Why STEM/STEAM?Aaron K. Saunders

CEO Clearly Innovative IncCo-Founder Startup Middle School

Who Am IFounder & CEO Clearly Innovative Inc

Clearly Innovative IncFull Services Digital Agency, Web & Mobile SolutionsBuilt Award Winning Solution for Queens Public

Library

Co-Founder StartupMiddleSchoolEducational program to expose middle school kids

to innovation economy

We are in the Innovation Economy

Technology is all around usInnovating around current

businessesCreating new business modelsDisrupting existing businesses and

markets

Technology is creating new opportunities, jobs, future

Don’t Say STEM

http://www.clearlyinnovative.com/blog/post/34758526082/aaron-saunders-featured-washington-post-magazine-tech-job-advice

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/innovator-to-get-students-to-study-stem-aaron-saunders-says-stop-calling-it-stem

STEM

What does it mean to you!

Maybe STEAM?

Adding the “A” for Arts makes it a little better

Why does this MatterBecause STE(A)M matters but it is not

everything

How we frame the opportunities impacts who will accept the challenge

Raise awareness to opportunities in the field “JOBS”, by changing delivery

Does Math Matter?

YES… BUT

New Perspective on Technology

IdeationThe formation of ideas or concepts

Collaborationthe action of working with someone to produce or

create something.

Explorationthe action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar

area in order to learn about it.

Creating A CohesiveTeam

Clearly Innovative IncMore than half of our developers do not have

computer science background/degreeWe have trained internally our staff on mobile

developmentSome staff came to us with no computer

programming experience

Giving Back to the Community

Startup Middle School – Howard University Math & Science

Anacostia Tech Exploration Weekend

DC Web Women Workshops

Washington DC Summer Youth Employment Program

Final ThoughtsThis is more than being a “coder” or “hacker”

Math is not the only criteria for opportunities in tech/innovation economy

Thanks

@aaronksaunders

http://www.clearlyinnovative.com