“The members of the Lumity Network are not bonded through a specific industry or company or alma matter. We come from diverse backgrounds and experiences and we work shoulder-to-shoulder to put Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into practice in STEM education and the workplace.”
— Kara Kennedy, Lumity Executive Director
It often strikes me how social networking is conflated with social media. Social networking certainly happens on social media (we’re doing it now!), but it’s also so much more.
The power of social networking is in the spirit, hard work, dedication, and care that happens when people connect personally. It’s even more powerful when networking is for social good. It’s this idea of personal connections and connectivity for social change that drew me to Lumity as its Executive Director. It’s in our DNA and it drives our mission.
This past year has been a long one and the pandemic brought to light many of the systemic barriers we’ve been fighting to break down. Like many of you, I miss being in-person together. Our staff, while doing a phenomenal job of transitioning our program to a virtual environment, also miss working in-person with our youth and volunteers.
This past year reminded me of how deeply grateful I am for our Lumity supporters—the staff, board members, corporate partners, volunteers, and donors—and the connections we’re creating for social good. These personal connections are the reason we’ve been able to continue our programs online, the reason our STEMWorks participants are landing their first STEM jobs with our corporate partners, the reason our STEM Career Prep students will have the skills to pursue their STEM passion.
What we are also seeing and hearing this past year is that Lumity supporters, staff, and youth are organically coalescing into a unique STEM professional network. The members of the Lumity Network are not bonded through a specific industry or company or alma matter. We come from diverse backgrounds and experiences and we work shoulder-to-shoulder to put Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into practice in STEM education and the workplace.
Over the next few months, we will be highlighting all of the different members of the Lumity network to understand their connections to the work we do. Many know from personal experience that STEM careers change lives. We are excited to share their stories.
Kara Kennedy, Lumity Executive Director
