Entrepreneurship
Research Girl, Inc.
Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists
Mia founded Research Girl, Inc. in April 2024 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing science education and accessibility worldwide. What began as a platform to share research opportunities has grown into a comprehensive educational ecosystem serving over 50,000 students and aspiring researchers across 161 countries and all 50 U.S. states.
The organization addresses a critical gap in STEM education: even at the most prestigious research universities, students from underrepresented backgrounds lack clear pathways into research training and mentorship networks. Research Girl democratizes access to those resources through free programming.
Mentorship
At the heart of Research Girl is its mentorship network, supported by over 300 dedicated volunteers from institutions including Harvard University, Weill Cornell Medical School, MIT, Mayo Clinic, NYU School of Medicine, NASA, NOAA, and the NIH. The organization runs two distinct mentorship programs that match students with mentors in research labs, guiding them through academic and professional development with a 97% successful match rate. Mentors provide one-on-one guidance on lab placement strategies, graduate school applications, research methodology, scientific writing, and career navigation.
Institutional Partnerships
Research Girl has collaborated with prestigious institutions on educational programming and events, including Harvard Brain Science Initiative and Columbia University Medical Center. These collaborations reinforce the organization's mission to connect students with world-class opportunities and expertise.
Mia has delivered keynote lectures and panel presentations on Research Girl's work at over 16 institutions, including Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Challenging Norms Conference, Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons' International Young Researchers Conference, University of Connecticut, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Özyeğin University in Turkey.
Recognition & Impact
Research Girl was awarded the Connecticut Science Center's 2025 STEM Achievement Award in the Non-Profit category for its work empowering diverse young scientists through free resources and mentorship programs. The organization was also shortlisted for the 2026 World 50 Open Doors Impact Award, recognizing its global reach and transformative approach to STEM education equity.
Since its founding, Research Girl has reached students in 161 countries and all 50 U.S. states, with a community of over 50,000 reached.
Leadership & Operations
As Founder and CEO, Mia oversees all strategic, programmatic, and operational functions of Research Girl. She manages volunteer recruitment and supervision, curriculum development, learning platform design, grant writing and Letters of Intent, donor relations, partnership development, editorial oversight, and long-term organizational growth planning.
Her vision for Research Girl extends beyond individual mentorship: she's building infrastructure to ensure that talent, not circumstance, determines who has access to scientific training. By creating pathways for students who have historically been excluded from STEM, Research Girl is reshaping what the next generation of scientists looks like; and who gets to contribute to solving the world's most pressing challenges.