From our family to yours...

Black Rocket is family owned and operated. Whether you're part of a small school district or a large university, we'll treat you like family too.

Our 6 Pillars of Learning

Years ago, our very first program served as a proving ground for our beliefs, systems, principles, and practices.

  • Creativity
  • Technology
  • Make It Yourself
  • Peer Learning
  • 21st Century Skills
  • Project Based

From our founder...

In 2001, I co-founded Black Rocket with my then 9 year old daughter Sarah. We utilized cutting-edge, easy-to-use, low-cost technology to foster innate student creativity and spark self empowerment with a “make your own” philosophy.

Our first students in the program came away with practical real world experience, 21st century skills, career awareness, and individualized learning. Most importantly, they came away saying: “That’s cool!”

For 20+ years I’ve kept that trend with our students alongside my partner, Rich Ginn, an accomplished school administrator and Teacher of the Year from High Tech High, recently the number one school in the US according to US News and World Reports,

About our name? I asked Sarah what we should call our young endeavor back then. She named the company after our dog, a black Labrador named Rocket. Things really took off from there.

Bill
Founder
20 + yrs 18 + yrs 16 + yrs 14 + yrs 12 + yrs 10 + yrs 8 + yrs 6 + yrs 4 + yrs 2 + yrs 0 + yrs
Experience
7 6 6 5 4 4 3 2 1 1
Time Zones Served
# 1 # 1 # 1 # 1 # 1 # 1 # 0 # 0 # 0 # 0 # 0
in Customer Support

Our Team

EDUCATORS, INNOVATORS, DREAMERS

We are Rocketeers of the 21st Century!

Sarah

Founder & Instructor

Sarah

Founder & Instructor

Sarah might look a little young to start her own company, but she was even younger when her Dad, was considering whether or not to teach young children leading film school techniques through new, affordable technology.

He wavered, and Sarah said “DO IT”! And they did!

And that’s how Black Rocket began. She named the company after her black Labrador, Rocket.  After the company experienced exponential growth, New Jersey Business Magazine said she “may be the next Mark Zuckerberg”.

Rich

Owner

Rich

Owner

“A little bit of help…one afternoon at the most.” That was Bill’s request to Rich over fourteen years ago. Rich had no idea at the time this favor would be the start of Black Rocket’s quest to revolutionize education. Rich began his career teaching violence prevention to elementary students before going on to become recognized as “Teacher of the Year” at the #1 ranked high school in the nation. After earning dual Master’s degrees, Rich transitioned to school administration in one of New Jersey’s largest K-8 districts. In 2008, he left public education to grow Black Rocket. In the last few years the company has expanded from one location in NJ to 150 locations throughout North America. Rich continues to consult with schools and teachers on game based learning and embedded assessment.

Mike

Director of Technology

Mike

Director of Technology

What do you call the guy who believes in your young company when no one else does?  You can call him Mike.  We call him The Original Rocketeer!  “Mickey” makes our promise and our programs a reality.  As an honors grad from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Mike combines his belief in Black Rocket’s mission with academic pedigree. Whether he is working behind the scenes to program a new game engine or teaching students in our online institute, Mike is the ‘go to guy’ when we are ready to move from concept to creation.  Just as he believed in us throughout the first few years, we believe in him. More than an employee, Mike is like family.

Jen

Director of Operations

Jen

Director of Operations

Amber

Director of Turnkey Programs & Operations

Amber

Director of Turnkey Programs & Operations

Amber, or Ambo as she’s known around Fort Awesome, has a hand in many projects at Black Rocket. A known lover of travel and world cultures, she taught English abroad and Spanish in the States before joining the BR family in 2010. Amber will be the first to tell you how her past in teaching, service and sales has prepared her well for the different roles she plays at BR. When not busy preparing for the next phase in the Rocketeer calendar, she’s planning her next big adventure out in the world.

Eric

Senior Developer

Eric

Senior Developer

Jay

Assistant Director of Product Development

Jay

Assistant Director of Product Development

Clare

Assistant Director of Operations

Clare

Assistant Director of Operations

Efi

Operations Manager

Efi

Operations Manager

Ethan

Curriculum Specialist

Ethan

Curriculum Specialist

Dave R

Technologist & Lead Instructor

Dave R

Technologist & Lead Instructor

During the summer, I turn kids into game developers.

When I’m not teaching, I’m on an epic quest to find the pieces of the tri-force, defeat Gannon and save the princess (but she is always in another castle…)

Josef

Logistics & Customer Tech Support

Josef

Logistics & Customer Tech Support

Jake

eSports Personality & Hybrid Instructor

Jake

eSports Personality & Hybrid Instructor

While I’m not teaching, I’m developing games!

Brian

Sales Manager

Brian

Sales Manager

Dan

Junior Developer

Dan

Junior Developer

Jeremy

Customer Support

Jeremy

Customer Support

Every day at work, I would eat a different variation of chicken with rice for lunch. Therefore they called me the chicken man. “He is a simple man with simple needs” – Mike J

Shyam

Innovations

Shyam

Innovations

Deb

Supervisor

Deb

Supervisor

Monique

Supervisor & Instructor

Monique

Supervisor & Instructor

Cynthia

Supervisor

Cynthia

Supervisor

Katelyn

Regional Supervisor

Katelyn

Regional Supervisor

This princess of heart loves connecting with the rest of the world–sometimes by gummy ship, sometimes through Spanish, and always by making technology more accessible to students!

Tom J

Regional Supervisor

Tom J

Regional Supervisor

When I’m not working for Black Rocket, I’m usually building something or doing some basic woodworking in my garage.

Mark

Sales & Recruiting

Mark

Sales & Recruiting

Teacher, Husband, Father of Two, Tech Geek, Dog Lover, Star Wars Fanatic, Game Player

Patty

Regional Supervisor

Patty

Regional Supervisor

I love to work with kids and technology. Every learning opportunity is a enjoyable and educational for those involved.

Terrance

Lead Instructor & Esports Personality

Terrance

Lead Instructor & Esports Personality

Carmin

Instructor

Carmin

Instructor

Rodney

Curriculum Editor & Lead Instructor

Rodney

Curriculum Editor & Lead Instructor

I came here to make kids’ dreams come true and eat White Castle. And I’m fresh out of White Castle.

Joe

Curriculum Editor & Lead Instructor

Joe

Curriculum Editor & Lead Instructor

Gary

Lead Instructor

Gary

Lead Instructor

Faster than a speeding Zombie, More powerful than a Loco Creeper, Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound (in creative mode), Look, up in the sky; it’s a cave bat, it’s an ender dragon, no, it’s Minecraft Gary.  Yes, Minecraft Gary, strange visitor from another realm, who came to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal crafters.  Minecraft Gary; who can change the course of mighty rivers, Break obsidian with his bare hands, and who, disguised as Instructor Gary, a mild-mannered teacher for a great PGC School System, fights a never-ending battle for technology, education and the Minecraft way.

Stefani

Lead Instructor

Stefani

Lead Instructor

I’m an Art Teacher at an Elementary School. I love teaching and I love food. Give me fresh minds and pizza and I’m very happy.