Women in STEMM remain underrepresented in top leadership positions, globally. In order to reach their full potential, young women in STEMM need to find their way in the labyrinth of the external factors that are blocking their path and the internal factors that are hidden within themselves.

About Our Leadership Program

Epistimi’s leadership program is based on the MIT LEAPS (LEAdership and Professional Skills and Strategies) Program which was developed for doctoral students and postdocs in science and engineering at MIT.  The goal is for young scientists and engineers to begin their leadership journey early in their careers with a map of the leadership landscape that they can keep developing as they progress through their profession.  This program is foundational and includes many aspects of leadership development that have not been available to professionals in STEMM to date.  Specifically, the curriculum has been created by STEMM professionals for STEMM professionals.  The discussions and examples presented are from careers in STEMM.

In addition, Epistimi is focused on bringing this material to women in STEMM by women in STEMM.  One of the primary goals of the LEAPS leadership training is for instructors, co-facilitators and all participants to freely share their experiences, to learn from them, and to seek relevant guidance, feedback and advice about them.  Hence, all participants are required to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to keep the details and specifics of any conversations or experiences shared in the classroom environment confidential and completely private, both during and after the Epistimi workshops.  None of the online classes will be recorded.

Finally, Epistimi was founded in order to train more women in STEMM globally.  As such, we work to get sponsorship by foundations, companies and individuals so that we can provide scholarships for a significant fraction of the program cost. 

Who This Program is For?

The Epistimi Leadership Program is an inclusive set of workshops, welcoming all participants who identify as women - cis, trans and nonbinary women. It is designed for women in STEMM who are in the final stages of their graduate training or in their first six years after completing their graduate work.  It is for women who have decided on an academic career, an industry career or something else as well as women who are not sure what path to follow after their graduate work. 

Participants will represent a range of racial and ethnic groups, nationalities, veteran and disability statuses, religious affiliations, ages, and scientific backgrounds, thereby broadening the range of perspectives and insights brought to each session.

The Program is divided into two parts and composed of 12 modules

Level 1 - Leading Yourself

1. Intro to Leadership and Self-Awareness

2. The Role of Personality and Personal History

3. Communication Basics – Sending and Receiving, Consciously and Unconsciously

4. Leadership, Ethics and Values

5. Inclusive Leadership and our Biases

6. Vision, Decision Making and Leadership Styles

Level 2 - Leading Others

7. Complexity of Teams – Part 1

8. Complexity of Teams – Part 2

9. The Spectrum of Conflict

10. Influence, Strategy, Power and Your Path

11. Negotiation – Dos and Don’ts

12. Coaching and Mentoring

About the Certificate

Get recognized for your knowledge when you earn an official certificate of participation from Epistimi and use it to set yourself apart as a growing leader.

Assessment is continuous and based on attendance and a series of practical assignments completed online or in class. In order to be issued a certificate, you will need to meet the requirements outlined in the program handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the program.

Your certificate will be issued in your legal name and sent to you upon successful completion of the program.