2021 STARS Hall of Fame

Chip and Ken Gracey

Founders and leaders of Parallax, Inc

Garfield ES | Winston Churchill MS | Mira Loma HS

Brothers Chip and Ken Gracey are the co-founders and driving force behind Parallax Inc., a Rocklin-based company that has shipped over a million educational robots worldwide. Together, they’ve empowered students across the globe to explore STEM through hands-on robotics and coding.

Chip, the company’s founder and Chief of R&D, is a self-taught engineer and microcontroller designer. His journey began in SJUSD’s computer programming class at Winston Churchill, followed by a high school business building hardware for the Commodore 64. Today, his innovations include the Propeller 1 and 2 multicore processors used in medical, robotics, and industrial technologies.

Ken, Parallax’s CEO, champions hands-on learning and served for seven years applying Parallax kits in local classrooms. With degrees from American River College and UC Davis, he also earned his CTE credential to better support educators. He fondly remembers SJUSD’s shop classes for sparking his curiosity and love of problem-solving.

From humble beginnings in SJUSD classrooms to global impact in STEM education, Chip and Ken Gracey exemplify innovation, persistence, and passion for learning.