How Industry Can Drive Equity in Communities

By Michael Stroik, Vice President of Community Relations, 3M  

Industry has a major role to play in achieving equity in STEMM. To get there, we must acknowledge the historical context of people with differing identities, remove barriers to success, and create fair access to opportunities for everyone to thrive. At the SOA event we hosted in St. Paul earlier this month, 3M’s Chief Technology Officer John Banovetz said, “You can’t create differentiated product solutions without a diverse workforce. More diverse teams outperform homogenous ones. Science is key to solving challenges we face in the world today. Having people from different experiences leads to better solutions.” At 3M, we know that more diverse teams drive stronger, more innovative projects and discoveries.  

3M is dedicated to strengthening opportunities for individuals from historically excluded and underrepresented groups to break into STEMM careers through the participation in an inclusive ecosystem. But we don’t stop there. At 3M, we recognize that we have the power, and the responsibility, to affect the communities in which we operate. Through investments in STEMM and skilled trades education and programs that connect 3M with our communities, we support and implement initiatives that directly impact communities, both in the US and worldwide. 

For example, as part of our commitments as a STEMM Opportunity Alliance member, 3M has a goal of supporting 5 million STEMM and skilled trades learning experiences for underrepresented individuals by the end of the 2025-26 school year. As part of this work, we are investing in programs and initiatives that increase awareness of STEMM careers, improve academic outcomes in science and math, and provide scholarships, fellowships and support services for students pursuing STEMM degrees. This includes investing in hands-on learning opportunities for students and providing scholarships and summer preparation programs for incoming STEMM majors at HBCUs and HSIs. 

In addition to investments in science education, 3M works to make STEMM more accessible by bringing science into communities. Our science enrichment and encouragement programs are designed to pique curiosity in STEMM with demonstrations and visits, and then nourish that curiosity in programs for older students and educators.  

We are proud to be part of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance because we share its mission in driving a more equitable and diverse STEMM workforce, and we believe industry should co-lead the way in enacting systemic change. It’s not enough to hire diverse teams; we need industry leaders investing in their communities, and working on the ground to ensure everyone has the chance to participate, and thrive, in the STEMM ecosystem.