Tonee Lawson is a Washington, D.C. area native, but has made Baltimore her home since her college years at Towson University, where she graduated with a dual bachelor’s degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics (MB3), and biology. She also has a master’s in biotechnology. 

Lawson is the founder and executive director of The Be. Org, a youth development nonprofit that focuses on social emotional learning, STEM enrichment, and college and career readiness. She was featured on “In Real Life” on the Quicksilva Show for her impact on the community and has been recognized by The Daily Record, Baltimore Magazine, and The Baltimore Banner. 

Lawson is a 2018-2019 Johns Hopkins University Social Innovation alum, where she developed a virtual reality curriculum for social emotional learning in youth. She was a 2020 Baltimore Corps Fellow and a 2020-2021 Annie E. Casey Foundation Emerging Leader Fellow.  Lawson has been featured in The Baltimore Times, the Baltimore Business Journal, and The Afro. She is passionate about bridging the digital equity divide in Black communities and creating opportunities for the next generation of Black women in STEM.