Purposeful Work — Cultivating Meaningful Careers in STEM and Beyond
A Framework for Meaningful Engagement
Rooted in our ESTE Framework (Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, and Engineering), we empower individuals to embrace their creative nature, challenge norms, and find alignment between what they love to do and what the world needs.
The ESTE Framework recognizes four distinct but interconnected creative domains:
Entrepreneurship – Working with unknowns for those who value knowns (innovation).
Science – Working with unknowns for those who value unknowns (discovery).
Technology – Working with knowns for those who value unknowns (utility).
Engineering – Working with knowns for those who value knowns (function).
This framework has helped me reflect on how my own path has spanned multiple quadrants—from scientific research to biotech leadership to painting ocean waves and abstract figures in pastel and oil. Early in my career, I was immersed in cellular biology, sketching blood cells and tissue structures that would later evolve into fine art. The creative impulse was always there—it simply needed new contexts to unfold.
Through the ESTE Assessment—grounded in the ESTE Framework—we guide individuals in identifying the quadrant that best aligns with their mindset and motivation.
Opening Doors: Aligning Passion, Purpose, and Equity in STEM
Gender disparities in STEM persist—not due to a lack of talent or ambition among women, but because of enduring structural and societal barriers. Research indicates that these disparities emerge early in development. For instance, a study by Amemiya and Bian (2024) found that children often attribute girls' underrepresentation in STEM to intrinsic factors unless provided with explanations highlighting societal and structural causes. This underscores the importance of addressing these misconceptions early to foster a more inclusive perception of STEM fields.
Other recent research continues to affirm that the underrepresentation of women in STEM is not a pipeline problem, but a cultural one. The American Association of University Women’s report, Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing, reveals that despite earning half of all college degrees, women remain significantly underrepresented in engineering and computing fields. The report identifies persistent barriers—including gender bias, stereotypes, and exclusionary workplace cultures—that deter women from entering or remaining in these professions. It emphasizes that without systemic change, the creative potential and contributions of women in STEM will continue to be overlooked, not because of lack of talent, but because of environments that fail to nurture it.
Throughout my own career in biotech, I've had the honor of working with brilliant minds—mentoring, building, and co-creating. These experiences have shown me the profound impact of empowering individuals not only to lead but to grow collectively. At ESTE, we are committed to dismantling these barriers by fostering environments where passion aligns with purpose, enabling more women to thrive in STEM and entrepreneurship.
Aligning Work with Personal Values
At ESTE, we reject the idea that a fulfilling career has to follow a pre-set formula. Too often, people are taught to pursue jobs that fit societal molds—ones that promise stability, prestige, or predictable outcomes—rather than ones that resonate with who they truly are. But fulfillment isn’t found in imitation; it’s found in alignment. That’s why we champion a model of work rooted in personal values, where the energy you invest in your professional life reflects what matters most to you.
The ESTE Framework invites individuals to consider how they naturally approach the world—through exploration or implementation, discovery or application—and to align their efforts accordingly. Are you driven by curiosity, questioning what is possible? You may thrive in Science or Entrepreneurship. Do you love refining systems or building toward clear outcomes? You might find purpose in Technology or Engineering. In each case, fulfillment arises not from conforming to an external path, but from contributing authentically through your strengths.
Aligning work with personal values is also a relational act—it honors what society needs and what you uniquely offer. This dual awareness makes creativity sustainable. Instead of chasing external validation, your work becomes a living expression of your beliefs, interests, and impact. That’s the kind of alignment we believe in at ESTE. Not one-size-fits-all, but a dynamic interplay between self and society, where every person is empowered to innovate, discover, build, and lead from a place of integrity.
By grounding our approach in this framework, we help unlock a cycle of growth—for individuals and for the world. Whether you're designing a new technology, launching a venture, conducting research, or optimizing systems, fulfillment doesn’t come from following the rules. It comes from aligning the rules with your reason for working in the first place.
This kind of exploration has defined my life’s work—both in science and in painting. Whether cultivating therapeutic strategies with teams or laying down the first strokes of color on canvas, I’ve found fulfillment in connecting what I love with what I can give.
Action Item for May
Take the ESTE Assessment - Discover your creative mode and how it can guide your career.
Your creative instincts are not random—they are reliable indicators of how you are naturally wired to contribute to the world. The ESTE Assessment helps you uncover whether your strengths lean toward Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, or Engineering, and how those strengths interact with what society needs. It’s not about putting you in a box—it’s about giving you a mirror.
By taking the assessment, you’ll gain clarity on how you prefer to engage with challenges: Do you thrive in uncertainty, or do you shine when bringing clarity to the complex? Do you gravitate toward discovering new knowledge, or do you enjoy creating systems and solutions from existing insights? These are not just personality traits—they are career-shaping insights that can help you align your work with your deeper sense of purpose.
Whether you're looking to make a career pivot, grow within your current role, or start something entirely new, understanding your ESTE mode gives you a language for what drives you—and a roadmap for what’s next. This is your invitation to move from working by default to working by design.
As someone who has walked the line between disciplines—scientist and artist, co-creator and independent maker—I deeply believe in ESTE’s mission. Purposeful work is not a luxury; it’s a birthright. It’s where joy meets service, where creativity meets contribution.
At ESTE, we’re helping people find that intersection—where who they are meets what the world needs.
ESTE® Leverage - founded in the belief that Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, and Engineering are innate in each of us - grounded in the science of learning & assessment - dedicated to the realized potential in every individual.