Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
Kina McAllister is a scientist (currently at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center—a lab researching gene therapies), entrepreneur, and empowerer. Her mission? Even the playing field for women in STEM careers. Her strategy? Champion girls to discover the engaging and awe-inspiring aspects of STEM in their own way, on their own terms.
McAllister is the creator of StemBox, a monthly subscription science box for girls. Every month, girls receive a box that activates a STEM topic in a unique and hands-on way. Each box contains the necessary equipment and tools for the experiment or activity, as well as a link to corresponding videos featuring explanations from a real female role model working in the field.
Pretty amazing, right? But here’s the thing: McAllister needs some help to make StemBox a full blown reality. Help a fellow lady geek out on Kickstarter, and feel good about your role in empowering girls through STEM.
And read on for our interview with McAllister, which includes a darling story about a 10-year-old girl single-headedly saving the Yucca Mountain…
Q: How did you discover your passion for empowering girls through STEM?
A: I’ve always loved science, probably since I was 5 or 6 when my folks bought me a cool microscope for Christmas. There’s something so satisfying and empowering about tinkering, experimenting, and problem solving to get things done and learn about them. I followed my passion for science throughout my education all the way to college. During that time I had interactions with people who held onto preconceived notions of what a scientist should act and look like and those same people never failed to point out that I was not what they considered a scientist to be since I clearly don’t fit that stereotype they had.
At times I felt so insecure about myself and my career that I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously and that I was just wasting my time. But then I thought back to all the moments in my life where science had brought me so much joy and purpose and I knew I was doing the right thing with my life. The emotional connection to STEM I had created at such a young age and the support I had from those close to me are what kept me in the field and I realized that not all girls have that in their lives.
About two years ago, a
friend who I had relayed this story to invited me to give a 5 minute Ignite
talk which forced me to really focus and narrow down my experiences into a
concise message, which was a huge help in figuring out what I wanted to do to
make my experience something that could help young girls. It was after that
talk that the idea of StemBox was conceived and from there it just felt natural
to continue my message on through this project.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish through StemBox?
A: I would honestly consider this project a success if just one girl who had StemBox growing up found me later in her life and said “Stembox is what made me interested in science, and gave me the courage to stay in the field."
It is so scary being a minority in anything, let alone a woman in STEM where sometimes people don’t even know where your gender’s bathroom is! I want StemBox to give girls a tactile and emotional connection to science. I want girls to get their hands on these experiments, try the protocol if they want, but then go nuts with it and see what other questions they come up with and to test them! These boxes aren’t meant to test girls on their intellectual abilities, though we offer resources to girls wanting to learn more. So many kids have such a negative reaction to STEM in school and tend to avoid it as much as possible. StemBox removes the pressure and gives kids the freedom to play with science and explore. I want those happy and exciting moments of discovery with StemBox to fuel girls to keep going when the going gets tough in their high school chemistry classes, the time they are the only girl in the room, and when they think they don’t belong in STEM because they don’t have any female role models in the field to look up to.
Q: Most gratifying moment thus far as the creator of StemBox?
A: It would probably be the moment the girls in our prototype workshop were at the point in the DNA Extraction protocol where they were precipitating out DNA. It’s that "aha!” moment for them when the can actually see what DNA is and it’s something they’ve done all on their own. The pride and excitement on all of their faces is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget. That moment, is what StemBox is all about.
Q: When did you discover you were “geeky”?
A: The moment my mom hid my petition to keep nuclear waste out of Yucca Mountain from me because I took it with me EVERYWHERE and asked EVERYONE to sign it. I was this 10 year old on a kick to save this mountain and even had a dedicated table at recess to get other 9 and 10 year olds to sign it. Eventually she gave it back when she realized her mistake, but I get it. Haha, I can’t believe she didn’t take it sooner, I would harass complete strangers at my sister’s soccer games about it.
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: On a social note: Don’t worry about the really embarrassing stuff you did in school. They make for REALLY good party stories down the road when you’re an adult.
On an academic note: There is SO much more to science than academia. There are tons of career choices that require creativity and originality. Keep playing around with stuff and exploring your talents!
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
If you’ve read my Twitter feed at any point in the last year, you’ve probably noticed that there is one hashtag I use more than any other.
#GIRLBOSS
And it’s for good reason. As a female CEO of a tech company, I spend a lot of time trying to run my business. And I am really damn proud of that fact. It’s not easy. But it’s also SO MUCH EASIER because of the amazing women in my life. And a lot of times, those women are clients who are also Girl Bosses.
When I met the women behind iBesties, I was impressed by two things: first, they were trying to tackle a market that is full of problems. I could write a novel about the problems with Bratz and Barbies, but I will spare us all. Second, they weren’t just trying to make dolls, they were trying to tell a story and really bring little girls a new perspective.
Obviously, it was my honor to do the video for their Kickstarter campaign. During the shooting days, I honestly found myself thinking: would I have become a CEO sooner if I had something like this when I was a little girl? I didn’t know my dream was possible until I met other women who did it. And that’s why we need this. And I’m happy to report that their campaign is now live.
If you have a daughter, cousin, niece or just know an amazing little girl - please go check out their campaign and consider pre-ordering an iBesties book or doll or both.
The world needs more future Girl Bosses. The best way to do that? Help little girls see that it’s possible.
With a undergraduate degree in social psychology, a PhD in physics, and experiences in science journalism, radio, podcasting, and the Peace Corps in West Africa, Lady Geek Stephanie Chasteen (@sciencegeekgirl) is transforming the world—one budding mind at a time.
She’s a science education consultant working with high school and college teachers to change the way science is taught in classrooms. As a passionate academic and a STEMinist through and through, Chasteen is helping the minds of up-and-coming physicists bloom. And that’s a pretty cool thing.
So check out Chasteen’s interview with Being Geek Chic, and discover what makes this Lady Geek tick.
Q: How did you discover your passion for educational reform - especially in the sciences?
A: I took a rather circuitous path. The short answer is that I was incredibly inspired by working with creative, smart teachers at a world-class science museum, and I completely changed my life path as a result of that. The longer answer; I got my PhD in Condensed Matter Physics, but I knew that I probably wanted to do something with communication of science to the public, because I had a passion for explaining science rather than doing science. I did a lot of science journalism while I was getting my PhD.
After I got my degree, I was looking around for the Next Step, and I found a postdoctoral fellowship at the Exploratorium Museum of Science. That postdoctoral appointment changed my life. While I did some science communication, I mostly worked with K12 science teachers on how to incorporate hands-on, inquiry-based techniques in the classroom (for example, watching how colored dye mixes with milk, or trying to “float” a piece of plastic using a charged rod). I realized how little my own education had prepared me to be able to explain everyday phenomena, and to really understand the world. I wanted to devote my life to changing how science is taught, to make sure that a sense of wonder is infused in all our science classes. I mostly work on college-level education now, but I have an interest in K12 too.
Q: How do you inspire girls, in particular, to be interested
in STEM?
A: While I don’t work directly with students, I work with teachers to help support them in incorporating different teaching practices – such as having students discuss ideas in groups, or getting students to work together to predict the outcome of an experiment. A lot of those sorts of techniques have been shown to help girls, and others who are often turned-off from science, persist in science.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink,
whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: I’m a bit stumped on this one, but the best answer I can imagine is to take Sherlock Holmes (as played by Benedict Cumberbatch) out for a drink of Absinthe. Wouldn’t that be an interesting night!?
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: Relax and enjoy the ride….
Q: What’s the title of your memoir?
A: The meandering life of a GeekGirl: Explorations and inspirations towards finding wonder in the world
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
Occasionally I share recent work projects around these parts and today is one of those days. Why? Because I freaking love this story. It’s about a brilliant 10 year old girl who likens robot construction to the human body. Go STEM!
For those that don’t know, Modular Robotics is a rad company out of Boulder, CO that is creating the toys of the future. Or, robot construction kits that require no programming, wiring or really much technical knowledge at all.
Anyway, super jazzed to be working with these folks. And double jazzed when little girls are given credit for being super genius winners.
Girls don’t like science. AHEM.
Girls don’t want to be scientists. COUGH.
Boys don’t want to play with or as girls. BARF.
True Fact Time: LEGO’s Research Institute set, you know, the one with all the female scientists being rad, came out last Friday and as of this morning - It’s TOTALLY SOLD OUT.
This is a True Fact, despite:
1. LEGO instituting a one per household purchase limit.
2. LEGO releasing a second set from LEGO ideas - the Exo Suit (not something they often do) in a very similar price range. In all fairness, the ExoSuit did come with one male and one female minifigure.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy destroying at the box office at the same time as their new LEGO sets were released.
There are moments when I am just so damn tired of talking about this problem. This huge disconnect between reality and media/corporate speak about what girls like, are interested in, want, etc. And I know I’m not alone on this. It can be exceedingly tedious to live your life a certain way and be told repeatedly by media (hi Marvel!), corporations (hi LEGO circa 2012!) and talking heads (hi every damn dude in Hollywood!) that your way of life, your way of viewing the world, your interests are not actually your own. That, in fact, they belong to one gender.
And so when something like this happens, it gives me hope. Because ultimately, the world (and specifically our media and our corporate culture) responds to money. And clearly, so many of us went out and expressed ourselves with our cash this weekend. Go us. And yes, I got mine and I can’t wait to build it.
