Self-eSTEM at BlackRock: Bringing the Future of Work Into Focus for Black History Month

On February 24, 2026, Self-eSTEM Executive Director Adamaka Ajaelo took the stage at BlackRock for a Black History Month conversation on the rapidly evolving “Future of Work.” In a room where decisions about global economic trends are made, Adamaka reframed the question.

The conversation went beyond the technical mechanics of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It centered on who gets to shape what those technologies do. Adamaka shared the origin story of Self-eSTEM: girls from overlooked communities weren’t in those rooms. Self-eSTEM was built to change that, not by sending them to the back of existing pipelines, but by training them to build and lead their own.

Designing Pathways, Not Just Programs 

Adamaka talked about what legacy actually looks like in this work, our youth to be mere users of technology, but the Innovator who learned to ask “who does this technology exclude?” and won’t stop asking.

Being fluent in AI isn’t the bar. The bar is being the person who decides what AI does next. Through our Future of Work Community-Based Program and Digital & AI Literacy programming, that’s what Self-eSTEM trains for.

“The future of work isn’t predicted. It’s built. When I spoke at BlackRock, I carried more than a title; I carried the girls from Self-eSTEM whose futures are being rewritten by their own curiosity and code.” – Adamaka Ajaelo

Proven Impact 

By pairing technical skill with the confidence to use it, Self-eSTEM continues to see results:

• 92% of our youth report a strengthened STEM identity.
• 100% of our high school participants successfully transition to college.

A Call to Action for Industry Leaders 

BlackRock is one room. There are hundreds more. We invite corporations and community leaders to join us in this work by investing in our programs and integrating AI and workforce education into their own organizations.

Join the Movement

Self-eSTEM exists because the rooms where decisions about STEM and AI get made should reflect the full range of people those decisions affect. You can help change who’s in the room, through a donation, a partnership, mentorship, or volunteering.

Learn more at www.selfestem.org 

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