The Turning Point Fund for Black Women in STEM
The Turning Point Fund is not just an investment in individuals; it is an investment in the future of STEM.
What you’re funding
The Turning Point Fund is not just an investment in individuals; it is an investment in the future of STEM.
The Turning Point Fund aims to raise the world’s largest investment vehicle for Black women in STEM. This fund will provide the lifelines and catalysts that empower our gifted fellows to surmount adversity, defy the odds, and continue their STEM journeys. Your support provide holistic resourcing that covers academic, skill building, and experiential learning opportunities.
Why Now? The Turning Point Fund emerges as a critical intervention to address pressing challenges highlighted by the data:
- Economic Reality of Fellows: Financial hurdles are the #1 reason students stop-out or drop-out of college. Less than 20% of students from the bottom-two income quartiles complete a degree within 6 years of starting. Students from lower-socioeconomic backgrounds make up an increasing share of the college talent pipeline (over 50% of K-12 students qualify for free or reduced lunch). - Academic Reality of Fellows: Nearly 50% of Black women drop out of STEM majors by sophomore year. The global talent deficit projected by 2030 presents a critical economic challenge, with potential losses reaching a staggering $162 billion. Investing in human capital offers a promising solution.
Join us in reshaping the destiny of Black women in STEM, for within their stories, we discover the power to transform the world.
Got a question — or an idea — for the team?
Send a note and we’ll pass it along to Yielding Accomplished African Women.
About Yielding Accomplished African Women
Yielding Accomplished African Women is for the students who should not have to choose between community and career. It gives Black college women in STEM, and African women pursuing finance, technology, AI, and related paths, a place to build skills, find mentorship, and move toward internships and jobs. Its programs are built for real career movement, from training and scholarships to chapters and employer partnerships. If you care about opening doors in fields that still need more Black women in them, this is work with a clear, practical purpose.
What stands out here is the sense of continuity. Students do not just pass through a single program, they can join a digital sisterhood, build through an accelerator, connect through university chapters, and keep growing through employer partnerships and online learning. The work also reaches across Africa and the diaspora, while staying focused on finance, technology, AI, and leadership.
About this work
In their own words — what they do, who it reaches, and what your dollars actually fund.
Mission
Build the largest talent pipeline of Black college women in STEM while preparing them with culture competency, technical skills, and inclusive leadership skills to meet workforce demands.
Who they serve
Black college women in STEM, African women, and female university students pursuing finance, technology, AI, and related careers across Africa and the diaspora.
Their impact
- 100% of fellows received internship or full-time jobs in premier finance or technology firms
- 83% of fellows received 2 or more offers 6 months after the program
- 3,577+ scholarships and certifications worth $901,500
- Built a community of 9,279+ Black women in STEM from 33 countries and over 205 colleges and universities
- Over 500 young women in Africa were served through regeneration programs
- 2508 women were trained over the first three years
- 1.5k women from 12 countries joined the online academy
- 8 active chapters, 365 sisters, and 3 countries represented
- 315 African women were propelled into ML and AI careers
- 5% of alumnae entered Masters+ degrees at Carnegie Mellon, Stevensons University, and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
How your donation helps
- Masterclasses, speaker series, and other trainings
- Scholarships and certifications for women in STEM
- Online training and internet for fellows
- The $20,000 Women in STEM scholarship with Ashesi University
- Developing the recruiting and professional networking platform
- Computer labs in high schools in Ghana
- Professional STEM sorority chapters
- Stationery materials and technical certification courses for a girl
Programs
Our Girls, Our Future Talent Accelerator
A 12-week accelerator for Black college women and African women in finance and technology, with intensive online training, a First Look program, real world experience, a professional toolkit, technical training, Rise Up speaker series, and innovation challenges.
AI Empowered Online Platform
A gamified online platform where students build skills, experience, and networks while tracking progress and earning potential in real time.
Women in Machine Learning Conference
An immersive conference that equips African women with skills and access to job opportunities for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Regeneration Programs
Career booster webinars, ICT and finance workshops, and women empowerment events and campaigns.
Professional STEM Sorority Chapters
University chapters with development tracks in finance, data science and AI, and software engineering.
On-Demand Masterclasses
Masterclasses and training content that support career development and employability.
Innovation Challenges
Challenges created to expand the network and engage participants in solving problems and impacting lives.
Stories
Need help?
Black college women can apply through the program application and sign-up forms. Participants in the accelerator receive online training, a First Look program, real world experience, mentorship, and first-round interview opportunities with sponsoring companies.
Events
Launch Your Career Conference
annualA two-day virtual conference with masterclasses, speaker series, a data science hackathon, and a career fair.
Annual Gala and Graduation Ceremony
annualA celebration where participants present their innovation challenge solutions and graduate from the program.
Women in Machine Learning Conference
conference seriesA conference with keynotes, tutorials, networking, community building, and professional development for African women in AI and machine learning.
Ways to help
Current needs
- Support the 6-member team developing the largest recruiting and professional networking platform for Black college women in STEM
- Fund the $20,000 Women in STEM scholarship with Ashesi University
- Scale efforts to train 5,000 African college women
- Invest in 10 computer labs in high schools in Ghana
- Establish 10 more professional STEM sorority chapters across Africa
Recognition & press
Awards & recognition
- United Nations, awarded for best project in the world under the category of e-learning and capacity building
- Nonprofit HR, 2021 Nonprofit Women to Watch List
Press & mentions
Partners & funders
Full Yielding Accomplished African Women profile → · IRS filing (ProPublica)