“WE HAVE SO MANY CHALLENGES IN OUR WORLD. WE NEED 100% OF OUR MIND POWER WORKING ON THOSE, NOT JUST 50%.”
- Dr. Penny Noyce, founding board chair of the STEM Next Opportunity Fund
Girls Build Solutions 2022
More than 250 STEM leaders, funders, youth advocates and their families gathered for a dynamic few days in Chicago at the inaugural at Girls Build Solutions™ to demonstrate the power of women and girls to unlock the creativity and innovation our world needs most.
Sharon L. Heck, corporate vice president finance and chief tax officer at Intel Corporation, shared her dreams of becoming an astronaut as a young woman. Heck thanked the Million Girls Moonshot for encouraging girls to dream. Heck pursued a career in accounting after being told girls couldn’t fly.
During the four-day showcase and capacity building institute, adults and young people shared personal stories about how STEM experiences created an initial spark to learn more, especially in afterschool spaces, as well as the importance of family support and mentorship.
Matthew Swibel, vice president of strategic communications and operations at Lockheed Martin opened the Monday evening ceremony with a story about his grandmother’s dream to be an engineer.
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Lauren Niculescu, Senior Marketing Manager at PepsiCo, introduces the surprise call from actress, Sonequa Martin Green, and hands out the special stars to Flight crew members, on behalf of FritoLay Variety Packs.
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Sonequa Martin Green, the first Black female captain of the Star Trek franchise, phones into the showcase to share her hopes for the Flight Crew on behalf of FritoLay Variety Packs.
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Chris Barr, Head, Takeda US CSR & Philanthropic Partnerships, welcomes STEM leaders, youth advocates and their families to a outdoor reception, sponsored by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Elaine Ho, deputy associate administrator for the STEM Engagement Program at NASA Headquarters, presents the Flight Crew with a letter from Vice President Kamala Harris.
“As a mother of two young girls, I know the difference one voice of encouragement makes.”
- Dr. Swati Mohan, Supervisor for the Guidance, Navigation and Controls Systems Engineering group, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
