Branch adds that she was inspired by her daughter, who expressed wanting to become a software engineer when she was 9.

“I knew I had to create a space for girls who look like her, who have the same passion and to come together and do what they love,” the founder said.

She was also inspired by her own experience working as a chemical engineer across multiple industries, such as oil and gas, aerospace and tech. Branch saw a lack of representation in the field and was driven to make that change.

“I’ve always been the only Black woman in all my roles, and so I knew I had to do something to make that change,” she said. “With that passion and knowing that my girls were out there wanting to do this, I had to go find them. It just drove me to keep going. That’s how I do it every day.”

black girls in STEM

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