Inspiring the Scientist Inside of Us All and Fostering Diversity in STEM
Humans are innately curious, driven to explore the world around us and seek answers to questions to better understand how things work. This curiosity can be nurtured as we grow, allowing the scientist within us to continue to ask questions and make discoveries.
But for some, access to resources for scientific exploration are limited – they do not have equal opportunity to participate in science courses that inspire them or to learn from mentors who have worked in STEM fields. This lack of access can make the world of science feel out of reach, and they may unable to see what’s possible for them.
SciAll, a nonprofit organization that aims to humanize scientists, demystifies the process of scientific discovery, and make STEM career mentoring accessible to all. SciAll’s mission is shared by a group of scientists who volunteer their time to diversify access to the world of STEM through creative communication via videos, vlogs, and even paper-based comic books. These scientists share their experiences from a wide range of fields: oceanography, pollination research, ecology, nuclear physics, bioinformatics, and more.
“Science has completely changed the way that I see the world,” said Mike Gil, the Founder and Director of SciAll. “As a kid, I always dreamed of exploring new frontiers, but I had no idea just how vast the capacity is to explore the world around us and to reveal new insights that can improve the collective welfare of the human race. I now know that the curiosity of one individual, through science, can reveal insights that have cascading effects through generations of human beings, forever changing how our civilizations operate.”
SciAll imagines a world where everyone is able to cultivate their STEM identity, and they aim to create an inclusive space where individuals can embrace and celebrate identity development, especially those who come from groups that have historically been excluded. The volunteer scientists share their unique journeys openly and with transparency, shining light on both their struggles and triumphs to invite more individuals to explore and participate in science. SciAll is working to nurture an empathetic, compassionate community with a shared commitment to science, and their culture embodies the inherent fun and curiosity of scientific discovery.
“SciAll cares about people,” said Joanne Marras Tate, Program Manager at SciAll. “As a nonprofit focused on diversity and inclusion in science, we strive to make marginalized voices heard and to spread the word about careers, stigmas, and struggles in STEM to those who are marginalized and underrepresented. Our slogan ‘get the secret out’ is based on our social media and online outreach, which has been an efficient way for us to reach underrepresented communities, especially youth. We want to see a breadth of people from all walks of life doing science because that will make science, and our society, better.”
Scientists Helping Scientists Amplify Their Message
As a full-stack biotech marketing company, our diverse team is full of scientists, creatives, and marketers who are passionate about communicating scientific ideas to unique audiences, the mission of SciAll resonates with us. At Samba Scientific, we’ve all had our own experiences with cultivating our STEM identities. Kira Mills, an Associate Account Manager at Samba, reflects fondly on her unexpected journey to a PhD in computational biochemistry and the growth of her love for science and research:
“Growing up, I never imagined I’d end up studying science. It was in college that I found my path, thanks to professors who cared deeply and initiatives like the McNair Scholars Program. They showed me how exciting and engaging scientific research could be. This experience taught me the importance of making science accessible. It’s about more than just sharing information — it’s about mentoring, providing support, and opening opportunities for everyone. Including diverse voices in science also enhances our understanding, as different perspectives help foster innovation and creativity. Making STEM accessible allows more people to experience the sense of discovery and community in science, just like I did.”
Matias Juareguiberry, an Account Manager with a PhD in biomedicine, shares Kira’s drive to make science more accessible:
“I truly believe we are all scientists in some capacity, and no matter what you do in life, science and its tools will help anyone achieve their personal goals and productively contribute to society. In my opinion, and contrary to popular belief, science is not only the careful execution of experiments to gather evidence to find the explanation for an observation; it is the integration of creativity, curiosity, perseverance, critical thinking, observation, and thoughtful execution. Because of this, science should be accessible to all.”
Like many nonprofits, SciAll has felt the weight of funding limitations, and they’ve had difficulty getting their footing with marketing when working on a shoestring budget that doesn’t leave room for error. They are passionate about sharing their mission and have a dedicated team that is creating solid content, but they haven’t been sure about the best way to amplify their message to connect with more members of their target audience. Joanne summarized SciAll’s difficulties for us:
“As a non-profit, we face several challenges with marketing. Marketing has become very specialized for organizations, and we do not have all the funds we would like to invest in making marketing a priority. Our priority is making accessible and engaging videos that are going to inspire youth about careers in STEM, but we definitely need to be able to reach them.”
Our team put our heads together to discuss SciAll’s needs and identify ways to not only help them reach their target audience, but to also strengthen their ability to reach potential partners and donors who could ultimately help the organization’s impact extend even further. We reviewed their website, video library, social media presence, and current Google Ads campaigns, and compiled the recommendations into a comprehensive strategy document.
In addition to the longer-term marketing strategy guide, we also provided assistance that would come in handy in the short term. We performed site speed optimizations to improve user experience on their website, created a refreshed landing page for some of their best performing ads that was optimized for videos views (their preferred way of connecting with their audience), and compiled web design files to facilitate future updates to the page on their website that hosts their video library to make it more streamlined and eye-catching.
“The more diverse minds we have working on scientific questions, the better off we’ll be,” said Jason Amsbaugh, Samba’s CEO and co-founder. “When we make STEM fields interesting and welcoming to people from all backgrounds and walks of life, we tap into a deeper pool of creativity. These fresh perspectives are important for driving the scientific breakthroughs that will move humanity forward. Samba is proud to support inclusivity in science and to help further the mission of SciAll to inspire more awareness and interest in science.”
At Samba, we all have a love for science – the intricacies of the systems within the human body, the information carefully encoded in genomes, the interconnectivity of organisms within rainforest ecosystems, the mysteries of the undiscovered creatures living in the depths of the ocean that humans have yet to explore. Science fills us with wonder and inspires us as we learn more about innovations and breakthroughs in sequencing technologies, immuno-oncology, targeted therapies, biologic medications, spatial biology, and other realms where our clients are making an impact. We know there’s a curious scientist inside of us all, and we believe that each inner scientist can contribute to making the world a better place.
We are hopeful that the work we’ve done for SciAll will help to boost engagement in the short term and that the strategy guidance will propel them forward to continue to grow their community and inspire more individuals to embrace their STEM identities and celebrate the joy of science and discovery that we share.
If you would like to join us in supporting SciAll’s mission, you can make a donation or subscribe to their Patreon or YouTube channel.
If you’re interested in discussing opportunities for collaboration or sponsoring a future project, please contact us.
