About

In 2019, our Founder, Fionnghuala O’Reilly or “Fig,” made history as the first Black woman to win the Miss Universe Ireland title and represent Ireland at an international beauty pageant—the Miss Universe competition. Her platform? Advocating for women and diversity in STEM. Did you have to read that back? Don’t worry—us too. Traditionally, many may not associate pageantry with coding or data science, but Fig has used her voice to challenge outdated stereotypes of women not being able to show up as their whole selves in the spaces they occupy. Before the glitz and glam of pageantry, Fig entered the world of science and technology as a systems engineer later becoming a NASA Datanaut working within the agency’s open innovation data science program.

With over a decade of experience in technology, Fig has gone on to join CBS’s television series, Mission Unstoppable. As a correspondent, Fig contributes to the mission of the show: creating more visibility for women in STEM to teach and inspire the next generation. Inclusivity is essential to her goal of being an advocate for girls and women. Space to Reach is the next step in Fig’s mission of creating space for women of color to reach their full potential through STEM.