Today we’d like to introduce you to Miquel Moe.
Hi Miquel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The early years of my life were filled with trials and tribulations. Born in Baltimore as the oldest of 5 children, in a fatherless single-parent household, we experienced hardships that children should not endure. Unfortunately, situations beyond my control caused the Police and Child Protective Services (CPS) to become involved in my life on multiple occasions as a young child.
As a result, there came a point when my siblings and I were all headed to foster care. To keep me and my siblings from being separated and potentially lost in the system, family members intervened and welcomed us into their homes. I moved in with a loving, hardworking, and intelligent leader – my grandmother. Tasked with raising me, my grandmother preached the importance of education daily. She drilled in me that I could be anything in this world that I put my mind to, and eventually, I began to believe her.
Armed with the belief that I could accomplish anything I began applying myself in school. With newfound motivation and confidence, I routinely made the honor roll and ended up attending and graduating from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 2003. I then earned dual bachelor’s degrees of Science in Mathematics from Bowie State University, and Electrical and Computer Engineering from Morgan State University. I finished my undergraduate career with Magna Cum Laude honors and was inducted into the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society. Later, I completed and received a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
After completing my undergraduate education, I accepted a position at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). My career at GSFC began in 2007, and over the years, I’ve been involved in the design, development, and research of ground and flight hardware for more than 20 NASA missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Ice Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2), Plankton Aerosol Cloud ocean Ecosystem (PACE), and Dellingr CubeSat. I was a part of the development team that patented the Goddard Reconfigurable Solid-State Lidar (GRSSLi) and have won multiple awards at NASA.
These awards include the prestigious Early Career Achievement Medal and Shooting Star Award. Currently, I serve as a Project Manager for the Comprehensive Auroral Precipitation Experiment (CAPE), which is an instrument that will fly as part of the Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) mission. CAPE is being developed within the Heliophysics division of NASA GSFC and will measure charged-particle energy inputs into the upper atmosphere and trace their impacts on global dynamics.
My life experiences inspired me to found Black Success Oriented Networks (Black SONs). Black SONs is a 501(c)(3) Charitable Nonprofit Organization.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Outside of the obstacles I faced in my childhood, there have been many obstacles I’ve had to overcome as an adult and professional.
I’ve been unjustly passed up for job opportunities, completed a Master’s degree while working full time as a newlywed with a baby, and also tragically lost my younger brother Caleb in 2014.
Caleb was only 18 at the time. I credit God, my family, and close friends for helping me persevere through life’s obstacles and also choose to focus primarily on my blessings.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Black SONs is a 501(c)(3) Charitable Nonprofit Organization utilizing education (STEM & life skills), mentorship, leadership, and the resources within a network of successful and philanthropic black men to reduce the systemic barriers and socioeconomic disparities experienced by African Americans. In addition to being the founder, I serve as the president and chair of the Black SONs Board of Directors.
Through our various programs, initiatives, and community outreach events we work to help break the vicious cycles that have impacted the African American community. During my journey, it was my relationship with God, family, and mentors that helped me break a cycle that many in similar circumstances unfortunately often do not. I owe it to my community to reach back and help others do the same. Others with similar morals and values have joined me on this mission and that is what defines Black SONs and makes us unique.
On July 22nd, 2023 we held our 1st public outreach event titled The STEM Day Party. The STEM Day Party provided roughly 100 elementary and middle students with a unique and inspiring STEM experience in a fun environment. STEM outreach is a central piece of what Black SONs do because statistics show that many African American students are not afforded acceptable levels of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) engagement. This leads to a vicious cycle of minority under-representation in STEM careers.
Additionally, exposing children to STEM at a young age has been proven to support their overall academic growth and develop their early thinking and reasoning skills, Thinking and reasoning are 2 critical skills that will help the African American community overcome the obstacles we face.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
My advice for anyone starting a business or nonprofit organization is to make sure you are solving a problem and not a symptom.
Positive change occurs when we address problems and regardless of if the motivation is philanthropy or capitalistic, our society will always value individuals and organizations that present solutions to problems.
Contact Info:
- Website: blacksuccessnetworks.org
- Instagram: @blacksuccessnetworks
- Facebook: Black Success Oriented Networks – Black SONs
- Linkedin: Black Success Oriented Networks
