Mark Rober
Mark Rober is an American YouTuber, engineer, inventor, and educator. He is known for his YouTube videos on popular science and do-it-yourself gadgets. Before becoming a YouTuber, Rober worked as an engineer at NASA for nine years, where he spent seven years working on the Curiosity rover at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He later worked for four years at Apple Inc. as a product designer in their Special Projects Group, where he authored patents involving virtual reality in self-driving cars.
Early life and education
Mark Rober was raised in Brea, California, the youngest of three siblings. He graduated from Brea Olinda High School in 1998. He became interested in engineering at a young age, making a pair of goggles that helped avoid eye irritation while cutting onions. Rober graduated from Brigham Young University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He later earned a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California in 2014.
Career
Mark Rober joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2004. He worked there for nine years, seven of which were spent working on the Curiosity rover, which is now on Mars. He designed and delivered hardware on several missions, including AMT, GRAIL, SMAP, and the Mars Science Laboratory. While at NASA, Rober was one of the primary architects for “JPL Wired,” which was a comprehensive internal system.
knowledge capture wiki.[6] He published a case study about applying wiki technology in a high-tech organization to develop an “Intrapedia” for the capture of corporate knowledge.[7]
Science communication
While at NASA, Rober began making viral videos. His videos cover a wide variety of topics, including creative pranks, escape room challenges, and non-invasive ways of filming animals in zoos. He also frequently promotes and advocates for science through his content.
In October 2011, Rober recorded his first YouTube video, showing a Halloween costume that used two iPads to create the illusion of seeing through his body. The “gaping hole in torso” costume video went viral, receiving 1.5 million views in one day. The following year, Rober launched Digital Dudz, an online Halloween costume company based on the same concept.
The company generated $250,000 in revenue in its first three weeks, and by 2013 the costumes were sold in major retail stores. The costumes were widely featured across major news and entertainment channels. He later sold the company to a UK-based costume company in 2013.
In December 2018, Rober posted a video showing how he tricked parcel thieves with an engineered contraption that sprayed glitter, emitted a foul odor, and captured video of the thieves. The video went viral, receiving 25 million views in one day. Rober later removed two of his related videos.
The five incidents caught on tape were later reviewed after it was discovered that two of the individuals involved were actually friends of a person he had hired to help catch the package thieves. Rober posted a follow-up video in December 2019 featuring an improved version of the device, and released another follow-up a year later with a third version.
While designing these devices, Rober collaborated with other creators and various authorities to use the bait packages as a way to track and stop money mules and organized scam operations. These efforts were part of a larger online movement to raise awareness about scams and help prevent people from becoming victims. The videos contributed to the shutdown of several scam operations and the arrest of multiple individuals involved.
CrunchLabs
Rober is the founder of CrunchLabs, an educational technology company he launched in 2022. The company creates hands-on STEM learning experiences and subscription box services known as CrunchLabs Build Boxes that include building projects and engineering challenges for children.
Philanthropy
On October 25, 2019, Rober and Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast) created #TeamTrees, a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $20 million by the end of the year.
Later, on October 29, 2021, Rober and Donaldson launched another environmental initiative.
They created #TeamSeas, another fundraising campaign with a goal of $30 million. The funds were used to remove millions of pounds of debris and trash from the ocean through nonprofit environmental organizations.
Finally, on August 1, 2025, Rober and Donaldson created #TeamWater, a third fundraiser with the goal of raising $40 million to help provide clean drinking water. The campaign aimed to give millions of people access to safe and clean water.
Personal life
Rober moved to Sunnyvale, California, in 2015. He is an advocate for autism awareness and has supported efforts to help families affected by autism. In April 2021, Rober co-hosted a live stream that raised $3 million in support of autism research and support programs.
He is divorced.[47]
Awards and nominations
In 2021, Rober was awarded STEM Personality of the Year and later named an Honorary Fellow in recognition of his contributions to the engineering profession. He also delivered the 2023 commencement address at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2024, Rober received the FIRST Robotics Competition Founder’s Award for his efforts to expand access to STEM education and robotics programs.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 8th Streamy Awards | Science or Education | Mark Rober | Nominated | [52] |
| 2019 | 9th Streamy Awards | Won | [53] | ||
| 2020 | 10th Streamy Awards | Learning and Education | Won | [54] | |
| Nonprofit or NGO | Team Trees (Mark Rober and MrBeast) | Won | |||
| 2021 | 11th Streamy Awards | Science and Engineering | Mark Rober | Won | [55] |
| Nonprofit or NGO | NEXT for AUTISM’s Color the Spectrum LIVE[a] (Mark Rober and Jimmy Kimmel) | Won | |||
| 2022 | 26th Webby Awards | Webby Film & Video Person of the Year | Mark Rober | Won | [56] |
| 12th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Nominated | [57] | ||
| Science and Engineering | Won | ||||
| Collaboration | Mark Rober, Jim Browning, and Trilogy Media[b] | Won | |||
| Social Good: Creator | Team Seas (Mark Rober and MrBeast) | Won | |||
| Brand Engagement | Won | ||||
| Social Impact Campaign | Nominated | ||||
| 2023 | 13th Streamy Awards | Science and Engineering | Mark Rober | Nominated | [58] |
| Creator Product | CrunchLabs | Nominated |
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