Tech Alpharetta's Women's Forum is proud to announce the continued success and expansion of its STEAM Mentoring Program, now launching its fourth cohort. Established in 2021 to address the gender gap in STEAM careers, the program has grown from an initial group of five mentees and five mentors to this fall’s cohort of 38 high school girls and 38 female tech executive mentors.

The program, which partners with Fulton County Schools' Innovation Academy public magnet high school in Alpharetta, aims to inspire and guide young women toward rewarding careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). The program provides crucial mentorship and encouragement by connecting students with accomplished female executives as they decide on college majors and career aspirations.

Mentors represent a range of large enterprise companies, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Best Buy, Global Payments, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, Scientific Games, Verint, and more. The program consists of monthly sessions at Innovation Academy, featuring brief curriculum presentations followed by one-on-one mentoring. Additionally, field trips to corporate offices, such as those hosted by Microsoft and LexisNexis Risk Solutions last year, offer students invaluable exposure to real-world STEAM careers. In addition to the obvious value received by the students, mentoring offers numerous benefits, including personal fulfillment, professional development, and the chance to contribute to diversity and inclusion initiatives.

In a significant development, the Tech Alpharetta Women's Forum STEAM Mentoring Program was recently approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. This status will enable the program to expand its reach and impact.

Karen Cashion, President of the Women's Forum and President and CEO of Tech Alpharetta, states, "Our volunteer mentors and board members have dedicated nearly 400 hours in the past school year alone to growing and running our WF STEAM Mentoring Program. We're grateful to them for all the time they have generously volunteered to grow our program's impact and potential for future growth."

The program has been supported by several corporate sponsors, including Surgical Information Systems, Morgan Stanley, Scientific Games, FiServ, Verizon, and Veryable. These partnerships have been crucial in providing resources and opportunities for mentees.

To support the program's growth, Tech Alpharetta will donate 50% of the net proceeds from its Fourth Annual Golf Classic, taking place on September 30, 2024, to the STEAM Mentoring Program. The Women’s Forum is also seeking additional corporate sponsors and future mentors. The program aims to foster an inclusive environment where young women are empowered to pursue careers in STEAM, ultimately contributing to a more balanced and innovative workforce.

Companies interested in sponsoring or donating to the program can contact Lisa West at [email protected].

The current Women's Forum Board of Directors includes:

• Sunita Arora, Chief Operating Officer, Medicus IT

• Sherry Askin, CEO & Founder, Omni Software Systems

• Karen Cashion, CEO & President, Tech Alpharetta

• David Fisher, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

• Cheryl Kleiman, Regional Vice President of Sales, Flexential

• Karyn Mullins

• Rachel Nagrowski, Executive Director, Sales Operations & Enablement, Verizon Business Group

• Jenni Palocsik, Vice President, Verint

• Emmy Webber, CMO, Surgical Information Systems

• Laura Wysong, CEO & Founder, Tranzhalo

• Pam Whitlock, STEM Program Director & Computer Science Teacher at Innovation Academy High School

• Binita Patel, STEM Teacher at Innovation Academy High School

• Lisa West, Executive Director, Women's Forum STEAM Mentoring Program