MakerGirl Announces New Full-Time Executive Director, Mary Hadley, and Transition of Stephanie Hein

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Chicago, IL — MakerGirl, an Illinois based not-for-profit that educates 7-10 year old girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through 3D printing sessions, has announced its next full-time hire, Mary Hadley.

Mary will be assuming the role of the full-time Executive Director, effective August 1, 2019, as a planned transition from Stephanie Hein. Stephanie started as MakerGirl’s Engagement Director in 2016 at the University of Illinois. After being a Division One swimmer and graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Molecular Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she pursued a Master’s of Arts at the University of Michigan in Educational Studies, and went on to serve as MakerGirl’s first full-time CEO for the original one-year contracted period. During her time at MakerGirl, Stephanie helped secure sponsorships from Abbott Labs, Parker Hannifin, Autodesk, solidified MakerGirl’s academy expansion to Northwestern University and Boston/Cambridge, and helped coordinate the third #MakerGirlGoesMobile tour - a road trip which brought 3D-printing to over 500 girls across the Midwest and East Coast.

Mary will play a key role in supporting the organization’s mission to inspire girls to be unstoppable forces in STEM; working towards gender equality in all workplaces. Hadley’s responsibilities include overseeing fundraising opportunities, MakerGirl Academy growth, and molding MakerGirl sessions to be irresistible. Since inception, MakerGirl has expanded across the United States to seven University Academies while impacting more than 3,800 girls.

“As a Co-Founder of MakerGirl, I am thrilled to have Mary Hadley join our team full-time. The vision of the full time position is to have a University ChangeMaker graduate from University and start her/his career with MakerGirl. Mary’s ability to connect with individuals, lead our University ChangeMakers, and her commitment to girls’ education are all qualities that make her ready to thrive in this position,” said Co-Founder, Julia M. Haried. “I have the utmost trust that during this transition Mary will succeed due to working with us daily during the past two years at 1871 and with #MakerGirlGoesMobile; and I look forward to the coming year.”

Mary Hadley is a recent graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Kappa Kappa Gamma, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Science and Letters. She joined MakerGirl in 2017 to run the #MakerGirlGoesMobile summer tour, which impacted over 520 girls, and later followed with an internship in the summer of 2018 managing sponsorship opportunities and expansion to Northwestern University. Mary then served as the Managing and Curriculum Director, overseeing and training dozens of ChangeMakers. She will make a smooth transition into her new role as full-time Executive Director.

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About MakerGirl

MakerGirl educates girls from the ages of 7-10 about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through 3D printing and other cutting edge technologies. Since MakerGirl’s inception in 2014 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, over 3,800 young girls have been impacted by the initiative. MakerGirl separates themselves from other organizations doing similar work in STEM education by helping young girls improve their digital skills by giving them access to online CAD software and 3D printers. This shows girls that they can be both analytical and creative.

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Maker GirlJuly 31, 2019