Kara is an innovator, role model, motivator, and business woman who is determined to create spaces in STEM and provide representation for young Black girls!
This week’s Community Feature (formerly our #WomanCrushWednesday in STEM or #WCWinSTEM campaign) is Kara Branch, a chemical engineer who is the founder and CEO of Black Girls Do Engineering and STEMXposed. She is also an author, and through her work she aims to create safe and equitable environments for young Black girls to learn and love STEM.
Responses may be edited for clarity and brevity.
Where did you go to school?
E.M.B.A. Business Administration, Management, and Operations, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Prairie View A&M University, Prarie View, Texas
What do you do right now?
I am the Founder and CEO of Black Girls Do Engineer and STEMXposed. At Black Girls Do Engineer, our mission is to Educate, Elevate, and Empower girls ages 6–21 by offering exposure and representation to help them achieve their aspirations in life.
We offer our members programs that focus on a variety of areas in STEM including: Coding, Robotics, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, and Aerospace Engineering just to name a few. We also offer other enrichment programs such as financial literary, mentorship, and college preparatory classes.
For our members in college, we offer workshops and programs that hone in on leadership development, life skills, interview preparation, mentorship, mastering career fairs, and understanding career choices.
STEMXposed is my STEM educational product line where my books and STEM kits can be purchased. We offer a reading book and coloring book called “What is STEM” and a galaxy slime making kit. All of these items can be purchased individually to complete at home or in bulk for schools to send home with their students.
I am also an author and Keynote Speaker. I speak on the importance of girls in STEM, women empowerment, motivational topics, as well as futuristic industry topics. I am an innovator and engineer first and have been very valuable in new innovation in my industry so I speak on technical topics as well. This includes Artificial Intelligence, the importance of hydrogen use for a more sustainable world, and several other technical engineering topics.
What is your favorite aspect of your current role?
I love that I get to provide representation for young Black girls. It is a pleasure to be able to expose girls to STEM and change generations.
“I have been a member of BGDE for two years. When I grow up I want to be a software engineer. I like BGDE because we go on STEM trips. BGDE helped me decide what I want to be when I grow up.” — Testimonial, BGDE participant
“I am a five-year member of BGDE. In the future, I want to be a graphic designer. What I like about the program is the activities. There are many STEM career options I could choose that I would like to pursue, and not just the generic ones.” — Testimonial, BGDE participant
Helping one of my high school seniors get into college is one success story that is special to me. She was advised by her high school guidance college to not seek a 4-year university due to her grades being impacted by the pandemic. She was convinced that achieving an acceptance was out of reach. We spent 8 months convincing her otherwise. With our support, she was accepted into five 4 year universities. She is now studying Nursing on a full ride scholarship, which is a major accomplishment because she from an undeserved community and was raised by a single mom.
Representation is important to me because I have been the only black woman in all of my roles and most children I work with and speak with in the community have never seen a Black woman who is a Chemical Engineer. You have to see it to believe It. It helps build the girls confidence.
What made you choose your STEM discipline in the first place?
My advisor during freshman year of college played a major role in helping me believe that I would be able to obtain a degree in Chemical Engineering. She provided me with resources, and no one in my underserved community had ever been able to do that for me. Because of her, I knew what my possibilities were and the rest was up to me. I started setting short term goals and this is why I am a Chemical Engineer today. I had to do the hard work, but she provided me with exposure to even know what I could do with my love for science and math.
What piece of work are you most proud of (publication, presentation, project, etc.)?
I am most proud of being able to make an impact in my community!
I am also proud of the work that I’ve published. I am a writer for Forbes! I write for the Forbes Nonprofit Council. Here’s an article I just wrote:
Council Post: Membership-Based Nonprofit Organizations: 3 Ways To Measure Impact
This article emphasizes the critical role of impact measurement for nonprofit organizations, highlighting effective strategies such as data tracking and management to showcase their achievements. Notably, Black Girls Do Engineer has made a significant difference in the lives of over 2,500 girls, awarding nearly $50,000 in scholarships and achieving an impressive 100% success rate in college enrollment and job placement. It is important to integrate passion with data-driven approaches to foster meaningful change within the nonprofit sector.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you had when you started your STEM journey?
Shift my mindset! It’s important to believe that you belong.
You have to know you belong in these spaces and adjust your mindset as such. Most of the time we focus on the negative instead of building our mind up to focus on what we can control.
How did you find support within your institution or field?
My daughters are my inspiration. They keep me going. I was not a traditional college student. While I was in college, my three daughters were also in college–they motivated me to keep going and never give up. Having their support during my studies encouraged me to get it done because I knew it would be a generational change for them. I did not want my children to worry about the things I worried about as a child.
What do you think the field can do to make STEM more equitable?
Be more self-aware and understand that everyone belongs in STEM spaces. This is one thing I believe everyone can work on to just make this world a better place. Do this work from a place of passion and being secure in yourself. These two things can get you far in this industry and life.
What else are you passionate about and how do you make sure to make time for your other passions?
Selfcare! I love to take care of me. I am a wife and mom so family time and time to myself is very important to me. I spend every day of my life helping others, so it is crucial that I take care of me as well. Selfcare is non-negotiable for me. It started with balance and priority shifting for me. I fill my own cup because to be honest, being a servant to people will take from you and the appreciation will not always be there– but if you prioritize yourself and keep your faith that will keep you going.
You can find Black Girls Do Engineer and Kara on Instagram
Thank you, Kara, for allowing us to share your story! We’re honored to have you in our VanguardSTEM Village!
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Community Features: Kara Branch, E.M.B.A. (She/Her) was originally published in VanguardSTEM Conversations on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.