Episode Summary

Women in STEM: Journeys and Challenges
Natoshia welcomed Dr. Toshia and introduced her guest, Dr. Scyatta Wallace, who has been a valuable LinkedIn connection. Scyatta shared her journey in the finance and financial literacy space, particularly with black women, women of color, and women in STEM. Dr. Toshia discussed her journey as a woman in STEM, starting from her high school research activities to her college experiences. She initially considered a career in medicine, but her interests shifted towards research, particularly in developmental psychology and resilience. Dr. Scyatta also shared her experiences as a woman of color in academia, highlighting the importance of finding positive role models and the challenges of balancing multiple degrees. Natoshia empathized with Dr. Wallace's experiences, sharing her own struggles with physics and the need for a more inclusive approach to STEM education.

Dr. Wallace Bio

She navigated the STEM world successfully as a tenured Professor, acquiring funding from federal/foundation sources. She learned a lot along the way navigating her STEM career journey & supporting youth in creating a successful pathway to theirs.

She understands that broad career readiness skills enhance innovation and build professional capabilities that are important for advancement in STEM. She can help you provide effective career & leadership programs at your institution.

She has over 15 years of experience developing youth-centered programs & tailored offerings. Therefore, when you work with her, you are supporting youth in a way that is engaging and speaks to them.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drscyattawallace/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drscyatta

To Learn More Visit www.successinstem.org

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Kelli's Nitrogen Ice Cream Research and Experiences
Kelli, a battery chemist with an interest in nitrogen-based ice cream production, shared her research and experiences. She discussed the use of liquid nitrogen in culinary arts, highlighting its origin in East Asia and its potential for innovative techniques. Kelli also shared her successful acquisition of a mobile nitrogen tank from eBay, with the support of her coworker, to further explore her idea.

Kelli's Journey to STEM Entrepreneurship
Kelli shared her journey from working in a battery lab to starting her own business, Dipping Dots, which later evolved into a STEM-focused catering company. She highlighted how her background in STEM, her experience in teaching, and her family's influence led her to pursue entrepreneurship. Kelli also discussed her passion for teaching and how it has been a significant part of her career, having taught general chemistry at the University of Georgia for over 20 years.

Homemade Ice Cream Process and Recipe
Kelli explained that the traditional recipe involves combining milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla extract, and then churning the mixture using an ice cream maker or a motorized mixer. They also discussed the role of salt in the process, which lowers the freezing point and allows the ice cream to thicken. Kelli shared that she continues to make ice cream using these methods, but has adapted the recipe to use a kitchen aid mixer instead of an ice cream maker.

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream and Science Communication
Kelli explained to Natoshia the unique process of making ice cream using liquid nitrogen, highlighting its benefits such as faster freezing times and the absence of additional emulsifiers. Kelli also discussed her focus on maintaining the quality and purpose of her product, despite the slow growth of the liquid nitrogen ice cream industry. She emphasized the importance of science communication and education, stressing that it's not enough to showcase science; one must also ensure that the audience, including children and employees, is informed and that the community is impacted.

Discussing Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, and Toppings
Natoshia and Kelli discussed the differences between frozen yogurt and ice cream. They also discussed the confusion between dairy and non-dairy frozen treats, with Kelli noting that many people are unaware of the differences. Kelli decided to explore this topic further for a future blog post on their Instagram, and they also discussed the additional toppings one can add to their frozen treats.

Kelli's Availability and 7 Cream Lab
Natoshia and Kelli discussed Kelli's availability and where her business, 7 Cream Lab, can be found. Kelli mentioned that her business has a website, is active on social media, and has two physical locations, one in Avondale Estates, Georgia, and another in Midtown, Atlanta. She also shared that her advice to her younger self would be not to limit oneself, as she believes many people unknowingly limit their own possibilities.

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Engineering Career Journeys and Transitions

Leah recounted her journey from a mechanical engineering student to her career in the consumer goods industry, highlighting the challenges she faced, including discrimination and lack of social connections. She emphasized the importance of problem-solving and critical thinking skills in engineering and how these skills are applicable in various fields. Leah and Natoshia discussed the benefits of an engineering background, especially in terms of problem-solving and adaptability. Leah shared her experience of transitioning from engineering to procurement, highlighting the broader career opportunities it offered. Both agreed on the importance of risk assessment in career transitions and the need to prioritize personal wellbeing. Leah also shared her personal experience of taking a leave of absence from her work to assess her career trajectory and wellbeing, which led her to start a career coaching business.

Entrepreneurship: Freedom and Challenges

Natoshia and Leah engaged in a discussion about entrepreneurship, with Natoshia expressing her love for the field and its potential to help individuals find their purpose. Leah emphasized that entrepreneurship requires a different set of skills compared to working in a corporate environment. They both agreed that the choice between entrepreneurship and a traditional 9-to-5 job depends on individual needs and preferences. Natoshia and Leah also discussed the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, with Natoshia emphasizing the freedom and satisfaction of being her own boss and Leah highlighting the difficulty of the journey but the absence of regrets. They ended the discussion with Leah suggesting the title "It's hard, but I don't regret it" for an upcoming episode.

Navigating Success: Black Professionals' Challenges

Natoshia shared her personal experiences of being the only black person in predominantly white classrooms and workplaces, and how these experiences influenced her decision to mentor and coach young women in STEM. She also mentioned her participation in the "Triumph in the Trenches" anthology project, which aims to highlight the challenges faced by black professionals. Leah discussed her chapter in the anthology, focusing on the challenges black professionals face in navigating success. She emphasized the importance of redefining success and the need to understand the unspoken rules and expectations in the workplace. Leah highlighted her goal of illuminating the challenges and rigged aspects of the system to help professionals make informed decisions about their careers and well-being.

Leah C. Murphy Bio
Purpose-driven, executive coach, author, and professional development expert with 15+ years of Fortune 500 leadership experience. Negotiation practitioner on a mission to teach 10,000 women how to negotiate for better compensation. Focused on transformative partnerships with companies and professional organizations to upskill organizational leaders while creating a differential impact to the bottom line through enterprise leadership strategy and operational execution clients through a custom set of proprietary tools.

Website: http://www.gemsforthejourney.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahcmurphy

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A