STEMming in Stilettos with Dr. Toshia

Episode Summary:
1) Her dad inspired her STEM journey.
2) She believes in the importance of the work being done in and around community and public health. We need to be more aware of our public health options and what programs are out there for us and those that don't serve us well. 
3) She is greatly inspired to give back to girls and many STEM initiatives around the US.
4) Our health and wellness includes taking care of our skin. Beauty doesn't have to hurt. You can have and use products that honors the skin your in.

Dr. Jennifer J. Edwards is a leader in women’s wellness and business strategy.  As a fourth generation business owner, she helps women reverse burnout and restore balance through events, online courses, and plant-based products.  Jennifer is creator of The Wellthy Academy for work-life wellness and she hosts Live Well, the podcast to continue her mission of being an advocate for attainable wellness.  She also launched Refinne Skincare as a bold, conscious beauty movement supporting the wellness of accomplished multicultural women.  Jennifer has a B.S. in Chemistry and PhD specializing in public health.  She lives in Dallas with her husband and two children.  

Connect with her at JennPhD.com, RefinneSkincare.com, or @DrJennEdwards on social.

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary:

1) Internships are so important especially when deciding on your next career move right out of college. Do them and discover what it is that you like or don't like;
2) It is so important that as a woman in STEM and a Black women in particular that you do not downplay your abilities for anyone. Own all of your talents and gifts
3) When you have the opportunity to be in the room, use your voice for good and help others.
4) Let's not compete with other Black women, but try to help where needed.
5) Take the time to find yourself and your sweet spot, personally and professionally.

Bio:
STEM advocate, Aisha Lawrey, has 20 years of experience on this journey. Working in industry, government, nonprofits, and education she knows how to engage many different stakeholders, at all levels. Her focus is on increasing the number of women and minorities in engineering. 

Aisha recently joined the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), Inc. as the Senior Director, Programs and Scholarships. She is responsible for planning, directing and executing all scholarships and program activities. Prior to joining NACME, Aisha was the Director of Engineering Education with the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME). She directed and guided the work of ASME in helping to shape the future of mechanical engineering and engineering technology.

Aisha obtained a Master of Public Administration and Policy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. A New Jersey native, Aisha now resides in Maryland with her husband and 12-year-old twins.

Social Media Accounts:  

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AishaKenya

Twitter

https://twitter.com/AishaKenya77

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/akbosslyfe

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishalawrey 

For students studying engineering and computer science, please check out NACME, Inc. for opportunities to apply for scholarships. www.nacme.org 

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Main Points:

1) There is a game that you need to understand when entering into the engineering profession. Its still the white man's game.

2) Black women need not compete with each other. We have to learn how to support each other, especially in these spaces where we are few and far between.

3) It is still necessary for our children to see us in these professional settings doing the job. We are still the minority and therefore it is incumbent on us show our kids examples.

Dr. Valerie Bennett Bio:

Dr. Valerie Bennett is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. She received a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Mechanical Engineering, from Vanderbilt University and received her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Mechanical Engineering, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Bennett then worked as a software consultant for Manhattan Associates then joined Morehouse College as an Assistant Professor where she taught Engineering and Physics courses as part of the Dual Degree Engineering Program for four and a half years. She then joined the faculty at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta where she taught Physics and was one of the two founding Coaches of the Robotics Program. As the Head Coach of the award-winning High School Robotics Team, the team has won several Regional Competitions and has been recognized on the International Level.  She has also served on the Georgia FIRST Robotics Regional Committee in the planning of Regional Events and was Co-Coordinator of the Georgia FIRST Robotics Mentor Advisory Council. To expose student to the excitement and importance of STEM, she worked as the Physics Research Coordinator for the TRIO Program as part of the Upward Bound Initiative. She was also awarded the Innovative Teacher award by the Georgia Independent Schools Association and received an Innovation Grant by the Georgia Education and Technology Conference. After teaching at Westminster, she then was an Engineering Professor and Regents’ Engineering Transfer Program Advisor at Georgia Perimeter College. Afterwards, she taught Advanced Placement Physics, IB Physics and led the Physics Professional Learning Community at Westlake High School where she served on the Fulton County Vanguard Team while also completing research with students at Georgia Tech as part of GIFT Program.

Dr. Bennett has been a Research Coordinator for the Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program and has been awarded the Innovative Teaching Award by the Georgia Independent Schools Association. She has served as the Morehouse Coordinator for the Dual Degree Engineering Program and Faculty Advisor for several student Organizations such as National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Physics Students, Society of Women Engineers (Spelman College), and Packard Scholars. She has served as a Board Member and STEM Advisory Board Member of the Atlanta Cares Mentoring Organization, which was established by Susan Taylor, former editor of Essence Magazine. In the Greater Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, she has organized several community projects.  In 2014, she established STEM Compass, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to navigate, educate, and motivate young people in STEM-focused careers and entrepreneurship. The three

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Main Points:

1) Being true to yourself starts early

2) Having a mentor to guide you is healthy

3) There is so much that we don't understand about cybersecurity, more education is needed

4) Being a black unicorn is important to acknowledge and embrace and bring other black unicorns together is need for our collective good. 

5) a herd of unicorns is called a blessing.

Octavia Howell Bio:

Octavia is an experienced technical leader who specializes in Networks, Cyber Security, and building operationally excellent, motivated cross-functional, multi-cultural teams. She is focused on career growth and helping everyone she encounters reach their career goals. Octavia is not your typical leader. She is highly technical and prides herself on understanding, solving problems, and discovering secure solutions for her business partners.  She currently serves as an Information Security Officer for Equifax’s largest business unit. She is also the Founder and CEO of Augustus Redefined, an organization focused on the advancement of Black Women in Cyber.  Octavia believes that a security leader should mentor, motivate trust, and lead their teams to act with integrity and openness. She often says, “A team is only as strong as their leaders and each leader casts a shadow that they will be held accountable for.”

Octavia received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Spelman College and holds CISSP, GISP, GCWN and GSLC GIAC certifications.  She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF), Women in Technology (WiT), Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys), the International Consortium for Minorities and Cyber Professionals (ICMCP), the International Information Systems Security Consortium (ISC2), the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), and serves as a mentor to several participants within Year-Up Greater Atlanta.

In her spare time, Octavia enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and mentoring.
She truly believes that we are placed on this earth to help each other achieve greatness (whatever that may be).

Website: www.augustusredefined.com

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Main Points;

1) Math is the foundation to all other STEM subjects

2) Mom knows best

3) The subscription box works because it can be customized for the girl. 

Guest Bio: Brittany Rhodes

Brittany Rhodes is the Founder of Black Girl MATHgic (BGM), a movement dedicated to increasing math confidence, awareness, enthusiasm, identity, fluency and persistence in children, with a focus on girls and black children. BGM’s flagship product is the Black Girl MATHgic Box, which is the first and only subscription box designed to increase math confidence and decrease math anxiety in girls on a 3rd-8th grade math level. Brittany received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Spelman College and her Master of Business Administration in Marketing, Communication and Organizational Behavior from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Brittany is a proud native of Detroit, where she lives with her husband, Oscar.

website: linktr.ee/blackgirlmathgic

Instagram: @blackgirlmathgic

Facebook: Black Girl MATHgic

Twitter: blkgirlmathgic

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Main Points:

1) STEM has shown up in a big way during COVID-19.

2) The spotlight on the digital divide is only going to get bigger as we navigate going back to school in the fall

3) Parental engagement in schools has never been more important. 

4) Teacher professional development is vital especially if schools are looking towards a hybrid model or online model of educating kids.

5) We should listen to the kids. Have them tell us what they would like to see. They have a perspective on what's happening also. It needs to be honored.

Where to find Bejanae Kareem?

Email: bejanae@bkconsultancy.org

Facebook: facebook.com/bkconsultancy
Twitter: twitter.com/bkconsultancy
YouTube: youtube.com/bkconsultancy
Instagram: @bk_consultancy

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Main Points

1) Engineers are Innovative, Creative, and passionate about their work

2) The Bond of womenhood is key to success in a lot of cases

3) Battling the stats about women in STEM is tiring but needed.

Guest Bio:

Shazia Imam, The Life Engineer, is an award-winning speaker, and host of the Top 12 Podcast - Feminine & Fulfilled. Shazia is a Certified Life Coach and holds an Industrial & Systems Engineering degree from Virginia Tech. Recognized as Woman of the Year in her Engineering department, Shazia went on to become an award-winning Management Consultant with 20 years of experience at companies including Disneyland, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Accenture, and Booz Allen Hamilton. In 2012, Shazia was awarded the coveted Technology Rising Star for Women of Color in STEM.

Her resume may include extensive experience in Fortune 500 companies, but her soul's calling is to help women unleash their authentic self and live purposefully. As a recovering people-pleasing perfectionist, Shazia knows all too well the empty feeling even when you seem to, quote/unquote, “have it all.” After experiencing her own life fall apart after losing her son and then husband, Shazia realized it was a Divine push to begin living her REAL life. This blossomed into finding her soul mate, discovering her soft feminine power, and living her deep purpose...One which involves women unleashing their WHOLE selves to feel fulfilled, happy and whole. Isn't life more fabulous that way?! 

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Impostor Syndrome is real and could be becoming more prevalent as we get deeper into the pandemic. How do women, women of color, combat this so that we can work towards becoming our best. 

Main Points:

1. Ask Questions

2. Find and Be Supportive of Others

3. Fail Forward

4. Stop Apologizing

5. Celebrate the Small Wins

6. Know Your Self (Worth)

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Interview Main Points:

1) You can be pretty, smart, and creative and STILL be in STEM.

2) Oftentimes for students of color and especially women of color in STEM, the journey is one we have to take alone.

3) Messaging for girls around Math has to change to something positive. Girls can do Math. 

Phylecia Jones is a two-time TEDx speaker, national TV financial contributor for Daily Blast Live, women in STEM advocate and Founder of iFind You Close helping speakers research and book more speaking engagements around the world.

After being featured on hundreds of stages in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Phylecia realized the power of using the stage as a way of marketing to grow a business and brand. As the Founder of iFind You Close, she is bringing over 18 years of research, analytics and entrepreneurship experience to those who want to want to use public speaking to share the message of their company, business or brand.

Phylecia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering and is a former scientist for the US Navy. She has had the honor of presenting on such platforms as NPR’s TED Radio Hour, NBC 9 News, FinCon, iThemes and a host of organizations that trust her ability to educate, inspire and transform. iFind You Close launched in 2019 with the goal of employing more women in tech and using that knowledge to take the guess work out of doing the research of sorting through over 5000+ events that happen daily that are looking for keynote speakers, breakout sessions and expert panels. When Phylecia isn’t deep into researching the internet, she blogs about her eclectic list of ever-growing life experiences including travel, baton twirling, performing with a circus, RVing across the USA, being a professional cheerleader and achieving 100hrs towards being a yacht captain.

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Interview Main Points:

1) Perseverance does pay off.

2) Mentoring is important for girls showing interest in STEM. Its often not the skillset that deters women from continuing in STEM, its the environment.

3) Its okay to be the first and only. We still need those who are willing to take the first step and be a role model for other girls and women to follow.

Dr. Janelle OD received her undergraduate degree in biology from the Xavier University of Louisiana. Following her undergraduate studies, Dr. Janelle OD matriculated to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry where she received her Doctorate in Optometry in 2006. Her passions include Dry eye disease, Ocular aesthetics, Diabetic eye disease, and specialty contact lenses.

Dr. Janelle is the Founder and CEO of Brilliant Eyes Vision Center and Premier Dry Eye Spa in Marietta, Ga. Dr. Janelle OD and her office have been featured in numerous national optometric publications, she was featured on the 2011 Cover of Women in Optometry magazine. Dr. Janelle is a STEM advocate and mentor. Her office is also a current internship site for the Work-Based Learning Program at McEachern High School, providing over 5000 hours of mentorship and healthcare experience for junior and senior students, since 2011. She also serves as a CTAE Healthcare Board Advisor for Cobb County Schools.

Dr. Janelle is a STEM champion for minority youth. Co-founding S.C.O.R.E., INC. 501c3 non-profit with her younger sister, Dr. Joya DDS. Their nonprofit aims to expose, empower and encourage minority high school girls to pursue STEM careers. Since establishment in 2017 the organization has awarded $10,000k in scholarship and 15 high school juniors have matriculated through the healthcare summer internship programs.

Dr. Janelle OD is a highly respected industry leader serving as a Key Opinion Leader for Lunovus and served as a Georgia Optometric Association Board of Trustee for the greater Atlanta District in 2014. She is a proud member of the National Optometric Association and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Rho Zeta Omega Chapter.
She is an award-winning optometrist receiving the 2018 Xavier University of Louisiana 40 under 40 award, 2019 National Coalition 100 Black Women: Women of Impact Award for Health, and 2019 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Cluster V Eva Bonner Youth Mentoring Award.
Her charitable contributions include annual donations to Must Ministries, Optometry Gift of Site, the Lions Club and S.C.O.R.E., INC.

Dr. Janelle is a native of Detroit, Michigan and is a proud wife and mother of two children.

Dr. Janelle is available for speaking engagements, health panels, Advisory Boards, career days as well as internet, media and radio opportunities. If interested in booking Dr. Janelle contact, her at [email protected]

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A