What The Scientista Foundation does

The Scientista Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2011 by Harvard undergraduates Julia Tartaglia and Christina Tartaglia, headquartered in New York City. It operates as a national, volunteer-run membership network serving pre-professional women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), with a stated reach of 2,000+ young women across 20+ campus chapters at US universities. The organization delivers its mission through three programmatic pillars: community (campus chapters and a university membership program), content (an online magazine with career, education, lifestyle, and science blogs written by women in STEM), and conferences (the annual Scientista Symposium, a three-day event featuring career fairs, poster sessions, pitch competitions, and workshops, previously hosted at Harvard Medical School, MIT, and Microsoft NYC, with 700+ attendees at SciSymp19 and $80,000 in scholarships awarded). Additional offerings include the Born Seekers Fellowship (a video competition awarding four $20,000 fellowships in partnership with Perricone MD), the Scientista Campus Recruiting Fair, and a volunteer internship pipeline. The organization does not sell a technology product; its core technology is listed as 'Not disclosed' and there are no AI/ML capabilities evident.

The Foundation funds operations through three primary revenue streams: tax-deductible individual donations, corporate and university sponsorships (tiered Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze with limited financial terms publicly disclosed), and an annual university membership program with annual dues. Named partners and sponsors include Mettler Toledo, Athenahealth, BD Biosciences, The Boston Consulting Group, IMES/HST, The Feminist Press, Perricone MD, Harvard Medical School, the Huffington Post, and the Association of Women in Science. Universit

Name

The Scientista Foundation

Legal name

The Scientista Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://scientistafoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Scientista Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a national network of campus chapters, an annual symposium, and online content to support pre-professional women in STEM, funded through donations, sponsorships, and university memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Programs for Women in STEM

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC), Medical, Scientific & Healthcare Congress Organizers (THAHACAD)

Keywords

• Women in STEM network
• Campus chapter communities
• STEM diversity nonprofit
• Intercollegiate STEM symposium
• Women in science fellowship

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to empower women in STEM. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) Public Charity.
2. Corporate and University Sponsorship: Sponsorship revenue from corporations and universities at various tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze). Sponsors receive access to a diverse network of over 2000 young women, branding and promotional opportunities, and visibility at annual Symposium.
3. University Membership Program: Annual membership dues from university departments committed to recruiting and retaining women in STEM. Members receive access to resume drops, free participation in graduate school fairs, and branding as diversity-forward institutions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Scientista Foundation operates a national nonprofit network that empowers pre-professional women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) through campus chapter communities, an online content magazine, an annual intercollegiate symposium with career fair, a fellowship program, and a paid university membership program. Its programs are free to individual student members and funded by tax-deductible donations, corporate sponsorships, and university membership dues.

Product overview

The Scientista Foundation offers a suite of programs supporting pre-professional women in STEM: the Campus Chapter Program (over 20 campus communities), the annual Scientista Symposium (3-day conference with career fair, poster session, and pitch competition), the Online Magazine (Career Blog, Lifestyle Blog, Education Blog, and specialty content), the Born Seekers Fellowship ($80,000 in video competition awards), University Membership Program, and various internship opportunities. The organization operates as a nonprofit and does not offer a technology product in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scientista Campus Chapter Program A network of campus-based communities at over 20 universities connecting women in STEM, providing local support, events, and resources for female students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
• Scientista Symposium An annual three-day intercollegiate conference for pre-professional women in STEM featuring a career fair, poster session, pitch competition, skills-building workshops, career panels, and networking events.
• Scientista Online Magazine Original inspirational and educational content written by women in STEM for women in STEM, including the Career Blog, Lifestyle Blog, Education Blog, Women in Science News, DiscovHER Science, and Get Inspired sections.
• Born Seekers Fellowship A video speech competition fellowship awarding four $20,000 fellowships ($80,000 total) to young women in STEM at undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and early-career professional levels, run in partnership with Perricone MD.
• University Membership Program An annual paid membership program for university departments committed to increasing diversity in STEM, providing access to virtual forums, resume drops from a diverse talent pool, free participation in graduate school fairs, and promotional opportunities to brand as diversity-forward institutions.
• Scientista Campus Recruiting Fair An annual campus recruiting fair connecting college and graduate women in STEM with companies and graduate programs, featuring company presentations and networking opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 campus communities established across universities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mettler ToledocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of The Scientista Foundation. Provides financial support and promotional assistance to help achieve the organization's mission of increasing female representation in STEM.
• AthenahealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of the 2014 Scientista Campus Recruiting Fair. Supported the inaugural fair connecting STEM women to career opportunities.
• IMES HST (Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor partner, part of the Harvard-MIT joint program in health sciences and technology.
• BD BiosciencescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the 2014 Scientista Campus Recruiting Fair, connecting female STEM students with career opportunities.
• The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor providing strategic support for diversity in STEM initiatives. Attended recruiting fair as a corporate recruiter.
• The Feminist PressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor partner, aligned in supporting women's advancement in STEM and publishing.
• EAPSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor partner.
• Perricone MDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner that co-created the Born Seekers Fellowship with The Scientista Foundation, committing $80,000 in fellowships ($20,000 each) to four young women in STEM at undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and young professional levels.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for the 2019 Scientista Symposium, attended by 700+ participants from universities across the country.
• Huffington PostminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner; top Scientista bloggers have the opportunity to write for the HuffPost column.
• Association of Women in ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia partner organization supporting women in STEM.
• University Departments (Chapter-Host Universities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity departments support founding of student-led Scientista chapters on their campuses as part of the University Membership Program. In exchange, members get access to resume drops, free fair participation, and diversity branding.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS): A nonprofit supporting underrepresented students in STEM through chapters, annual conferences, and scholarships. Comparable chapter-based network and conference-driven model, though serving a different demographic focus.
• Girls Who Code: A nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology through club programs, college-and-career programming, and a national network. Operates an adjacent community/conferences model for young women in tech with overlapping pre-professional STEM audience.

Broad incumbents

• American Association of University Women (AAUW): A 140+ year-old nonprofit advancing equity for women and girls in education and STEM through fellowships, grants, research, and campus programming. Overlaps significantly on STEM scholarship and university-affiliated programming for women.

Direct peers

• Million Women Mentors: A national STEM-mentorship initiative focused on women and girls pursuing STEM careers through mentor-mentee matching and corporate partnerships. Matches Scientista's mentorship-and-career-development focus area for pre-professional women in STEM.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): A national nonprofit empowering women in engineering and STEM through community, scholarships, conferences, and outreach. Directly comparable to Scientista's mission, programming mix (community/conferences/scholarships), and target audience of pre-professional and professional women in STEM.
• AnitaB.org (formerly Anita Borg Institute): A nonprofit advancing women in computing through communities, events (Grace Hopper Celebration), and career programs. Directly comparable on annual conference scale, corporate sponsorships, and pre-professional women-in-STEM programming.
• National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): A non-profit coalition increasing women's participation in IT through award programs, academic alliances, and extension programs. Similar academic-alliance model, awards/scholarships, and pre-professional talent-pipeline focus.
• Women in Technology International (WITI): A global professional organization supporting women in technology through networking events, conferences, awards, and corporate partnerships. Comparable in operating conferences, corporate sponsorship tiers, and a pre-professional-to-executive member pipeline.
• Association for Women in Science (AWIS): A national advocacy organization supporting women in STEM through mentorship, awards, policy advocacy, and chapter-based communities. Closely matches Scientista's combination of community, advocacy, and recognition programs for women in science.

Others

• Huffington Post (Women in STEM vertical / media partnership): Scientista's media partner — HuffPost has hosted Scientista blogger columns and amplifies the organization's women-in-STEM content. Included as an ecosystem/amplifier partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Scientista_Talk
• Facebookfacebook.com/scientistafoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/scientistafoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Scientista Foundation