The story of BEYA is not just about awards—it's about the people who turn recognition into responsibility, visibility into vision, and honor into opportunity for others.
One of the most powerful examples of this is David Steward, a Black man in America who harnessed the BEYA platform not simply as a moment of personal recognition, but as a mission.
After being introduced to the BEYA community by Admiral Tony Watson—an early BEYA honoree whose daughter, Erica Watson, would later also be honored—Steward became part of a legacy that spans generations.
Years after being named Black Engineer of the Year, David Steward didn’t walk away from BEYA. He leaned in. He used the platform to identify, hire, and mentor top-tier talent—many of whom may have otherwise gone unnoticed in a world where access and opportunity are too often withheld.
Steward didn’t just attend; he invested. Over the years, he has contributed millions of dollars to support BEYA’s mission of empowering excellence in STEM, particularly among underrepresented communities.
This is the power of BEYA.
It is a trusted space where achievement meets accountability, where greatness is not hoarded but shared, and where success is a collective enterprise.
Steward’s story is a testimony to what happens when a single individual chooses to uplift many.
When he shows up at BEYA, it’s not just as a tech titan—it’s as a builder of community, a recruiter of future leaders, and a believer in the next generation.
BEYA has always been built on the Ubuntu philosophy: “I am because we are.”
This African wisdom is more than a mantra—it’s a method. BEYA honorees don’t just shine alone. They illuminate a path for others to follow. The Admiral who introduced the businessman. The father who paved the way for the daughter. The honoree who became a benefactor.
This is how movements are sustained. Not by moments, but by people. People who see BEYA not as a stage, but as a platform. Not as a ceremony, but as a call to action. People who understand that talent is abundant in our communities—but opportunity must be built and passed on.
So when we say BEYA is a family, we mean it. When we say BEYA is a movement, we prove it.
And when we say I am because we are, we live it—through every mentor, every scholarship, every hire, every young person who walks into BEYA unsure of their future and walks out believing it’s limitless.
We are BEYA. And BEYA is us.