November 14, 2023 – Stanford, CA – Sofie Roux, a sophomore in sustainable architecture and engineering at Stanford, started BloomBox Design Labs to eliminate barriers to high-quality STEAM and design education for secondary school students in Africa and around the world.
Each BloomBox uses solar power, upcycled shipping containers, a patented retractable solar roof system, multi-media education technology, and a design-thinking approach to local production and customization to create welcoming and inclusive educational spaces to pursue this goal.
“We need to harness the creative problem-solving power of our world’s girls. I wanted to create a space for students to invent and learn, and grow together, supported by the best resources. BloomBoxes are thoughtfully designed, sustainably and locally built, and set to scale. I am so excited to bring these spaces to more brilliant and inspiring students.,” says Sofie Roux, CEO and founder of BloomBox Design Labs.
BloomBox Design Labs has already created such spaces in urban, rural, and remote off-grid environments, including a large refugee camp in Southern Africa, and serves thousands of students and education systems.
The company has taken a rigorous approach to evaluating benefits, analyzing both the use and academic impact of the STEAM labs. With a new round of investment and a revenue model, which will sell BloomBoxes and solar roof systems in North America, the company is ready to move quickly toward the goal of eliminating disparities to high-quality educational opportunities in STEAM and design fields.
“I am so excited to announce the launch of SuperBloom knowledge network- a web app for high school students at BloomBoxes in Malawi, and in Canada and the US, starting with my high school in Vancouver, to connect and ask questions about what they are learning in a video format. These videos will be supported by resources from university students, and the network will be supported by Starlink Internet, going live at labs this winter! This is a moment for ideas and creativity to come to full bloom.,” says Sofie Roux, CEO and founder of BloomBox Design Labs.
She also plans to build a North American assembly line to sell BloomBox technology for off-grid settings commercially to sustain the implementation of BloomBoxes in Malawi on a large scale. “I’ve learned everything I know about sustainable global development and entrepreneurship from this process and team. We are just getting started,” Roux said.
To date, BloomBoxes have been funded through sales of Sparkly and SmART—a whimsical social enterprise for girls’ education founded by Sofie Roux. The most recent investment drives BloomBox Design Labs forward, furthering Sofie’s mission to make high-quality education accessible through powerful design.
About Sofie Roux
Sofie Roux is the visionary Gen Z Founder & CEO of BloomBox Design Labs, transforming education through innovation. Sofie’s journey began long before her current sophomore status at Stanford University, where she studies civil engineering and architecture. It all started with “Sparkly and Smart,” an art enterprise that remarkably raised $300,000 to support girls’ education. Today, through her revolutionary BloomBoxes ingeniously crafted from repurposed shipping containers, she’s reshaping education in Malawi by crafting vibrant STEAM learning environments. Sofie’s accomplishments, underscored by her impressive achievements, reflect her unwavering commitment to women’s education. Her impactful work has earned her recognition and coveted speaking engagements at TEDx events, where she shares her inspiring story. Sofie’s mission is to make high-quality education accessible through powerful design. A true Gen Z leader, she advocates for change and a beacon of hope.
About BloomBox Design Labs
BloomBox Design Labs is a groundbreaking educational initiative on a mission to transform learning spaces through powerful and sustainable design. They’ve pioneered the creation of innovative, solar-powered STEAM education labs, known as BloomBoxes, creatively adapted from shipping containers. These cutting-edge learning environments are adaptable and accessible, empowering students in Malawi with high-quality education opportunities. Through strategic collaborations with government ministries, NGOs, private sector partners, and the UNHCR, BloomBox Design Labs is on a path to scale their impact by installing a remarkable 70 additional BloomBoxes across Malawi. This commitment to design innovation and strategic partnerships underscores their dedication to revolutionizing education for underserved communities. Watch What it takes to bloom | BloomBox Design Labs (short film) to learn more.
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