I’m Maya Ajmera, CEO of the Society for Science and the Public, and This Is How I Work

The 98-year-old Science and Public Society publishes Science News , a non-profit science journal and website, and hosts several STEM competitions for students. Its current president and CEO is Maya Ajmera, who previously founded the Global Fund for Children, a non-profit charitable organization. We spoke to her about her work in both organizations, her academic background, her messy desk, and how she relaxes.

Name: Maya Ajmera Location: Washington, DC Current job: President and CEO of the Society for Science and the Public, publisher of Science News Current computer: MacBook Pro Current mobile device: iPhone One word that best describes how you work: Multitasking

First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.

It’s funny, but most of the work I do today is about what I have been doing since I was young. As a child, I was always interested in science. In fact, I grew up watching my dad read Science News, and soon after that I started reading them. I started working in a botanical lab when I was in 7th grade, went to high school focused on science and mathematics, participated in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search (one of the Society’s competitions), and finally majored in neuroscience in college …

I began to focus more on government service and develop my passion for empowering young people after college when I received a scholarship that allowed me to travel across South and Southeast Asia. During these travels, I had a moment of commitment after watching children learn on a rail platform, and I was ultimately inspired to create the Global Fund for Children (GFC), an organization dedicated to supporting innovative community organizations serving the most vulnerable children and children. youth. I built GFC from scratch and ran it for 18 years.

So when, almost five years ago, I was asked to lead the Society for Science and the Public and to become the publisher of Science News , everything clicked. Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human development. We are best known for our world-class science contests and our award-winning science journalism, Science News , and providing grants and resources to teachers, schools and other innovative non-profit organizations promoting education and STEM.

Finally, I am the author of children’s books. I have been writing and co-writing children’s books for over twenty years. Some of my favorites are Children from Australia to Zimbabwe , Faith , Being an Artist and Be My Neighbor . The next book this summer is Back to School . This creative outlet kept me sane.

In retrospect, it’s surprising to me that I was fortunate enough to lead the organization that so strongly influenced my own interest in STEM as I grew up. I understand what it means to be a young person who is passionate about science fairs and STEM teaching because I was one of them. This, along with the nonprofit leadership and entrepreneurial skills I have acquired throughout my career, helped me clear the dust and energize the nearly 100-year-old organization when I started my current position.

Tell us about a recent work day.

My working day involves meetings. Strategic meetings. Fundraising meetings. I also work with a lot of emails.

We are currently preparing to conduct Regeneron Science Talent Search , the country’s oldest and most prestigious high school science and math competition, and a large part of the organization is focused on that. My day includes discussions and meetings on everything from the logistics around my gala performance (we are using a new teleprompter system) to student visits to Capitol Hill and the Board of Trustees meeting the day after the Science Talent Search competition.

I also attended a meeting to mark the upcoming centenary of the Society, as well as a meeting to find a new sponsor for the International Science and Technology Fair , the largest international science and technology fair for high school students.

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without?

I cannot live without a calendar. I absolutely need the New York Times and Washington Post app to read the news on the subway or Lyft.

My WhatsApp is important because it keeps me connected with my large family in India and the group of friends I love. I rely on Spotify to relax and listen to classical music. My weather app and stock exchange apps are checked multiple times a day.

Oh and I love my Orangetheory fitness app too . I also follow a few people on Twitter, and I’m trying to get used to tweeting, but haven’t given it as much attention as I should.

How is your workplace arranged?

I have an old wooden table that fits our building. The Society is in a very old brown stone and has been our home for a long time. (The society will soon be 100 years old.) The building is old and needs some work, but my office has a lot of natural sunlight, which is very important to me.

There is too much paper on my desk too. I wish I could be without paper, but it’s not. Call me old school.

What’s your favorite shortcut or hack?

Sometimes I use Lyft to commute to work because it allows me to answer phone calls that I couldn’t make on public transport. As a CEO who also serves on two nonprofit boards, leads a seminar for Johns Hopkins alumni, and is a mother of six, I need help to get things done. I’m lucky to have a housekeeper and nanny and use Instacart. I understand how lucky I am to have these privileges. This is what makes me feel uncomfortable all the time.

Tell us about an interesting or unusual process you have at work.

I have bosses who manage their departments and report directly to me. We meet for one hour every two weeks to receive final reports from each team and to discuss any other organizational issues. This is very effective and a good way to ensure the visibility of all my bosses in other departments, especially since we are scattered across several buildings.

I also have 15-minute face-to-face meetings with each leader once a week if we are both in the office. This gives me the opportunity to check for any unresolved issues as well as just check in person. I always try to be available to my team members and try to quickly make joint decisions.

Who are the people who help you achieve results, and how do you rely on them?

I cannot live without an assistant manager. She is my planner and I can rely on her to get things done. I also rely heavily on my Chief of Staff to handle any special requests I receive and to help determine what is important and needs my attention. For example, I was recently invited to speak at the STEM Ecosystems Conference in New Orleans, and this presentation requires a lot of thought. This is a hands-on STEM presentation for 400 participants. My chief of staff is leading this project. She also supports and leads our Board of Trustees. She is an important member of the executive team.

Personally, I would not have been able to do my job if I had not had our nanny who has been with my daughter since the age of four months. Despite the fact that my daughter is now a kindergarten student and goes to school, our nanny is still a very important part of our life. My husband is also a great partner and we try to share our household responsibilities fairly. Every Sunday I go to the grocery store. He prepares our daughter for school in the morning and lets me sleep an extra 20 minutes before I join them in the kitchen. Once a week, I work with a trainer who really helps relieve stress. Can’t wait for spring weather to start running a few times a week.

I am grateful that I have a group of people who support me, giving me the opportunity to pursue the career that I have.

How do you keep track of what you need to do?

I have a little black notebook that I always carry with me. At the end of the day, I write down everything I need to do the next day. I have dozens of notebooks at this point, and I can look back and find out what I have been doing for the past ten or two decades.

How to recharge or relax?

During the day, I like to walk around the office and say hello to colleagues. If I have a longer break and the weather is fine, I go outside. We used to have Starbucks near the office. He recently passed out. My colleagues and I are still in shock.

When I’m at home, I focus on my six-year-old daughter. We’re talking about our days. She really enjoys card and board games. She and I love to play Trouble together.

I also love to read. I have a stack of New Yorker magazines on my bedside table, articles marked for reading are flagged. Sometimes, before bed, I just watch TV to disconnect — some of my guilty pleasures are the new Murphy Brown , Madame Secretary , Homeland , Grey’s Anatomy , The Crown, and This Is Us . I also missed some great TV series with my husband, like Homecoming on Amazon or Bodyguard on Netflix.

What are you reading now or what do you recommend?

I am currently reading Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs, daughter of Steve Jobs. Since I teach a course at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, I also read a lot to keep up with the latest innovation, policy and thought leadership taking place in international development involving children and youth.

I also recently read the book by Anand Giridharadas, Winners Take All , and I highly recommend it. I would also recommend reading the Leonardo da Vinci biography of Walter Isaacson, which was really good. I love biographies.

Who else would you like to see to answer these questions?

I would like a few of the Society’s science competition alumni to answer these questions: Feng Zhang, who pioneered the development of CRISPR; Sheel Tile, founder and CEO of venture capital firm Amplo; Divya Nag, who works on special projects at Apple; Hayley Bay Barna, co-founder of Birchbox and partner at First Round Capital, and Anna-Katrina Shedletski, founder and CEO of manufacturing technology company Instrumental.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Stay away from people who suck the passion out of you. Stay away from skeptics. You want people to challenge you, but you should stay away from people who say, “You can’t do this. This cannot be done. “

What problem are you still trying to solve?

I want to make sure that every young person in the United States has a chance to become a scientist or engineer, if that’s what they are passionate about. Access to education, and especially access to quality STEM education, is so dependent on where the child is growing up, and I really want to change that. I am proud that the Society has taken serious steps to address this issue through our scientific competitions, as well as through our advocacy and justice work, but we still have a long way to go. I am ready to continue to fight.