The National Science Institute

The National Science Institute (NSI), previously known as The Geek Group, was a not-for-profit educational organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan with over 50,000 members around the world.[1] The NSI sought to provide opportunity for all people through programs designed to foster lifelong education, vocational access, and creativity in technology.[2] The group opened to the public on January 1, 2014.

The National Science Institute
AbbreviationNSI
Formation1994 (1994)
FounderChris Boden
Founded atGrand Valley State University
ExtinctionDecember 31, 2018 (2018-12-31)
TypeNGO
Legal status501(c)(3) Non-profit
PurposeEducation
Location
  • Grand Rapids, MI
Formerly called
The Boehemian Brothers, GeNext! & The Geek Group

The organization closed on December 31, 2018 following a sealed search warrant executed by the United States Department of Homeland Security and three other federal agencies.[3]


History

The organization was started in 1996 at the Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan as a group of friends, experimenting with university surplus equipment. They grew over a few years into a small company, The Geek Group, leasing a building in Grand Rapids at 344 Ionia Ave SW. The Geek Group later moved to Kalamazoo and became a federally certified 501(c)(3) non-profit company.[4] In early 2010 the Kalamazoo County Treasurer seized the organization's headquarters, which was then located in Kalamazoo Township, Michigan a suburb of Kalamazoo, MI after the organization refused to pay property taxes. The back taxes amounted to over $100,000[5][6] The organization appealed; however, the appeal was denied.

The organization moved back to Grand Rapids in December 2010[1] a 43,000-square-foot (4,000 m2) facility situated on Leonard Street NW, dubbed The Leonard Street Labs.[7] On January 2, 2014, a fire partially destroyed the organization's High Voltage Lab, and deposited soot all over the lab. A grub screw on a Tesla coil rotary spark gap was not tight enough, resulting allowing a tungsten electrode to move out of its socket and strike one of the stationary electrodes. This resulted in a chain reaction with molten tungsten being flung from the spark gap unit, which caused a nearby capacitor array to catch fire and subsequently melt. From preliminary analysis, Project Gemini (a 200,000 watt Tesla coil demonstration) looks to be the originating cause, and completely destroyed, and Project Thumper (a high impulse generator) was damaged. The fire was so hot it melted aluminum racks. Although no one had been hurt, the building was closed to the public once again for repairs.[8][9]

On December 21, 2018 numerous federal and local law enforcement entities executed a search warrant at the organization's headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI. The search warrant remains under seal by court order, however law enforcement told news reporters the search warrant is a part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Michigan State Police, IRS, Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Grand Rapids Police were on scene.[10][11] On December 31 the organization announced that it was closing down:

As of Noon today, 31 December 2018 the collection of weirdos that began as The Bohemian Brothers, that evolved into the group called GeNext!, that began the company called The Geek Group, and eventually The National Science Institute will formally shut down operations to the public.

and stated that the institute was a labor of love but it could not generate enough funding to pay its bills.[12] On January 5, 2019, Chris Boden, the founder of the organization, was described as saying that the raid took place "because he was commercially trading in crypto-currency without the proper authorization", and that he believed he was facing prison. On Sunday January 6 he stated that on the advice of his lawyer he would make no further comment.[13]

Sponsors

The organization was sponsored by many companies, the majority of them small businesses local to the organization, but also some larger companies such as Rustoleum. The Group supplemented this donation income by charging for some research and development services.[14]

YouTube popularity

The organization ran a YouTube channel, serving as an extension of their digital education program. As of 2018, the channel had over 94,000 subscribers and 650 videos.[15] In addition to technical tool training videos, the channel regularly produced several educational video series, including equipment autopsies, machine tutorials and 'Your Dinosaurs Are Wrong'—a series describing how toy dinosaur models are usually incorrect.

gollark: Sure?
gollark: Troubling.
gollark: How does it interact with OpenResty's whole non blocking IO thing?
gollark: Interesting, thank you.
gollark: Lua/Lapis-using entities of computercraft, is there a way to use SQLite with Lapis?

References
  1. "Geek Group Inc". GuideStar. 20 June 2018. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018.
  2. "Mission Statement – The Geek Group". thegeekgroup.org. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
  3. "GR tech group blames fed search fallout for shutdown". 24 Hour News 8. December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  4. "Exempt Organizations". IRS. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  5. Inc., Midwest Communications. "Does Group Owe Taxes". AM 590 WKZO. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  6. By. "Tax-exempt Geek Group hit with huge tax bill". Hackaday. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  7. Radigan, Mary. "Geek Group is renovating former West YMCA as new headquarters". MLive. Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  8. "Fire At The Geek Group". Hack A Day. January 3, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  9. "Fire damages Geek Group in Grand Rapids". WZZM13. January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
  10. "Grand Rapids tech group raided by feds". The Grand Rapids Press. December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  11. "Search warrant executed at The National Science Institute". 24 Hour News 8. December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  12. "Tech center, once the 'Geek Group,' shuts down for good after raid". MLive. December 31, 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  13. Deiters, Barton (January 5–6, 2019). "Geek Group founder discusses criminal investigation". WoodTV. Retrieved 6 January 2019.CS1 maint: date format (link)
  14. Dwyer, Dustin (1 February 2010). "Geek's Dream Lab Could Create Jobs in Michigan". NPR.
  15. "thegeekgroup". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
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