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About STEMise

Built by students.
Made for innovators.

What STEMise is, why it exists, who is building it, and how we're building a culture fostering STEM innovation for youths — where young people don't just study STEM, they innovate with it.

Mission

Building a culture fostering STEM innovation for youths.

STEMise exists to make innovation a normal part of growing up in STEM. Through global competitions, research, education programs, and student-led chapters, young people get real problems to solve, real things to build, and a community of peers doing the same. With sponsors like Citadel and Hudson River Trading behind us, and by uplifting emerging STEM communities, we're building a culture where youth don't wait to become innovators — they start now.

Story

Two students who wanted every kid to find the spark.

STEMise began in April 2025 with two students who fell in love with science for different reasons. For Ryan, it was wonder: watching onion cells divide under a microscope, or identifying a mystery compound through experiment, discovery felt like solving a mystery with the clues in his hands. For Dongwon, it was persistence: science rewarded tenacity, and once he saw it everywhere, from the convection currents in an air conditioner to why black shirts feel hotter in summer, the drive to excel became real passion.

Then they both watched that spark fail to reach others. Volunteering at the Baraka Little Library, Ryan met kids worn down by the same worksheets again and again; what they lacked wasn't ability, it was the kind of experience that makes science feel alive. At Dongwon's school, over 80% of students chose humanities or arts pathways, and STEM classes offered little beyond lectures.

So they founded STEMise to build what was missing: a culture where curiosity is the entry point rather than a privilege, and where young people don't just pass science, they innovate with it. Every competition, research program, and hands-on lesson rests on one conviction: given the right exposure, every kid can find light in science.

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OUR JOURNEY

From two students to a global lab

  1. Apr 2025Shipped

    STEMise is founded

    Two students, Ryan Ahn and Dongwon Lee, set out to build a culture where young people don't just pass science, they innovate with it.

  2. InauguralShipped

    YIMO I, our first olympiad

    303 competitors from 53 countries: the first proof that students could build a global competition for each other.

  3. May–Jun 2026Shipped

    DSH Hacks V1

    Our first hackathon, AI × STEM education: 1,293 competitors from 74 countries, and 283 projects shipped.

  4. Aug 2026Shipped

    YIMO II

    The olympiad grew nearly ninefold: 2,633 competitors from 100 countries.

  5. Sep 2026Shipped

    AiScend Research at NeurIPS

    Student research accepted to five NeurIPS 2026 workshops.

  6. TodayLive

    129 chapters in 39 countries

    Students running STEMise where they live, with IQIC and DSH Hacks V.2 open right now.

  7. 2027Next

    YIPO and GYSPC

    A new physics olympiad in January, and the Global Youth Science & Policy Competition finals in February.

VALUES

What matters to STEMise.

Access first

A culture of innovation only counts if everyone can join it, so we design for students who may not already have easy access to engaging STEM opportunities.

In practice: Every STEMise competition is free to enter — YIMO II drew 2,633 competitors from 100 countries.

Build to learn

Innovation is a habit built by doing. Hands-on experimentation helps learners understand concepts faster and remember them longer.

In practice: DSH Hacks asks for a working prototype, a demo video, and the code — not a slide deck.

Curiosity with structure

Curiosity grows into innovation with the right scaffolding, so our work combines playful exploration with practical guides, age grouping, and clear teaching paths.

In practice: IQIC pairs a written strategy declaration with three weeks of live trading, scored on both.

Community-led growth

A culture is carried by its people. STEMise grows through volunteers, partners, and supporters who want more young people creating with STEM, not just consuming it.

In practice: 129 chapters in 39 countries, each run by a student lead in their own community.

PARTNERS

Partner organizations.

Student-led organizations helping grow the culture with us, through co-hosted events and cross-promotion. Tap a partner to see what we've done together.

SPONSORS

Sponsors who back young innovators.

Led by Citadel and Hudson River Trading, these organizations fund and supply the events where young people put STEM innovation into practice. Shown by contribution tier.

Platinum
Gold
In-Kind$75,563+ in donated products & services
TEAM

The people building STEMise.

Founders

Ryan Ahn headshot

Ryan Ahn

Chairman & Executive Director Emeritus

Founded STEMise and served as its first Executive Director; as Chairman, focuses on scaling STEM access worldwide through strong nonprofit direction.

Dongwon Lee headshot

Dongwon Lee

Deputy Executive Director Emeritus

Co-founded STEMise, working to inspire younger generations to pursue science and carry forward a legacy of accessible STEM learning.

Executive Leadership

Christopher Huang headshot

Christopher Huang

Executive Director

Leads STEMise day to day — setting priorities across competitions, chapters, and education, and keeping every team pointed at building a culture fostering STEM innovation for youths.

Jun Iizuka headshot

Jun Iizuka

Chief of Staff

Coordinates across teams and keeps STEMise's operations and finances aligned with the organization's mission.

Join us

Work on this
with us.

Every role here is held by a student building the culture from the inside. If that sounds like the kind of work you want, there's a seat.

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