Juice Works 3D was conceived by founder Andrei Dacko after winning a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams STEM product-design grant with a group of his former high school students in 2009.

Their product invention - a new and improved version of the student desk - and the story behind their efforts to solve this wicked problem were so impactful that they were featured in the award-winning film “InvenTeens”.

This ignited Andrei’s desire to make his brand of education - human-centered, design-based programs for future innovators - accessible to kids everywhere and, in so doing, unleash their creative and inventive capacity (aka “Juice”) to launch the Next Generation of Leaders, Creators, and Entrepreneurs.

Since it’s inception in 2019, and with the help of its partners, Juice Works 3D Innovation Academy has reached hundreds of students in in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond with its learn-to-innovate programs and continues to serve aspiring innovators of all ages, from all backgrounds, in both urban, and rural, settings.

Our Future Innovators Lab progression (Explorer → Creator → Innovator → Launch) equips students with the technical expertise, creative problem-solving skills, and entrepreneurial mindset needed to thrive in today’s fast-changing world.

Graduates emerge with professional portfolios, practical experience, and the confidence to launch their own startup, step into employment with leading companies, or excel in university programs.

Through our affiliated ventures — Shenandoah Innovation (product design & rapid prototyping), Interactive 3D (immersive digital experiences), and others — our innovators gain real client-facing experience and access to the Innovator Talent Exchange, a curated platform connecting top talent with forward-thinking employers, startups, and universities.