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Base 11 Appoints Dr. Michelle Flowers-Taylor as Interim CEO
Dr. Flowers-Taylor will advance the organization’s mission to accelerate the STEM careers of women and BIPOC students and early-career adults.
Los Angeles, Calif. – Base 11 is entering an exciting phase of growth and expansion and has appointed Dr. Michelle Flowers-Taylor to lead the organization as its Interim CEO.
“We are thrilled that Michelle answered the call to lead at a very important time in the execution of Base 11’s mission and growth strategy,” said Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, Chairperson of the Base 11 Board of Directors. “Dr. Flowers-Taylor has an impressive track record in STEM education, technology-driven leadership development, and the powerful intersection of impact media and social justice. Base 11 will benefit greatly from her unique combination of experience and passion for empowering underserved communities.”
Prior to joining Base 11, Dr. Flowers-Taylor’s executive leadership roles included serving as the founding Executive Director of the Institute of Engineering Community and Cultural Competence (IEC3). IEC3 is a computer science and engineering institute at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, now housed within the USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center, that empowers girls and women of color to enter and succeed in engineering and computer science.
In this Executive Director role, Dr. Flowers-Taylor led all fundraising efforts and developed high-impact industry and community partnerships, including Google, Tata Consultancy Services, Dassault Systemes, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Base 11.
Dr. Flowers-Taylor is also the Co-Founder of Legacy First Partners and currently serves as the Chair of the Board for the Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Fund, a Board Member for Girl Scouts of Western Washington, and the Technology Chair on the executive committee for the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated’s Delta Upsilon Omega Chapter in Seattle. An expert storyteller, she has written, produced, and directed award-winning films that focus on empowering communities of color, including the short film narrated by acclaimed actor, Danny Glover, “Reimagining Freedom West.”
In her role as Base 11’s Interim CEO, Dr. Flowers-Taylor will oversee all aspects of the organization’s operations, fundraising, and revenue stream diversification. She will focus on enhancing the impact of Base 11’s Next Frontier Initiative and the Parity Project by boosting students’ awareness of and access to the training, mentorship, and funding they need to take advantage of 21st-century career opportunities in STEM and catalyze upward economic mobility.
“In 2020, Base 11 set a new goal to accelerate 100,000 students and early career adults on their pathway to STEM career success by 2030. As of December 2023, they have already exceeded 60,000 under the incredible leadership of Teniel Jones, who has served as President and CEO since 2020,” said Dr. Flowers-Taylor. “I’m honored to step up to the challenge of advancing Base 11’s mission forward as we approach our 10-year anniversary in 2025.”
About Base 11
Base 11 is a nonprofit 501c3 STEM workforce and entrepreneur development organization empowering women and minorities with the access, awareness, and belief needed to succeed in Next Frontier Industries of the 21st century. Base 11 facilitates partnerships with industry, academia, and philanthropy leaders and companies, equipping students with connections and opportunities to build skills and providing employers with a pre-recruitment pipeline of well-trained, highly skilled STEM talent. Through Next Frontier programs, facilities, and events, Base 11 and its partners set students—and those returning to the workforce—on direct pathways to four-year STEM degrees, well-paid STEM jobs, and the opportunity to launch their own STEM-related businesses. For more information, please visit www.base11.com.
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