Empowering the Next Generation of Women in STEM
Our Mission
Scientella is a student-run, adult-guided nonprofit (fiscally sponsored by Mission Edge) empowering the next generation of women in STEM by connecting girls and young women with real-world career exploration, impact-minded leadership development, and scholarships.
About Us
Women make up ~50% of the U.S. workforce but only 28% of STEM jobs and fewer than 20% of executive STEM roles. These gaps often begin early, when access to mentorship, opportunity, and confidence-building experiences shapes long-term pathways.
Founded in 2020 in San Diego, Scientella helps close these gaps by expanding the pipeline of young women pursuing STEM and developing the leaders who will shape its future.
To date, Scientella has:
• Impacted 600+ girls and young women
• Facilitated 1,000+ career exploration matches
• Engaged 80+ STEM professionals
• Awarded 23 Impact Scholarships
• Reached students across 8 countries
Our Matches
Scientella delivers hands-on Career Exploration Matches that connect students with real-world STEM experiences and role models through:
• Student Consulting Projects
• One-on-One Mentorships
• Webinars
• In-Person Events
These experiences help students build confidence, professional networks, and leadership skills while exploring STEM careers.
Scholarship Fund
Scientella awards Impact Scholarships of up to $1,000 to student leaders who demonstrate sustained commitment, leadership, and measurable impact in their communities.
These scholarships help remove financial barriers to education-related expenses such as college applications, textbooks, technology, and tuition, ensuring students can fully pursue STEM opportunities.
Testimonials
"Scientella provided me with an extremely rare opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the business world of the STEM field. I was able to learn about a super relevant issue and about a career which I could see myself pursuing in the future while surrounded by peers who were just as interested and engaged as me. It was an amazing experience and I'm so grateful to the program!" - Avery Mattoon, Junior - consulting project
"It was both an honor and a reward to have served as a project sponsor to these ambitious young women who are eager to learn, grow, and make their mark on the whole. I was thrilled to have broadened their exposure to potential fields of interest and so impressed by the outcome of their project (even with no prior corporate experience or college education). I highly recommend Scientella to both sponsors and students.” - Lyndsay Toll, former HP Inc., ResMed Sr. Mgr. New Business Creation - consulting project
"The way that Scientella sets up their interviews makes it very easy for the student and the mentor to interact. When I met Lisa I instantly felt like I was talking to a friend, and she answered every question I had perfectly. The way she connected her career and her experience together made it easier to understand what I was getting into. Scientella is set up perfectly!" - Paulina Martinez, Junior - 1 on 1 mentoring
"It was very valuable to be able to gain more insight about the field and what her job looks like on a day to day basis. I also enjoyed receiving advice on what I should do now as a high schooler before applying and entering into college." - Liana Ahyuen, Senior - 1 on 1 mentoring
"Such an honor to work with this incredibly capable group of young women. Scientella has created a vehicle for fostering collaborative, experiential learning while cultivating the next generation of women STEM leaders. Congratulations to Raquel, Sachel, Maggie, Audrey, Avery, Anjana, and Emily for their excellent work on this project!" - Dawn Mattoon, Quanterix Senior VP of Research Products Business, Strategic Marketing & Assay Technologies - consulting project
“Raquel, Elizabeth, Ray, Emma, Audrey, & Sanjana, It was a pleasure to work with you. And I am truly impressed with the final report. We will definitely use the learnings there to improve our chances of success.” - Jeff Coleman, BrainLeap Technologies CEO/Co-Founder - consulting project
"Scientella's consulting project was eye-opening and a unique experience to be a part of! I learned valuable career skills, and had the opportunity to work directly with companies to develop solutions. This project has allowed me to broaden my scope of possible career paths, and was an overall memorable experience!" - Audrey Shao, Junior - consulting project
"Being part of a student consulting project was fantastic! I was able to collaborate with like-minded girls and received guidance from an experienced industry professional. This project gave me an opportunity to explore STEM through a more business-oriented lens. I feel much more confident and excited to pursue an interdisciplinary field in the future." - Anjana Shriram, Junior - consulting project
“The Scientella student consulting projects are the epitome of a better future. Built upon trust and guidance to youngsters, it empowered and challenged this amazing young group of women to be innovative, productive yet efficient. It cemented the fundamentals of the next generation of thinkers and leaders. Thanks for letting me contribute that little to such a great program.” - Xavier Soler, MD, Ph.D. Associate professor of medicine, UC San Diego Health. Medical director, COPD Foundation and respiratory consultant - consulting project
“I had the opportunity to debrief with the mentee following this conversation and she was SO fired up! Kudos to Scientella for creating such a powerful tool for connecting our future women scientists to amazing mentors.” - Dawn Mattoon, Quanterix Senior VP of Research Products Business, Strategic Marketing & Assay Technologies - 1 on 1 mentoring
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