Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ahmya Rivera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ahmya, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I always knew I wanted to create a project that would provide representation to young girls who lacked accessible STEAM role models — as statistically, a lack of accessible role models is what hinders young girls from wanting to pursue a STEAM career. I wanted to create something that would inspire them to believe in themselves and their abilities. But I knew that this was a lofty goal, and I didn’t have the resources to accomplish it on my own. That’s when I decided to take a risk and start a Kickstarter campaign to fund my project.

My biggest worry was putting myself out there and asking for help, but I knew that it was the only way to make my vision a reality. Knowing that people, especially those I knew closely, would know specifically what my goals were, was extremely nerve-wracking, especially if I failed.

As soon as my campaign went live, I was overwhelmed by the response. People from all over the world were donating and sharing my project on social media. I felt grateful for the support and validation that my idea was something people would back. With the funding I received, I was able to create a book that provided representation to young girls, inspired students to pursue STEAM subjects, taught students in their preferred method — through interactive activities, and address multiple statistics about illiteracy amongst young women. My community grew and I was able to reach more students, particularly young girls.

I am grateful that I took that risk, started the Kickstarter campaign, and advocated for it avidly. It not only helped me accomplish my goal of providing representation to young girls, but it also gave me the opportunity to connect with a community that shared my passion. Now, I continue to actively post on social media and speak at events advocating for women in STEAM.

So, if you’re thinking about taking a risk, don’t be afraid of it. It could lead to great things that you never thought were possible. Just believe in yourself and your ideas, and others will too!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a kid, I hated reading. However, growing up I developed a love for learning, writing, and exploring my intellectual curiosity. By delving more into my intellectual curiosity, I became more prepared for the future and was able to see why I always hated reading so much. These reasons were, that I didn’t see characters that looked like me, the graphics weren’t engaging, and I didn’t resonate with the story. As someone who has mentored over 100+ students, I found these were common reasoning amongst other youth for disliking reading — I even later conducted multiple research projects to create statistics around these reasonings. This is why I work to utilize my love and knowledge for STEAM, to hopefully provide…

-A Path to “Success”: Through skill-building and career exploration. Assisting in growing skills students need to be successful in the modern age.

-Opportunity: Through free books and events. An opportunity to learn at your own pace, in a fun and beneficial way.

-Access: By providing students a new way to learn than what was previously offered for them.

My children’s book “STEAM Quest: Story-based Activity Book” allows me to accomplish these goals.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I have learned that building an audience on social media can be a challenging task, but with the right approach, it can be a rewarding experience. The first step is to determine your target audience and create content that speaks to their needs and interests. In my case, I focused on prospective authors and teachers.

Some advice I would give to those looking to build a social media community would be you need to be active and consistent in your posting. You should aim to post regularly, whether it’s daily, weekly, or bi-weekly, depending on the platform. This will help you stay top of mind with your audience and increase engagement!

Another tip is to get creative with your content. I strive to make sure my posts aren’t boring, and that they approach niche concepts in unique ways. This has helped me stand out from the crowd! Lastly, don’t be afraid to inject some color and personality into your social media presence. Show off your unique style and voice, and let your audience get to know the real you – as they are buying from you, not a huge corporation.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As a children’s book author, I had struggled to find an illustrator who could capture the style and vision I was looking for. I had gone through multiple artists without success. It was either their style wasn’t what I was looking for or they ghost. I had realized that I needed to pivot and try a different approach.

After some research and outreach, I finally found an illustrator whose work aligned perfectly with my vision. We worked together to create the illustrations for my book, and they turned out just like how I had pictured them. However, there was another curve ball later down the road…

As I was about to ship my books to pre-order customers, I faced another challenge – a paper shortage. I could have given up, but instead, I kept my community informed of the delays and proceeded forward. I researched and spoke with over 30+ book manufacturers until I found one that could get the books to me in a reasonable time.

Despite the struggles I faced, I was able to pivot and find solutions to the challenges that arose. This allowed me to bring my book to market and share my story with young readers and aspiring authors. The lesson I learned is that flexibility, adaptability, and perseverance are important qualities to have when facing obstacles, especially in business.     

Contact Info:

• Website: steamquestthebook.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steamquestthebook/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steamquestthebook/?ref=page_internal

Image Credits
– All pictures are taken by Ahmya Rivera