About Us
We founded RGA Design in 2022 out of our desire to continue bringing excellence to students participating in robotics education and competitions. We have worked together on designing, producing and implementing high quality VEX Robotics Competition and VEX IQ Challenge events since 2014. When our full-time work pivoted away from leading competitions, we discovered a desire to share our art with the robotics community. Our mission is to help students, coaches, event partners, and volunteers commemorate the game. Every year brings a new challenge and personal growth through failure and success for those participating in this robotics community.
As an event partner and designer, our best work was a short stretch from January 2020 to March 2020 where we produced our two main events: VEX Night at the Museum (NATM) and the Virginia State Championship.
Night at the Museum
NATM 2020 was our best event where we wanted to both celebrate the student talent in the VRC and inspire them to pursue STEM. By creating the #ToughestTournament and having them compete in a museum dedicated to feets of engineering, we accomplished our goals following NATM19 where we moved the event to the nearby Dulles EXPO Center due to a federal government shutdown.
Virginia State Championship
States20 was the product of many years of incremental improvement, and we finally maximized the venue for Virginia teams. Our approach to work is incremental improvement to tailor each activity to the audience and venue within the scope of work. We helped develop the model for state championships leading Virginia’s since 2015, and now play a supporting role.
Josh Labrie, Founder & Owner
Josh earned B.S. in Chemistry and Master of Teaching degrees at the University of Virginia, where he was involved in engineering education through the Minorities Introduction to Engineering Program, St. Anne’s Belfield Summer Enrichment Program, and the Virginia Department of Transportation Research Council. This exposure to engineering education influenced his 9-year tenure teaching chemistry and physical science in Prince William County Public Schools where he started robotics clubs at Marstellar Middle School and Patriot High School.
During his teaching years he developed a robust summer robotics camp program with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). In 2012 he joined NOVA as the program manager of NOVA SySTEMic, the college’s STEM program to expand regional capacity for STEM talent in northern Virginia. Now Director of NOVA SySTEMic, he leads a team in STEM Outreach, supports the development of Information and Engineering Technology pathways, and maintains a portfolio of NSF and private grants to support STEM and CTE in the region.
His first robotics season was in 2007-2008 participating in FTC Quad Quandry followed by participation in VRC as a mentor to his school clubs. In 2010 his middle school team competed in Clean Sweep Worlds in Dallas, and in 2014 he volunteered at VEX Wolds as a division manager for Toss Up. Josh lives in Culpeper Virginia where he supports Culpeper Robotics by coordinating their local VRC and VIQC events.
Bryce Lenon, Founder & Owner
Bryce began his career in Los Angeles as a professional actor, author, director, producer, and teacher, guest-starring on numerous nationally broadcast shows. With PR & Marketing experience promoting regional premiers and nationally touring plays for his production company, he relocated to Virginia in 2012 and now brings his speaking, writing, graphic design, leadership, and networking skills to the STEM arena as the PR & Marketing Manager of NOVA SySTEMic.
Raised in both England and California. Bryce holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a master's degree in acting from Temple University. In addition to his work at NOVA SySTEMic, Bryce teaches Communication and Acting classes as an Adjunct Professor at both NOVA and GMU.
Bryce's first robotics event was Prince William County's Roboticon in 2013.