The Kyosei of Stemettes, tomorrow’s changemaking community

Before they arrived in the conference room, the two young women had never met before, but after just a couple of hours, you’d have thought they’d been friends for years. They’d both signed up to take part in the second Stemettes Innovation Challenge, held at our West London Headquarters, and by doing so, they not only joined a movement, but found themselves side by side with people who love the same things as they do. They weren’t the only ones.

An award-winning social enterprise, Stemettes began – in the words of founder and Head Stemette, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE – because she was “a technical girl, who became a technical woman, who didn’t want to be in a minority in the field”. It aims to inspire and support girls, young women and non-binary young people into science, technology, engineering, arts and maths careers (known collectively as STEAM). As part of this, they hold fun free events, challenges and hackathons for ages 5 to 25, welcoming all abilities. But, on their website, you’ll notice a message that sets them apart – “Let’s have fun, eat food, and meet new people!”

It reads like a casual invitation, but it actually speaks to something deeper that we all need and Stemettes deliberately nurtures. Because, when it comes to our wellbeing, confidence, resilience and growth, community matters. In fact, without it, we really struggle. And right now, for teenagers, social isolation is a very real factor in an alarming increase in levels of anxiety and depression. “The community that we have at Stemettes is one that's incredibly powerful and is growing by the day,” says Anne-Marie. “It’s exciting for us to have the young people we work with, but also teachers, parents, guardians and volunteers, all really show up for each other.” It’s this shared sense of belonging and connection that brought us, as organisations, together in the first place. Our corporate philosophy of Kyosei – living and working together for the common good – creates the very same conditions of belonging, acceptance and sense of responsibility for each other and the places that we reach.

And though Stemettes is ultimately about guiding girls, young women, and non-binary young people into STEAM careers, it leans less into the more corporate concept of a network and feels more like a tapestry, something which extends beyond a single time or location. A Stemette can enjoy events, where a day is designed for learning, idea-sharing and making friends, but the beauty of the organisation lies in how it weaves people of all ages and backgrounds together in a living, breathing circle of support.

The Stemette Society, for example, is a closed social network and safe space for ages 13 to 25. It’s an age range where the younger members can pick up knowledge from those with experience of university, internships and careers. But it also brings a fresh outlook to those for whom secondary school is very much in the rear-view mirror. The same can be said of the organisation’s many industry partnerships, where respected organisations in the STEAM world can offer opportunities and knowledge, but equally benefit from having young minds and perspectives in the room. Listening to people and taking their thoughts seriously? This is foundational to self-esteem. The Stemettes community recognises the achievements of those within it and boosts confidence through mentorship programmes, internships and work experience. These create the conditions in which their members can begin to reach their potential.

And this is all powerful stuff, but how does it translate outside of the world of Stemettes? The end goal is to break down the barriers – exclusion, self-doubt and disconnection – which discourage people from STEAM careers, and in the absence of an instant fix, it’s a numbers game. Stemettes doesn’t simply disappear when you age out of it – on the contrary, the community grows by creating (and this is critical) visible role models in industries where there are few. For the next generation of girls, young women and non-binary people, this is as much of a structural barrier as any other. As the old adage goes, ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’.

However, don’t be fooled in thinking that the Stemettes story is just purely about empowerment. In fact, it’s simply the foundation stone for something far greater. “Society needs Stemettes because STEAM in industry, academia and entrepreneurship isn’t balanced,” explains Anne-Marie. “Without representation, the outputs of the field definitely don't reflect the society they're supposed to serve. And that reduces the efficacy of our innovation”.

Up until now, we’ve examined Stemettes and the idea of community in terms of individual belonging, self-esteem and potential, but its work could be no greater example of Kyosei in action. Because what may not be immediately clear is that, in the long term at least, Stemettes alumni could well be at tables (or in labs!) when decisions are being made in fields of technology, design, medicine, engineering and even climate policy. This presence, expertise, lived experience and voices will form the very foundations of a better, safer and fairer world for all our communities.