Chair's Breakfast with women in STEM sheds light on future economies, communities
In May 2022, I had my first Chair’s Breakfast. The Chair’s Breakfast is an opportunity for me to meet with a small group of members (or future members) to hear about their experiences, challenges, and questions on important topics in the community.
For this first breakfast, I wanted to hear from young would-be entrepreneurs in our local post-secondary institutions, and I wanted the focus to be on young women pursuing STEM programs. We hosted young women from Dalhousie University, St. Mary’s University, and Nova Scotia Community College (my thanks to the Presidents who made this happen: Dr. Saini, Dr. Summerby-Murray and Mr. Bureaux) with the hopes to continue including other institutions and their learners in the future.
Hosted at WeUsThem’s offices in downtown Halifax with the Chamber team, I wanted to hear from the group about the things they were hoping to see in our economy and community as they charted their way post academia. The discussions are presented below — read on to learn how our bright minds of the future are planning what’s next.
Did they hope to become independent entrepreneurs or work with an established company? The students expressed interest in both paths. “Combine both! I would like to be an entrepreneur with a job,” said one student. “I would love the chance to combine science and nature to make natural products for use in architecture.” Other students expressed interest in research, commercial projects, renewable energy, and rural communities.
Additionally, they were asked about the challenges they’re currently facing and anticipate facing. The challenge they unanimously identified was funding. “How can we approach investors?” one student asked. “Most students only learn about venture capitalists and angel investors for the first time during their programs. There’s not enough awareness and access to information about funding sources.” Another student commented on the movement toward sustainability. “There’s a shift happening,” she said. “Most people prefer environmentally friendly options, but only if they can afford it. How can we get people to care about the planet over profits?”
Another question top of mind to me was, did the students feel that a gender imbalance still exists in STEM? While the students acknowledged that research in health and life sciences is being conducted mostly by women, fields related to engineering and business management are still dominated by men. “There are very few female students and faculty members in my department,” one student said. “I’m often the only female in the room.”
The roundtable produced fantastic ideas for ways the community can better advocate for women in STEM. It’s important to get loud (on social media and in schools and workplaces) and set the example. “I learn better from someone who looks like me and has had similar experiences,” one student said. “Not everyone likes to speak up, but if you can, you should!”
Finally, one amazing highlight: all the students said they plan to stay in Nova Scotia upon graduating.
So, how can the business community support them? It’s important that thought leaders become mentors that can help students make connections and manage the transition from research to business. We also need to take every opportunity to put inspiring women on stage and in classrooms. “We need more mentors and role models for young people,” one student said. “If they can see it, they can be it.”
The insights shared by these young women were helpful in considering how we chart our economies for the future. In a day and age where we continue to have a talent crunch and not enough women in STEM, we know that we need to do everything to keep talent here on our shores. Engaging with these young professionals showcases how well prepared they are and what their plans are for their's and our futures.
As much as they are our future, we are theirs too. I call on you to reach out to these bright minds to support them now, so we can see them leading our organizations in the future.
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