2022 Fellow Focus: Gabriel Reyes + FLi Sci
Scientist, visionary, equity champion…2022 Fellow Gabriel Reyes of FLi Sci shares more about his #RuthlessForGood journey.
What propelled you into the entrepreneurial space? And what do you enjoy most about being a founder?
There was not a SINGLE moment that led to the creation of FLi Sci, but Summer 2020 was a galvanizing moment for me. I had completed the first year of my neuroscience master’s program and remember feeling dejected from science because of a myriad of personal economic issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic. However, after the murder of George Floyd, there was this explosion of conversations about race in science in ways I hadn’t experienced prior. In fact, previously, I remember feeling like social justice rhetoric was punitive in academic science: if anyone heard me say things like “white supremacy” or “Black Lives Matter,” I felt anxious that such talk would get me ostracized for being “unscientific.” But that summer, it was “in fashion” for academic scientists to talk about race, diversity, and inclusion. This led to many (primarily White) researchers publishing resources targeting underrepresented minorities in science—but these were all being posted on Twitter. I’d scroll and see another Google Doc circulating the rounds, or a mentoring program led by grad students targeting prospective applicants, and so on. My fear was that these resources would get lost in the void of the World Wide Web, never to actually be utilized by the very communities it was intended for. So, in a moment of rage and love—angry by what felt like performative tactics to present oneself as “woke” but optimistic that such efforts CAN promote diversity—I pulled an all-nighter, made a website intending to post those resources, and published it. I picked a name and submitted it for peer review (i.e., my husband and close friends) and FLi Sci was born.
What do you enjoy most about being a founder?
What I enjoy most is the interaction with all the first-generation/low-income students interested in science. Since leaving New Mexico for college and starting my own scientific journey, the communities I often find myself in do not reflect the ones I grew up with. This access has become significantly more limited as I’ve progressed on my academic ladder. But since creating FLi Sci, I’ve been able to have far more meaningful engagement with the people I love the most in the world who give me hope: other FLi students of color. In all of my interactions with them, I am reminded of the strengths of my community—and how the challenges they face are systemic and structural, not intrinsic or individual.
What is one piece of advice that has been the most impactful to your journey as an entrepreneur so far?
The most impactful piece of advice I’ve received so far was during my time with the Edwin Gould Foundation’s accelerator fellowship when they brought in Sarah Burd-Sharps. Since starting this entrepreneurial journey, many have emphasized the importance of acquiring data to craft a powerful narrative of our venture’s mission and vision. Out of the myriad of workshops I have participated in on this topic, Sarah was the only one thus far who’s offered a people-centered perspective that has never left me. She said that “data is often done ON people, not WITH people.” Hearing this forced me to interrogate how I incorporated the voices of the people I want to work with instead of projecting my own biases and (outdated) perspectives through our data. It also made me think deeply about other general structures within FLi Sci that could be more community-driven beyond just data. I’m very thankful to her for providing such wisdom so early on in my journey.
Tell us about an experience you had as an entrepreneur or in starting your company that exemplified one of Camelback's core values: "Belief in Mission + Vision"; "Unafraid of Failure"; "Constant Learner"; "Humble + Hungry"; and "Give First."
Belief in Mission + Vision: FLi Sci’s mission is to support the scientific development of FLi students based on a shared principle with Camelback: that genius is equally distributed but opportunities are not. However, I’ve noticed that, at least with regards to science, not everyone shares these values. For some, science is a field only for the intellectually gifted as demonstrated by achievement on grades and test scores. Personally, I believe strongly that many low-income students are talented in a variety of ways—ways that our educational system has not yet incorporated into our evaluation metrics—but nonetheless observable if one broadens their view on what “talent” is. Therefore, FLi Sci demonstrates this mission by not excluding students based on their academic background; we are not—and never will be—an organization that exclusively serves “high-achieving” students. In fact, if there is one vision I hope FLi Sci contributes to, it is this: that more fellowship programs emerge that offer no-strings-attached grants so students have the ability to pursue the projects that matter to them without the shackles of poverty holding them back.
As a social innovator, what legacy do you hope to leave behind for future generations?
I draw inspiration from programs like QuestBridge that amplified the conversation of financial aid for low-income students at private colleges, with more schools partnering with them to commit to funding low-income students each year. This is the legacy I hope FLi Sci accomplishes: that we encourage more programs and systems to think about minoritized students pursuing careers in academic research at the graduate level, not just at the undergraduate level. There are so many organizations that work with high school students to get them to college, but the number of organizations that aim to get these same students to graduate school is minuscule in comparison. What I hope FLi Sci accomplishes—in addition to achieving our own mission of preparing FLi students of color to pursue a career in science—is the birth of even more organizations with a similar mission as ours.
What's your favorite book or podcast that you draw entrepreneurial inspiration from?
During the first year of my PhD program at Stanford, we read Braiding Sweetgrass by Dr. Robin Kimmerer, a decorated Indigenous scientist and a professor of environmental biology. In her book, she talks about how her upbringing, culture, and family influences her science, with references to the resistance she encounters in her field pursuing that fusion. I read this book during my own research as a neuroscientist—which, at the time, focused on poverty and brain development—and felt a similar tension within my own scientific community that disdained my motivations. People would often say that my research was “me”-search as an insult for asking questions related to my own upbringing in poverty. However, in my interactions with students and hearing about their own scientific curiosities, I’ve noticed that many of us from marginalized backgrounds draw from our experiences to generate scientific questions—questions about how our adversity impacts us and others; questions about how we can help improve the quality of life for people in our communities; and more centered on our upbringing and environments. Thankfully, reading this book reinforced my value that someone drawing inspiration from their personal experiences and culture is an asset to their scientific development, not a deficit.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
If I could have any superpower, it would be to speak every language fluently. To be able to speak in anyone’s native language would be a privilege. (But also the ability to fly or teleport would be pretty cool as well).
Anything else you want to share about yourself and/or your Camelback Fellowship journey?
I have been familiar with Camelback’s existence ever since starting my entrepreneurial journey through 4.0 Schools. I always talked myself out of applying by telling myself that I was not ready, finding any excuse to justify my hesitance (e.g., my idea was not fully formed, or because we only had one, tiny cohort, or because I was a PhD student, ad infinitum). But I remember when I found the courage to finally apply, it was out of desperation (I was extremely eager to acquire capital to run a second cohort) and also out of inspiration (to use the application questions as an opportunity to refine and communicate my idea to future partners). I told myself that if I was not successful in my first round, that the attempt would not be without value: I’d make an incremental step in figuring out what FLi Sci’s future should be—and that was enough. This was before I realized that I also personally needed something I was too afraid to confess: validation.
At the time of the application, I was in the first year of my PhD program doing developmental psych research. And throughout my time in science—and especially the first year of my program—I felt completely stupid. Not in a constructive, humbling way, but rather in a destructive, time-to-change-careers kind of way. I’ve grown accustomed to having my entire identity be about what I do not know how to do or what I do not know how to do WELL. So basically growing comfortable with the constant, unhealthy feeling of being a perpetual failure.
But this has not been the case ever since I had my first interaction with Caroline regarding a status on my application. In every moment with Camelback, I have felt loved, cared for, nurtured, and empowered. Even after my interview with the team as a finalist, they made me feel like I could still be successful with FLi Sci even if I was ultimately not picked for the Fellowship—that they were rooting for my idea regardless of whether I was a fellow or not. I cannot emphasize how rare such a feeling like this is for people like me, and it has only persisted since becoming a Fellow. I did not know I needed this culture of love and support on this journey—but I am so thankful that I have it. My only wish is that others will have a similar experience—either as a (future!) Camelback Fellow or in their own spaces. But rest assured that Camelback has continued to inspire me to create such spaces for others in environments I may find myself in.
You can learn more about ➡ Gabriel Reyes of FLi Sci.
Get to know more of the 2022 Camelback Fellows👇🏽