Written by Mike Orie | Jun 6, 2017 4:00:00 AM
Does the name Lonnie Johnson ring a bell? He’s the inventor of the Super Soaker. The popular water gun has grossed over $1 billion in sales. Now, Johnson wants to take the resources he’s earned over the years to help fund the next generation of engineers. Johnson’s non-profit, Johnson STEM Academy Center, is helping to fund high school robotic teams and creative work facilities in the Atlanta area. Amongst the students includes a group of refugees, now turned future engineers. In just it’s second year, the team qualified for the worldwide competition in Texas. Born in Birmingham, Alabama during the height of the civil rights era, Johnson, a former NASA rocket scientist, had an “AHA” moment while designing a water pump. It would change his life and lead to the invention of the Super Soaker. Take a look at his interview below.