Our Mission
Spellbound Bots works to make STEAM education accessible and engaging at a young age!
We strive to inspire and empower the next generation of STEAM leaders through inclusive, hands-on programs that focus on competitive robotics as a catalyst to lifelong learning.
We also use robotics to bring joy and learning to kids facing chronic and critical illness.
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Our Work
We bring interactive, hands-on robot battles to Maker Faires, conventions, and other community events to inspire interest in robotics. We provide encouragement and resources to help kids begin their journey as robot builders.
We also travel the country displaying Witch Doctor and HyperShock and interacting BattleBots with fans!
We present for a variety of audiences, such as schools and conventions. We aim to use the popularity of the TV show to ignite fans' engineering curiosity!
Our Story
SpellBound Bots was started by competitors on the TV show BattleBots (Discovery Channel, Max). Due to the popularity of the show, we've received many messages from young fans looking to start building robots of their own.
In many cases, these kids did not have robotics programs they could join at school. Others found the options boring or "too hard." We set out to create accessible and engaging robotics programs to ignite a life-long love of learning.
Our Programs
Community Outreach - We promote STEAM education for girls and other minorities in science and engineering through outreach, hands-on activities, workshops, mentorship, and scholarships. We aim to increase confidence by building skills and experience.
Robots for All - We are working to increase accessibility to robotics regardless of income or physical ability. We strive to develop adaptive solutions that are inclusive to a wider range of abilities.
Access to Competitions - Competition is a catalyst for innovation! We host free robotics competitions open to competitors of all ages and backgrounds. Competition divisions are designed to help students advance in their development as they gain experience.
Robots Battle Hospital Blues - We work to bring unique and engaging experiences to children undergoing medical treatments and battling chronic illness. Through our hands-on and fast-paced robot battles, we work to inspire imagination, foster social interaction, enhance mental health, and bring joy to children and their families during a difficult time.
Our Board
Executive Director
Andrea Gellatly
Andrea has 20 years of experience in combat robotics, winning a number of national titles. She is captain of Team Witch Doctor on the TV show BattleBots. She has presented for a variety of audiences, including VEX Worlds, Kennedy Space Center and the Pentagon. She also serves on the board for the Maker Effect Foundation.
Andrea has worked as a research and development engineer focusing on medical devices for upper extremity trauma for 11 years and has been awarded several utility patents. She received her BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami.
Vice President
Mike Gellatly
Mike grew up aspiring to be an engineer since he was very young. He has developed a wide range of fabrication skills, such as CNC machining and TIG welding. He has been building combat robots since 2005, winning various national titles in multiple weight classes. In his spare time, he builds and competes across Florida with his drift car.
He is currently developing robotic surgery products, after working in orthopedics for 10 years. Prior, he developed a 3-wheels vehicle for Scorpion Motorsports. Mike received his MS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Miami.
Board Member
Paul Grata
Paul Grata is an experienced design engineer with more than 20 years of experience assisting and mentoring in the educational robotics community. Originally drawn to robotics events during high school, Paul has organized competitions and mentored individuals and teams throughout his professional career.
Paul has spent time working with animals at organizations such as Friends of Greyhounds and assisting with youth development through class engagement and community outreach. Paul received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Florida International University.
Board Member
Rick Pease
Coming Soon!
Board Member
Jennifer Villa
Jennifer Villa is a Director of Product at Grafana Labs, leading product for the distributed databases powering their observability platform. She began her career as a microprocessor engineer at Intel before transitioning into product management, where she worked on developer tools for AI/ML data labeling and model training at Cruise and Determined AI.
Growing up in Miami, Jen developed a passion for technology early on- starting with model rockets and later participating in her high school's combat robotics program. With degrees in Computer Science (Duke) and Business Administration (Standford), she brings both strong technical and strategic lenses to her work.
Board Member
Will Bales
Coming Soon!