Business Spotlight

August Business Spotlight

Spark Lab Robotics and Coding

Step inside Spark Lab Robotics Academy in Lake Forest and you’ll find students exploring robotics, coding, and hands-on technology projects in a space designed to spark creativity and problem-solving. From building robots to writing simple code, Spark Lab offers practical, engaging programs for children aged five to fifteen.

At the heart of Spark Lab is founder Mohamed, whose nearly two decades of experience in software engineering at companies like Microsoft and Google gave him a deep understanding of the tech industry-but left him wanting more. Despite a successful career, Mohamed felt unfulfilled, which led him to pursue an MBA and explore a new path: teaching. He began by volunteering to teach a remote programming course in Kentucky, and later spent time as an AP Computer Science teacher in Costa Mesa. Through those experiences, he discovered a new passion: introducing young students to the world of programming and robotics in ways that are accessible, exciting, and fun.

That passion led to the opening of Spark Lab Robotics Academy, located in Lake Forest. Mohamed chose the city deliberately, recognizing it as a community where families value education and where opportunities for early STEM exploration were limited. Spark Lab now fills that niche with programs that make technology approachable for even the youngest learners.

At Spark Lab, students can choose between two educational tracks: robotics or programming. In the robotics track, kids build, code, and refine their own robots, learning mechanical design and problemsolving along the way. In the programming track, students explore coding languages like Python and Java, developing their own games and applications. Programs are offered year-round, with after-school classes, weekend workshops, and summer camps available.

What sets Spark Lab apart is not just its curriculum, but its people. Mohamed is proud to emphasize that every instructor combines technical expertise with real experience working with children. The result is a team that knows how to teach complex ideas in simple, engaging ways-something Mohamed sees as critical to helping students not just learn, but thrive.

The academy space itself reflects this same attention to detail. Inside Spark Lab, students work at stations designed to encourage collaboration and creativity, whether they’re programming a game or wiring up a robot. Every corner of the space is built to support hands-on learning. Looking ahead, Spark Lab hopes to grow its offerings, including building a competitive robotics team and partnering with local school districts to expand robotics and programming education in the area.

Families curious to explore what Spark Lab has to offer can sign up for a $35 trial class, where students are introduced to coding or robotics in a supportive, small group environment. As a special thank you to the community, those who mention this spotlight can receive a free introductory class. Spark Lab Robotics Academy is more than a place to learn coding or build robots. It’s a space where curiosity leads to innovation and where kids discover what they’re capable of creating.