Mouser Electronics has released its latest Mouser Talks Tech video episode with renowned inventor Dean Kamen, founder of FIRST®. In this exclusive interview, Kamen talks about the impact of FIRST in inspiring students and fostering growth in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.
The Mouser Talks Tech videoseries shares perspectives from experts across the electronics industry, as they discuss the latest in technology, emerging trends, product innovations, and more. Future videos include interviews with Team HUGE combat robots, manufacturing partners, and electronics experts.
Kamen sat down with Mouser Director of Marketing Communications Heidi Elliott in a wide-ranging interview to discuss engineering, innovation and developing the workforce of the future. He stressed the importance of inspiring students early in life – giving them a window into the future, which will be driven by technology. In STEM, “there are millions of career opportunities out there for kids that are developing the skill sets at this young age, doing what they’re doing now,” Kamen said. “If in six weeks, they can take a pile of stuff and solve a complex, competitive problem and make it work, what could they do in six months, six years, or a career of six decades?” To watch the exclusive interview, visit https://www.mouser.com/first/#videointerview.
Since 2014, Mouser has been a major supporter of FIRST as the organization that inspires innovation and fosters well-rounded STEM and life skills in hundreds of thousands of young people. “Since our founding, education has been a main facet of Mouser’s mission,” said Kevin Hess, Mouser’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “FIRST gives students their first taste of innovation; it gives them a chance to learn valuable engineering skills, and an opportunity to build character and self-esteem.”
The interview occurred in Houston, Texas, during the 2025 FIRST Championship, where Mouser was the registration sponsor. The 2025 FIRST Championship gave more than 18,600 youth from 58 countries worldwide the opportunity to solve engineering challenges through a series of robotics contests. Mouser was also a major sponsor of the 2025 FIRST in Texas/UIL State Robotics Championships, also in Houston. Mouser supports FIRST teams across its community, providing grants for local high school teams.
To learn more about how Mouser supports FIRST, visit https://www.mouser.com/first/.
