Erickson selected as 2023 Opportunity Corps fellow

Calendar Icon Mar 27, 2023      Person Bust Icon By Emily Case

As part of a group of 24 women in STEAM fields, Erickson will have the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and meet with mentors during the program. (Photo courtesy UneTech Institute)
As part of a group of 24 women in STEAM fields, Erickson will have the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and meet with mentors during the program. (Photo courtesy UneTech Institute)

Anjeza Erickson, Biological Systems Engineering Research Lab Manager, was selected to be in the second cohort of the Opportunity Corps: Women in STEAM program.

Anjeza EricksonHosted by UNeTech Institute and Bio Nebraska and funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the program is designed to help individuals overcome barriers to entrepreneurship.

“I’m very excited about the whole program because it’s so new and so empowering,” Erickson said.

As part of a group of 24 women selected from Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) fields, Erickson will have the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and meet with mentors during the program’s 10-month duration. Participants receive a $500 stipend upon completion.

Opportunity Corps uses the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps inspired curriculum to teach entrepreneurs about startups while matching them with business ideas from the UNeTech incubator. Cohort members will work in five different groups to create business models, and the program will culminate with each group pitching presentations about their business ideas to investors.

Research shows that women are less likely to have mentors, especially women in STEAM, said Stephanie Kidd, UNeTech Communications Strategist and program leader. The course is designed to help women make connections and give them the tools to thrive in entrepreneurial spaces.

“We wanted a system where someone could find a woman (mentor) who had faced the same barriers. We wanted women who had worked in STEAM and successfully overcome these barriers so we could match (participants) up,” Kidd said. “Mentorship is so important because they can look at these women and see their story reflected.”

During her time in the program, Erickson hopes to develop leadership skills to help her better serve students in the lab. In addition to learning more about being a mentor, she also wants to make connections she could share with students looking for job opportunities.

Erickson, who has worked for University of Nebraska for almost 16 years, sees her role as a “bridge between the student and the professors.” She has a passion for research and helping undergraduate and graduate students build professional connections.

“Mentoring students and empowering them through education is very important to me,” she said. “I want to make sure I have the tools to help (students) out when they come to me with questions and concerns.”

The group has met twice in Omaha so far, and Erickson said she’s had the opportunity to meet “really amazing” mentors from all STEAM areas. Mentors include Agnes Lenagh, Amanda Wilson, Haley Haas, Itzel Lopez, and Shannon Lang. The program also includes keynote speakers from the Omaha area who share ideas, resources and perspectives.

“I didn’t realize how many women leaders were out there who wanted to see another woman succeed and were willing to help them out,” Erickson said. “So making those connections is also very, very important.”

Authentic connection and experiences are a major priority for the program, Kidd said. Leaders work on this at every level, from centering women and femme voices to supporting women-owned catering businesses for meals.

Program leaders include Sasha Forsen, Jace Gatzemeyer, Jenny Pool, and Kidd. Learn more on the UNeTech website.