2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

The representation of Black students in STEM entrepreneurship remains disproportionately low, with only 2% of Black recipients of science and engineering PhDs in 2017 pursuing entrepreneurial careers. This disparity is compounded by systemic barriers faced by entrepreneurs of color, including limited access to entrepreneurship education, capital, networks, and role models/mentors. To address these challenges, we developed the STEM Racial Equity and Entrepreneurship (STEM-RAEE) program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), aimed at recruiting and supporting racially minoritized students, particularly Black/African American students, from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). STEM-RAEE provides a holistic support system, including workshops, mentorship opportunities, and business coaching, to empower racially minoritized students to pursue entrepreneurship and contribute to a more equitable STEM ecosystem. The survey conducted as part of this research initiative seeks to understand the unique barriers and motivations of Black/African American undergraduate students in STEM and inform the development of tailored interventions through the STEM-RAEE program. With the overarching goal of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the engineering and computing professions, our research aims to empower racially minoritized students to leverage their STEM knowledge for entrepreneurial success and community impact. We employed an online survey instrument, integrating constructs from empirically validated scales in entrepreneurship literature, to gather insights from 86 undergraduate STEM majors enrolled at two HBCUs in the Southern region of the United States. The survey assessed various factors, including intent to pursue entrepreneurship, self-efficacy in entrepreneurship, role models in entrepreneurship, barriers to pursuing entrepreneurship, minority status stress, levels of racial activism, and commitment to promoting equity and racial and social justice in their communities and future work in STEM. Our results indicate that students with high self-efficacy and a drive for racial and social justice are more likely to pursue entrepreneurship. Likewise, barriers related to financial capital and race-related discrimination in the entrepreneurial ecosystem remain the top-rated obstacles. Similarly, family members are a significant source of inspiration for approximately 50% of students. On the other hand, for those without personal connections, addressing social and racial inequities within their communities remains a key motivator. Together, these findings suggest that entrepreneurship initiatives targeting racially minoritized students should prioritize integrating racial and social justice principles to foster a strong entrepreneurial drive. Moreover, our research highlights the need for tailored programs, such as STEM-RAEE, which can significantly promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within engineering and computing professions. Furthermore, these findings provide practical strategies for shaping such initiatives, including boosting self-efficacy, facilitating mentorship with entrepreneurial role models, and incorporating social entrepreneurship principles that focus on addressing social and racial inequities.