Published May 21, 2025
By : Staff Writer
My name is Tonee Lawson, and I’m The Be. Org's founder and executive director.
The Be. Org, a nonprofit based in Baltimore, is dedicated to helping young people realize their potential and see themselves as leaders, innovators, and changemakers.
My background includes youth development, STEM, and nonprofit leadership.
I’ve always been passionate about creating spaces where young people feel seen, supported, and equipped to succeed.
I founded The Be.Org in 2014 after working closely with middle school students who were bright and full of potential but lacked access to the resources, mentors, and opportunities needed to thrive beyond the classroom.
Whether we’re connecting the dots for our youngest learners to show them that science is a part of everyday life, leading cybersecurity workshops, or teaching high school students to code while preparing them for college and career pathways, our goal is to build confidence, expose youth to new possibilities, and help them “be” whoever and whatever they dream to be.
Every day, I get to work alongside an incredible team that shares the belief that representation, access, and meaningful engagement can transform lives—and that our youth have everything they need within them to create a better world.
Our goal is to create a pipeline of confident, curious, and community-minded young people who are not just prepared for the future—they’re helping shape it.
We exist to help young people be who they truly are—leaders, thinkers, creators, and change agents—without shrinking themselves to fit into limiting narratives or expectations.
Everything we do is rooted in the belief that youth thrive when seen, heard, and supported holistically. We intentionally design our programs to affirm identity, build confidence, and expose students to new possibilities.
Whether introducing them to STEM fields, nurturing leadership skills, or encouraging civic engagement, we aim to equip young people with the tools they need to navigate life with purpose and passion.
Ultimately, our work is about disrupting cycles of disinvestment and replacing them with cycles of empowerment—creating environments where youth can imagine big, act boldly, and lead with intention—knowing and affirming our young people that they can achieve hard things.
Students from disinvested communities often are intimidated by STEM because it can be challenging, and they quit before even getting started.
Our students quickly develop by focusing on the social-emotional skills to build confidence and providing teachers and near-peer mentors who look like them.
We meet students where they are—whether that means addressing gaps in confidence, access, or opportunity—and create experiences that strengthen their voice and build tangible skills.
Our programs expose careers and fields they may not have considered—like coding, robotics, game development, and cybersecurity—while emphasizing life skills like public speaking, teamwork, and critical thinking.
We bring in mentors and professionals who reflect our students' communities, showing them that success isn’t out of reach—it’s within their grasp.
Whether they’re dealing with self-doubt, academic pressure, or a lack of support at home, we help them develop the resilience, tools, and mindset to push forward.
Helping young people overcome obstacles isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about reminding them of their power. And once they see that, there’s no limit to what they can do.
We are at a point in organizational growth and “age” where our students have completed our program, gone to college, and returned to work with us as interns and mentors for younger students and new cohorts.
We are finally starting to experience full-circle moments, which is extremely rewarding from a leadership perspective.
Hearing firsthand from our students how pivotal and impactful our programs have been in their lives is an excellent indicator of success.
One of our most impactful recent collaborations has been with the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF).
As a grantee, The Be. Org has expanded its reach, deepened its programming, and invested more intentionally in youth leadership and development, especially in communities where resources are often limited.
BCYF’s support has not only helped us scale initiatives like our STEM and college readiness programs, but it has also connected us with a robust network of mission-aligned organizations working to uplift and empower Baltimore’s youth.
Their trust-based approach to funding gives grassroots organizations like ours the flexibility to be creative and community-responsive, essential to creating meaningful, lasting impact.
Partnerships like this affirm the value of our work and help ensure that young people continue to have access to opportunities that can transform their lives and their futures.
Their support has allowed us to expand the depth of our programming, reach more students across Baltimore, and pilot new initiatives that reflect the evolving needs of the youth we serve.
What’s most impactful is the way BCYF centers equity and grassroots leadership. Their model doesn’t impose a top-down vision—it empowers us to lead with the insight and innovation from working directly with our community.
That level of support and respect has helped strengthen our organizational capacity, improve our infrastructure, and scale our impact sustainably.
Thanks to partners like BCYF, the organization is not only growing but thriving. More importantly, so are the young people we serve.
This work is a marathon, not a sprint, for grassroots organizations, especially black-led ones. Systematic oppression didn’t happen overnight, and it will take time to overcome - pace yourself, stay the course, and celebrate the small victories.
For organizations focused on STEM, the nature of the industry is ever-evolving, so stay current and knowledgeable and make sure your programming evolves as well. For those we serve, we are the gateway to the industry.
It’s essential to continue providing current enriching opportunities and developing the next generation of leaders in this field.
