM education. Beginning her journey in 2016 as a parent volunteer, she quickly developed a reputation for her dedication to students and her commitment to helping teams succeed both technically and professionally. Over the years, she has served in numerous leadership roles throughout the robotics community, including VEX Judge, Georgia Judge Advisor, Event Partner, tournament host, and even World Championship Judge. Her impact has extended far beyond her own teams, as she has mentored coaches, guided new judges, and helped students from across the country strengthen their engineering notebooks, interview skills, and overall competition readiness. Ms. Shelli Brasher, Senior Administrator of Strategic Initiatives at the REC Foundation, described Mini as “an example of service above self” and recognized her continued efforts to bring new robotics opportunities to the next generation of students. Wilbert Best, a Worlds Judge Advisor Volunteer, praised Mini’s “expertise, dedication, and mentorship,” sharing that her leadership and guidance have helped shape and inspire countless judges within the VEX community while elevating judging standards through her fairness, professionalism, and willingness to mentor others. Terri Plunk, STEM and Project Lead The Way teacher at Schilling Farms Elementary School, credited Mini’s mentorship as instrumental during her first year as a VEX coach, explaining that Mini personally worked with students on engineering notebooks and interview preparation, ultimately helping one of their elementary teams qualify for the VEX World Championship and earn a World Design Notebook trophy in their division. Known for her generosity, leadership, and passion for education, Mini continues to dedicate countless hours toward helping students build confidence, develop engineering and communication skills, and discover a lifelong passion for innovation and robotics.
Henry Van Ness
(Lead High School Robotics Technical Advisor)
Henry started robotics in 7th grade and began competing in VEX Robotics in 8th grade, when his team qualified for the World Championship. In 9th grade, he became team captain and helped build the team from its early stages. Since then, he has captained the team to three World Championship appearances, along with awards including Skills Champion, Think Award, and Design Award at Georgia States, plus awards at international Signature Events. As VEX V5 Program Head Advisor at Re-Imagine Robotics, Henry wants to help students build confidence in programming, engineering problem-solving, and competitive robotics.
Mannan Goel
(Assistant Technical Advisor: Overall)
Mannan Goel competed in VEX Robotics for four years, where he developed a strong passion for engineering and robotics through competitive success and hands-on experience. He later continued his robotics journey at Georgia Institute of Technology as a Mechanical Engineering student and was part of the university’s BattleBots team, helping contribute to a robot that qualified for the World Championship. Today, Mannan works at SpaceX as a Launch Engineer, applying the same engineering and problem-solving skills he first developed through robotics.