Texas Robotics Collective

ProHub Comment

This is a qualitative-heavy non-profit growth case that tests the candidate's ability to analyze supply and demand constraints. The case requires candidates to evaluate infrastructure capacity (classroom/bedroom/meal availability) and calculate total costs, then make trade-offs between cost, quality, safety, and value. The financial exhibits add complexity by revealing that TRC has accumulated unspent revenue but faces risk from housing contract volatility.

Estimated Time 15 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Source Bauer
50 / 100
Your client is the Texas Robotics Collective, a non-profit organization that targets high school kids who compete in large robotics competitions. The Collective’s main operations are a two-week long summer program where high school students live in-person, typically on a college campus, and participate in daily activities helping them grow in Robotics. The Collective operates on a two student model - one student’s tuition is the cost of two students attending. Half of their students pay tuition and the other half typically come from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds, attending on a full scholarship. The staff, who are typically college students who attended as students, are all volunteers who are paid a small stipend - just enough to cover their costs. They only focus on one kind of robotics - wheeled robotics. They don’t offer services for aerial, underwater or humanoid robotics. The Collective has reached out to us for help on long-term growth strategies since they have seen their growth stagnate or fall within the last five years.

Clarifying Information

  1. They have been in operation for 15 years total and saw significant growth the first ten years but after the 10th year, growth stalled.
  2. All administration are volunteers - even Directors and Managers.
  3. Growth is measured by amount of students taught each year
  4. Their goal is to grow positively for multiple years in a row.