It’s difficult for our community to find a space to call our own, so we had to create one! On Sunday, September 16th, we hosted the very first unCommon Denominators Brunch to celebrate women of color in STEM. Young professionals from all over Chicago joined together at Persona Lounge (408 S. Wells) for an afternoon of food, fun, and fellowship.
Our goal was to take the professional edge off of networking to let everyone embrace their true selves. Guests were greeted at the door, instructed to choose their STEM function (science, technology, engineering, math, or other), and given a raffle ticket. They were free to mingle, listen to the live DJ music, and enjoy tasty mimosas at the bar to complement the widespread of brunch foods.
We kicked off the program by introducing ourselves, Brittany A. J. Miriki (Founder, Sistas in STEM) and Gabrielle Crevecoeur (Co-Founder, unCommon Denominators). Rather than hearing from a panel of prestigious women in STEM, we encouraged the audience to share their own stories in the panel raffle. If called upon, each person answered a STEM or career related question at random, and shared with the room. Often times, we don’t realize the power in our stories and how many we can influence, so it’s important to embrace it.
Afterwards, everyone split into several teams to play a new game app, called TipOff. It’s a virtual word game similar to Taboo, but designed to highlight Black culture. Each group guessed words and phrases from “Coming To America” to “Afro Puff” in a true competitive fashion. The app was created by two Chicago Black women, and continues to grow across the nation.
A Special Thank You
While planning the brunch we handpicked everything from the venue to the food to the entertainment to cultivate a space for us by us. We strive to support Black businesses in every way and we truly appreciate when they support us. The President & CEO of Trice Construction, Stephanie Hickman, saw our potential, believed in our vision and chose to help fund it. In 2006, she left corporate America to run her father’s construction company, and since has grown the small family business into an award-winning, utility infrastructure construction firm.
All of the attendees left with gift bags filled with goodies donated by Thank God It’s Natural (tgin), Luster Products, and Microsoft. Plus, a special limited edition Sistas in STEM laptop sticker. The owner of HER Treasures Boutique gave away gift cards to three lucky raffle winners, and one winner won a new pair of headphones from TipOff.
This event started as a vision and only came to fruition through hard work and the grace of God. Thank you to everyone that came out to support and those that donated. Another very huge thank you to Faultless Inspirations for creating all of our decor. You all are truly appreciated!
Stay tuned to see how else we plan on engaging our community and growing our network. Join our mailing list and follow us on social media for all the latest updates!
