Podcasts about black women in stem

Send us a textToday on Black Women Amplified, we're diving into the extraordinary journey of Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant—wildlife ecologist, storyteller, and history-maker. She's breaking barriers as the first Black woman to host Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, stepping into a space long dominated by white male adventurers and making it her own.Dr. Wynn-Grant's love for the wild started young, but the road to getting here wasn't easy. In her powerful memoir, WILD LIFE: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World, she takes us from her city roots in San Francisco and Norfolk to the most rugged, breathtaking landscapes on the planet. Her story is one of perseverance, passion, and purpose—a reminder that nature belongs to all of us.We'll talk about the challenges she's faced, the impact of her work, and what it means to forge your path in a world that often says you don't belong. This is a conversation about resilience, representation, and the deep connection between humanity and the natural world.So, get ready to be inspired. Let's amplify her voice and celebrate this incredible journey together.Have you been developing your big idea to make an impact on the world but don't know what comes next? At Monica Wisdom Consulting, we center your vision and work to create a clear, concise, and strategic plan. You can build all your dreams; you just need a roadmap to get there.If you're ready for your next step, book a call, and let's talk about your vision and your future. Visit www.monicawisdomhq.com.Support the showMonica Wisdom Global is a consulting agency for women entrepreneurs. We help you build a business aligned with your vision, voice, and values. To learn more visit www.monicawisdomhq.comThank you for your support Got Merch? Pick up your Black Women Amplified tee shirts and caps. www.blackwomenamplified.com

Today we're highlighting all of the accomplishments of Cynthia Chapple, and her organization Black Girls Do STEM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Profit Talk! In this show, we're going to help you explore strategies to help you maximize profits in your business while scaling and creating the lifestyle that you want as an entrepreneur. I am your host, Susanne Mariga! I'm a CPA, a Fractional CFO, and a Certified Profit First Professional Mastery Level providing tax strategies to 7 and 8-figure entrepreneurs. Let's dive into strategies to maximize profits in your business!  Join me as I chat with Avis Yates Rivers, CEO of Technology Concepts Group International (TCGi). Avis shares her journey of growing a multi-million-dollar company and her passion for increasing diversity in tech. Discover insights from her book, Necessary Inclusion, and learn about the TCGi Foundation's mission to support Black women in STEM. For more information, visit technologyconcepts.com, tcgifoundation.org, and avisyatesrivers.com. Visit my FREE Facebook Group, The Profit First Masterclass, where I'll be sharing additional exclusive trainings to members of the community.   If you're excited about what's next for your business and upcoming episodes, please head to our itunes page and give us a review! Your support will help me to bring in other amazing expert interviews to share their best tips on how to powerfully grow in your business!  DISCLAIMER: The information contained within these videos is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute, an accountant-client relationship. While we use reasonable efforts to furnish accurate and up-to-date information, we assume no liability or responsibility for any errors, omissions, or regulatory updates in the content of this video. Any U.S. federal tax advice contained within is not intended to be used for the purpose of avoiding penalties under U.S. federal tax law. 

Erika Jefferson is the President and Founder of Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE), an organization focused on bridging the leadership gap for Black women in STEM. She received a MBA from Georgia Tech and a BS in Chemical Engineering from LSU.Learn more about BWiSELead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erika Jefferson stands at the intersection of leadership, innovation, and advocacy in the STEM world. She is the President and Founder of Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE), an initiative born out of the need to bridge the leadership gap for Black women in STEM fields. Erika's academic foundation, with a BS in Chemical Engineering from LSU and an MBA from Georgia Tech, set the stage for a career that spanned various roles and cities. Having worked at industry-leading companies like Amoco, BP, Chevron, and Praxair, Erika's roles have ranged from sales and business development to supply chain and operational functions. Her professional journey, taking her to locales from Chicago to Houston, echoes her adaptability and breadth of experience. Through BWISE, Erika channels her insights and experiences to support and uplift Black women in STEM, addressing both the challenges they face and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Imagine walking into a lab, classroom, or a meeting, and being the only Black woman in the room. This is a reality for many of us in the field of STEM. Currently, only 2% of STEM jobs are held by Black women. Unfortunately, some of us end up leaving due to feelings of isolation, mistreatment, and a lack of opportunities. However, there are organizations working tirelessly to change this narrative.Meet Dr. Kilan Asad-Bishop and Teressa Alexander, the co-founders of STEMNoire ! After a fateful phone conversation in 2019, they founded STEMNoire and began recruiting a team of Black women in STEM to build a community for us, by us. Since then, STEMNoire has grown into a global research and wellness community that convenes Black women and non-binary people in STEM to foster community, facilitate collaboration, and enhance personal and professional outcomes. STEMNoire hosts an annual conference where attendees across the globe are able to leave with targeted personal and professional development resources necessary for resilience in STEM education and the workforce.Tune in to learn more about why STEMNoire was created, how to join, and details on their upcoming conference!! Word on the street it's coming to Washington D.C next year!! Get Connected with STEMNoire: IG/Twitter: @stemnoire Website: stemnoire.org Download the STEMNoire mobile app on Google Play or the App store! Questions or Feedback? Email: wininstempodcast@gmail.com Follow the podcast on IG: @thewininstempodcast Beats by Femi, IG: @fe.astro --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/win-in-stem/support

We've learned so much about the planets outside our solar system in the past ten years, and we're poised to learn even more. What kind of life could live on eyeball Earths, and other types of tidally locked worlds? To find out, we asked Aomawa Shields, astrophysicist and author of the science memoir Life on Other Planets. Plus Aomawa talked to us about why burnout is such a huge problem for Black women in STEM. Show notes: www.ouropinionsarecorrect.com/shownotes

Ever wondered why many black women decide to stay in an industry that is not welcoming? Our guest, Margery Sendze, Organizational Culture Influencer, Leader, Industrial and Organizational Psychologist shares her own experience and research. Tune in to discover: ✔️Why it's easy to lose confidence in oneself as an outlier women of color ✔️How to stay motivated to stay in an industry where there is little minority representation ✔️The importance of finding a noble purpose to follow through   ✅ Request A Customized Workshop For Your Team And Company:  http://assertiveway.com/workshops   ✅ Find Margery Sendze: https://thepeoplechampion.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/margery-sendze-ph-d-a5885b1/ Instagram: drmargesendze   ✅ Follow Ivna Curi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2/     ✅ Other Episodes You'll Like: Amplify Your Voice, Amplify Your Impact: How to Speak Up and Make a Difference at Work  Smashing Stereotypes: How To Confront 5 Common Biased Assumptions About Women at Work Why Women Are Blamed For Team Failures And Don't Get Credit For Team Successes How Can Women Close The Gender Gap Even If They Suffer Gender Bias Top 10 Daily Challenges Women Face At Work 10 Negotiation Tactics to Make You More Assertive And Have More Influence 5 Strategies For Making Yourself Heard At Work 7 Ways To Make Yourself Heard In Meetings 4 Tips On How To Successfully Share Your Ideas At Work (Compilation)   ✅ Free Resources Podcast episode lists by theme: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/speakyourmindunapologeticallytopics Women in Tech Leaders Podcast Interviews: https://assertiveway.com/womenintechpodcastguests/ Podcast Summaries & More Email Newsletter: https://assertiveway.com/newsletter Our Linkedin Blog Articles:  https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6863880009879306240/   TEDx Talk How To Speak Up Safely When It's Psychologically Unsafe: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/safespeak 10 Day free Assertive And Liked Challenge: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/beassertiveandliked Assertiveness free training: https://assertiveway.aweb.page/getahead Other Free resources: https://assertiveway.com/free/ Podcast page: https://assertiveway.com/podcast-speak-your-mind-unapologetically/   ✅ Work With Us Workshops: http://assertiveway.com/workshops   Services: https://assertiveway.com/offerings Contact me: info@assertiveway.com or ivnacuri@assertiveway.com Contact me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivna-curi-mba-67083b2 Website: https://assertiveway.com   ✅ Support The Podcast Rate the podcast on apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-your-mind-unapologetically-podcast/id1623647915 Ask me your question for the next episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/speakyourmindquestion   ✅ Podcast Topic Compilations 8 Real Life Examples On How To Deal With Difficult Coworkers (Compilation): https://speakyourmindnow.libsyn.com/8-examples-on-how-to-deal-with-difficult-coworkers Mastering Mentor & Sponsor Connections: Insider Advice from 5 Trailblazing Professionals (Compilation): https://speakyourmindnow.libsyn.com/mastering-mentor-sponsor-connections-insider-advice-from-5-trailblazing-professionals How To Find Courage To Speak Up (Compilation): https://speakyourmindnow.libsyn.com/how-to-find-courage-to-speak-up-4-examples 4 Examples On How To Get The Promotion You Want (Compilation): https://speakyourmindnow.libsyn.com/4-examples-on-how-to-get-the-promotion-you-want 4 Tips On How To Successfully Share Your Ideas At Work (Compilation): https://speakyourmindnow.libsyn.com/4-tips-on-how-to-successfully-share-your-ideas-at-work-compilation How To Cope With Stress At Work (Compilation): https://speakyourmindnow.libsyn.com/how-to-cope-with-stress-at-work-compilation

Achievement is in Diana Nyamekye's DNA! She is a highly successful 26-year-old social entrepreneur, former Googler, activist, and global speaker, honored by the Princess of Dubai as the CEO of the Most Impactful Initiative worldwide. She is the product of a diligent single mother, prayer, and a constructive community of Newark, NJ. Nyamekye is the founder and CEO of Black Sisters in STEM, where she is on a mission to unleash the global brilliance of Black women in STEM. To this aim, she is building the largest talent marketplace of Black college women in STEM globally. From Lagos, Nigeria to Atlanta, Georgia, Nyamekye is building a community that the world has never seen. Powered by AI, their platform improves the hireability of Black women through live projects, mentorship, and learning communities at scale. Under her leadership, Black SiS built an ecosystem composed of ~7.3k women in 24 countries with representation from 12 African countries. All in just 3 short years. She is a proud alumni of the University of Virginia, and a proud recipient of Pure Leaf's “No” grant, led by Olympian Allyson Felix. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tavamultimediagroup/support

In this episode, Destiny and special guest Kimmy (@kimmybookss) discuss the importance of being represented in all aspects. The two talk about being Black women in STEM, Kimmy's journey on booktok, some of their favorite reads, and more. If you want to support the podcast, follow on Instagram (@melanatedandeducatedpodcast), give positive ratings on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and continue to listen to episodes!

Shelmina Abji is a TEDx speaker, board member, former Vice President at IBM, author, and angel investor. She started her career as a software engineer and then moved into sales and sales leadership, guiding global teams to deliver over $1B in annual revenue and serving as a key decision-maker in hiring and promoting hundreds of professionals. Shelmina received extensive leadership training at IBM, Harvard University, and UCLA. As a global empowerment speaker, she has addressed attendees at companies, conferences, and colleges that include Google, Edward Jones, National Center for Women in Technology, Black women in STEM, and Harvard. In this episode… How do you show up as a leader? How can you be intentional in your leadership to advance in your career (and help others advance too)? Shelmina Abji advises women to focus their attention on eight intentional strategies that will help transform their careers. These intentional methods include being strategic in your leadership journey, learning how to overcome obstacles, being intentional in your personal growth, and creating more value for others. In this episode of the Lead Like A Woman Show, Andrea Heuston is joined by Shelmina Abji, a TEDx speaker and author, to discuss strategies for intentional leadership. Shelmina shares her career background, explains the concept of “the power of quotient,” and talks about her book, Show Your Worth.

Listen to the STEM journey of Lauryn Mwale, author of The Shuri Effect: Bridging the gap for young Black Women in STEM. Lauryn gives us three key pieces of advice to follow your passion but also be open to re-direct your path as opportunities arise. Find her book on Amazon!

Shelmina Abji, an Author, TEDx speaker, board member, former vice president at IBM, and angel investor, shared the story behind her title with us on October 23, 2022.Shelmina started her career as a software engineer and then moved into sales and sales leadership, leading global teams to deliver over $1B in annual revenues and serving as a key decision-maker in hiring and promoting hundreds of professionals. She received extensive leadership training at IBM, Harvard University, and UCLA. As a global empowerment speaker, Abji has addressed attendees at companies, conferences, and colleges that include Google, Edward Jones, National Center for Women in Technology, Black women in STEM, and Harvard.SUE SAYSBorn in Tanzania from what she describes as humble beginnings, Shelmina was determined to pull her family out of poverty....and she did here in the U.S., beginning at IBM.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/women-to-watch-r/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kara Branch is an engineer who has always been the only Black woman on all the teams she's ever worked on and has experienced many challenges as a result. When one of her daughters decided she also wanted to pursue a career in engineering, Kara decided she wanted better for the next generation and so she founded the Black Girls Do Engineer Corporation. Today she joins us to tell us more about the fantastic work she is doing. Kara only founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2019 and has she already helped a young Black woman establish a career for herself in STEM. The organization's goals are to provide access, awareness, and advocate for two million Black American girls to pursue STEM careers by the year 2050 and it is well on its way to achieving this goal. In addition to the first chapter in Houston, Texas, more chapters are now opening up in Los Angeles and New Orleans. Tuning in you'll discover how the Black Girls Do Engineer Corporation is developing young women in all areas of STEM. To hear all about Kara Branch, the fantastic organization she started, how it is transforming lives, and how you can help, tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shelmina Abji joins Patrick to discuss the importance of having role models, speaking up when you have something smart to say, and seizing opportunities. She is the author of Show Your Worth: 8 Intentional Strategies for Women to Emerge as Leaders at Work a book that challenges readers to aim high and redefine their definitions of success.   Shelmina is a TEDx speaker, board member, former vice president at IBM, and an angel investor. She started her career as a software engineer and then moved into sales and sales leadership, leading global teams to deliver over $1B in annual revenues and serving as a key decision-maker in hiring and promoting hundreds of professionals. She received extensive leadership training at IBM, Harvard University, and UCLA. As a global empowerment speaker, Shelmina has addressed attendees at companies, conferences, and colleges that include Google, Edward Jones, National Center for Women in Technology, Black women in STEM, and Harvard. You can learn more about Shelmina and her work at www.Shelmina.com. Watch Shelmina's TEDx Talk at https://www.ted.com/talks/shelmina_abji_can_fear_advance_your_career

This week Micah interviews Eliane Treadwell and they discuss the importance of black women in STEM, the importance of mentorship, HBCUS vs. PWIs, the deliberate assault on black communities, the Honey Pot “controversy” and the need for grace for black owned businesses. Let's have the conversation.  Watch Conversations For The Culture on Youtube https://bit.ly/3PYyMrZ Follow the show on Instagram https://instagram.com/convosFTC Follow Micah on Instagram https://instagram.com/itsmicahb Follow Èliane on Instagram https://instagram.com/yourfavchemist If you want contribute to the show you can below CashApp - $ConvosFTC Buy Me A Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsmicahb Host : Micah Butler Guest : Éliane Treadwell  Producer : Lizzy P. Lawton --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/convosftc/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/convosftc/support

Diana Wilson is very proud to be the Founder & CEO of Yielding Accomplished African Women (Yaa.W) and Black Sisters in STEM (Black SiS). They are a globally recognized nonprofit whose work has been featured by MTV, Google, The Malala Fund, Face2Face Africa, Blavity, The Late Afternoon Show with Berla Mundi and many more. Black Sisters in STEM is building the largest talent marketplace of Black college women in STEM and training the next Fortune 500 CEOs, innovators and world class leaders. 

Michael Benezra is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the GK Fund: a nonprofit social impact fund to support BIPOC-owned companies in Greater Boston. Michael also serves as the COO of Colette Phillips Communications, helping to lead the All Inclusive Boston (https://www.bostonusa.com/allinclusivebos/) tourism campaign, among other projects. Chad talks with Michael about being a BIPOC ally, disparities amongst the VC world, and how the GK Fund looks for the same things in BIPOC-owned companies that they look for in other companies because the innovation is there; it's just that the opportunity isn't. The GK Fund (https://www.thegkfund.org/) Follow The GK Fund on Twitter (https://twitter.com/GK_Fund) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/thegkfund/). Colette Phillips Communications (https://www.cpcglobal.com/) All Inclusive Boston (https://www.bostonusa.com/allinclusivebos/) Black Owned Bos. (https://www.blackownedbos.com/) Follow Michael on Twitter (https://twitter.com/MichaelBenezra) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbenezra/). Follow thoughtbot on Twitter (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript: CHAD: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots Podcast, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Chad Pytel, and with me today is Michael Benezra, Executive Director and Co-founder of the GK Fund, a non-profit social impact fund to support BIPOC-owned companies in Greater Boston. Michael is also the COO of Colette Phillips Communications, helping to lead the All Inclusive Boston Tourism Campaign, among other projects. Michael, thank you for joining me. MICHAEL: Thanks for having me. CHAD: I'm curious about the GK Fund. When did you start the Fund? MICHAEL: So, at the time, I was working for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and I was working with venture capital firms, private equity firms. And I was representing over 200 Israeli companies in New England, most of them startups. And my wife is Black; my family is Black. I've been close to that community for a long time. And especially in the venture capital world, I started to see some real disparities amongst other disparities in general everyday life, but it was particularly bad in the VC world. And so Colette being a mentor and a friend of mine, Colette Phillips, I approached her, and I said, "Hey, what do you think about starting this fund, this non-profit fund?" And her and Andre Porter, who is our other co-founder who used to be the head of the state's business development agency in Massachusetts, we all decided to band together and start this non-profit. Now, we started the non-profit in December of 2019, so the pandemic hit right as we were creating this organization. And we had a decision to make, do we put this on hold, or do we move forward and accelerate? And we decided to just move forward. CHAD: Well, I'm glad you did. I'm glad you made that decision. Hopefully, you feel the same way. [laughs] MICHAEL: Yeah, I do. CHAD: You're absolutely right. There's a big need here. And I actually have had over the last two months or so a few different guests that are creating VC funds or funds of certain kind that address underrepresented communities, Black, another one was veterans. And there's such a big need. How did you decide what you were going to focus on or focus down into so, for example, focusing on Boston? MICHAEL: For Boston specifically, it had to do mostly with proximity. So I went to Harvard here for grad school. I worked for Governor Patrick. And so, for me, it was natural to stay local, especially during COVID. In my experience, there were a lot of BIPOC, particularly Black-owned startups, that were on paper akin to a lot of other startups in the Israeli world, which were very developed or also in the United States. I'll give you an example; there was a company that I worked with that had a $100 million valuation but had no products, no physical products. They had no revenue, but they had innovation. Now, you and I being very honest, do you think a Black-owned company could get away with that? CHAD: Yeah, no. MICHAEL: There is no way. I knew that; the other entrepreneurs that I've talked to know that. That is a terrible double standard that needs to be fixed. So we look for the same things in BIPOC companies that we look for in other companies because, for the most part, the innovation is there; it's just that the opportunity isn't. CHAD: Yeah. To dig into that a little bit more, I think one might say, well, if they had a founding team that had a proven track record, then maybe. And that's where you get to the fact that it's systemic, too, because if the headwinds are there where they can never get that experience, to begin with, they never get that opportunity, to begin with, then they're not going to have a founding team that has a track record that will be invested in based on just the team. MICHAEL: That is 100% accurate, but it's actually even worse. So we do not ask our founders in the application process for their educational background. But all six of the companies that got grants from us last November they all have their bachelor's, four out of six have masters or higher. And so the cream definitely rose to the top. We had a store owner she owns an online boutique who got an engineering degree from Purdue. And we also have an entrepreneur who was an attorney at State Street, a corporate attorney, and now he's created this startup. And so, in some cases, like in most other areas, these individuals are overqualified. CHAD: So, what is the funding model for GK on both sides of the equation? Where is the money coming from, and then how are you funding the companies? MICHAEL: So we raise money organically like any other non-profit does. So we apply for grants. We take corporate donations. We take individual contributions online. Most of our money so far has come in through corporate contributions. So PNC Bank has been with us since the beginning. They made a very large commitment to supporting racial equity, and they've really stuck to it. The Bar Foundation has been exceptional. And then we've also had a group of individual donors who were actually White women who have started their own non-profit now, and they've also banded together to give us money that we need to re-grant to the companies. We have over 100,000 from the State of Massachusetts to operate a grant program. So money is coming through a number of different avenues. We've issued six micro-grants so far at $10,000 each. We did that in November. We plan to do ten more in the next month. I said in the Boston Business Journal article you can give us money, but you can't park it with us like you could with a donor-advised fund and watch it accumulate interest for 15 years. We're going to take it, and we're going to give it to the people that need it the most. CHAD: And are they grants then? You're using the word grants, so I assume that they are. So you're not doing this in exchange for equity in the companies? MICHAEL: No, no equity in the companies, no convertible notes, just a straight capital grant directly to the company. So I send a message over to our fiscal sponsors at Philanthropy Massachusetts. They send the check directly over to the company. After that, we have the company fill out a survey letting us know what they plan to use it for, but we're not overly prescriptive. And that's actually the way that philanthropy is heading right now is, putting fewer restrictions and barriers in the way. And that's another thing I'll talk about as well is making it easier for companies to gain access. CHAD: So, did you ever consider more of a traditional VC fund model with this? MICHAEL: Yeah, originally, I did. Before the pandemic, actually, I did. So the original purpose or impetus of the fund was to take companies that were coming out of accelerator programs that were underfunded. You have some great accelerators, but you have companies leaving with a business plan and $2,000. In some cases, there are companies that have been through three accelerator programs. They're not getting as much out of it as they should. I wanted us to intervene, find the companies that have the most potential, and make investments. But after COVID hit, it was a crisis. And so, we needed to shift our focus to philanthropy. CHAD: The nice thing about that is then you can do those grants with basically no strings attached for the companies. Whereas if you were taking money from people who expect to get a return on that investment, you wouldn't be able to do that. MICHAEL: That's exactly right. There are organizations out there that say that they're making an impact when in reality they're just making, you know, loans which is not a not a bad thing. But they're issuing loans, or they're taking equity in the companies, that's fine, but it's not what we're doing. CHAD: What are your plans for, like, upcoming? Are you going to be continuing with micro-grants, or do you have bigger plans? MICHAEL: We have bigger plans. So I can't say too much right now because we have an announcement coming up. But I will say issues like legal services have come up. There's a constant need for attorneys for any company, whether it's contracts, or locking down real estate, or copyright and trademark, or IP. We are working with a very large prestigious law firm that's really making a generous commitment to our companies. And this would involve us even adding free legal services for an entire year to our grantees. So that's one thing that we're planning to do. And then the other is, and this another function of the fund, is we speak with organizations like Lyft who's donated like $5,000 in ride credits that we're giving to our grantees or Wix, which has given us like 75% off of websites. We work with partners who can also give us other services that we can provide to these companies to try to get them closer to where there's a gap. Giving them capital is not enough. The disparities are too significant. We also partnered with Berkshire Bank, so I can make direct referrals for loans if they need them. But the idea is to really narrow that gap and give these companies the same opportunities that their White counterparts have. CHAD: That's great. So you, as someone who's White doing this work, how do you find yourself in the community? How do you be an effective ally and advocate? MICHAEL: For me personally, my connection personally through my wife and also through my family and my boss. Colette is a pioneer. She's a Black woman in Boston who moved here not knowing anybody. And 30 years later, she's on The Power of 50 and 100 influential lists, but she did that through hard work. And she's worked much harder, I think, than she would have had to if she weren't a woman from Antigua who came here on her own. But ultimately, as an ally, it's my role; it's our role to step in between situations where there's inequity. So if there is a company, one of our companies, for instance, who's having a problem locking down real estate, (I think I use this in the article.), and they're saying, "Well, the real estate agent is telling us they can eliminate our lease at any time they prefer which I know is basically legal." I'll call them up and say, "Look, I'm with the fund. We're backing this company; we support them. What's the situation?" And unfortunately, most of the time, the outcome actually changes. So it's a matter of almost you got to be proactive, and you got to be intentional. You have to use your privilege in the best way that you can. So I think that's how you do it. And then, when it's time to shed a light on these companies, you take a step back, so it's not my role to go out there and promote myself. If anyone asks me, I'm always promoting the companies. So the best thing we can do is be advocates. You can be out front, but at the end of the day, it's about uplifting them, these companies in this case. CHAD: Yeah, that's great. Speaking of that, I was going to ask you, what are some of the companies that you have given the micro-grants to, and do you know how they use them? MICHAEL: Yeah, so we gave our grants to six companies. One is called MustWatch, and MustWatch is founded by Che, and Che, his family, is from Haiti. They are an app. You can actually find them on the App Store. But what they do is they allow you to log in, select which movies and television shows that you watch, and share them with your friends. And it sounds like a very simple concept, but there is actually nothing on the market that allows you to do this. And the idea is that you're collecting data while you're doing this as MustWatch. So at the end of the day, if you have a sample of like 20,000 users on the platform, you gain a lot of valuable insight and data. And that data can be useful for Nielsen or the television networks or movie production studios. I encourage people to sign up for MustWatch because if you spend as much time as I do looking for good movies, you're probably miserable. CHAD: [laughs] MICHAEL: [laughs] I spend so much time doing that. We also have a few online retailers. So we have B. Royal Boutique and So Zen Spa, both of them have doubled their revenue during COVID. They originally had stores. They pivoted during COVID, went online, and really were excellent when it comes to branding and marketing on social media and on other digital platforms. So they've been very successful. We have a company called Black Owned Bos., which is pretty well known here in Boston. They basically focus on organizing and running pop-up shops. And Jae'da, who's the head of the company, is just, I mean, she's a business mastermind. She's brilliant, always finding new ways to innovate. And then we have Our Village, which is focused on community development and housing. And finally, sySTEMic flow, which is a company that helps school districts, educators support Black women in STEM and STEAM fields. So we looked for companies that could pivot, basically. CHAD: And you mean in the face of the pandemic. MICHAEL: In the face of the pandemic, we looked for companies that had success and had a plan and also knew their audience. The main things that we look for…and I should say this too; our application process takes an average of seven minutes. And the way that I did that was I evaluated over 20 accelerator applications. I did a comparative analysis and identified the questions that were either irrelevant or unhelpful for us. And that gave us a very short application for our companies but one that's really efficient. And basically, what we're looking for is companies that have a good business model, have a very specific customer base and target market, and have a strong founder, and also has been undersupported. There are companies that we've identified for our next cohort that by this point in their development would have been venture funded in my experience, at least, had they not been people of color. Mid-Roll Ad I wanted to tell you all about something I've been working on quietly for the past year or so, and that's AgencyU. AgencyU is a membership-based program where I work one-on-one with a small group of agency founders and leaders toward their business goals. We do one-on-one coaching sessions and also monthly group meetings. We start with goal setting, advice, and problem-solving based on my experiences over the last 18 years of running thoughtbot. As we progress as a group, we all get to know each other more. And many of the AgencyU members are now working on client projects together and even referring work to each other. Whether you're struggling to grow an agency, taking it to the next level and having growing pains, or a solo founder who just needs someone to talk to, in my 18 years of leading and growing thoughtbot, I've seen and learned from a lot of different situations, and I'd be happy to work with you. Learn more and sign up today at thoughtbot.com/agencyu. That's A-G-E-N-C-Y, the letter U. CHAD: What has been the most surprising use of one of the grants? MICHAEL: So B. Royal used the grant money to lock down a store in Assembly Square in Somerville. We kind of anticipated they might do that. So Zen Spa they improved their website. MustWatch actually really surprised us. So they went out and got a valuation of their company and then basically worked with a crowdfunding platform called Netcapital to raise more capital. They had a very specific plan, and they had disclosed that plan to us. I just didn't anticipate they would act so quickly on it. And based on the fact that we had given them a grant and all this mentoring and support, their valuation actually went up. CHAD: That's a really smart use of the funds to propel that into a larger fundraise. That's really smart. MICHAEL: I agree. CHAD: So you do this in addition to a day job. [laughs] MICHAEL: I mean, they're both day jobs; it's just, yeah. CHAD: So you mentioned Colette Phillips, the person, [laughs] how about Colette Phillips Communications? So The All Inclusive Campaign it really is historic. The genesis of the campaign is that back in 2020, Colette and I applied for an RFP from the City of Boston; it was for a tourism recovery campaign. All of the major cities in the country got this grant money through regional tourism agencies, you know, like they're a special interest niche. And they went to the Feds, and they're like, "Look, we're suffering, travel is suffering, we need a grant," so all these grants went out. The City of Boston actually said, "Look, we want to focus on diverse tourism." So that was perfect for us. We applied, we got the grant. And we brought on Proverb, which is an incredible digital marketing agency and creative design agency, and the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was the largest contract ever to go to a minority-owned company by the City of Boston, ever, and it was about 1.5 million. CHAD: Which in and of itself for what the City of Boston probably spends on things [laughs] is a little ridiculous that that's the biggest one, but … get beyond that, I guess. MICHAEL: It's insane. It's very upsetting. And it was a long time overdue. In this case, that contract or that RFP was really only supposed to last like one quarter. So all these regional tourism agencies they get their influx of money, a million dollars or a few 100,000. And then from there, they do the campaign, they move on. We are now three mayor's into this. We are four million dollars into this. We submitted the campaign to the city 60 days after they contracted with us; 84% of the contractors on the project are minority-owned companies. And in that 60 days before delivering the campaign, we actually never met in person. So we did this whole campaign virtually from the start. We came in under budget. We came in ahead of time. This is what happens sometimes when you let minority-owned companies take the lead. CHAD: Yeah, that's great. How do you do a campaign like this? I mean, this is why they came to you, the experts, but I think it's important that this message seem authentic and not pandering. MICHAEL: Yeah, Colette is a visionary. She's been talking about diversity and inclusion for like 20 years. There's an article that came out, I think, in 1992 where she was talking about the importance of diversity in the business community. And now it's like microfilm; you can't even find it digitally online. CHAD: [laughs] MICHAEL: She's years ahead of her time. And she's constantly innovating, and All Inclusive was her idea, and she branded it. I think it was a long time coming, basically. This is a culmination of a message and campaign that she's been running her whole life. CHAD: Yeah, I think that that's very powerful. And I think it comes across in the campaign. It seems authentic. I think it would be easy for it to not seem that way. And so yeah, it comes from that place of this was already a thing. It was already brewing. It wasn't just -- MICHAEL: Do you want to hear a story? CHAD: Yeah, I'd love it. MICHAEL: So, most of the media coverage for this campaign was exceptionally positive. There are a few reasons for that. We included all small, locally-owned businesses in the campaign. So you won't find celebrities, no athletes, or anything like that; we may do that later. We also invested...we took 200,000 of the contract, which this was not even supposed to be in there. We actually did ad buys with 19 different local newspapers. In some cases, these newspapers would have actually closed down if we had not done that, and that was just a byproduct of something we felt was important. But amidst all of that, she got invited to do an interview on Bloomberg on the local Bloomberg station. She's on the phone, and some guy who was on the other line, and I won't go into it too much, said, "You know, as a White man, I'm really offended. I don't feel represented in this campaign." [laughs] And she's like, "I've had enough of this," hangs up the phone. [laughs] And this is another part of allyship I think is...naturally, you know, I said, "Look, I'm taking care of this." I wrote a letter to Bloomberg. I said, "This is unacceptable. You need to take him to task." I don't know if he still works there anymore. But that's kind of the role. You have a Black woman who's a pioneer. She just released a campaign. The first thing you should be saying to her is "Congratulations," instead of saying that, all you can tell her is about how being a White man is like, I don't know, a disadvantage? Which is crazy. There are tons of White people in the campaign. I'm White; I'm in the campaign. CHAD: It's so foolish. I don't even want to have to explain it, but the campaign is literally called All Inclusive. MICHAEL: [laughs] Exactly, exactly. It covers everybody, I mean, literally. And it's like, I don't know what you want from us. CHAD: Yeah. And it's not even...like you go to the site it talks about here's what you can do with families. Here's what you can do with kids, kid-friendly activities. MICHAEL: This campaign was also research-based. So we spent 100,000 on research with this incredible company called Heart + Mind. They did a lot of research, and they did a lot of surveying. And the words that came back when describing Boston were unwelcoming, masculine; I think Tom Brady, Ben Affleck, crime, you know, just this kind of machismo unwelcoming environment. And it kind of confirmed some of the assumptions we had, but it was really surprising to see it in the data. So we said, "All right, this is what we're working with. We have to come up with a narrative that counters that because Boston is a majority-minority city, 23 neighborhoods, 60% of the population speaks two languages or more. That ethos is really not accurate. So hopefully, we're doing a good job. CHAD: So if folks want to help, we already said GK Fund is a non-profit. It's coming up to tax season [laughs], so at the very least, even if you don't...hopefully, you care about the cause, but if you just want that tax write-off, I suppose that's another reason to donate. MICHAEL: Absolutely. CHAD: So where can folks do that if they want to learn more and donate? MICHAEL: Visit www.thegkfund.org. CHAD: And are you looking for help in other ways beyond monetary? How can people get involved? MICHAEL: Absolutely. So we're looking for mentors so individuals who feel like they have experience or skills to lend to these companies, and we'll try to deploy these individuals in the best way possible. Obviously, we're looking for partnerships. So if you have a company that you feel has something to contribute or is willing to make a contribution, not monetarily but either with your products or with a discount, we also want to give that benefit to the companies as well. And there are a number of different ways. CHAD: That's great. And if folks want to follow along with you or get in touch directly with you, how can they do that? MICHAEL: You can feel free to follow me on Twitter. It's just @MichaelBenezra, all one word on Twitter. I got a lot of positive messages after the Boston Business Journal article came out and in LinkedIn as well. CHAD: Great. And you can subscribe to the show and find notes and a full transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. You can find me on Twitter @cpytel. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Michael, thanks so much for joining me. I really appreciate it. MICHAEL: Yeah, thank you for having me. CHAD: And thank you for listening. See you next time. ANNOUNCER: This podcast was brought to you by thoughtbot. thoughtbot is your expert design and development partner. Let's make your product and team a success. Special Guest: Michael Benezra.

So much and yet so little has changed for women of colour since the 19th century... PhDivas Liz and Xine discuss Xine's first book DISAFFECTED. Xine shares the challenges of writing a monograph (a fancy academic term for research book). Chapter 4 is kind of an homage to Liz: it discusses Black feminist approaches to STEM in the nineteenth century by analyzing a novel by a major Black woman writer alongside the writings of the first two Black American women to receive medical degrees. Liz and Xine delve into the everyday life strategies of disaffection, care, and uncaring that persist in the archive and in our everyday lives. Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/phdivaspodcast DISAFFECTED won the Duke UP Scholars of Color First Book Prize. For a 30% discount use the code E21YAO on the following sites North America: www.dukeupress.edu/disaffected UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific: https://www.combinedacademic.co.uk/9781478014836/disaffected/ You can read the intro for free here: www.dukeupress.edu/disaffected

  Deena Pierott is the founder of iUrban Teen, a nationally recognized program focused on bringing career-focused education to underrepresented teens ages 13 to 18. Our target demographics are African American, Latino, and Native American males, however, the program is inclusive of all youth.  We have almost equal parity of girls that participate in our programs and also youth with special needs.  iUrban Teen programs are now in Washington, Oregon, California, and Texas. Websites: https://iurbanteen.org and https://bwistem.com BWiSTEM is dedicated to supporting, promoting, and inspiring Black Women in STEM careers, as well as advocating for equitable and inclusive workplace environments that nurture diverse talent.    

During this walk, Chelsea tells us how she plans on getting her ROI from her doctoral experience. An Atlanta suburb native, future Dr. Chelsea completed her undergraduate experience at the University of Georgia where she earned a Bachelor's in History. She then worked for the College Advising Corps, a Chapel-Hill based non-profit whose mission is to increase the number of historically underrepresented, low-income, first-generation college and high school students who enter and complete higher education. While an advisor, she worked with a high school who had a STEM pathway program which further prepared her to lead and create change at Iowa State University. While in Ames, she created a program series for women in STEM focused on how to support them academically, professionally, and socially. But she was getting started. Future Dr. Chelsea is currently a doctoral candidate in the Education Leadership, Policy, and Human Development program at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on Black women in STEM, Black women graduate students, and diversity, equity, and inclusion education and training. She is also a graduate research and teaching assistant, Vice President of Black graduate student association, and academic mentor for college athletes. She's a Black woman addicted to airline miles. She's a podcaster and influencer. And she is one of my most inspiring, motivational peer mentors who asks us the follow questions… If STEM is the future, why isn't it serving everyone interested? If it's not serving all those interested, how will STEM truly expand the future? Through the Southern Region of Education Board fellowship, she is tackling this issue head on and I am excited we get to learn with her today. Chelsea's LinkedIn Profile 2 Happy Heauxes Podcast! Walk With TFB Podcast IG/Twitter: @WalkWithTFB --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/walkwithtfb/support

Deena Pierott is also a Social Impact Entrepreneur and the Founder of the award winning and nationally recognized STEM+Arts program for youth of color called iUrban Teen which has chapters in four states, and most recently launched Black Women in STEM 2.0. Ms. Pierott is also a diversity strategist and international public speaker. She has served on several boards and commissions including a Gubernatorial appointment to the Commission on African American Affairs in the State of Washington. She has been featured on the following publications: Government Technology, Essence Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, Deliver magazine, Portland Business Journal, Geekwire, Colors of Influence, Neurology Now, the Chicago Tribune and on NPR. “We are standing on the shoulders of our ancestors who are slaves. It's a responsibility in this life to walk through it with dignity, grace and integrity.” “Stand up for others and be fearless with it.” “Raise your hand, ask questions, be engaged, even if you know the answer to it. Don't be a wallflower.”  Deena Pierott https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpierott  iUrbanTeen https://iurbanteen.org/ Do Better: Spiritual Activism https://www.amazon.com/Do-Better-Spiritual-Activism-Supremacy/dp/1982151277  Follow Patti Dobrowolski - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/upyourcreativegenius/ Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/patti-dobrowolski-532368/ Up Your Creative Genius https://www.upyourcreativegenius.com/  Timestamp [3:56] Meeting Deena Pierott and fling into Diversity, Equity and Inclusion [7:23] Working with innovative ways to change policy [8:44] How being a gay person in Texas is similar to Deena's experience [10:21] You have to be yourself in corporate America [10:55] How Deena started iUrbanTeen [14:26] Growing iUrbanYouth, iUrbanUniversity and working with Microsoft [15:57] Why Black Women in STEM was created [17:19] Making change in the world where anything can be done [19:20] It's never too late. What's your next thing? [21:22] Who is an inspiration to Deena? [22:56] How to tap into your creative genius? What's your routine? [24:35] You got to have skin in the game [27:52] Trick is to get into motivation and keep in momentum [28:20] Workaholic, selfcare, and dealing with trauma [31:30] Hurdles of being a black women founder [34:30] Sometimes its easier to stand up for others [36:27] What is the book you are reading right now [39:40] Biggest tip for someone making a change   Patti Dobrowolski 0:03 Hello superstars. Welcome to the Up Your Creative Genius Podcast where you will gain insight and tips to stomp on the accelerator and blast off to transform your business and your life. I'm your host, Patti Dobrowolski. And if this is your first time tuning in, then strap in because this is serious rocket fuel. Each week I interview fellow creative geniuses to help you learn how easy it is to up your creative genius in any part of your life. Hey, everybody, it's Patti Dobrowolski. What's Up Your Creative Genius? Oh, my God. Today, I have just one of my favorite people in the universe. Deena Pierott. Now listen. So if you don't know who Deena Pierott is, I'm going to give you the lowdown on her and then she's going to tell us about herself. But first, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been subscribing and listening to the podcast and writing reviews. You like drove us up in the charts! It's fantastic. I love it. And I'm so grateful I am because this podcast is all about making change: how you can make change happen. And I've invited all these changemakers who have decided to change the world for other people or for themselves or their business. And so Deena Pierott is a serious changemaker. I got to read you her bio. Okay, so she is a sought after diversity strategist, Talent Acquisition Professional and international keynote speaker, no doubt, she's created cutting edge DEI programs that yield results in impact. And you know, we need that. Okay. But here's what I want to say she served on a number of boards. She's really super amazing. And she started iUrbanTeen, which really helped to advance and allow for kids who didn't have access to computers to get them. And so I know you're going to talk a little bit about that. But before we go on, I want to say this, that she was honored to be acknowledged by President Barack Obama as a White House Champion of Change for technology inclusion, and by Ebony magazine on their Power 100 list. She is like been, in Essence Magazine, the top 50 black female founders. She's just amazing. I'm telling you, if I showed you this List of awards, you will be here forever. But my God, welcome to the show. Deena Pierott. You're amazing! Deena Pierott 2:41 Oh, wow. Thank you. I you know, when I hear that stuff, I'm going is that me? And now that you know, because a lot of times you're so busy working and creating and working and creating that you have to sometimes stop and look back at you know, I did this. Patti Dobrowolski 2:58 I know it. Deena Pierott 2:59 I did this. Oh, I'm ready to cuss I got it. Because Patti Dobrowolski 3:02 That's okay. i You should have seen somebody else I had was just F bomb every other word. Right? You're all right. Yeah. Here's the amazing. You are just incredible. And I met you because somebody decided that we should meet. We hooked up. We had lunch together with your granddaughter. Yeah. And we were both like, what are we doing in Portland? Wow, this place is so weird. And neither one of us live there anymore. So they're, you know, right. Deena Pierott 3:34 I know. There you have it. But I just think it was just an instant connection. I wonder how they might just like, Look, Patti Dobrowolski 3:41 I know, friends. I know. It is so good. And so I just been following. Honestly, I stalk you all the time to see what you're up to. And then I like, post "Deena Pierott, she's so amazing." So follow her and do stuff with her. Now tell us if you would in your own words, like tell us about you and how you got started doing what you're doing and you know, anything you want to share about it? Well, you know, Deena Pierott 4:03 it's I'm going to try to make it a shorter story because usually I tell this long story with Patti Dobrowolski 4:09 international keynote speaker that goes on. And Deena Pierott 4:13 I sometimes I think I'm a Baptist preacher. Patti Dobrowolski 4:17 Exactly. We love that. You know, Deena Pierott 4:19 I always like to say, what's the why, you know, What's your why and things that you do. And sometimes you end up in a space that you didn't think he would be in, you know, 1015 20 years ago. So I kind of fell into the Diversity Equity work back in the 90s when I moved up to Portland from Compton, California. Patti Dobrowolski 4:39 Alright, so there you go right now. Oh, now I'm from LA Oh, I know all about content. I know in the Portland is white, white. Deena Pierott 4:48 Girl. Let me tell you, it's the whitest white folks I've ever seen in my life. And I even started fading. I was not this color. But I guessed it But then I instantly saw this disconnect, I saw this inequity on how people of color, especially the black community was treated. Yeah, no, I was called the n-word. I don't know how many times and I'm going I've never been called that in California. Right. Not that it doesn't happen, but it didn't happen to me. Right. I also saw when working in the workplace, the inequities there as well. I also saw how my own people and other people of color kind of were a little complacent to things where they didn't know how or didn't feel like they needed to advocate for themselves. Patti Dobrowolski 5:36 Yeah. Would they just let it slide? Slide and just go, like, well, that's the way it is here. Deena Pierott 5:43 And see, that was not me. Oh, no, not me at all. And so I instantly started creating different forums and different initiatives at the City of Portland. And it was interesting, because I worked for a director at a bureau who was from the East Coast. And he wholeheartedly gave me the platform to do what I did right now. I felt that he truly trusted my decisions. Yes, he believed in diversity and equity. And it gave me the floor, let me run with it. And I ran like hell. So I was able to create, like, I created the city's infinity groups that they have employee resource groups, in partnership with the mayor's office, the commissioners and all that and made it really meaty. I created so many different initiatives. Oh, my gosh, I made sure that all of our interview panels were reversed. I ensured that all of our panels for contract reviews were diverse. And that was in the 90s Patti Dobrowolski 6:40 for for my cat popular. Wow, that's crazy. But I also Deena Pierott 6:43 advocated for myself, and that scared a lot of people, you know, because here's this woman of color, a black woman that is holding her own. And yeah, letting you get away with this. And so, but what made me sad, Patti was a lot of the employees from different bureaus would come to me, and they would go Deena, can you ask my boss, if I could do this? If I can go here? Patti Dobrowolski 7:05 Oh my God. I know that. Deena Pierott 7:09 You know, and it Patti Dobrowolski 7:10 makes me sad. Because that means that they don't feel empowered enough to go. They don't have the confidence to go maybe because somebody slapped him down. You know what exactly happened here? Yeah, fear of losing a job. Deena Pierott 7:23 Exactly. And so I will tell them, No, you can tell them. And this is what you say and how you say it. Yeah, I still wouldn't do it, I would still go to their directors and ask these questions. And so, but someone told me and I remember that this was in like the late 90s. One of my own folks from the black communities that Deena, you're too opinionated. You rock the boat too much. You have to make them comfortable, meaning I needed to make white people comfortable. And I'm like, I don't need to make anybody comfortable. Exactly. And I say hold on a second, what plantation? Did I just arrived on? Exactly right. And so but that kind of pushback from not only the white community, but my own community made me try harder. Right. And so that's, I was creating initiatives that were way ahead of their time, and people are just now catching on. Right. So that was my last. And that was my journey into the diversity, equity belonging inclusion arena. And so I still get asked from different companies to either Keynote or to lead their teams on edgy innovative ways to change policy. How do you look at this through an equity lens? Yeah. And how do you do it? Not me, not how I how do you do it? Right? Yeah, within those companies. So that was the DEI journey. Yeah. Now, let's go to iUrbanTeen. Patti Dobrowolski 8:44 Yeah, cuz I want to talk about them. I know. I love them. Well, the other thing is that, I mean, honestly, I'm a gay woman. So you can imagine my story isn't exactly the same. But it is about you. You have to come out every second. And then you know, I live in Texas now. So come on, people go meet my neighbors. And my neighbors were kind of like really skeptical about us. And then, you know, a young transgender kid came and left a card at our door and said, thank goodness, you have that sign in your front lawn? Because now I know that there's possibility for me. Deena Pierott 9:19 Oh, see, right. You never know. You never know who you're the role model for? Or what pathways you're helping to create someone how you're helping their voice be heard. You never know. But for you or just to think if you didn't speak up, if you didn't feel comfortable in your own skin. Think about the health issues, the mental health issues. Yes, I would be steaming inside. That's why I tell people say something. You feel that you just had a micro or macro aggression thrown your way. Say something. It may not be that instant. It may not be that same day. It may not be that week. That's some point. I need to come to Patti Say, Patti, you know what you mentioned to me what you said to me last week, blah, blah, blah. It really felt like a microaggression. That's how it felt for me. How can we bridge this? You know, how can we do this differently? You need to be comfortable enough to have that kind of conversation. don't own that shit. Okay? Patti Dobrowolski 10:18 Yeah, don't take it in. Don't, don't Deena Pierott 10:21 get in, Patti Dobrowolski 10:21 don't try to change yourself. This is me. Like I remember, I wanted to write a book called How to Be yourself in corporate America, because you have to be yourself have to be your own. You cannot. I mean, now, thankfully, some things are breaking open. But in big companies, it's still Deena Pierott 10:38 the same. I still say that's not the company for you if it's feel that way. And that's why I tell all of my folks and even our students in Ireland team. Yeah, one of the things we teach them is how do you best advocate for yourself? Patti Dobrowolski 10:50 I love that. So how did you start that? How did you start Ironman teen, Deena Pierott 10:55 you know, the story goes, I was commissioner here on Governor Greg gwass. Commission on African American Affairs back in 2006, to 2011. And at the time, all of our ethnic Commission's were talking about the opportunity gap issue, especially for male youth of color, you know, falling through the cracks, being marginalized, disenfranchised, not having a clear pathway. And I'm an entrepreneur, I'm not one to sit back and meetings and boards, and just talk something to death over and over overnight, Patti Dobrowolski 11:26 we got to get things going. We got to add some happen. You got to make some happen now. Deena Pierott 11:31 So I instantly started looking at my community is being how if our families knew about the Running Start program, which is an amazing program, which has been graduate high school with not only a diploma but with an associate's degree. The issue was a lot of our brown and black families weren't aware of it because the school counselors were telling them yeah, of course not. That's not and so we were making sure that happened. Then I was asked to participate on a chief information officer Council in Portland. And I told my friend Mark, who arranged these for these councils all across the country, but I'm not a CIO. He goes, I know that, but you're innovative and we need you. So I went okay. Works for me. And so I went to the very first meeting, Patti, and I was a little late getting to the party. And so I opened the door, and it's a roomful of white men. Yeah, so imagine me walking in there with an afro wig on. Alright, I had a big curly Afro wig. Yeah, leopard print jacket, lay Yes. And big hoop earrings. Patti Dobrowolski 12:34 I love it. Deena Pierott 12:35 I went, oh, i Whoa. Okay. So. So during that meeting, I was sitting there and I said to myself, Okay, so over here we have these youth who are being disenfranchised, marginalized. Yeah, clearly don't have a pathway for success. But in this room, is where the opportunities are. That's right. So how do I reach this divide? And during that lunch meeting, I thought up iUrbanTeen, and within six months, we launched with the help of some of those men in the room, who were still engaged with me after all of these years. Oh, that's fantastic. We launched iUrbanTeen in October 2011, exactly 10 years ago, the 13th year, and wow, that was incredible. And I knew from the first event that we had to keep going because I saw this magic happening, you know, during those sessions, because everything we do is fast paced, hands on. Kind of eclectic, cool, kind of funky. You know, all of that. But it grabs them. It grabs your attention. Patti Dobrowolski 13:38 Yeah, they'll switch a notch when they need you since we launched Deena Pierott 13:43 in that 2008. Yeah. 2011 We have since launched in Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston. We've also we're hoping to launch in New York and also in Miami, Florida, as well as several other cities in 2022 and 2023. Patti Dobrowolski 14:02 Does that mean you get to go to those cities and launch they see now that's right and went to Texas Come on. You should call me because now Deena Pierott 14:12 are you in Dallas or Houston or I'm in Fortworth? I'm close enough I could go to Dallas Yeah, Dallas Yeah, well you know we're gonna be working with the city of Dallas on expanding all right ramps there so we go I will definitely let you know. Patti Dobrowolski 14:26 Yes, for sure. I love it. Alright, so you set up i Urban Youth, right. And you really helped them to create some programs that gave them access they didn't have before tools and resources and do you do internships too? How did you set the all that up? Deena Pierott 14:44 We do you know, we started just kind of grassroots having these paid internship programs in Portland for high school students. Yeah, with partnership with Cigna and then there was a company I Otis that was there as well. And now because we've had so many youth over the years that have been with our program, now they're in college. So we had to launch I Urban University. Oh, yeah. That is for over 18 crowd. Yeah. And so now do they get mentorship and things like this? Yeah, we have mentors that work with them. Yeah, we have diverse instructors that work with them. And in all the thing that for this Ironman University, that's where we have our scholarships. We have our paid college internships there. And now we are launching a support engineer training program with Microsoft that launches early next. I love it. Oh, that's so we have women we have black women in this first cohort aged 19 to 46. Yeah, that will be trained by Microsoft and also go through the certification process where they can get jobs starting at 80 to 90,000 a year. Oh, after 120 hours worth of trade. i Patti Dobrowolski 15:57 Oh my god, that's so fantastic. Now is this black woman in STEM? Deena Pierott 16:02 That's separate. That's separate. That's I mean, Patti Dobrowolski 16:05 oh my god, that is so incredible. Alright, so now talk about your latest thing, black woman in STEM, Deena Pierott 16:12 STEM 2.0. And we call it 2.0. Because, you know, we change the M and stem to manufacturing. because math is interwoven in all the other elements as well, and sciences and technology and engineering. Math is already interwoven in that. So we wanted to add manufacturing, because yes, that's a segment that sometimes overlooked in the whole stem arena. Definitely. So a couple years ago, some of my colleagues and I wanted to create a platform or an association for women that are in those spaces that we can brainstorm, have training sessions for, conferences for and basic networking, and also sisterhood. Sister fellowship. That's right. And so that's what we did. And so this year, you know, we were supposed to have our conference last year, but because in Texas, but because of COVID Yeah. Hectic, nutso course. So this year, we are having the conference, and it's a hybrid, where we will have in person events and virtual sessions. I learned this this Friday and Saturday here in Bellevue, you know, which is a community. Patti Dobrowolski 17:19 Oh, that's fantastic. Okay, I love that. All right. So look at how many I just so for those of you that are listening, so here is somebody that saw a need way back in the 90s. And then just built that, you know, went to bat for everything that she believes in, and then started to build the infrastructure to help other people. And this is what we're talking about is when you want to make change in the world, like yours is about big change in the world so that it will impact you know, your grandkids, it will impact your neighbors, your community. So these are the things that you did, but you are such an innovator because you sat in that room of all those. This is me, I'm imagining that because that's me too. I walk I know rooms with all white men, and I'm thinking Oh, yeah. Okay, now we're gonna have fun. Now I'm going to be myself and you guys are gonna love me at the end or else right? Yeah. And part of it is that you have to use your woo strength, but you also have to in that moment, you have to really build a bridge between your state of consciousness and theirs. And that's what you are. You excel in that when you do that, how do you do that? What is it that you do that you tap into in yourself to hear what needs to be done? Deena Pierott 18:40 Well, you know, I just kind of sit back. I think I blame my mom for making me think and understand that I could do anything. Right. And I believed it. I fell for it. Yeah. And so I still believe I still know nothing. I believe I know that I can do anything well, and you have Patti Dobrowolski 18:59 such that there's no reason why you shouldn't believe but what if you're a young person coming up? Or even if you've been working in a corporation for a long time or working for somebody else in the city for a long time, and you feel like, oh, yeah, yeah, but it's too late. And I'm almost going to retire. Why would I want to rock the boat? What would you say to them? Deena Pierott 19:20 Oh, it's never too late. It's never too late. Like I just turned 63 You know, on October 6, and I'm are ready. I know. I'm already thinking about what's the next best thing? What's the next thing I could do? Right? I don't know how some of us fell into that trap of okay, well, now you're over 50 So it's time to slow down. Everything is downhill from there. I don't know who sent us that Patti Dobrowolski 19:45 Milan. Oh, no, that was really big. Yeah. Now, you know, I'm older than you. So that's fantastic. I'm like, Yeah, I'm a year older than you. And so we look good girl. We look. I'm just saying and part of it is that We want to make sure that we're evolving. This is what you're saying is, what's my next thing? So that I want to know, like, when you have a vision for yourself, what's interesting to you right now? What are you fascinated with? That you can tell us about? Deena Pierott 20:16 Well, you know, I think that for me, because I'm so people centered, I really want to do something if it is my own, like digital online magazine for women over 50, you know, women of color over 50, particularly, because that's an audience that's overlooked a lot of times, I'm kind of a, like a lifestyle brand type of thing that I want to do I want to get into podcasting, you know, like you. So that's what I feel that the next layer is for me. Yep, thing that's really cool and fun. I Urban Teen will always be at my heart. But you know, I'm building up the infrastructure now where I have now managing director for Portland and southwest Washington. Patti Dobrowolski 20:57 Well, I see you have your infrastructure in there and the people that can do it. And Deena Pierott 21:03 pretty soon it's when do I have all the gears in place where I can just kind of sit back? And just so funny, Patti Dobrowolski 21:10 because when I saw you in Portland, you talked about that, then. So what's true is you have multiple gears now, before you were just working one gear for a while Deena Pierott 21:21 working here, right? Patti Dobrowolski 21:22 Now you got four gears all going at the same time. So that's Yeah, I think will be really, really amazing to see. And you know, who is inspirational to you right now in the world who you look out and you see, and you think, Wow, that is cool. I like that. whatever they're doing, is there anybody that is a role model for you, either now or in the past that really has helped you, and helps you as you get going on ideas? Do you have like your little cadre of sisterhood that you talk to about things, do you? Deena Pierott 21:54 Well, you know, and that's interesting, because I think back on the person, that really was my inspiration, and I know, it may sound a little corny and all but it was my mother, you know, and she passed away suddenly, in 2010. I am such a rogue, that there really isn't anyone out there that I see that I want to learn from or any thing, it's sad to say, but it's sometimes when you are so much into your own. Patti Dobrowolski 22:27 Yep. It's I know, Deena Pierott 22:30 I have a lot, a lot, a lot of mentees or people women that want to consult with me on how do I do this? How do I do what you do? So but there's not a whole lot of others that I see that I can connect with, or brainstorm on. Because usually what I'm thinking about and what I'm envisioning, is so far out there that no one's been there yet. Patti Dobrowolski 22:56 Yeah, I love that. That's fantastic. And so you really what you're doing is you're tapping into your own creative genius, that flow. So you just unlock that. And so tell me, what's your daily routine that you go through? That helps you unlock your creative genius? What Deena Pierott 23:11 do you do? Well, you know, what I do is I just sit back in early morning hours when it's dead silent, and there's no noise, there's no nothing. I haven't even made coffee yet. I just sit in silence. And I just envision what I already have in place, how I can tweak it, how can I make it better? How can I do this? At the same time? How could I add in this creative edge into this? That's not been done before? You know, so I just kind of invid before I write down anything? Yeah, I first have a vision for it. Yeah. Then once the vision clicks, I'll start creating an outline for how I want to do this, then the next step is how am I going to implement this? You know, what's the impact on the students on the companies that I work for in the DEI space? Yeah. And sometimes when I'm even working with the companies like right now, I was working with a global tech company. And we did something totally different that they hadn't done before yet, right? Sometimes I'll work with them. Like, this is what I'm thinking, what how can we do this? So I'll get there. Like I tell companies, you've got to have some skin in the game, I can sit there and talk to you. I'm blue in the face around diversity and equity. But you've got to roll up your sleeves, and you got to help me make this happen. Patti Dobrowolski 24:31 That's right. Because it's not gonna happen without them. Yeah. Because otherwise you're just a consultant coming in. And same thing, if I'm drawing a picture of the vision and nobody's attached to it, then sure, nobody cares. Deena Pierott 24:44 And so if I give them the tools on how do they do this internally, where they don't even need me anymore, a lot of times you'll get diversity, people thinking or saying that they're diversity experts and consultants that intentionally want to keep that company so they can keep getting a Patti Dobrowolski 25:01 paycheck. Oh, no, that's so what is that doing? Deena Pierott 25:05 What is that mindset doing for this next level of students coming through? I haven't seen that might land at your workplace. Right? Yeah, exactly. What is that doing for my sons who are in the workforce now? Yes. What is that going to be doing for my granddaughters who had some yesterday and your workspace? I'd rather I'm this way. And that's why I don't think I'll ever be monetarily rich. I'd rather give them all the tools they can do right now. Yeah. And happen, attach it to action, create it, attach it to metrics, yep, with everything, letting them know where they need to pivot, so that they can be equitable and inclusive workspaces. Don't keep paying me for years and years to keep you sick. Yeah, Patti Dobrowolski 25:46 that's right. Well, and one of the things that I'm listening to is that so you let the ideas germinate about where you are, and you envision how you could make a better so this my friend, Dawn calls this spinning the universe, you're really spinning the universe. Now using your imagination, then you get a plan, you get it down on paper, so that you've got something so that you know, okay, this is what we're going to do. And even if it's with somebody else, you get some partnership in there, so that you can make it happen. So you're not the driver of the activity, because the thing that you can be the driver at the beginning, but you don't want to be the driver for That's right. I Deena Pierott 26:25 always say this is the hardest thing to do when you are someone like me and like you and that very creative space, is find people that share your rhythm. Yeah, right. Oh, that's right. Find people that share your rhythm. I spent so many years trying to consult with people who had no idea what I really wanted to do. Right, but I just knew that what they were saying didn't settle. Well. I'm like, yeah, yeah. And that's crazy. Oh, man. Thank you, man. Oh, thank you. So it took me a long time. And it's still really hard to try to find those people who share your rhythm, right? You're one of those people that share my rhythm. Yeah, we got to get things going girl stuff off the bat, right back and forth. In an hour sit in ideas, right? Patti Dobrowolski 27:11 That's right. But then we got to go do them. We got to get people to help us do them. Like somebody in the background putting together your peloton machine right now, is that right? So if you're listening and you hear like the sound this clanking so Dina warned me that they were going to put up her peloton now and so whoever's back there doing that, you know, keep going and just know that this is what happens in a creative space. You have got to get everything happening at the same time, because there's not enough time in the day. Deena Pierott 27:41 Yeah, the only thing Patti is I'm looking at them putting this peloton treadmill together now I'm going to have to use it. I'm like, Oh, yes, Patti Dobrowolski 27:52 you're gonna have to use well, and and you know, I would say bite off just a small piece of that, like, I just start on things like that. Well, what's true for me is that I know if I don't dive full in and set a goal, that seems like whoa, I wonder if I could do that, then I will really get motivated to do it. I may not do it the next week, but I will that initial week getting myself going. So it's the trick to keep yourself motivated. And that's how it is with change, too. Right? You see something that needs to be changed, you get super excited at the beginning. But how do you maintain your own motivation? How do you maintain it? I want to know how you maintain, Deena Pierott 28:31 you know, for me that and I gotta be honest, until they transparent, this whole self care thing sucks for me, because I don't know how to do it. I have such a workaholic. But I also learned about myself as I have to do this self care, I have to learn this piece as much energy that I'm putting into these ideas and these businesses. Yes, I have to put that in me. You know, I have been through a lot of trauma over the last 20 years. One of the coping mechanisms for trauma is to stay busy. Yes. So I stayed super busy, you know, and it wasn't until my husband that my son's father passed away of cancer in 2019 that I actually hit a wall. I hit a wall and I basically almost had a nervous breakdown. And I realized at that point, I said to myself, I'm a smart enough woman to know that I gotta walk through this trauma. Right? Yeah, trauma that I have been suppressing for over 20 years. And that was a constant it was a continued I just got busier just wrapped more up. Yeah. Then I thought about what I created under trauma. Right. The White House under trauma. I'm honored in the Lincoln Center in New York with Oprah Magic Johnson all of them because if I ever team under trauma, right, I've been all these things under trauma. And I think that's why if they all didn't really resonate with me, well, Patti Dobrowolski 29:53 they don't really sink in. You're like yeah, I did that. I know that because I was on Broadway things like this. You Her major accomplishments you just sort of brushed him off. Yeah. Don't let them soak in. Yeah, yeah. That's great. Thank you so much. And then on to the next thing, because if you slow down too much, yeah. And you have to actually feel what's going on inside of yourself. Exactly. And really takes the passing of somebody who is important to you, to wake you up. I think sometimes, for me, it did. It was when my mom died. That was when I woke up. I couldn't get out of bed. Honestly, I couldn't get out of bed. I was just like, I don't know, you know, what's the point? And then I had to deal with all the things that had happened in my life. Right? Yeah. Deena Pierott 30:37 Well, that's what I've been going through over the past couple of years, since his death is just sitting still and going through the things like, you know, the things that have happened over the years me being discriminated against in the workplace, and, and and all the pushback that I've had to deal with, and it has been a heavy lift. Yeah, me with all of my businesses here in the Pacific Northwest. Patti Dobrowolski 30:59 Oh, you know, got it got to be because if you're in LA, you'd have our alliances. Deena Pierott 31:06 Oh, yeah. Even if I was in New York, Boston, Chicago, Patti Dobrowolski 31:09 any of the big cities, Dallas to the Dallas, Deena Pierott 31:13 I just look at how well we're so embraced in Dallas and Houston. And you know, I just came back from Boston, that was in Boston in Portland, Maine. And it was a totally different vibe there. Yeah. You know, I loved it. So I feel that being a black female founder here in the Pacific Northwest, there's a lot of hurdles to go through. Yep. You know, a lot of hurdles. And it was a harder path to get here. However, I'm the total, optimistic, idealistic person, I feel that all of that struggle, all the traumas, things that I've gone through all of the hardships, helps make me the mosaic of who I am. Patti Dobrowolski 31:57 Oh, it is, and you are so beautiful. You're such a beautiful mosaic that that is what true. And what I love about what you said, is that, you know, the composite of view. And all of us really is all of the things that we've had to go through all the, you know, all the N word, in your case, all the bottles thrown at me out of somebody's car window in LA, you know, all that stuff. Those are the aggressions that happen. And what's true is you understand your essence in the universe for good. You know, you're a vehicle for good. And so you take all that and just say, This is who I am. This makes me empathetic, right? This is where my empathy comes from. And this is where my need for connection. And also, this is where my I don't know about you, but my fuel to make change in the world comes from and you're spot on. You are just so incredible. And I'm so grateful that our paths crossed, because, gosh, I mean, you've just been doing so many things. Since I saw you in Portland. You were like a little lifeline to me in that weird deli that we were eating with your cute little granddaughter. So much older now. Leila Berg. Yeah, she's Deena Pierott 33:19 nine years old. She will be 10 Pretty soon. And you know, crazy. I look at her and I see true leadership in Yeah, yeah. I was honored at Clark College a couple years ago as Iris award winner. Yeah, cool. When in the audience, my son, his wife, and the girls were the audience. And wow, when I was doing the acceptance piece, when I was accepting it, I looked over at my granddaughters, and I asked the audience, you know, can I have a moment I have a message I want to give my granddaughter Oh, my God. And they said yes. And so I asked my son, but Leila up on stage. And I said, because the other ones are way too little. And so I said, Leila, I said, I hope that one day you'll understand why your grandmother is being honored here tonight. And I also hope that you understand the pathway that I'm trying to create for you. I said, Leila, we are standing on the shoulders of our ancestors who were slaves. So it's a sponsibility in this life, to walk through it with dignity, grace, and integrity. Oh, you promise me you'll do that? And she shook her head. Yes. Oh, I blew her kiss. She blew me a kiss. The audience was crying. Oh, Patti Dobrowolski 34:30 I bet. Oh, my God. Deena Pierott 34:31 And I said, ladies and gentlemen, in 20 years, she'll be the one receiving this award. So let's give her a round of applause. Oh, I love that. Oh, it's speaking it into existence. Well, I just reader, I see such a leader in her and I see the empathy, the empathy in her there's a young boy in her classroom at school elementary school, who's autistic. And he says if the other kids fully handled Leila is the only one who's nice for him and stands up for him. Patti? I almost cried because I said, she's got it. Patti Dobrowolski 35:02 That's it. Got it. She got it. She got the gene and the kids got Deena Pierott 35:06 the gene she has a friend and the leadership, stand up for others. And be fearless with it, right? Patti Dobrowolski 35:14 Ah, love it, stand by others and be fearless. With it, that should be all of our call to action, you know, really stand up for others and be fearless with it. And so even if you can't stand up for yourself, be sure to stand up for other people, because it makes a huge, huge difference. It really Deena Pierott 35:32 is easier because sometimes they're more skeptical to stand up for themselves and advocate for themselves in the workplace. Yeah, but it's easier to advocate for someone else, you know, yeah, to see that lifeline for someone else as well, if you do it the right way. Patti Dobrowolski 35:47 Yeah. And I think we need it. I mean, I think that if you know, so many people have been a mentor or an a door opener for me, in my life. And I think for you, too, you know, we get little doors open, and then we open the door way wide. For other people. We're like, let's get okay. Now everyone knows. Deena Pierott 36:07 Let's go I want to do right. And the thing is, is that people need to like for me, I advocate for everybody. It doesn't care what color you are. What gender what anything. Yeah, I believe in fairness, I don't like to see an equity placed anywhere for anyone, you know. And so that's why I was fighting the good fight for Patti Dobrowolski 36:27 fair, do you Yeah, you're so amazing. You just hear I'm telling you, you're so amazing. Now what I want you to tell people what you're reading right now. So they know what they should be reading to? Deena Pierott 36:40 Well, right now I'm reading a book called do better. And it's all around advocating for others advocating for yourself, creating equity, where you are, I was just at the Harvard bookstore in Boston. And I saw it and I bought it. And so I just started reading it. Very good read. The other book that I just listened to on audio was cast about the cast. Oh, yes. Yeah, it's long. Listen, and you really sometimes you got to play it back. And I'll, but it's a very, very good, there is another book that I'm also kind of in between around equity in schools. So I'm always reading that kind of, Patti Dobrowolski 37:18 well, you got to you have to, and everybody should be reading that, you know, Yeah, gotta just change your mindset all the time. Keep up. That's the thing. The other piece about change is, you have to keep up, keep up with what's important for you, and try to push yourself into areas where you don't feel comfortable, so that you can walk into that room filled with white men, and you can get what you need from the audience there. Right. Oh, God. Deena Pierott 37:47 And you know, it's so funny. When I walked into that room that day, I kind of did the whole church thing on here I am so that they can pause the meeting. Yeah, I could walk straight through to the front room. And I tell some of the guys there. Can you move over? So I put a chair here, because there was chairs in the back of the room. But Patti Dobrowolski 38:05 oh, yeah, well, back. Okay. That's right, exactly. Deena Pierott 38:09 What up to the front. I had a move, but a chair there. And but what are the things that I tell women and people of color, when you're in those kinds of situations where you are one of none of other people is to be engaged? Don't be that wallflower. So as soon as it came time for questions, yes, I was the first one that raised my hand. And I asked a question that I already knew the answer to. But I did that. And I do that a lot of times in places that they can see I'm here, I'm engaged. I'm a part of this group. Patti Dobrowolski 38:38 That's right. That's right. I love it. So raise your hand, ask a question. Even if you know the answer to even if everybody knows you're in the room and make a play, make it happen. And I would say that's true, even if you're on Zoom. Because in zoom rooms, it's really important to show up. So you turn your camera on, you got to look your best. And you got your hand up and you got to put comments in the chat. That yeah, that's fantastic. I've been Deena Pierott 39:06 on something zoom things where it's a lot of people and these people are just sitting there like quiet. Are they Patti Dobrowolski 39:10 advocator Tommy, would you entertain me, please? Yeah, I need some entertainment. Yeah. Deena Pierott 39:15 And there's a way to have that engagement even on Zoom or whatever platform Yeah, data. So you know, in fact, we're having our stem a wean for the kids. We've had a couple of virtual stem conferences for the kids. That's fantastic. Fast paced, they're fun. They're this and yeah, they're they're engaging, you know, and also, I think we've pretty much mastered the engaging online presence, you know, stuff so Patti Dobrowolski 39:37 well, you were engaging before when I came in drew with your kids. I mean, that was really, that was fantastic. I love doing that. So thanks for asking me to do that. Oh, they loved it, too. It was super fun now. Okay. So give us one last tip before we let you go. What's your one tip about change that you would tell to people say to people, you know people who are wanting to make a change What do you recommend that they Deena Pierott 40:01 do? I would recommend that they learn how to embrace it. Change is inevitable. Yeah. So my biggest tip is to be comfortable with change. Be comfortable with the pivot, always be that Constant Learner. I mean, I truly embrace change, even if it's things that I have no control of. I try to understand it and all but even for myself, looking at what the peloton that's going to be changed for me because I admit, I've got to embrace look, I've got to embrace it. I'm going to look like Beyonce in about six months. Okay, that's right. But embrace you can you will like either, like kind of grandma. So. But yeah, so I can't imagine not looking forward to the future and change that happens. I think that when you are afraid of change, when you try to stop change, I think that's when you stop growing. Patti Dobrowolski 40:55 Yeah. And when you start, then you're going backwards, you know, they're Deena Pierott 40:58 going backwards, Patti Dobrowolski 41:00 you either go forwards, or you go backwards, or you go backwards, so you got to keep going. Deena Pierott 41:05 My tip is to embrace it to embrace change. Patti Dobrowolski 41:09 I love it. I love you. You're so fantastic. I love thank you so much for spending this time with us listeners, we're gonna put into the show notes how you can get a hold of Deena Pierott because you're gonna want to follow her on Instagram and Facebook, wherever all LinkedIn all the places that she is. So look in the show notes. And I just take this to heart what she said embrace change, we live in a time of flux. If we're not going to get to a new normal flux is our new normal. So get good at change. And I can't wait to see what you do. So if you liked what you heard, you know, be sure to write a review about it or send me a DM on Instagram because we'd love to have you back and loved that you tuned in today to listen to all about Deena Pierott. I love you Deena. Thanks for being here. All right for having me on. My pleasure. Thanks so much for listening today. Be sure to DM me on Instagram your feedback or takeaways from today's episode on Up Your Creative Genius. Then join me next week for more rocket fuel. Remember, you are the superstar of your universe and the world needs what you have to bring. So get busy. Get out and up your creative genius. And no matter where you are in the universe, here's some big love from yours truly Patti Dobrowolski and the Up Your Creative Genius Podcast. That's a wrap

As a little girl, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant loved watching nature shows -- and she paid a lot of attention to the humans that showed up in front of the camera. Not seeing anyone in the host position who looked like her as a Black woman, Rae made it her goal to become a wildlife ecologist and to help change the face of who holds the expertise and shows up for some of the most unique animals in the world. Today, she's so proud to be the voice of a new podcast from PBS, Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant.Rae not only contributes to change through showing up as her full self, she's also dedicated to creating more equitable opportunities for young people to experience nature. She does this in many ways, most notably as the mother to two young girls and serving on the board of NatureBridge.After 15 years as a wildlife ecologist and conservation scientist, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant has a lot of valuable life lessons to share, be it the way she looks back at her own career with compassion for her younger self, the importance of doing exactly what she wants to do with her free time, or the joy that is cuddling baby bears -- just don't try the latter at home!Featured in this episode: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant @RaeWynnGrantHosted & Produced by Gale StraubA production of Ravel MediaSponsored by Danner Rumpl, & Minus33Join the She Explores Podcast community on FacebookVisit She-Explores.com & Follow Us on InstagramResourcesFeatured in this episode: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant: Instagram & WebsiteLearn more about Rae's podcast via PBS: "Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant"Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsShare your unique holiday traditions on an upcoming episode of She Explores.Enjoyed this episode? You might like these too:Giving Wildlife a Second Change: Sirena RanaButterflies, Bison, & the Border Wall: Conservationist Krista SchylerSubscribe to Our NewsletterRavel MediaSponsors and Discount CodesDanner: Find the right boots for you at Danner.comMinus33: Tune into the episode for 15% off your next order at Minus33.comRumpl: Get 15% off your first order at Rumpl.com with code SHE15 at checkout.Music is licensed through Musicbed.Episodes air bi-weekly this fall on Wednesdays-- subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

In Episode 27, Latina is joined by Queen Friend Kelly Knight to discuss how Kelly overcame Imposter Syndrome and the importance of Black women's representation in STEM. In this episode, Kelly provides tangible tips on how Black women can enter the Forensic Science career field and shares why self-care has been important in her journey towards wellness. After listening to this episode you will learn why representation is important for Black girls and women in STEM and you will learn how to be content in the journey of your life. To connect with Latina and for more inspiration please visit www.beneaththecrown.org Instagram: @beneaththecrownpodcast Connect with Kelly at www.kellythescientist.com Instagram: @kellythescientist --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Deena Pierott is an Idea Generator and Social Impact Entrepreneur - Founder of the award-winning and nationally recognized STEM+Arts program for youth of color called iUrban Teen and most recently co-founded and launched Black Women in STEM 2.0. Sought-after diversity strategist and international keynote speaker. I've served on several boards and commissions including a Gubernatorial appointment to the Commission on African American Affairs in the State of Washington. Honored to be acknowledged by President Barack Obama as a White House Champion of Change for Technology Inclusion and by Ebony Magazine on their Power 100 List. Experience in designing diversity and equity programs including Employee Resource Groups for various organizations Featured in the following publications: Forbes, Inc., Government Technology, Essence Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, Deliver magazine, Portland Business Journal, Geekwire, Colors of Influence, Neurology Now, the Chicago Tribune and on NPR.   Show Highlights Engaging your families with these simple, genius tips.  ‘Heart work' that  engages peer-to-peer partnerships between teachers and students to increase value. Teach students to be better advocates for themselves with two essential questions. The impact of implicit bias on kids of color.  How to get your school signed up for iUrban Teen. Ways to advocate for yourself without fear of repercussion or need for a “second self?” Stopping explicit bias.  Ways to respond to both implicit and explicit bias. Can't miss conversion on how to share your privilege.    “I want the Ruckus Maker to remember to keep on being that Ruckus Maker. Change doesn't happen by being complicit. Continue having your voice heard when you see change is needed. How do you build up a team of champions around you to create that change? Don't stay average.”  -Deena Pierott Full Transcript Deena Pierott Transcript   Deena Pierott's Resources & Contact Info: iUrbanTeen  Black Women in STEM 2.0 Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Deena@iurbanteen.org   Looking for more? Read The Better Leaders Better Schools Roadmap Join “The Mastermind” Read the latest on the blog   Show Sponsors HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Transform how you lead to become a resilient and empowered change agent with Harvard's online Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Grow your professional network with a global cohort of fellow school leaders as you collaborate in case studies bridging the fields of education and business. Apply today at http://hgse.me/leader.   TEACHFX School leaders know that productive student talk drives student learning, but the average teacher talks 75% of class time! TeachFX is changing that with a “Fitbit for teachers” that automatically measures student engagement and gives teachers feedback about what they could do differently.  Learn more about the TeachFX app and get a special 20% discount for your school or district by visiting teachfx.com/blbs.   ORGANIZED BINDER Organized Binder is the missing piece in many classrooms. Many teachers are great with the main content of the lesson. Organized Binder helps with powerful introductions, savvy transitions, and memorable lesson closings. Your students will grow their executive functioning skills (and as a bonus), your teachers will become more organized too. Help your students and staff level up with Organized Binder. Copyright © 2021 Twelve Practices LLC

In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined by awardee of President Barack Obama's White House Champion of Change for Technology Inclusion, Deena Pierott. Deena is the founder of iUrban Teen, a science, technology, engineering, manufacturing (STEM), and arts program for youth of color, and co-founder of Black Women in STEM 2.0, an organization advocates for equitable and inclusive workspaces while supporting black women in high-tech careers. They talk about the issues facing historically excluded individuals in STEM spaces, and how we can all work to effect change.

Bakari is joined by Ursula Burns, the former CEO of Xerox and the first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company, to talk about her path to becoming the CEO (2:43), why she wants to encourage more Black women to study STEM (20:07), the mentors she's had along the way, and why it's so important to pay it forward (28:34). Host: Bakari Sellers Guest: Ursula Burns Producer: Kaya McMullen Engineer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we're chatting it up with Erika Jefferson, President and Founder of Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE), an organization focused on bridging the leadership gap for Black women in STEM. Erika is giving us her view on the future of DEI, black women in STEM fields, how she started BWISE and much more! Questions: info@thecareersalon.com | Socials: @thecareersalon --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thecareersalon/support

Black women in STEM and beyond are grinding to achieve loftier and loftier goals, yet some people seem so bothered when we choose to indulge in the luxury that we've earned access to as a part of that hustle. We're here to support normalizing Black Girl Luxury. We deserve it and have no reason to feel ashamed of enjoying success in whatever ways make us happy! OK?!

Author & Edinburgh University Maths Graduate Lauryn joins me for a conversation about truth & honesty. We chat intention, writing, her infinitely optimistic spirit and so much more in this fascinating conversation that also reflects on an act of micro aggression that led to her writing a book about Black Women in STEM.https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-shuri-effect-by-lauryn-mwale--2#/ Connect on Insta  @theshurieffect_book

Deena Pierot is the Founder of iUrban Teen and founding member of Black Women in STEM 2.0.

Did you know that there are 13 million tech jobs expected to open in the next 4 years, but only  26% of tech jobs are held by women and only 3% are Black women and 1% are Latinas/Latinx? In this episode I chat with Joanna Rouse, Marketing professional for Npower (a non-profit organization that launches digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities) to discuss the challenges for women of color in the tech world and what parents can do to help our daughters embrace STEM careers. For more information about Npower, visit https://www.npower.org/.Follow Me: https://linktr.ee/Embracing_Your_Virtue

We continue with our guests that inspire people and make the world a better place! In this episode, we sat down with Kiwoba Allaire, founder, and CEO of Girl STEM Stars. This nonprofit organization started with the purpose of advancing black girls and youth of color from underserved communities in STEM, tech, engineering, and math. After Kiwoba almost lost her life, she recalls being in her recovery bed realizing she had to be the change she wanted to see in the world. Kiwoba looks back on her work and how many excited parents have called her saying the organization changed their daughters' lives and showed them it is possible to achieve success in the tech industry. Join us on this episode of Reach Radio and learn more about Kiwoba, her organization, and how she builds dreams! For the full transcript, and show notes visit us at reachtl.org --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fran-ayalasomayajula/support

In this SWE Diverse episode, we wrap up Black History Month with Nikia Brown, African-American Affinity Group Black History Month Lead, and Louvere Walker-Hannon, SWE African-American Affinity Group Lead and MathWorks Senior Application Engineer. Listen as Louvere and Nikia discuss the challenges faced by Black women in STEM, the importance of mentoring and volunteering in communities of color, and how societies like SWE and NSBE are helping diversify the engineering industry.

Happy Black History Month! In this SWE Diverse episode, Bralade Koroye-Emenanjo, FY21 SWE African-American Affinity Group Lead, speaks with Kanika Tolver, an engineer, speaker, author and coach. Kanika is a highly decorated information technology Federal Government professional, rebel entrepreneur and Certified Professional Coach who's fueled by an extraordinary commitment to social change and helping others create their own "epic lives." Listen as Kanika and Bralade discuss the challenges faced by Black women in STEM, how to overcome those obstacles, and how we can all work to create a more inclusive and equitable environment in our workplaces.

Produced by DuEwa World - Consulting + Bookings http://www.duewaworld.com Ep. 19 DuEwa interviewed author, researcher, and doctoral candidate Nicole A. Telfer about her book A Black Woman's Guide to Earning a Ph.D. Nicole discussed her journey as a doctoral student and her inspiration for writing her book to help Black women on the path to earning Ph.D. degrees. #womenwithdoctorates #gradschool #authors #PhDdegree #podcasts #fyp #NicoleTelfer #DuEwa #FocusedFriday #womensupportingwomen #books #interviews Visit her website at www.nicoleatelfer.com. LISTEN to this and other episodes here on Anchor, and at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Radio Public, iHeart Radio and ohters.  TWEET me and follow on Twitter @nerdacitypod1 and on IG @nerdacitypodcast SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and watch videos at YouTube.com/DuEwaWorld SUPPORT future episodes of this podcast at anchor.fm/duewafrazier/support or PayPal.me/duewaworld. BIO Nicole Telfer is a graduate student in Applied Developmental Psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County @univofmaryland (UMBC). She previously earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Psychology at Penn State University, as well as a Master of Arts in Applied Developmental Psychology at UMBC. Her research focuses on the retention of Black women in STEM programs, intersectionality, and on examining ways to improve the educational experiences of Black youth to inform preventive interventions in inner-city areas. Nicole believes that understanding the role of socio-cultural factors, like neighborhood disadvantage, systematic racism, and poverty, can help improve the academic success of Black adolescents, and close the educational achievement gap that exists in the United States. Outside of academia and research, Nicole advocates for Black youth by volunteering at local public schools and mentoring through organizations that serve at-risk youth. Lastly, Nicole is the author of two books: "Freed'' and "A Black Woman's Guide to Earning a Ph.D." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/duewafrazier/support

Guest Host Vanesse Lloyd Sgambati speaks with David Simon Director of the Simon Education and coordinator of the Black Book Festival in London. Also interviewed Tonya Bolden, author of Changing the Equation: 50 + Black Women in STEM. Finally Vanesse talks with Dr. Camille Gaynus, Marine Biologist who will be honored this month as part of Women's History Month.