Founded 2026 · Miami / Fort Lauderdale, FL
They decided to build the bridge.
Dr. Gonzalo Seisdedos and Dr. Maria Karla Sotolongo didn't plan to start a STEM academy. They planned to change what academia looks like, and somewhere along the way, they realized that meant starting much earlier than college.
Mission
To close the gap between where students are and where they are capable of going, through Ph.D.-led instruction, real-world mentorship, and a community built on the belief that preparation is the most powerful form of confidence.
Vision
Our vision is to have a United States where the gap between high school and higher education is no longer a barrier — because students who walk through our doors leave with the knowledge, the confidence, and the network to go anywhere they choose.
How we teach
We believe the most transformative learning happens not in front of a whiteboard, but in the space between a student and an educator who remembers exactly what being a student felt like. Sessions are tailored to each student — their current curriculum, upcoming exams, and long-term academic goals.
Our story
Gonzalo and Maria Karla met during their doctoral studies, where they trained under the same advisor and built something rare in academic circles: a genuine, productive partnership. Over the years, their collaboration grew beyond the lab. Together they bridged research, industry, and academia; connecting the rigor of scientific inquiry with the practical demands of professional life. Along the way, both took on roles that went well beyond their own degrees. They mentored undergraduate students, served as academic advisors, and opened doors to real-world internships that gave young people their first glimpse of what a career in STEM actually looks like from the inside.
That work lit something up. Because the students who thrived weren't always the ones with the best grades; they were the ones who had someone in their corner who understood the path and believed they could walk it.
In early 2026, Gonzalo and Maria Karla sat down with their doctoral advisor for the kind of conversation more professionals should be having. Not about publications or funding or the next conference, but about a gap they had all watched quietly widen for years: the distance between what high school prepares students to expect and what higher education actually demands of them.
They decided to build the bridge.
Launchpad STEM Academy was founded on the belief that the instruction that changes a student's trajectory isn't found in a worksheet or a franchise curriculum, it's found in the kind of mentorship that only comes from educators who have lived the full journey themselves. From the undergraduate classroom to the doctoral defense. From the research lab to industry. From students to colleagues to founders.
If you're a student who wants to close the gap between where you are and where you're capable of going — or a parent looking for more than a test score bump — you've found the right place.
We built Launchpad for you.
Who we serve
Grades 6–12, plus college and gap-year students for Resume Review, Interview Preparation, and Internship Referral.
Who we are
Dr. Gonzalo Seisdedos RodriguezCo-Founder · B.S. Mechanical Engineering; M.S. and Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, Florida International UniversityDr. Gonzalo Seisdedos Rodriguez is an engineer and co-founder of Launchpad STEM Academy. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a M.S & Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Florida International University (FIU). He was a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) — one of the nation's premier federal research institutions — with a focus on non-destructive evaluation, a field dedicated to assessing the integrity of materials and structures without causing damage. At LANL, he also helped recruit and mentor engineering student interns, an experience that shaped his belief in the power of the right guidance at the right time. He brings that same commitment to every student at Launchpad STEM Academy.
Dr. Maria Karla SotolongoCo-Founder · B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Florida International UniversityMaria Karla Sotolongo is the co-founder of Launchpad STEM Academy. After completing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Florida International University, she knew her passion was to help others pursue their STEM career. While working as a Research Coordinator at a university, she advanced research and mentored undergraduate and graduate students. She detected a gap between the academic field and students; Launchpad was created to bridge this gap. Maria Karla's aim is to help and educate students pursue their goals and give them the greatest chance of success.