About

Our Mission

To Inspire more girls and minority youth to enter STEAM fields and to foster creative problem solving skill building with explorations in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (S.T.E.A.M.)

A Letter From Our Founder

As a child, I was always passionate about learning, art, science, helping others, and creative problem solving, which naturally led to an interest in architecture. I knew that I wanted to be an architect at a very young age, because I wanted my designs to inspire and enhance people's lives on a larger scale than I felt my art ever could.

However, I was not exposed to a professional architect until my senior year in high school because of a specialty program that allowed us to learn about the profession. Not a lot of students have access to such programs, so I would like to expand the knowledge and awareness of students about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) related careers, especially in underserved urban communities.

As an Architect, I often get invited to speak at career fairs and career day events at local schools, and that's when I realized that this lack of exposure still exists. Some of the schools that I have been asked to present at their Career Day events had not had a representative from the architecture community to talk to their students in over 10 years.

I've recently had the opportunity to mentor a couple of young ladies interested in Architect and/or interior design, and it meant so much to them for me to take the time to encourage their design and provide knowledge about the profession. Working with students and empowering them to learn and create inspires me as well to continue to create.

The impact of mentoring and speaking to students inspired me to want to do more, and help students at a higher level than I can do by myself. I founded Creative Build-Up Imitative to reach more students and offer access to a variety of STEAM related careers.

My goal is to close this gap by providing the needed exposure one class at a time, student by student, and inspire more girls and minority youth by expanding their knowledge and awareness about STEAM related careers.

I hope you'll join us in our journey to inspire a generation of diverse innovators as stewards of our communities and the world.

Thank you for your support.

What We're Doing

Myself and other professionals representing various STEAM related careers will work with schools/communities to bring programs that inspire and spark the creative building of ideas and innovation with design and project-based activities for students in grades 6 through 12.

"We are filling in the Gap"

Creating Exposure to Professional STEAM Careers where there is none. With this exposure, we are aiming to "plant the seeds" of interest, excitement, exploration and open their minds to more possibilities.

Creating a path for future leaders in STEAM while bringing diversity to the workforce.
We serve those students in urban communities primarily in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area that lacks access or wants to expand their students' exposure.
We will provide access to workshops throughout the year, and mentorship opportunities to help students interested in the various fields we represent and have access to.
When the opportunity presents itself, we have professional relationships with in various fields that can provide eager individuals to talk to students at local career day events.

Who We Are

We are a diverse group of professionals dedicated to inspiring kids to be creative problem solvers that help shape the future

My experience includes mentoring, teaching, speaking/presenting to school boards, directors, students, teachers, and communities about visioning and design, and well as a professional knowledge of Architecture and art. I have a diverse network of professionals (including various ethnic backgrounds) in various STEAM related careers.

My Team also has various arts and technology related connections and expertise, including coding, design, animation, cinematography, and any art visually related.

Why It Matters

We serve to empower minority and urban youth to enter STEAM fields and to foster creative problem-solving skill building with explorations in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (S.T.E.A.M). We will expand the knowledge and awareness of students about STEM and arts related careers, especially in underserved urban communities. Creating this awareness gives students more options to careers they may not have been considering or even knew existed. Having a new perspective and exposure can spark an untapped interest, passion, or imagination offering a different career path to change their lives.

Representation is pivotal to our mission. Minorities are underrepresented in STEM and STEAM related industries. Showing representation of minority female architects and other minority professionals can be inspiring in itself and an integral component to create more diversity in these industries.

Historically, there exists a lack of diversity in Architecture and other STEAM careers. In the building industry Black architects, make up less than 2% of the architecture profession, and Black female architects make up an even smaller fraction of that. Showing representation of minority female architects and other minority professionals can be inspiring in itself and necessary to create more diversity in these industries.

My concern is that students may be leaving their K12 education without the creative problem solving skills necessary for 21st century skills for the current and future workforce, especially with more jobs being automated, the ability to think creatively to solve problems will be essential and invaluable in any field.