We recently connected with Nafees Norris and have shared our conversation below.

Nafees, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I grew up not always seeing science presented in a way that felt exciting, relatable, or made for people like me. I was always curious, but a lot of STEM spaces felt intimidating, expensive, or disconnected from real life. Then, as I continued my education and became the first African American to earn a master’s degree in Biopharmaceutical Process Engineering from Thomas Jefferson University, I realized something powerful: the science that creates medicine, products, cosmetics, food, energy, and everyday innovation should not feel unreachable to our communities.

When I got into the biopharmaceutical industry, working with cell culture, bioprocessing, medicine development, and lab instruments, I kept thinking, “Why are students not learning this earlier? Why are young people, especially Black and brown students, not being exposed to this world in a hands-on way?” There are so many high-paying, life-changing STEM careers that students never even hear about until college, if ever. That bothered me.

Nafees Innovations started from that frustration, but also from excitement. I knew I could take complex science and make it simple, fun, and real. I did not want students just sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture. I wanted them in lab coats, using pipettes, making products, launching rockets, building formulas, solving problems, and realizing, “Wait, I can actually do this.”

The moment I knew this was worthwhile was when I saw how students responded. Kids who thought science was boring suddenly became competitive, curious, and confident. Students who were shy started explaining their experiments. Parents started saying their children talked about the workshop all the way home. Schools and organizations started asking for more. That showed me this was not just a fun idea. It was solving a real problem.

The problem was access. A lot of STEM programs either feel too traditional, too expensive, too advanced, or too disconnected from culture and everyday life. My approach was different because I built Nafees Innovations to meet students where they are. We connect science to things they already understand: hair butter, laundry detergent, medicine, perfume, rockets, sneaker cleaner, food science, cosmetics, and real-world product development. Then we connect that excitement to actual STEM careers.

The logic behind the business was simple: if students can experience science instead of just hearing about it, they are more likely to believe they belong in it. And if schools, families, and organizations need stronger STEM programming, then a hands-on mobile and in-lab model could meet that need in a flexible way. We could bring the lab to schools, host students in our own space, create workshops for different ages, and design curriculum that feels both educational and unforgettable.

What excited me most was the possibility of changing how students see themselves. Nafees Innovations is not just about experiments. It is about confidence. It is about representation. It is about showing students that science is not just something in a textbook; it is something they can touch, create, build, and eventually use to change their lives.

So the business came from a mix of personal experience, professional expertise, and a deep need I saw in the community. I built Nafees Innovations because I wanted to create the type of STEM exposure I wish I had earlier — and because I believe the next generation of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators should not have to wait until adulthood to discover what is possible.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For those who may not know me yet, my name is Nafees Norris, and I am the Founder and CEO of Nafees Innovations. I am a scientist, educator, entrepreneur, and community builder who is passionate about making STEM education more accessible, hands-on, and culturally relevant for students and communities that are often left out of these spaces.

My background is in biopharmaceutical process engineering, cell culture, and bioprocessing. I became the first African American to earn a Master’s degree in Biopharmaceutical Process Engineering from Thomas Jefferson University, and I have worked professionally in the biopharmaceutical industry as a scientist. My work has included cell culture, bioreactor processes, medicine development, and helping support the type of science that is used to create real treatments and products.

But even with all of that experience, I always felt like there was a major gap between the science happening in industry and the science students were being exposed to in school. There are so many careers in biotechnology, pharmaceutical manufacturing, engineering, cosmetics, food science, environmental science, product development, and medicine that students never get to see up close. Many young people, especially Black and brown students, do not get early exposure to these careers, the language, the lab skills, or the confidence to see themselves in these fields.

That is why I created Nafees Innovations.

Nafees Innovations is a STEM education company focused on making science simple, fun, real, and hands-on. We provide in-lab STEM workshops, mobile STEM workshops, school partnerships, after-school programming, summer camps, curriculum development, professional development for educators, speaking engagements, and specialty STEM events. We work with students, schools, families, community organizations, universities, and companies that want meaningful, engaging STEM experiences.

Our workshops are not traditional lectures. Students are not just sitting and listening. They are in lab coats, wearing goggles, using pipettes, making products, solving challenges, launching rockets, testing formulas, building structures, creating cosmetics, making laundry detergent, learning about medicine, and connecting science to real life.

Some of our workshop topics include biopharmaceutical engineering, environmental science, product development, cosmetics, food bioprocessing, physics, chemistry, law of motion, and real-world problem solving. One of our signature workshops, “From Cells to Cures,” introduces students to the science behind how medicine is developed. We also create fun and relatable labs where students can make hair butter, sneaker cleaner, perfume, detergent, skin products, rockets, water filtration systems, and more.

The problem we solve is access.

A lot of STEM programs are either too lecture-heavy, too expensive, too disconnected from real life, or not designed with underrepresented students in mind. Many students are told STEM is important, but they are not given the chance to experience it in a way that feels exciting, creative, and possible. Nafees Innovations changes that. We bring the lab experience directly to students, whether they come to our lab or we travel to their school or organization.

We also solve a problem for schools and organizations. Many schools want stronger STEM programming, but they may not have the equipment, curriculum, staff capacity, or industry connection to bring those experiences to life. We help fill that gap by offering ready-to-run workshops, custom curriculum, mobile lab experiences, and programming that can be adapted for different ages, schedules, and learning goals.

What sets Nafees Innovations apart is that we combine real industry science with creativity, culture, and hands-on learning. I am not teaching STEM from theory alone. I am bringing my real experience as a scientist into the classroom and translating complex concepts into activities that students can actually understand and enjoy.

We also make STEM feel personal. We connect science to things students recognize: medicine, hair care, skincare, food, sports, fragrance, cleaning products, the environment, and everyday innovation. That connection matters because once students see that science is already part of their world, they begin to see themselves as innovators.

I am most proud of the fact that Nafees Innovations has been able to reach students who may have never imagined themselves in a lab before. I am proud when students walk in unsure of themselves and leave saying they want to become scientists, engineers, doctors, entrepreneurs, or inventors. I am proud when parents tell me their child talked about the workshop all the way home. I am proud when schools trust us to bring something fresh, meaningful, and memorable to their students.

I am also proud of the representation behind the brand. As a Black scientist and entrepreneur, I understand how powerful it is for students to see someone who looks like them leading a lab, running a company, and building something innovative. Representation is not just about visibility. It is about possibility. It shows students that they belong in rooms they may have never been invited into before.

The main thing I want people to know about Nafees Innovations is that we are not just doing experiments. We are building confidence, exposure, skill, and opportunity. Our work is about helping students understand that STEM is not limited to textbooks or classrooms. STEM is a pathway to careers, entrepreneurship, creativity, problem-solving, and generational change.

For potential clients, schools, families, partners, and supporters, I want them to know that Nafees Innovations is built with purpose. We care deeply about quality, safety, engagement, and impact. We want every student to leave our programs feeling smarter, more confident, and more connected to what is possible for their future.

At the heart of the brand is one belief: innovation should be accessible. Students should not have to wait until college or adulthood to discover the power of science. They deserve to experience it early, in a way that is exciting, relatable, and life-changing. That is what Nafees Innovations is here to do.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One story from my journey that illustrates resilience is my path through college and science.

A lot of people may see where I am today and assume that science always came easy to me, but that is not the truth. In college, I failed multiple classes, and most of them were science classes. Those moments were hard because I truly cared about science, but my grades did not always show my passion, my curiosity, or what I believed I was capable of becoming.

There were times when I questioned myself. I wondered if I was really supposed to be in STEM. I wondered if I was smart enough. I wondered if maybe I had chosen the wrong path. On top of that, I experienced homelessness twice, so I was trying to pursue my education while also dealing with real-life survival. It is hard to focus on exams, labs, and assignments when you are also trying to figure out where you are going to sleep or how you are going to keep yourself together emotionally.

I do not share that for sympathy. I share it because that season taught me humility. It taught me that everyone’s journey looks different. It taught me that struggling does not mean you are not capable. Sometimes it means you are being built in ways that people cannot see yet.

One of the biggest turning points in my life was getting into graduate school. It was not because I had the perfect academic record. I got into graduate school through an interview, and what stood out was my character. They saw my determination, my honesty, my work ethic, and my willingness to keep going despite what I had been through. They believed in who I was becoming, not just what was written on paper.

That experience changed how I look at education and how I teach my students today. I always tell them, “Your character will take you places your talent cannot.” Talent is important, but character is what carries you when things get hard. Character is what helps you show up after failure. Character is what makes people trust you, believe in you, and open doors for you.

Eventually, I kept going. I finished my degree, went on to earn my master’s degree in biopharmaceutical process engineering, and entered the biopharmaceutical industry. But I never forgot what it felt like to struggle. I never forgot what it felt like to be unsure, overlooked, or behind.

That is why Nafees Innovations is so personal to me. When I work with students, I am not just teaching them science. I am teaching them confidence, resilience, discipline, and belief. I want them to know that one bad grade does not define them. One hard season does not define them. Even failure does not define them.

My story is not about being perfect. It is about being willing to keep going. It is about understanding that sometimes the things that look like setbacks are actually shaping your purpose. I failed science classes, but I still became a scientist. I experienced homelessness, but I still found a way forward. And now I use those experiences to remind students that they are not limited by where they start.

Resilience, to me, is not about acting like the journey was easy. It is about being honest about the difficult parts and still choosing to move forward with faith, humility, and purpose.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Right now, I am preparing to release my own line of cleaning products through Nafees Innovations. This is a natural next step for the brand because so much of my work is centered around science, formulation, product development, and helping people understand how everyday products are made.

My background is in biopharmaceutical process engineering and cell culture, so I have always had a strong interest in how products are created, tested, scaled, and made safely. Even though biopharmaceutical manufacturing and cleaning product manufacturing are different industries, the mindset is very similar. You have to think about process, consistency, quality, safety, ingredients, documentation, testing, and whether the product can be made the same way every time.

I did not wake up one day and just decide to sell a product. It started with education. In my STEM workshops, we teach students how science connects to real life. One of the workshops we do is around laundry detergent and cleaning products. Students get to see that chemistry is not just something in a textbook. It is in the products we use at home every day. That connection made me realize there was an opportunity to take what we were teaching and build it into a real product line.

For me, the exciting part is that the product is not disconnected from the mission. It tells the same story as the workshops. We are showing students and families that science can become something real. It can become a product. It can become a business. It can become ownership.

As I prepare to release the cleaning products, I am being very intentional about the manufacturing process. I understand formulation and product development, but I also respect that bringing a product to market requires more than just having an idea. It requires the right systems, the right testing, the right packaging, the right vendor relationships, and the right compliance process.

I have learned that manufacturing teaches patience. You may have a formula that works in a small batch, but that does not automatically mean it is ready to be scaled or sold. You have to think about shelf life, stability, scent, texture, packaging, labeling, customer experience, cost, and how the product performs over time. You also have to be honest enough to slow down and make sure the product is right before putting it in people’s homes.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that a good product is not just about creativity. It is about consistency. Customers need to receive the same quality every time. That means having strong processes, keeping good records, working with the right people, and not rushing the foundation.

I am currently exploring the best path for production, whether that means manufacturing in-house on a small scale, working with a qualified vendor, or using a hybrid model as we grow. The most important thing for me is making sure the product is safe, effective, high-quality, and aligned with the Nafees Innovations brand.

What makes this journey meaningful is that I am not just building a cleaning product line. I am building another example of applied science. I want young people to see that the same chemistry they learn in a workshop can become a real business. I want them to understand that manufacturing is not just something that happens far away in large companies. It is something they can learn, understand, and possibly own one day.

So, the story of manufacturing this product is still being written, but the foundation is clear. It comes from my science background, my love for product development, and my mission to make STEM practical, visible, and connected to everyday life. The goal is to release products that are useful, well-made, and rooted in the same belief that drives everything we do: science should be accessible, and innovation should feel possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nafeesino.com/
• Instagram: nafeesinnovations
• Facebook: nafees innovations
• Linkedin: nafees norris
• Youtube: nafees innovations