Communication skills build belonging.

Our Current Offerings.

Graphic Design for Scientists

A customizable and highly practical workshop that transforms dense data to convincing figures.

Option to add group or 1:1 advising sessions.

How to Build Belonging

An interactive seminar to bridge the gap between trainees and mentors.

Also supports individual mental health by building resilience and empathy.

Support Services

Keynote addresses on DEI in STEM and alternative career paths.

Flexible consulting for groups of all sizes looking to Build Belonging in STEM.

The Problem

Brilliant scientists still face:

  • Mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion from excessive and prolonged stress.

    This can make a career in science feel unsustainable.

  • Self-doubt and perceived incompetence, despite being high-performing and exceptionally skilled.

    This can make career challenges feel insurmountable.

  • Lacking commonality, encouragement, and support from mentors or peers.

    This can cause feelings of alienation and despair.

  • Overall low retention and advancement of scientists from a diversity of backgrounds.

    This limits the representation of role models in science, and “you can’t be what you can’t see.”

These stem from systemic barriers like discrimination, financial insecurity, and microaggressions, among many others.

They disproportionately impact scientists from historically excluded groups and lead to loss of talent.

Our Solution

We give them the skills they need to:

  • Principles of stage presence, improvisation, and storytelling for confident and impactful talks.

  • Principles of graphic design and data visualization for clear and convincing figures.

  • Skills from creative writing to finish grants, papers, and dissertations on time, and with confidence.

  • Best practices for constructive communication when giving, receiving, and implementing feedback.

  • Developing a visual and verbal professional style to be memorable as your authentic self.

  • Skills to maintain physical and mental wellbeing for a life-long career in discovery

We offer immediate interventions that complement systemic efforts.

Our workshops, seminars, and support services teach these essential skills.

  • We Energize Audiences.

    98% find our programs engaging

    100% would attend another

  • We Grow Careers.

    93% identified areas for improvement

    75% are optimistic about their future

  • We Build Resilience.

    93% are more confident

    70% have a greater feeling that they Belong in Science

Our programs work because we did our research.

  • “On more than one occasion someone has literally said to me 'you don’t look like a scientist'”.

    Response from our Belonging in Science survey

  • “I was often questioned more aggressively by male PIs than my male classmates, which I attributed to being a lesser scientist. It was only when I had a fellow female PI approach me...that I realized I might be treated differently.”

    Response from our Belonging in Science survey

  • "Every writing experience (review, publication, dissertation, etc…) I had made me feel like I did not belong in science. "

    Response from our Belonging in Science survey

  • “As a non-binary trans person, I've never seen myself reflected in advisors, mentors, professors I've had, etc. It's exhausting to be constantly hypervigilant about my visibility and safety, and trying to determine if someone was going to be supportive of my existence.”

    Response from our Belonging in Science survey

  • “My first role model was someone who looked like me, and her lab was full of black and queer folks, so I was surrounded by people whose identities aligned with mine from the beginning.”

    Response from our Belonging in Science survey

  • New List Item

    Description goes here

Support our work.

Support our work.