Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop M.D. or “MayNERD” from his breakthrough kid’s science show MayNERD’s Wild World of Science, graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Civil Engineering. He is an award-winning science communicator, having received the Odyssey Award for Excellence in Social Media, The National Society of Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year, and most recently Ebony’s Power 100 List. He’s been featured on Netflix’s Ada Twist Scientist, The Science Channel, National Geographic, and his STEM outreach work has been published in Scientific American.
Noticing a lack of minority involvement in the S.T.E.M. fields, Maynard created Hip Hop Science with the goal of encouraging minorities and youth to pursue more advanced career paths in science. His background in engineering, acting, business, and music make him uniquely qualified to engage on a wide variety of topics from an entertaining perspective. Maynard’s personality, energy, and enthusiasm makes science fun and engaging —inspiring students and general audiences alike.
As an entrepreneur, he’s also been featured on ABC’s Shark Tank where he received an offer from the Sharks for his thriving food business. He uses his entrepreneurship and continued work in STEM to help change the stereotype of “what a scientist looks like” by sparking curiosity and empowering the next generation.
A professional speaker, Maynard has worked with companies like Blue Origin, 3M, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and spoken to thousands of students at K-12 schools and universities, along with educators all across the globe. His creative storytelling and ability to host, speak, and engage with audiences has sparked collaborations with many high profile organizations, brands, and institutions that trust his authentic voice and expertise.
