Meet The Team

Dr. Candace Finley was born in the vibrant city of Orlando, Florida, and raised in the serene city of Ocala, Florida. Her academic journey began at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Driven by a passion for scientific exploration, she pursued a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her dedication to education culminated in a Doctorate in STEM Education K-8 from Nova Southeastern University.

Initially, Dr. Finley embarked on a career in the pharmaceutical industry. However, her keen insights into the industry's profit-driven motives led her to a profound career shift. She transitioned to academia, where she found her true calling in teaching. At Bethune Cookman University, she shared her knowledge and enthusiasm for Anatomy and Biology with her students. While teaching at Bethune Cookman, she also became the lab manager and safety officer that allowed her to train students to prepare for careers in clinical lab sciences and chemical compliance.

Since 2011, Dr. Finley has been on a mission to bridge the gap in STEAM education among minority groups. Her dedication to inclusivity and diversity in STEAM propelled her to teach in the public school system. She also took on a leadership role in STEM instruction and program development for The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc.'s Zora! STEM program.

In 2017, Dr. Finley founded eSTEAMed Learning, Inc, an organization dedicated to increasing STEAM identity and diversity within the industry. Through her visionary leadership, she has empowered over 3,000 students across the United States, Jamaica, Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago, providing them with the tools and opportunities to succeed in STEAM fields.
Currently, Dr. Finley is pursuing her dream of working full-time in eSTEAMed Learning, Inc while continuing to expand her businesses. Her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to STEAM education make her a true pioneer and an inspirational leader in the field.

Zari St. Jean is a horticulture professional, educator, and community advocate with a lifelong conviction: there is no STEM without the stem of a plant.

Since graduating from Florida A&M University in 2017, Zari has spent her entire career in the horticultural industry. Moving through greenhouse research, edible landscape design, resort agriculture, and campus farm management, she has built both her expertise and her vision. Today she serves as Greenhouse and Campus Farm Manager at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where she oversees a 2,242-square-foot rooftop greenhouse and campus farm, mentors work study students, and drives sustainability and academic partnerships. At Rollins, she also founded Horti-Helpers, a youth leadership and garden mentorship program, and teaches STEM-integrated horticulture curriculum through the Upward Bound TRIO Program. Her hands-on learning experiences bring first-generation high school students from Title I schools to botanical gardens for their very first visits and into the design thinking process of planting native pollinator gardens on campus.

No matter how far her career has taken her, Zari has always found her way back home. As a proud daughter of Eatonville, Florida, the oldest Black municipality in America, she returns to share her love and knowledge of horticulture through her partnership with eSTEAMed Learning, Inc. From spring break programming to volunteering at the renowned Zora Neale Hurston Festival, she brings the children of her community face to face with plants, science, and the possibilities growing at that intersection.

Zari is a 2025 Thriving Together Presidential Award recipient at Rollins College, an AERGC Travel Grant awardee, a published contributor to the Orlando Sentinel, and an American Horticultural Society national symposium presenter. Currently completing her MBA at the Crummer Graduate School of Business, she is building the leadership and business fluency to carry this mission further. She believes that when a child learns what a plant can do, they begin to understand what they can do.

Maria has been a member of the Orlando community for the last six years, originally hailing from Michigan. She received a Bachelors of Biology from University of Detroit Mercy and a Masters of Medical Sciences from the University of Florida. Since, she has worked in academic laboratories, with an emphasis in molecular biology. Throughout her time in the lab, she developed a passion for science writing. She is excited to combine her love for writing and community. Maria spends her free time exploring the Orlando food scene with her wife and spending time with her two dogs, cat and snake. 

Essence is a Liberal Arts graduate of Kean University with experience in communications and community relations. Specializing in crafting clear messaging, building community partnerships, and engaging diverse audiences, with a focus on fostering inclusive, community-driven initiatives.