What is the name of your organization?
AISES - Advancing Indigenous People in STEM
What is the name of your solution?
The AUNTIE Tech Collective
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Weaving tech and community for Indigenous womxn and girls.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Albuquerque, NM, USA
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
United States
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
AUNTIE aims to solve the systemic underrepresentation of Indigenous womxn and girls in the tech industry. Today, American Indian womxn earn less than 0.1% of computing degrees in the U.S. and remain vastly underrepresented across the tech sector. This disparity is not a reflection of interest or ability—it’s the result of deeply rooted inequities: intergenerational trauma, rural isolation, underfunded schools, cultural disconnect in education, and a lack of mentorship and community.
Indigenous womxn and girls face barriers at every step. Over half of Indigenous students lack access to the math, science, and technical courses needed to get started. Many live in remote areas with limited tech exposure. Most lack Indigenous role models in the field—so they may never see what’s possible, how to pursue it, or feel they belong.
Even for those who make it into tech, staying can be just as hard as starting. Without cultural belonging, community, and support, many womxn exit the industry feeling excluded.
The result: Indigenous womxn are left out of one of the fastest-growing and highest-paying sectors, while tech loses out on the innovation, leadership, and perspective Indigenous communities bring.
This is the problem AUNTIE was built to solve.
What is your solution?
AUNTIE is a multi-generational, culturally centered tech collective that equips Indigenous womxn and girls with the skills, support, and community needed to thrive in technology fields.
AUNTIE offers three connected waterways:
AUNTIE Tech Club (Middle School & High School): Hands-on tech learning—including coding, robotics, and digital literacy—delivered through culturally grounded activities and exposure to Indigenous mentors in the industry.
Future AUNTIES (College): Community and empowerment through mentorship, networking, career readiness, and technical competency building for college students pursuing tech degrees.
THE AUNTIES (Professional): A growing network of Indigenous womxn in tech committed to leadership, peer mentorship, and creating inclusive workplaces. This phase provides opportunities for giving back as well as personal and professional growth.
AUNTIE builds intentional bridges between each waterway. Young womxn grow into mentors, students become leaders, and professionals remain rooted in community. When a current of interest begins to flow, AUNTIE ensures it deepens into direction. We provide the structure, connection, and culturally-grounded support needed to carry that momentum forward, centering on wellness, belonging, and purpose.
This work is about shifting narratives, healing, and building futures to create a ripple effect of positive change throughout our communities. AUNTIE nurtures not just individual success, but collective strength.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
AUNTIE serves Indigenous womxn and girls pursuing tech—from middle and high school, through college, and into their professional careers. These are individuals who too often stand at the edge of opportunity—not for lack of ambition or talent, but because the waters of tech have never been made accessible or welcoming to them.
Many grow up in under-resourced communities, attend schools without tech coursework, or try to navigate academic and professional spaces without mentorship, guidance, or a sense of cultural belonging.
Through hands-on learning, mentorship, culturally grounded resources, wellness programming, and leadership development, AUNTIE creates a steady current between each waterway of an Indigenous womxn’s tech journey, from curiosity to college to career.
The impact is both personal and collective: Indigenous girls begin to see themselves in tech. Students gain the confidence and skills to persist. Professionals find fulfillment, community, and purpose in giving back, helping guide the next wave.
We also engage families, educators, and mentors to shape the ecosystem around each participant—so no one has to navigate alone, and every step forward is supported. When Indigenous womxn are seen, supported, and celebrated in tech, the entire field becomes more powerful, more inclusive, and more innovative.
