Draft:Lift and Shift Foundation

The Lift & Shift Foundation is an American non-profit organization focused on advocating for inclusion in science and technology. The foundation provides inclusive pathways in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Through hands-on internships, virtual makerspaces, and collaborative programs, they aim to bridge gaps and foster innovation.

History
Lift & Shift Foundation earned their tax exempt status in 2018 classified as a non-profit that provides educational services classified with the B90 code under the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE). The nonprofit is a product of NYU's Veterans Future lab. ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer lists Thomas Smoot Jr as the organization's president along with historical IRS 990 filings that show the nonprofit's annual revenue since 2018 has never exceeded $9000.

Founder
Tom Smoot, a decorated veteran of the United States Army, serves as the CEO and founder of Lift & Shift. In the Army, Smoot served in the Special Operations community as a Civil Affairs Non-Commissioned Officer. After being diagnosed with PTSD, he left the military ranks and later earned degrees in engineering.

In addition to leading Lift & Shift, Smoot is an advocate for veterans in science and technology. He is a frequent speaker on veteran transition, accessibility in STEM, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Smoot has been featured in Popular Mechanics, Military.com, and NAMI for his advocacy and support of veterans' issues. Smoot also founded Project Biotech, a tech-based health startup.

Programs
The Lift & Shift Foundation offers a variety of STEM education programs. Their signature program, Battle of the Bots (more details needed), focused on hands-on robotics activities. In response to the pandemic, the Lift & Shift Foundation expanded its offerings to include STEM education programs for students.

Lift & Shift also offers an Internship Program for high school students, in collaboration with Empowerly, a college admissions counseling company. This program empowers high school students with a passion for STEM through hands-on experiences, mentorship, and resources to support career exploration in research, medicine, and science communication. Internship tracks include academic research in recreational therapy, generating reports on veteran advocacy issues, and contributing to health and wellness projects with Project Biotech in a co-sponsored program.

Awards
GuideStar Platinum rating