Joshua Neubert

Joshua Neubert is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Competition Sciences (ICS), a position he has held since the organization's founding in October 2012. Based in San Francisco, California, Neubert established ICS to leverage the power of competitions and prizes to enhance science, technology, and education. Under his leadership, ICS has organized significant initiatives, including workshops at the White House and partnerships with various organizations such as NASA and the National Science Foundation, resulting in over $14 million in award funding for educational competitions.13

Neubert has a strong background in aerospace exploration and education, holding both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Planetary Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His academic focus included lunar and Martian resource utilization, which aligns with his passion for space exploration.24 Prior to founding ICS, he was the Executive Director of the Conrad Foundation, where he developed the Spirit of Innovation Awards, a program aimed at engaging high school students in science and entrepreneurship.23

In addition to his role at ICS, Neubert has been involved in various educational and incentive prize initiatives, including the Night Rover Challenge, which collaborates with NASA and the Cleantech Open.2 His work emphasizes the importance of challenge-based learning and aims to create a coordinated system for educational competitions, similar to what ESPN does for professional sports.3