Executive Director
CurrentSTEM Next Opportunity Fund is a venture philanthropy playing a critical role in bringing in- and out-of-school STEM learning opportunities to millions of children. STEM Next Opportunity Fund is a national leader, strategic guide, policy advocate, and investor that brings about a transformative expansion of high-quality and inclusive STEM learning opportunities. By investing early in the life of our children, we can transform their lives and prepare them for this 21st century economy.To support this national effort, the STEM Next Opportunity Fund will focus on three main areas of core of value for its investors:Strategic Grantmaking: STEM Next Opportunity Fund will identify, manage, and evaluate groundbreaking ideas and organizations. An experienced grantmaker ourselves, we support and motivate our grantees to achieve high-impact goals. Serving as a donor-advised fund for individual philanthropists, and a philanthropic intermediary for large foundations, the Fund will support both grantee risk-taking and accountability. Driving Scale and Targeting Need: The Fund will build and support networks that can scale ideas and opportunities quickly. Our investments will help national and state organizations build state-of-art infrastructure, and position grantees for additional investments that can advance and spread STEM learning opportunities. Our years of experience in the field bring a deep knowledge of context and need, enabling the Fund to scale ideas and also target investments to high-need demographics and places.Advancing Policy Change: Bringing STEM learning to all young people cannot be accomplished by philanthropy alone. Federal, state, and local funding for afterschool STEM programming will be essential. STEM Next Opportunity Fund has unique expertise, established partners, and strategically placed policy fellows to advise, educate, and advocate for public investment.
