I used to think my authority in STEAM only came from my lab coat. I was wrong. True authority in STEAM doesn’t just come from data; it comes from the ability to translate innovation into a story that sparks the soul. I operated under the traditional scientific method: Observe, Hypothesize, Experiment, Conclude. But seeing the “Missing Millions” and the call to increase representation, I realized that sharing personal stories can inspire and connect us, making you feel valued

In any scientific or engineering practice, we begin by asking a question or defining a problem. Mine is simple. How do we inspire the “Missing Millions” if the science remains behind a cold wall of facts? They say science belongs in the lab. I also have a different hypothesis. Biotechnology is only as powerful as the stories we use to teach it. For this reason, I traded my lab coat for a storybook 23 years ago to prove that a cell’s journey can be just as magical as any fairy

AI-generated image By Dr. Ayo Olufade, Ph.D. Have you ever tried to explain the invisible mechanics of life to a child, only to see their eyes glaze over? I spent over 20 years immersed in the technical worlds of biotechnology and biochemistry, surrounded by data on metabolic pathways and cellular respiration. As a researcher, these were my tools. But as an educator, I kept seeing the same problem. For many children, science feels like a cold wall of facts they can never quit

“There’s no way I can bag groceries for the next 40 years.” That’s the moment it shifted. That was when Dr. Rittenhouse had the epiphany, the desire to go to college. But how would he navigate college? He had no idea what he would major in. No one in his family had ever gone to college. He would be the first-generation Rittenhouse who would go to college. Dr. Justin Rittenhouse didn’t come from legacy academia or a long line of engineers. He came from a working-class family,

“There’s no way I can bag groceries for the next 40 years.” That’s the moment it shifted. That was when Dr. Rittenhouse had the epiphany, the desire to go to college. But how would he navigate college? He had no idea what he would major in. No one in his family had ever gone to college. He would be the first-generation Rittenhouse who would go to college. Dr. Justin Rittenhouse didn’t come from legacy academia or a long line of engineers. He came from a working-class family,

We celebrate African billionaires, but is wealth at the top the right metric to inspire us all? While that is inspiring, are we aware of the barriers that might hinder our own investments in Africa and how to overcome them? Addressing these concerns can help us move from inspiration to action. ​Yes, representation matters. But wouldn’t it be more transformative for people of African ancestry to focus on structural leverage and wealth that they can easily achieve by diversify

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