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Draft:Lift and Shift Foundation

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  • Comment: The sources provided are not independent of Tom Smoot or his organization(s). Reconrabbit 19:46, 10 June 2024 (UTC)


Lift & Shift Foundation
Founded2017
TypeNonprofit organization
HeadquartersNew York City
Location
  • New York, NY
Area served
Nationwide
MethodEducation, Hands-on Experience
President
Tom Smoot Jr
Websitehttps://www.weliftandshift.org

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

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Lift & Shift Foundation earned their tax exempt status in 2018[1] classified as a non-profit that provides educational services classified with the B90[2] code under the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities[3] (NTEE). The nonprofit is a product of NYU's Veterans Future lab.[4] ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer lists Thomas Smoot Jr as the organization's president[5] along with historical IRS 990 filings that show the nonprofit's annual revenue since 2018 has never exceeded $9500.

Founder

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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.[6]

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,[7] Military.com,[8] and NAMI[9] for his advocacy and support of veterans' issues. Smoot also founded Project Biotech, a tech-based health startup.

Programs

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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,[10] and HighschoolHires,[11][12] a job board with employment opportunities exclusively for high school students[13]. 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[14] in a co-sponsored program.

Awards

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GuideStar Platinum rating

References

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  1. ^ "Lift and Shift Foundation | Charity Navigator Profile". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  2. ^ "Lift and Shift Foundation - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  3. ^ "National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) Code Categories". nccs.urban.org. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  4. ^ "17 Startups Join NYU Tandon's Veterans Future Lab Apex Program". www.epicos.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  5. ^ Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, Brandon (2013-05-09). "Lift And Shift Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 2024-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Don't be afraid to ask for help". www.maketheconnection.net. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  7. ^ "Thank You For Your Service to Our Country. Now What?". Popular Mechanics. 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  8. ^ "Excuses and a Recurring Nightmare, Brought to an End by Medals and Heroism". military.com. 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  9. ^ "Advocating for Veterans' Mental Health Gave Me a New Purpose in Life". National Alliance on Mental Illness. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  10. ^ "Lift & Shift Foundation Internship at Empowerly". empowerly.myjboard.io. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  11. ^ Foundation, Lift & Shift. "CAD for 3D Printing & Beginner Arduino Projects". Lift and Shift Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  12. ^ "A job board for high school students". HighschoolHires. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  13. ^ "A job board for high school students". HighschoolHires. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  14. ^ "Social Good and Environmental Stewardship at Project Biotech".

[1]

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