Hera Rising

Gender Equity in STEM Challenge

Our objective is to give young women the confidence and resources to overcome stereotypes and societal hurdles. 

We have a vision to provide young women from all walks of life with inspiration to pursue their aspirations, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, gender, or neurodiversity. 

Just like the collective fascination that the Apollo 11 Moon landing generated globally, we employ the power of storytelling and real-life examples to highlight inspirational women of all backgrounds who have broken through  systemic barriers that are stifling young women. 

Rising United’s mission one -  Hera Rising - is the first ever stratospheric jump done by a woman that will be the cornerstone of a four-year mission with the objective of reaching young females in diverse and underserved groups globally at different stages in their education journey via a free in-classroom STEAM-related curriculum mirroring each stage of the mission.  It will also serve to inspire a generation to be empowered to pursue their dreams as the culmination of a multi-year awareness campaign that includes filmed content, museum exhibits, and a speaking tour by the three female Hera Rising Mission Explorer crew. 

Our “Mission One: Hera Rising” exists to inspire young girls and women around the world to feel confident, empowered, and courageous enough to achieve their dreams.

We want to increase youth interest and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) through education by providing free curricula for teachers and schools.

We believe that doing this will inspire millions of girls worldwide to consider a career in STEAM, resulting in a new generation of young women being able to step into better-paying jobs.

The Hera Rising Mission is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show women and girls no matter how high their dreams may be, they can be achieved.

We do this because we believe that now and always, present and future female leaders are essential to our planet's survival.

We believe in the need to create a more diverse and inclusive world for all.It is a calling for all young girls, from everywhere around the globe to write their own future. And, it is a message to all humanity that says we are all equal.

Through the Hera Rising Mission, we champion the following causes:

• STEAM Education

• Advancements in Space Education

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• Female Empowerment

• Youth Self-Esteem

• Self-Confidence

Rising United’s advisors include a member of the Nobel family, a neuroscientist scholar and digital health leader at Stanford University, an ex-space station commander, a NASA robotics engineer responsible for Ingenuity, an ex-Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, top science and STEM curriculum experts and an aerospace engineer.  Hera Rising’s leadership team is made up of an accomplished group of professionals with deep expertise in marketing, branding, content, production, technology, science, and nonprofit management.

We have established partnerships under MOU contracts with Paragon Space Development Corporation and the three female Explorer Crew members.

To make an impact by funding our journey to making the first female-led jump from the edge of space possible.

Dr. Diana works to design the content aligned with the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Goal 5, marking our proud launch of our Mission One: Hera Rising. She is well-versed in STEAM Education and studied it at the doctoral level becoming the first female ever to graduate with this type of degree. She is also the first Latina to gain a doctorate with a STEAM Curriculum and Instruction focus. Dr. Diana is passionate about STEAM Education and works diligently to help organizations that help women in STEAM and people of color succeed in the classroom and onto the boardroom. She believes is important to help foster the next generation of females in STEAM by starting with educating young kids now. Thank you for your consideration!

The Program:

• Hera Rising will be the first-ever stratospheric jump by a woman.

• STEAM educational materials have never been attached to a live event that will generate a cultural conversation. 

• The program will extend beyond the classroom to inspire a generation to be empowered to pursue their dreams as the culmination of a multi-year awareness campaign that includes filmed content, museum exhibits, and a speaking tour by the three female Hera Rising Mission Explorer crew.  

The Science:

• Led by top researchers, scientists, and companies globally, ten separate experiments will be brought to the edge of space via Hera Rising in a proprietary 3D-Printed “Turtle Experimental Platform” (TEP).  The experiments will include research and development of new women’s space suit designs, and technologies and materials specifically dedicated to the advancement of women's future in space, and to gain a better understanding of how the female mind and body respond to the extreme stress of zero-vacuum situations. 

• We are working with an Oak Ridge Laboratories-backed innovative 3D additive-manufacturing company to "print" the TEP and test how different 3D printing materials behave in the harshest of extreme conditions.

Mission One: Hera Rising is not just a one-day event, it is a four-year mission with the objective of conducting relevant and impactful scientific research.  We have partnered with the best companies in the world to make sure this mission happens safely and that we use it to help usher in a new generation of innovation for the benefit of all women and mankind.

Our goal is to carry up to ten separate experiments into the edge of space in a proprietary 3D-Printed “Turtle Experimental Platform” (TEP). 

In addition, our all female-led diverse explorer team are not only leaders in STEM, but experts in skydiving and extreme sports, and are willing and excited to take on this mission to inspire and motivate girls and women around the world about dreaming big and shooting high.

Year 1

• Goal #1- Space Suit Research, Design, and Development with Paragon Space Development Corporation
• Goal #2 - STEAM Curriculum and in-classroom student kits
• Goal #3 - Build our team with the professional resources required to set the project up: Mission Brand Development and Design, Social Media and Community Management, Content Capture and Generation, Brand Assets, Merchandise Design and Production, Marketing, Advertising, and Brand Experience.
• Goal #4 - Establish a presence at educational, technology, brand, and space conferences.
• Goal #5 - Acquire Grant Writer, Fundraiser, and travel to meet with potential partners, sponsors, and patrons.

Year 2-5

• Goal #1- Curriculum launches in schools and enrichment programs
• Goal #2 - Mission integration planning
• Goal #3 - Ongoing suit testing and development
• Goal #4 - Explorer strength training, wind tunnel testing and training, airplane jumps
• Goal #5 - Film documentary on the experience and the monumental moonshot for female equity in STEM
• Goal #6- High Altitute Low Oxygen Jump
• Goal #7 - 1st Stratospheric Jump
• Goal #8 - 2nd Stratospheric Jump
• Goal #9 - Women empowerment conferences and speaking events for explorers sharing their experience and how women in STEM can be successful
• Goal #10 - Develop an audience of 30K+ via social media channels to watch the jump, practice, and speak with the explorers

Key Indicators from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

4 Quality Education

5 Gender Equality

10 Reduced Inequalities

We plan on gathering impact data to measure the number of participants, engagement, students reached, and teachers trained. Additionally, we plan on gathering targeting data to survey participants about their experience and impact on achievement, participation and likelihood to continue into the STEM workforce. 

The problem of gender equity in STEM is starts with role models. Women are starting to become part of the narrative in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Their work and contributions are being shared and acknowledged in the history books. Students and educators rely on textbooks, and the internet (social media) and look for equitable role models. Rising United through the Hera Rising Mission plans to bring awareness of the three female explorers and their unique ability to prepare for a jump from space. A great example of the impact role model storytelling has on kids is Katherine Johnson. She became mainstream famous and known for all of her contributions to NASA in the movie Hidden Figures. As a result, young black girls know that they too can work at NASA because of Katherine. Similarly, our explorers are role models for young girls too and they are all women of color. Through sharing their experiences in STEM and how to overcome obstacles, we hope to inspire a generation of future females in the education-to-workforce pipeline.

• We have partnered with the leader in Life Support Space Suit Systems, and Mission Integration, Paragon Space Development Corporation—the same team selected by NASA to build the next-generation spacesuit for the "Artemis Mission to the Moon." With their experience and expertise, as demonstrated in the successful StratEx program in 2014, we can confidently say we are in the best hands in the industry. 

• Led by top researchers, scientists, and companies globally, ten separate experiments will be brought to the edge of space via Hera Rising in a proprietary 3D-Printed “Turtle Experimental Platform” (TEP).  The experiments will include research and development of new women’s space suit designs, and technologies and materials specifically dedicated to the advancement of women's future in space, and to gain a better understanding of how the female mind and body respond to the extreme stress of zero-vacuum situations. 

• We are working with an Oak Ridge Laboratories-backed innovative 3D additive-manufacturing company to "print" the TEP and test how different 3D printing materials behave in the harshest of extreme conditions.

18

1 year and 6 months

DEI Mission Statement

Inspiration arises when people, including children, see others who resemble them in roles they aspire to attain.

We believe that to reach a wide audience it is essential to respect and embrace diversity in all aspects.

Our founding members have deep roots in the Latino/a/x community.

As we expand, we actively recruit a diverse staff and leadership team to build upon in order to genuinely reflect DEI principles of a global community we aim to serve.

B2B

Fee-for-service model

Our plan for making a profit is to collaborate with advertisement agencies that support the women in STEM initiative and aim to close the gender equity gap. The curricula designed for this program are provided for free and impact data will be gathered on this initiative. We plan on charging advertisement agencies and clients a fee-for-service to collaborate, for example, on the documentary, logo placement, and using explorers in media campaigns. 

Our plan for making a profit is to have multiple streams of income. One is from the advertisement agencies that support the women in STEM.  Clients are charged a fee-for-service to collaborate, for example, on the documentary, logo placement on the spacesuit or in the documentary, and using explorers in media campaigns. Additionally, grants and a kickstarter campaign also help fund the mission.

Funds raised to date have been used for explorer training, events, finding board members, and attending conferences to spread the word and gender equity. 

A specific example is an event Rising United hosted at the Los Angeles Museum of Art for Middle School Girls in STEAM where they met an explorer and conducted hands-on activities to learn the skills to succeed in the field. 

Additionally, funds raised were used to produce videos sharing our mission.