Moonshot Thinking with Moonshotkidz
Moonshotkidz is an exciting new startup that is “currently producing arts, crafts and content” related to “DIY electronics, STEAM, and science activities for beginners.” A gallery of boundless creativity, a vibrant well of inspiration, the interactive works of Moonshotkidz are a feast for the eyes.
The founder of Moonshotkidz, Irina Rymshina, is a modern day Renaissance woman with a resume that will positively blow your mind! One of the newest additions to the Chibitronics Design Team, Irina is probably best known for her colorful and accessible reels and video tutorials that combine art with technology in a surprising, whimsical way! She makes STEAM learning look simple, doable, and absolutely fun!
Read on to learn more!
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have really enjoyed reading books since I was a little girl and I loved to draw with colored pencils. By the time I was finishing high school, I explored enrolling in an art, design, or architecture school, but I didn’t find any opportunities.
I got a scholarship to study economics and finance and took that path. After graduation, I worked as an economist in an engineering multinational corporation, completed an MBA in Information Technology Management and worked as an operations manager in a multinational IT software company. By that time, I was actively involved in the startup ecosystem, supporting different entrepreneurs with finance, business development, project management and fundraising. That is when I got a scholarship to participate in the Graduate Studies Program at Singularity University in Silicon Valley, focused on innovation using the tools of exponential technologies like Artificial Intelligence, 3D printing, etc.
The corporate founding partners of Singularity University were Google, Autodesk, IDEO, LinkedIn, the X Prize Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation, and Genentech, so we had a really hands-on approach to the use of technologies. I got really involved in innovation, entrepreneurship, prototyping, and the incubation of startups.
I have worked as a co-founder and team member in many tech startups since, as well as teaching entrepreneurship and innovation for executives and MBA programs.
How did you start creating such innovative educational content for young people?
I got married with my partner of more than15 years and had a baby boy, and got fully engaged into his learning process and was devouring all available books, resources, tools and toys related to creativity and STEM.
As I began engaging in educational STEM activities and playing together with my child, I reconnected with my inner child, and re-ignited my passion for drawing, arts and crafts. I realized I was really enjoying myself and getting inspired everyday to learn more, to read more, to create more, to use more tools and materials. I was really having fun and sharing these special moments with my son and my husband.
This is when I started to share my arts and crafts projects on social media and created Moonshotkidz, a project aimed to inspire people around the world to experiment with Do-it-Yourself (DYI) electronics and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities for beginners.
You create a lot of content, which is not always easy to do. How do you come up with new ideas? What is your secret?
I don’t really have a secret. I just get an idea and execute it. Sometimes, I am not confident or happy with my final project, and I get surprised by the positive response from my followers, because they really like it.
On other occasions the opposite happens, when I am able to execute a creative idea but the project does not get any traction on views or comments. But most of the time, I am just inspired by my surroundings, something I read in a book or online, and the ideas cross pollinate and feed from each other.
When some of my content gets traction in the millions of views, I am always surprised, but I enjoy the process of creation, because it is fun, entertaining and a way for me to express myself and relax.
What is your vision for Moonshotkidz?
I want Moonshotkidz to encourage individuals to embrace their inner child and engage in playful experimentation with new tools and supplies, fostering creativity, curiosity, and lifelong learning. I believe that STEAM education integrates the arts into the STEM subjects, promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation through interdisciplinary approaches.
By incorporating the Arts into STEM fields, STEAM emphasizes creativity, aesthetic appreciation, and the application of artistic principles in scientific and technical contexts, nurturing well-rounded individuals with diverse skills and perspectives.
Moonshotkidz aims to encourage educators, teachers and parents to participate in STEAM activities together with their students and their children as a way to spend quality time together by learning and communicating in a safe, fun and creative environment.
How did you discover Chibitronics?
As I was looking for supplies and materials, I found Chibitronics, with an amazing variety of products like LED lights stickers with different colors and effects, conductive tape in copper and fabric, light sensor stickers, and others. I started to use them in my projects.
I was shocked a few months later when I was contacted by Chibitronics inviting me to become part of the Chibitronics Design Team! The Chibitronics team has been so supportive of my ideas and opportunities, and really validates the true spirit of the open innovation process between companies and people.
What challenges have you encountered while creating engaging STEAM projects that appeal to children?
One of the challenges in this field is how to make the equipment, devices, tools, materials and supplies safe for children. Even though my target [audience] are adult teachers and parents, I understand that these are excellent activities to be done together with children at school or at home with their families, so I always include the appropriate disclaimer that all projects should always be created under adult supervision. But there are valid concerns regarding the materials, particularly coin cell batteries, because there may be younger siblings and toddlers who might grab them without permission. So safety is definitely the number one priority for me.
What are your plans for the future?
Looking into the future, I am currently brainstorming the idea of writing a Moonshotkidz book and am in the ideation stage to create a startup company to offer my community a new product or service that will support the vision of Moonshotkidz, inspiring more people to awaken their inner child, have fun, be creative and makers with STEAM together with their families, students and their communities.
Where can people learn more about you and your work?
So during my Moonshotkidz journey, I have discovered that there are millions of people around the world who share the same passion for STEAM as me. My social media channels in Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Patreon, X (formerly Twitter) have grown organically to more than 400,000 followers, with millions of viewers who comment and share my projects and get inspired to create amazing projects too. Along the way I have been receiving many collaboration requests from more companies that produce STEM materials, supplies, equipment and toys, wanting to use their products and services in my projects and share them with my community.