STTE Foundation names Stephanie Schilling executive director – El Paso Inc.

New Leadership at STTE Foundation to Advance Sustainable Development Goals

Appointment of New Executive Director

The Success Through Technology Education (STTE) Foundation has announced the appointment of Stephanie Schilling as its new Executive Director, effective July 1. Ms. Schilling transitions from her previous role as the foundation’s Ventures Manager.

Fostering Innovation and Economic Growth (SDG 8 & 9)

In her prior capacity, Ms. Schilling’s accomplishments have directly supported key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Her primary contributions include:

• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): She actively promoted entrepreneurship and job creation by leading events focused on technology and guiding the growth of local startup enterprises.
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Her work in assisting local startups and securing grant funding has bolstered the region’s innovation ecosystem.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The successful acquisition of grant funding demonstrates effective partnership building to achieve development objectives.

Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development

Ms. Schilling’s forward-looking strategy for the STTE Foundation is explicitly aligned with advancing regional economic goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. Her key objectives are:

1. Expand Education and Business Programs: This initiative directly targets SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing access to technology education and entrepreneurial training, equipping individuals with skills for employment and decent jobs.
2. Support Investment in Local Startups: By increasing investment in local ventures, the foundation will foster innovation and build resilient infrastructure, contributing to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
3. Align with Regional Economic Goals: This strategic alignment ensures the foundation’s work contributes to sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, a core tenet of SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article focuses on the “Success Through Technology Education Foundation,” whose core mission is to “expand education… programs.” This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The foundation’s work to help “local startups grow,” support “investment in local startups,” and lead “events focused on… entrepreneurship” contributes to promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. The plan to align efforts with “regional economic goals” reinforces this connection.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The emphasis on “technology,” “startups,” and “entrepreneurship” is central to building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. The foundation’s role in supporting technology-based startups is a direct contribution to this goal.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 4.4: Increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

   The foundation’s mission to provide “technology education” and lead “events focused on technology and entrepreneurship” directly aims to equip individuals with the technical and entrepreneurial skills necessary for the modern workforce, as specified in this target.

2. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, and entrepreneurship.

   The article highlights the foundation’s activities, such as helping “local startups grow” and supporting “investment in local startups.” These actions directly foster entrepreneurship and the growth of small enterprises, which is the core of this target.

3. Target 9.3: Increase the access of small-scale enterprises to financial services.

   The mention that the new director “helped bring in funding through grants” and plans to “support investment in local startups” points directly to efforts to increase financial access for small, innovative enterprises, as outlined in this target.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

The article does not mention any official SDG indicators. However, it implies several metrics that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Implied Indicator: Number of local startups supported.

  This can measure progress towards Target 8.3. The article states the foundation “helped local startups grow,” indicating that the number of companies assisted is a key performance metric.

• Implied Indicator: Amount of funding or investment secured for startups.

  This is a direct measure for Target 9.3. The article mentions bringing in “funding through grants” and supporting “investment in local startups,” making this a clear indicator of success.

• Implied Indicator: Number of participants in technology education and entrepreneurship programs/events.

  This metric would measure progress towards Target 4.4. The plan to “expand education and business programs” and the history of leading “events focused on technology and entrepreneurship” suggest that participation numbers are a relevant measure of the foundation’s impact.

Summary of Findings

Source: elpasoinc.com