Self-eSTEM’s Post

🌟 #WomenInSTEM Wednesday 🌟 Meet Angel Rich, the visionary founder of The Wealth Factory and Black Tech Matters, a social impact organization focused on creating diversity in STEM. 🚀💼 Angel, who’s been hailed as the “Next Steve Jobs” by Forbes and youngest African American HBCU grad to receive the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award signed by President Joe Biden, is behind some of the world’s top financial literacy products, including the groundbreaking app CreditRich, which helps users optimize their credit scores and manage their finances more effectively. Her innovative work in fintech is not just about numbers—it's about empowering communities and ensuring that everyone has access to the tools they need to achieve financial success. Angel’s dedication to financial literacy is transforming lives and breaking down barriers to economic equity. At Selfestem, we’re committed to fostering the next generation of STEM leaders who, like Angel, are using technology to create positive change in the world. By supporting young girls and women of color in STEM, we’re investing in a future filled with innovation and opportunity. Join us in helping to pave the way for future STEM leaders. Purchase your tickets for our upcoming fundraiser, "10 Years of Impact and Equity," and be a part of this empowering movement. 🎟️✨ [https://lnkd.in/gUThQ9be] #Selfestem #WomenInSTEM #Innovation #Fintech #SupportSTEM #FutureLeaders #Fundraiser #FinancialLiteracy

Today, we honor the incredible impact of organizations devoted to empowering and uplifting our community. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Black Girls Code, Project Scientist, and Big Dreams Bloom for their unwavering dedication to guiding young women toward limitless opportunities in technology. Let's stand together and support these remarkable organizations by donating and spreading the message of empowerment. Together, we can light up the path for the next generation of female leaders on this #InternationalWomensDay! Read our blog post here: bit.ly/3wUshRB. Next week we are honoring the trailblazing women during our “Women-Owned Warriors (WOW)” week. These women are revolutionizing industries and leading with unwavering strength and resilience. And here's a glimpse into who we are: We're a dynamic team, proud owners of a PR and branding agency, with roots deeply embedded in journalism. Shockingly, according to Enterie, a respected global PR network, only 30% of PR agencies are spearheaded by women. We're also the visionary minds behind Find A Rainmaker, an innovative online tool designed to unlock behavioral insights and drive revenue for companies. Join us in celebrating Community, Leadership, and Innovation as we shine a spotlight on remarkable women who are shaping the future as change-makers, journalists, and entrepreneurs! #WomenOwnedWarriors #EmpowerHer #InnovateWithWomen #SheInspires2024 #WHM2024 #InternationalWomensDay #getnoticed #getpromova #BlackGirlsCode #ProjectScientist #BigDreamsBloom

🔬I’m thrilled to kick off our September series on #ProgramEvaluation with a post about an organization whose mission strongly resonates with me as a #WomaninSTEM. Based in #Denver, STEMblazers is on a mission to inspire girls to see themselves in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers, envisioning a future where women are equally represented in the STEM workforce. To achieve this, they offer after-school programs, events, and support for students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. 📊 When STEMblazers needed to find a better way to show just how valuable their program is, we partnered with them to figure out exactly what they needed to measure and how to do it. We helped set goals, find the right benchmarks, and create tools to collect useful data. We also worked closely with chapter leaders to make sure the data collection went smoothly. Once we had all the information, we put together a detailed report that highlighted how members were experiencing the program, how well it was meeting its goals, and gave some clear suggestions for making things even better. If you’re curious to learn more about this project, you can check it out here: https://lnkd.in/giFxfJQ9 Thinking about program evaluation? Here’s a tip to get you started: 🙌 Start with a plan! Before you jump into collecting data, make sure your evaluation plan has clear goals and success criteria. Know exactly what you want to measure and why. This will help you create effective tools for gathering data and make sure your evaluation focuses on the areas that really matter. Keep an eye out for more examples of how data-driven program evaluation can make a big difference for nonprofits like STEMblazers! #Nonprofit #DataDriven #Impact #DataConsulting #ProgramEvaluation #WomeninSTEM

Excited to continue the discussion on #ProgramEvaluation! Follow Impactful Insights Data Partners this month for more success stories and helpful tips!

Some exciting news but first... When I transitioned into tech it was clear I was amongst the few - woman, Asian, and Muslim. Women make up less than 30% of the global tech workforce, the number is even smaller for minorities. Have you heard of Tech She Can? Tech She Can is a fantastic charity dedicated to inspiring and enabling all children, especially girls, to pursue careers in technology. They work closely with schools to integrate tech education into curriculums and provide free resources to make technology more accessible. The Tech She Can Champions are individuals or organisations that advocate for gender diversity in tech by promoting educational opportunities and serving as role models. I am so excited to share that I will be working on the Champions program as a Progamme Coordinator! Really excited to be apart of developing initiatives to engage and inspire the next generation of tech talent. To read more about Tech She Can and their amazing work, or to sign up to become a champion follow the link! https://lnkd.in/exiYXhUt. Please share the link to anyone who would like to sign up to become a Champion! #TechSheCan #STEMEducation #GenderDiversity #WomenInTech #FutureTechLeaders #TechForGood #InclusionInTech #InspireTheFuture #EducationMatters #DiversityInTech #TechCareers

❗0.27% of $276.7 billion❗ That is all the funding Black women founders receive in the startup world. This is a staggering statistic that highlights the urgent need for change! 🙋🏾♀️ I am a black woman founder crowdfunding The odds are daunting, but together, we can change the narrative. Will YOU be 1of the 1,000 Supporters Empowering African Women to Excel in STEM? I am on a mission to engage 1,000 champions to help bridge the gap between talent and opportunity for African Women in STEM Will you be 1 of 1000 and help me create a lasting impact? 🌍 What I am Doing I am empowering African women to take ownership of their careers, by offering programs, resources, and a supportive community so that they can reach their full potential and succeed. 💡 Why I am Doing It 🔲 Only 1% of African women in STEM have access to formal mentorship programs. 🔲 Despite clear benefits, investing in the development of these women is often overlooked due to systemic barriers. 🔲 85% of jobs are filled through networking, and about 70% of jobs are never publicly advertised. But for many African women in STEM, traditional networking falls short. Cultural and gender barriers often make it challenging to form genuine connections or leverage them. 🤝 How You Can Be a Part of This Become one of the 1,000 Supporters! Your support — contributing, sharing, or tagging friends — brings us closer to our goal. 🎁 What’s in It for You: ✔️Exclusive rewards, ✔️the chance to make a lasting impact, and ✔️the pride of being part of something bigger. Do you think I can reach 1,000 Champions? Drop a “YES!” in the comments. If you are in, contribute or share our campaign using #AWISTEMFund24 Spread the word! Let’s make history together. 🌟 ⏳The countdown is on!⏳ #AWISTEMFund24 #AfricanWomenInSTEM #SupportWomenInSTEM #JoinTheChallenge  _________________ CLICK the Link in the comments to support our crowdfunding campaign👇🏾 🙋🏾♀️ I cannot wait to update you on our supporter count! Look out for an update this Saturday!

In my doctoral defense, I noted how the realities of marginalized communities persist as corporate support for DEI wanes. The shuttering of Women Who Code further exacerbates this problem and expands the void. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can bridge the gap. ERGs are agile and have features compatible with community partnerships. 90% of Fortune 500 companies have ERGs and while no single ERG has the same reach as Women Who Code, ERGs can collectively lessen the difference in the aggregate. Many of the pieces are there so ERGs don't need to start from scratch. As unfortunate as it is to lose organizations like Women Who Code, they do leave behind an operating model that ERGs can reference when designing programming. Partnerships may be found with smaller organizations like Techqueria, a nonprofit led by Joliz Cedeño, that has an outsized and lasting impact. #employeeresourcegroups #erg #tech #nonprofit https://lnkd.in/gfCEaGj5

I tend not to talk about my childhood here because I typically draw a hard line in the sand between personal and professional, but this topic has me mad as hell. When I was seven years old, my birth brother and I were taken by human services and put into the foster care system...each with different families. He stayed in the inner city where we came from and I went out to the suburbs. That very fact changed the trajectory of our lives. What people don't realize that haven't experienced a number of socioeconomic statuses is that the difference isn't the money. It's in the exposure. You don't learn about the arts in the inner city. You don't learn what it is to work in tech. You don't get exposed to as many possibilities for your life. You're 100% in survival mode. I often think about if I would have wound up in tech if the roles were reversed and I stayed in the inner city. I suspect not. That's why I'm so angry that this DEI backlash is hitting groups that help girls and women get exposed to coding and other aspects of the tech industry. Their missions were about training and building the pipeline of QUALIFIED candidates. Did you know that by the 5th grade, girls learn that "math is for boys?" At such a young age, their possibilities and dreams start to become limited -- and that means they won't spend their formative years building towards a future that includes STEM. Please continue to support the remaining groups like Girls Who Code so they can show girls more possibilities for their lives.

As we start to draft our holiday wish list, it’s important to take a moment during this time of year to reflect on the things that we do have. The true magic of the season isn’t in the wrapped things we get, but in what we give to others and the joy that can bring. So, let’s take a step back from the whirlwind of our everyday busy lives and remember it’s the season of giving thanks. Here at EmpowHERto we are grateful for: ● Our founder, Janeen Brown. Her passion and determination has touched the lives of so many amazing young women; ● Our fabulous team of staff and volunteers who give their time to run programs for young, minority women and girls. More than anything, we are grateful for the impact EmpowHERto has made in the lives of young minority women and girls over the past year and the ripple effect it has created in our community. As a non-profit organization, giving is in our nature. Our entire mission involves giving — giving opportunities, experiences and futures to young minority women like you. We strive to empower you to achieve your full potential regardless of the barriers that stand in your way. But in order for us to continue giving, it is crucial for us to ask for your help. EmpowHERto is completely funded through donations from generous sponsors and partners like yourself who believe in the goal of empowering young women and girls to become strong, independent and confident leaders of tomorrow. Help us BuildHER future. This Giving Tuesday, give the gift of future opportunities. Your donation of $25 a month, or $300 a year, directly supports a collection of unique programming from robust data and coding initiatives to well-being and entrepreneurial skills. With your generous support, we can transform lives — provide mentorship programs to guide young women and girls toward their dreams; offer leadership training and skill- building opportunities; and create a brighter future where every girl has the tools to succeed. While $25 a month may not seem like a large sum of money, it can change the trajectory of a girl’s life. I get it, $25 a month might seem like a huge ask. If you’re wondering what you can do instead, I say spread the word. If you are unable to donate, shoot a text or share an @EmpowHERto post with a fellow gal. Direct your friends and colleagues to the EmpowHERto webpage (https://lnkd.in/gER2qUXm). Little by little, one donation at a time, we can achieve our goal of making the goals for the next generation of bright, talented young women a reality. Together, we can create a ripple effect of empowerment and opportunity. Support EmpowHERto and Build HER future! Written by Tessa Piccolo #GivingTuesday #EmpowHERto #Empowerment #SupportYoungWomen #MakeADifference

Women, women of color, and men of color are disproportionally marginalized in the workforce. For systemic reasons, we don't see as many women, women of color, and men of color in stem roles. Some of this is based on poor hiring processes like mandating hires from top Computer Science schools. Many people from historically excluded communities cannot afford an ivy league school. If they are hired, they are often forced to "assimilate" and do things "the way they have always been done." I had a client just yesterday tell me how burnt out she is. "They pay me decently, but I know I am a diversity hire. But they simply don't listen to me." If you are a white male leader, I implore you to become involved. Understand your organization's hiring practices, make suggestions, mentor & sponsor women and people of color, invest in people's professional development and make suggestions on your departments inclusion practices. We simply cannot let the little progress we have made begin to erode. If you are a woman or a person of color and you have recently been laid off or you are not getting what you need out of your career, there is a high probability that I can help. Book a free 15 minute consult with me using the link in the comments.