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Nonprofiteer
← BIODESIGN CHALLENGE INC

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by BIODESIGN CHALLENGE INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$296,222
Total expenses
$345,895
Contributions and grants received
$188,230
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$92,816
Investment income
$15,176
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$482,586
Total liabilities, end of year
$108,896
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$373,690
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$277,726
Management and general expenses
$45,295
Fundraising expenses
$22,874
Program service expenses (Part III)
$277,726

Program services were 80.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $104,480

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $83,750

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROGRAM SERVICE FEE RE

    total $92,816 · related or exempt $92,816

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $15,176 · excluded $15,176

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $95,968 · program services $76,774 · management and general $8,637 · fundraising $10,557

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $78,972 · program services $63,178 · management and general $7,108 · fundraising $8,686

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $7,222 · program services $5,420 · management and general $819 · fundraising $983

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $14,403 · program services $10,810 · management and general $1,633 · fundraising $1,960

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $10,675 · management and general $10,675

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $2,346 · program services $2,346

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $11,307 · program services $2,000 · management and general $9,307

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $6,251 · program services $5,000 · management and general $563 · fundraising $688

  • 17 · Travel

    total $1,386 · program services $1,386

  • 24a · Other expenses: EVENT

    total $79,484 · program services $79,484

  • 24b · Other expenses: PROFESSIONAL FEES

    total $26,993 · program services $26,368 · management and general $625

  • 24c · Other expenses: SUPPLIES

    total $5,928 · management and general $5,928

  • 24d · Other expenses: PERSONNEL COST

    total $4,723 · program services $4,723

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $237 · program services $237

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $490,780 · end of year $482,586

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $35,000

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $3,017 · end of year $2,364

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $99,400 · end of year $106,532

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $423,363 · end of year $373,690

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

BIODESIGN CHALLENGE IS AN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT INTRODUCES STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO EMERGING BIOTECHNOLOGIES AND ASKS THEM TO EXPLORE, THROUGH THE LENSES OF ART AND DESIGN, HOW THESE TECHNOLOGIES MIGHT BE USED TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE FUTURE.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO BRING ARTISTS, DESIGNERS AND BIOLOGISTS TOGETHER TO PRODUCE COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS

  • THROUGHOUT THE SPRING, OUR ORGANIZERS WORK WITH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE TEACHERS TO DESIGN CURRICULA; PARTNER PARTICIPATING CLASSROOMS WITH EXPERT MENTORS IN STEM, ART, AND DESIGN; AND SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH RESOURCES AND MENTORSHIP AS THEY DEVELOP THEIR PROJECTS. EACH JUNE, PARTICIPANTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC GATHER AT OUR ANNUAL SUMMIT WHERE STUDENTS SHOWCASE THEIR RESEARCH AND PROTOTYPES IN FRONT OF AN ESTEEMED JURY MADE UP OF INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA PROFESSIONALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. ALUMNI OF THE PROGRAM ENTER THE WORKFORCE WITH A DEEP ETHOS IN INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION, ENVIRONMENTALLY-FOCUSED DESIGN, AND EQUITY-CENTERED SYSTEMS DESIGN. TEAMS PROTOTYPE NEW IDEAS IN MEDICINE, TEXTILES, BEAUTY, FOOD, MANUFACTURING, AND MORE. BIODESIGN CHALLENGE BRIDGES ART, DESIGN, AND BIOTECH TO HELP DEVELOP THE FIRST GENERATION OF PROFESSIONALS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES, ANTICIPATE PROMISES AND PITFALLS, AND ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN DIALOGUE ABOUT THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF EMERGING BIOTECH.AS PART OF OUR SUPPORT FOR PARTICIPANTS, WE CONNECT TEAMS WITH OPPORTUNITIES WITH MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, INVESTORS, AND ACCELERATOR PROGRAMS. THROUGH THESE CONNECTIONS PROJECTS HAVE BOTH EVOLVED INTO STARTUP COMPANIES AND EXHIBITS AT VENUES AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL, MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, DUTCH DESIGN WEEK, NYCXDESIGN, MIT MEDIA LAB, TECH MUSEUM OF INNOVATION, RISD BIODESIGN EXHIBITION, FIT MUSEUM, THE GREGG, AMONG OTHERS. TEAMS HAVE ALSO GONE ON TO WIN PRESTIGIOUS PRIZES LIKE THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHASING GENIUS AWARD AND INTERNATIONAL BIOART AND DESIGN AWARD.

    Expenses $277,726 · Revenue $296,222

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Orkan Telhan

    BOARD PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Alison Irvine

    BOARD TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Daniel Grushkin

    BOARD SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Paul Rubbery

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $95,968
    From this org
    $95,968
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
6 May 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202601269349302210

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