Our mission

We challenge, inspire, and teach technology skills to students with potential - empowering refugee and underserved youth to achieve success, garner influence, and gain stability in their families and communities.

Our vision

Our vision is to ensure students succeed with opportunities. We’re building a community to empower underserved youth with skills for the future.

Our goals

We support and empower students to foster a life-long interest in STEM.
We help students identify their goals and create applicable steps to achieve those goals. 100% of our students graduate high school with a plan for professional development in place.

Who We Are

Pi515 is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering underserved teens and refugees, offering them 100% free programs to develop essential skills in computer science, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Our mission is to create opportunities for a brighter future by providing comprehensive education and valuable work experience with fair compensation. By nurturing their talents, we are fostering a community of empowered, confident, and self-sufficient youth, ready to make a positive impact in the world.

Today

We provide engaging, enriching, and challenging curriculum to over 150 students annually. There is a place for every student, regardless of background, in our curriculum.

Our story


Pi515, founded and led by Nancy Mwirotsi, is an innovative organization committed to championing the rights of underserved individuals, with a particular focus on refugees, young women, and people of color. With a firm belief in the transformative power of opportunity, Nancy Mwirotsi has dedicated her life to creating avenues for success.

At Pi515, our programs are designed to promote diversity in STEM careers, bridge the digital divide, and fortify the talent and technology pipelines in Iowa. We firmly believe that by providing equal access to education and technology, we can empower individuals to reach their full potential and contribute to a more inclusive society.

Since our establishment in 2014, Pi515 has proudly witnessed the graduation of hundreds of students from our program. These talented individuals have not only completed high school but have also embarked on their educational journey in STEM fields at the secondary level. Through our unwavering support, guidance, and resources, we strive to equip our students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the ever-evolving world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

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Our team

     Nancy Mwirotsi
Founder & Executive Director
Luke Rohe
Program Manager
Maya France
Data & Systems Development Intern
Jenna Olson, our Graphic Desgin Intern
Jenna Olson
Graphic Design Intern

2023 Summer Interns

Ealaf Adam Summer Intern
Ealaf Adam
High School intern
Advik's intern photo
Advik Bajpai
High School intern
Marlowe Gerhart our Summer Intern
Marlowe Gerhart
High School intern
Mikayla Jensen our Summer Intern
Mikayla Jensen
High School intern
Fardowsa's Intern Picture
Fardowsa Mohamed
High School intern
Anirudh Soni our Summer Intern
Anirudh Soni
High School intern
This is Daniel Gamboa
Daniel Gamboa
High School intern
Sujal our 2023 summer intern
Sujal Pokhrel
High School intern

Our board of advisors

Nicholas Gerhart

President

EVP and Chief Innovation Officer at Homesteaders Life Company

Vinodh Sankaranthi

Vice President

Global Fintech Leader at John Deere Financial

Sarah Young

Treasurer

Corporate Strategy at Chevron Renewable Energy Group

Anika Yadav

Secretary

Student Advisor Waukee High School Student

David Hensley

Executive Director at John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center

Luke Stadtler

Web Developer at ClientCiricle

Megan Manteaw

Delivery Manager at Workiva

Diana Wright

Startup Community Builder at Greater Des Moines Partnership

Nancy Mwirotsi

Founder and Executive Director at Pi515

Awards and recognitions

2023
Iowa Department of Human Rights: The Iowa Commission on the Status of African-Americans
2022
Women in Business Champion of the Year: Nancy Mwirotsi I Iowa Small Business Administration
2021
Entrepreneurial Support Organization of the Year finalist | Startup Iowa Awards
2020
Nation of Neighbors | Royal Neighbors of America
2019
Iowa Affiliate Educator Award | National Center for Women and Information Technology
2019
Catalyst Award | Technology Association of Iowa
2018
Courage Award Finalist | Inspiring Women of Iowa
2017-2018
Team Member Iowa Computer Science Standards Review
2016
Participant White House Conference on Inclusive STEM Education for Youth of Color
2016
Des Moines Register’s 15 People to Watch
2015
STEM Champion finalist; Diversity Champion finalist; Entrepreneurship Innovation nominee Iowa Women of Innovation