Fostering Tomorrow's Black STEM Entrepreneurs: Insights from an Innovative STEM Program Promoting Equity-Centered Entrepreneurship

The representation of Black students in STEM entrepreneurship remains disproportionately low, with only 2% of Black recipients of science and engineering PhDs in 2017 pursuing entrepreneurial careers.This disparity is compounded by systemic barriers faced by entrepreneurs of color, including limited access to entrepreneurship education, capital, networks, and role models/mentors.To address these challenges, we developed the STEM Racial Equity and Entrepreneurship (STEM-RAEE) program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), aimed at recruiting and supporting racially minoritized students, particularly Black/African American students, from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).STEM-RAEE provides a holistic support system, including workshops, mentorship opportunities, and business coaching, to empower racially minoritized students to pursue entrepreneurship and contribute to a more equitable STEM ecosystem.The survey conducted as part of this research initiative seeks to understand the unique barriers and motivations of Black/African American undergraduate students in STEM and inform the development of tailored interventions through the