Tokiwa T. Smith

Tokiwa T. Smith is a social entrepreneur and emerging leader in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and philanthropy. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link Inc (SEM Link), www.semsuccess.org, a non-profit organization that promotes student achievement and career exploration in math and science for K-12 students. SEM Link’s two core programs, Experimental Design Program and Math and Science Career Academy, provides students with an opportunity to develop their math and science skills by enhancing the classroom learning experience, and teaches them skills that are transferable to other areas of their lives.

Ms. Smith is also the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Owner of Kemet Educational Services (KES), a math and science educational consulting firm. Kemet provides support to schools and nonprofit organizations that need curriculum support, and program and outreach support to underrepresented populations in STEM. Kemet offers its clients curriculum development, standardized test preparation, math and science theme special event planning, program evaluation, and educator professional development services.

Ms. Smith is a writer for two online publications. She is the San Francisco/Oakland contributor for Black Gives Back, www.blackgivesback.com, a blog with over 50,000 readers nationally that focuses on African Americans in philanthropy. She is also the Oakland K-12 Examiner for thewww.examiner.com.

An alumnus of Florida A & M University, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Ms. Smith has over 8 years experience working in academia and non-profit organizations developing and managing educational programs, and designing math and science curriculum for precollege and college age students. She also has experience in nonprofit development and management.


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Who Inspires You and Who Are You Inspiring

As you go on your life journey don’t look just to be inspired but look how you can inspire others.  Be open to the ways that you can be inspired and inspire others because it can come at any time and from anyone.



Encouraging and Exposing Youth in STEM


On yesterday my nonprofit SEM Link hosted our 2nd Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEM Career Fair and Exhibition we exposed approximately 100 attendees which include youth and their families to STEM careers. I’m so thankful to my friends who supported the event by either serving as an event exhibitor, volunteer or donating their money. I would like to thank our event sponsors, Mitchell Kapor Foundation, The I.S.I.S. project, Eiram Creative, Jabil, Clorox and Two Penny Creations. The event exhibitors from bay area companies such as UC Berkeley, NASA Ames, Black Girls Code and other companies and other event volunteers. As well as those who made a contribution to our “Donate Your Lunch Money” Individual Donor Campaign, that made this event possible and allowed us to “unveil potential through exposure” for San Francisco Bay Area youth.



The Journey of Hiring the Candidate: Being Qualified is More Than About a Resume

As a social entrepreneur I often hire interns to assist me with implementing programs. Most of my programs require a specific expertise and a specific set of soft skills.  The majority of our clients are schools districts and community organizations that serve urban youth and students that are typically underrepresented in STEM fields. Most of the interns I hire are undergraduate or graduate students that are STEM majors and of African ancestry. At times, I have been criticized for not having more diversity in the interns I hire. However, until the last position I filled where the candidate pool was more diverse I realized why I make the choices that I do in who I hire to work for my organization.

In our current “post-racial”, anti-affirmative action days, it seems like there is a lot of complaints and court cases about reverse discrimination.  As a result of disappearing job sectors in our company and an educational system doesn’t prepare our youth for the workforce; there seems to be a sense of fear, scarcity and competition when it comes to jobs. In my personal opinion, I feel like it comes from the fact that with the “browning” of America the population that has experienced the most privilege and power, White males are scared of losing their “place” in society.  The truth of the matter is the system of White male privilege is nowhere near crumbling because there aren’t enough people of color in positions of power to tear it down; inspite of having an African American president in office. I’ll save that conversation for another time. Whether a candidate gets a position is a company is not as simple as the qualifications on one’s resume or one’s skills color.

Every company, even small companies like mine, have a company culture and hire employees that will fit well into that culture.  One’s resume and the qualifications on it will get you the interview but being able to fit into the culture is what will get you the job. I was having a conversation with an older African American gentleman yesterday and he was talking about how earlier in his career he couldn’t find a job because no companies wanted to hire a Black man.  An older African American man asked him to show him what suit he was wearing to his interviews. He showed him the green suit and snake skin shoes he was wearing to interviews.  The older gentleman told him that his inability to find a job wasn’t about companies not wanting to hire a black man, but not wanting to hire someone that didn’t know that suit wasn’t an appropriate one to wear to the workplace. Every work place has a certain attire, professional expertise, soft skills and personalities that make a candidate a right fit.  In addition, each company has a limited amount of positions it can fill, so there will not a position for everyone that applies.

For my company, SEM Link, our culture creates an environment that promotes student achievement and career exploration in math and science for K-12 students.  Since the majority of the students we serve are students that are typically underrepresented in STEM, my intern must be able to be able to make those students feel as if a STEM career is a possibility for them.  Regardless of race, gender or ethnicity, not everyone has the skills set to make children feel confident and comfortable enough in themselves to believe in the infinite possibilities that are available to them. SEM Link’s volunteer pool is very diverse and includes not only a diversity of STEM disciplines, but gender and ethnicities and that is great for limited contact with students. But when it comes to an individual that will be interacting with students as frequently as once a week or once a month, I must feel confident in their ability to achieve my vision of “unveiling potential through exposure” for youth.  In my decisions to hire, I have picked candidates who I feel comfortable in their ability to do so. As I continue to hire staff for my company, I will always chose the person that is the best fit for my company’s culture and helps me achieve the things I envision for the company to do in STEM education.



SEM Link invites you to our 2nd Annual STEM Career Fair and Exhibition and Career Fair at Laney College Student Center on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 10am-2pm. The purpose of this event is to expose K-12 students to STEM careers in a setting similar to a job fair. The event is free and open to the public, however donations will be accepted for the event. Please pre-register for the event at the website below.http://semlink2ndannualsfbaycareerfair.eventbrite.com/


SEM Link invites you to our 2nd Annual STEM Career Fair and Exhibition and Career Fair at Laney College Student Center on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 10am-2pm. The purpose of this event is to expose K-12 students to STEM careers in a setting similar to a job fair. The event is free and open to the public, however donations will be accepted for the event. Please pre-register for the event at the website below.

http://semlink2ndannualsfbaycareerfair.eventbrite.com/



SEM Link’s trophy for winning Best Nonprofit of the Western Region from Black Celebrity Giving’s Inaugural BCG Awards. Thank you BCG for giving us this opportunity to expose more people to who we are and what we do. Thank you to everyone that voted for us.

SEM Link’s trophy for winning Best Nonprofit of the Western Region from Black Celebrity Giving’s Inaugural BCG Awards. Thank you BCG for giving us this opportunity to expose more people to who we are and what we do. Thank you to everyone that voted for us.


SEM Link Inc hosts 2nd Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEM Career and Exhibition for Bay Area youth | PRLog

I’m pleased to announce that my nonprofit SEM Link is pleased to announce our 2nd Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEM Career Fair on March 3 at Laney College



SEM Link Seeking Event Exhibitors and Sponsor for SF Bay Area STEM Career Fair

On behalf of the staff and board of Science, Engineering and Mathematics Link Inc, I would like to invite your organization to serve as an event exhibitor, sponsor or both for our Math and Science Career Academy’s 2nd Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEM Career Fair and Exhibition. The event will take place on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 10:00 am- 2:00 pm at Laney College Student Center in Oakland. We need your support to provide an outstanding STEM experience for San Francisco Bay Area youth and expose K-12 students to the various careers and applications in these disciplines.

If you are interested in learning more about serving as an event exhibitor or sponsor, please download and read the SF Bay Area STEM Career Fair Invitation Packet.


An Abundance of the Most Important Things

About 2 years ago, a sistafriend of mine who is a few years older than me who I love talking to about a diversity of topics because I feel she has an exceptional work/life balance, were having a conversation about women and their careers.  At the time one of her women in career groups were having a discussion about women changing their last name when they get married after they have begun establishing their career.  My friend got married early in her career and had no problem taking her husband’s last name; however she could see other women’s perspective on this issue.  This discussion led to our discussion about the choices that women seemed to be pressured to make when it comes to building their career and personal life. We realized that there are a number of powerful and accomplished women that have never been married or are divorced. We talked about her journey as well as successful women we knew, either in our network or whose stories we had read about, that had a successful marriage and a career. Knowing that I want to have marriage and motherhood as a part of my journey; I asked her a candid question about how does she and these women able to balance achieving their professional goals and personal goals.  I am truly trying to dispel the myth that if I am going to have a successful career I have to sacrifice the things I want in my personal life. 

My friend’s answer to my question wasn’t what I expected but it made sense because we as women are trained to think that we can have it all or we have to make sacrifices either personally or professionally in order to be happy. Her answer was “I can’t have it all but I can have an abundance of the most important things.” She shared what those most important things were to her and encouraged me to discover those most important things for my life.  She also told me to be flexible that those things will change in the various phases and stages of my life.  After our conversation, I started a journey to discover those “most important” things that I needed and wanted to have an abundance of in my life.

The journey to discover the “most important” things that I want an abundance of in my life wasn’t an easy one.  Before I could discover those things, I had to do some self-evaluation and discover what behaviors and mindsets I needed to change that may be in the way of me having those things I needed and desired both personally and professionally. Once I identified and challenged myself to change those behaviors and mindsets, I had to make a list of the things I wanted for my life both personally and professionally.  Then I followed my friend’s suggestion and made a list of the most important things that I wanted an abundance of in my life.

Now I am on the next step working towards having an abundance of the most important things; getting those things for my life.   I have realized that getting that abundance is a process because there are things that aren’t just dependent on me and others will take time for me to get them. However, I am happy and at peace with where I am in my life right now because I know based on hearing my own voice what I need and desire to live the life I envision for myself.   There are two important lessons I learned from this process about life and having an “abundance of the most important things”. First, it is okay to dump what society, my family and friends/colleagues believes, thinks or suggests I should be and do.  Secondly, in order to get what I need and want out of life I must create the environment where I am not only able to receive it but maintain it once it comes into my life.



SEM Link Wins Best Nonprofit Organization in the Western Region for the BCG Awards | PRLog

I’m grateful to Black Celebrity Giving for this award and opportunity to let more people know about who we are and what we do as an organization.