Science Communicator and Board Member of RESERVA YLT

Maynard Okereke, the ‘Hip Hop MD’ graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Civil Engineering.  He is an award-winning Science Communicator, having received the Odyssey Award for Excellence in social media, the People of Change Award for his community outreach efforts, and being named NSBE’s Entrepreneur of the Year.  His passion for science and entertainment, along with his curiosity for innovation has taken him through an incredible life journey. 

Noticing a lack of minority involvement in the S.T.E.M. fields, he created Hip Hop Science with the goal of encouraging minorities and youth to pursue more advanced career paths.  His background in engineering, acting, music, business, and credible work in STEM make him uniquely qualified to engage on a wide variety of topics from an entertaining perspective.  This is highly reflected in his speaking engagements and daily social media posts which provide both humorous and informative SciComm content. 

Maynard currently sits on the board of RESERVA YLT, a non-profit organization with the mission of empowering young people to make a measurable difference for threatened species and habitats through conservation, education, and storytelling.  Reserva aims to create a world in which young people inherit and help maintain a biodiverse planet.