Ventureprise Launch Alumnus Abi Olukeye Highlighted in Charlotte Inno
When career problem-solver and long-time technologist Abi Olukeye became a mother to two girls, the world of science, technology, engineering and math (known more commonly as STEM), started to look a bit different.
While she was familiar with the gender gap in STEM fields — in 2018, only 28 percent of those jobs were held by women — she began to notice a resource gap for children, too.
“I had two daughters, and realized I had to do more work to make sure they’re widely exposed to a variety of topics,” Olukeye said. “It was harder than I thought, and I started digging into STEM for girls.”
The result was Smart Girls HQ, which Olukeye launched in 2018. It has two goals: to foster a love of STEM learning in girls and expose them to the wide variety of STEM careers. Its flagship product, the Raising Smart Girls online community, offers insights, editorial content and a newsletter for parents, teachers and other adults looking to foster an early love of STEM. Need a suggestion for a fun STEM-related toy, activity or topic of interest for girls ages 5-12? Olukeye’s automated platform will generate a tailored list to point the way.