As the founder of a solar development company, John Forgash is used to having the word “energy” associated with his name. But after meeting him and his wife Karla, you would be struck by how much the word describes them as a whole.
Because they have energy! For innovation. For education. For philanthropy.
And they focus that energy to best support the causes that matter most to them: providing education opportunities for students around the world. Their financial support to Seeding Labs takes this commitment to a global scale, because they are helping to energize whole institutions in developing countries with scientific equipment.
Karla was first introduced to Seeding Labs through her position as Supplier Marketing and Relationship Manager at Neta Scientific, Inc. Neta has supported Seeding Labs with equipment donations since 2015, and as of 2025, they have helped to strengthen the scientific infrastructure at 85 academic departments in 27 developing countries.
In her role with Neta, Karla was instrumental in connecting the team at Seeding Labs with the sales team, helping to source high-quality equipment for our Instrumental Access program. She quickly found a fondness for the overall work Seeding Labs does, especially to help improve education and workforce training abroad.
“When I began working with Seeding Labs through Neta, I was impressed with their global approach,” says Karla. “I thought it was a more innovative way to strengthen education in developing countries, which is something I’m passionate about. It’s exciting to make such a global connection.”
Though he initially only knew of Seeding Labs because of Karla’s work, John immediately understood why she felt so connected to our mission. Helping people help themselves is an ethical commitment he takes seriously. His alma mater, Notre Dame, offers two scholarships in the Forgashes’ names, both for supporting student research.
“It’s special to help jumpstart something for a group of people who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to shine,” he says. “It’s kind of like providing a miracle in a very short amount of time. It leads to curiosity. It brings communities together to learn.”
In 2024, they made a five-year pledge to support Seeding Labs with a major gift, helping to energize our work supporting scientific institutions abroad. It is the kind of long-term, substantial investment that provides stability to a nonprofit and affirms our mission’s importance.
Their support has allowed Seeding Labs to enhance the equipment we offer through the Instrumental Access program, which provides the kind of opportunity that the Forgashes so treasure. To date, 219,233 students have greater access to scientific equipment because of Seeding Labs. This includes 4,590 graduate students who can finish their theses and dissertations on their home campuses instead of shipping samples abroad or traveling to labs hundreds of miles away.
With every new student, expanded lecture, or completed thesis, energy for science and innovation increases at these universities. It builds well into the future, helping to attract more resources, more funding, and more opportunities.
To use John’s word, it is a special kind of “miracle,” one that the Forgashes are certainly energized to play a part in.
