STEM Spotlight: Karina Popovich

Nineteen-year-old Brooklynite Karina Popovich is a STEM advocate, maker, and entrepreneur. She's the founder of 3D printing clothing brand Alpha, charitable PPE organization Makers for COVID-19, and nonprofit group Connect with Tech. Karina attends Cornell University as a member of the class of 2023. She's also a prolific writer and speaker. Keep an eye on Karina as this rising star continues to help light up the STEM universe and make the 3D printing world a better place — for everyone.

When did you know you were a scientist?

I never looked at myself as a scientist. I had moments when I was doing research at a lab and felt like a pioneer. I realize now that it was never about being a scientist as much as it was about solving problems, making, and being a pioneer. It wasn’t until I was 17 that I realized and embraced my inner maker — I admitted to myself that I was a good Maker, and I let myself be proud of it.

It wasn’t until I started Makers for COVID-19 that I realized that underlying everything I did was a burning passion to solve problems. While I somewhat felt that was the case prior to Makers for COVID-19, successfully creating and running the project, and learning tremendously from it proved to me just how I love creatively solving real problems.

What inspired you to found Alpha?

The first version of Alpha was a clothing line with designs showcasing the beauty and diversity that is Women in STEM. The apparel featured women of all races and backgrounds in a variety of STEM fields. While I loved the mission, I didn’t feel like that version of Alpha reflected my love for making, giving back, or 3D-printing. After this realization, I decided to reset Alpha and that’s when I took the time to mash my two interests, 3D-printing, the ultimate symbol for making and clothing, a form of expression. 

I fell in love with what I created and saw that other people were also interested. I perfected the technique of 3D-printing onto clothing and decided I was ready to relaunch. Along with a new product, I added the pieces that were missing — a giving back program that financially supports female run STEM groups, and an educational initiative to debunk myths surrounding while inspiring youth to explore their inner maker and engineer through 3D-printing. In making so many changes, Alpha’s mission mirrored my personal mission and morphed into one that transforms the way we approach STEM education.

What has been the most unexpected moment you’ve experienced while running Makers for COVID-19?

The most unexpected experience of my entire experience running Makers for COVID-19 is having men way older than me, respect me, and accept me as their leader. The majority of our makers are men who are well into their 30s and 40s — and in the tech field. Being both a woman and only 19-years-old, I never thought I would ever get this level of respect from men in the technical space, let alone men way older than me. It’s really opened my eyes to the changing world that we live in, and further validated my skills as a leader.

What advice do you have for people your age (and younger) who want to help change the world through technology? Where is a good place to start?

This is always a fun question for me to answer because everything boils down to self-reflection, growth, and exploration. I am actively seeking growth and in doing so have been extremely self-aware throughout high school and my first year of college. I have collected these lessons and usually talk in depth about each of them in a workshop: 

Life Lessons

  • Stay focused but let yourself explore

  • Learn lessons from everything you do

  • Reflect A LOT

  • Be genuinely passionate

  • Learn from the people around you

  • Everyone is in a different stage of life

  • Find a balance between adventure and work

Business/Social Impact Lessons

  • Solve someone’s problems, not your own

  • An organization or non-profit is just as much of a business

  • Understand your risk and commitment

  • Don’t wait for anything to get started

  • Know your arena

  • Don’t compete, collaborate instead

  • Build up your relationships

  • Make mistakes and learn

I keep the two separate because when you are a young person trying to make a difference — or in my case pursue social entrepreneurship through tech — you need to learn about yourself as you are learning about what it takes to make a difference. 

If you were a superhero, what would your go-to wearable tech device be?

Haha, I already feel like a superhero; my superpower is building and making. To answer your question, my go-to wearable tech device would be a microchip skin tattoo (researched and developed by MIT). I got to build my own in high school! I love how futuristic the concept is; there is so much opportunity for the application of this device and using it to solve problems. 

To learn more about Karina Popovich, visit her website. Be sure to follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Interested in helping out Makers for COVID-19? Learn more about the process here.

Kristen O. BobstComment