CLEVELAND, Ohio – Women make up almost half of workers across non-STEM occupations but only one-third of the STEM workforce.
The American Heart Association’s STEM Goes Red for Girls campaign is looking to close this gender gap through its STEM Goes Red for Girls campaign, which encourages girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
Holly Hogston, corporate counsel for GPD Group and a board member for the American Heart Association, Northeast Ohio, and Brennan O’Connor, an electrical engineer for GPD Group, are joining the campaign to help inspire the next generation of female scientists, doctors, inventors and changemakers.
“Heart disease has affected my family in significant ways. In 2024, my brother tragically passed away from a cardiac event at the age of 41, leaving behind his wife and three young boys,” Hogston said. “Additionally, my father survived a potentially fatal heart attack in the fall of 2025, thanks to the expertise and timely intervention of the medical team. These experiences underscore the critical importance of medical professionals. The cultivation of interest among young women in STEM fields – particularly medicine, innovation and science – can help ensure families like mine have access to life-saving care.”
Hogston and O’Connor will co-chair the 2026 Northeast Ohio STEM Goes Red for Girls Experience, an immersive event that propels local seventh and eighth grade girls into the world of STEM.
“If we want to see change, then we must first change ourselves. For my field, specifically, the U.S. Census Bureau [in 2024] reported that women comprise only 11% of the electrical engineering workforce,” O’Connor said.”I believe that we should teach girls that even if our numbers are smaller, that does not mean our contributions in these fields should be as well.”
The 2026 Northeast Ohio STEM Goes Red for Girls Experience will take place in the winter at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Schools interested in registering students for the event can visit HERE or contact Jennifer Coleman at Jennifer.Coleman@heart.org or Jennifer Kulics at Jennifer.Kulics@heart.org.
Pictured at top: Participants in last year’s Northeast Ohio STEM Goes Red for Girls Experience. (Facebook | American Heart Association – Ohio)