About me
Leon Pryor is the co-founder and President of the Motor City Alliance and Lead Coach of FRC Team 8280 (K9.0 Robotics), based at The School at Marygrove in Detroit. In just four years, he built K9.0 into a Michigan State Championship Division winner and guided the team to the FIRST Championship in 2026 — the first Detroit public high school to reach the FRC World Championship in 18 years. Leon previously coached Team Techo Phoenix (FTC 14010) to the FIRST Championship as well, marking another historic first for Detroit middle school robotics. But Leon's work has never been just about his own team. Through the Motor City Alliance, a coalition of Detroit-area organizations dedicated to expanding access to robotics and STEM education, he has worked deliberately to build the infrastructure, resources, and community that give every Detroit student a better chance to succeed. That commitment to lifting all boats in Detroit — not just his own — has earned him recognition as a Compass Award Finalist at the 2023 FIRST Championship and a Woodie Flowers Award Finalist at the 2024 Michigan State Championship.
