10/30/2024
I am EXCITED to announce The STEMpreneur has officially partnered with an amazing organization…WiddyUP! WiddyUP specializes in K12 Fundraising for education opportunities, youth sports and community partners that help pour into our rising generation of leaders!
For some time now I have been burdened by the reality that many of our schools and community partners lack the funding they need to provide life-inspiring experiences for our most deserving students. Every time I connect with educators, they express their dream of STEM experiences for students and professional learning sessions for teachers. I can hear in their voices the excitement that just precedes the anxiety caused by the ever-present questions; how much will this cost and how will we pay for it. There is nothing more diabolical than building up someone’s anticipation, only to leave them wanting. So, I typically try to come with existing grant funding or potential avenues we can submit proposals for.
A few weeks ago, I began thinking there has to be a better, more effective way to completely serve our educators. How can The STEMpreneur provide a more robust solution that includes both STEM programming and the critical funding needed. My search took me through a whirlwind of resources and ‘expert’ recommendations, ultimately leading to dead-end after dead-end. I was adamant that the solution could not be a burden to the school or community partner. So, using the methodologies I learned from the book Designing Minds (y’all see how I did that!!) I began peeling back the layers to get to the heart of the issue, allowing the needs and requirements of the collective schools and corporations I have worked with guide the process. And then…I found it. WIDDYUP!
Before getting too excited, I had to complete my research process. This led me to engaging conversations with the COO and CEO, with the intention of learning more about their mission, values and true vision for the organization. You all know me! I am very intentional about what I associate my brand with. In this leadership team, I found kindred spirits who were just as bold as I in their efforts to push on the status quo. They were potential accomplices in my effort to create a paradigm shift in education. After just a few meetings, both sides found value in the other, so much so that the WiddyUP team asked me to join as a Sr. Account Executive, helping with strategic growth, process development and expanding the WiddyUP footprint, namely, in many of the same areas I am already pushing into with our STEM programming! Of course, after praying about it, and understanding the full ask, making sure there was no impact to our efforts with The STEMpreneur, I agreed to join their growing team as their new Senior Account Executive.
If you are interested in learning more about how WiddyUP can ease your funding needs drop me a line. I would be happy to share about this amazing approach to providing for our young scholars and leaders.
