"See a Need, Fill a Need."
Mr. Bigweld
A Question in the Aftermath
HELPING ENGINEER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
In 2020, the world was shaken by COVID-19, and our way of seeing daily life changed. By 2023, after experiencing both the joy and the hurt of robotics, a question arose in the minds of our soon-to-be Handlers, a question that everyone ponders eventually: What is the point? We had already seen robotics as a niche where young minds, especially those who struggled to belong elsewhere, could thrive.
Yet we had also witnessed teams rise and fall—burned out, mismanaged, or left without support.
People First
HELPING ENGINEER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
TOGETHER
In 2024, three founders, The Strategist, The Banker, and The Mech Wizard, decided that the key wasn’t just robots. It was people. Students, mentors, families; everyone needed a support system for a team to survive. We set a new goal: the only thing you need to do robotics is to want to do robotics.
From the start, The H.E.I.S.T. adopted an immersive, crew-style culture. Operatives, Handlers, and briefings became our language. Everyone would have their moment to shine, the freedom to fail, and the pride of belonging to the inner circle. What started as a theme became our culture.
Culture In Action
HELPING ENGINEER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TOGETHER
From the start, our people-first culture drove everything. We built members as well as machines, teaching 'heisty' skills like lock-picking alongside game strategy, building a modular shop we could set up or vanish as needed. We saw the team as a deck of cards: a single card can play a cool trick, but you need a full deck to play the game.
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Season One:
Belonging Across Borders
HELPING ENGINEER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TOGETHER
Our student captain joined during an exchange program, and when he returned home, we extended our idea of belonging across the ocean—to the Czech Republic. Soon, two overseas Operatives were part of our crew.
Enter Reefscape: 2 international members, 2 with FRC experience, 8 brand-new agents, and 5 mentors determined to build the strongest kitbot known to humankind—Scuba-Doo.
At States, we rose from 21st in the ranks to Rookie All-Star champions, punching our ticket to Houston. With just five days to secure flights, we shipped our robot, transformed our pit from “business front” to “lost-and-found airport stash,” and had an unforgettable run on and off the field—culminating in Rookie All-Star for the winning Newton Division.
We came back tired and spent, but proud. We partied. We sent our envoys home. But not without a commitment: to uphold our culture.
Since then, we’ve been building a telepresence robot, welcoming new Operatives and Handlers, and preparing for our next mission: Age.
