Kari's Open Road

  • INTERVIEWED BY:

    Women in STEM Roadtrip

KARI BYRON

TV Host
White Rabbit Project

“These opportunities will come your way, and you can choose to be scared and not take them, or you can go for it and see what happens.”

INTERESTS:

Engineering Television

THEMES DISCUSSED:

Experience Exploration Dedication Education Opportunity Inspiration Support & Encouragement Courage Struggle Hard Work Doubt Determination Societal Pressures Perseverance Family

FOUNDATION:

Problem Solving

BIOGRAPHY:

  • Growing up, she was shockingly shy; she was too timid to even walk to the bus with her neighbors.
  • But she was also always very curious, and she had a hard time deciding on a college major; she eventually landed on studying film and sculpture.
  • When college ended, she was terrified; she didn’t want to take the next steps to figure out what to do with her life
  • To cope, she decided to travel, and she spent a year traveling the world for cheap; the experiences she had on that journey helped her find her courage, and stimulated her curiosity.
  • When she got back from her travels, she started pursuing practical film effects and prop making; her first job in the field was as an unpaid intern working for Jamie Hyneman.
  • When Hyneman started filming Mythbusters, Kari did anything possible to be included on the show; eventually, she got to join the “Build Team,” who facilitated the scientific experiments.
  • Looking back, she can’t believe that shy little girl she once was now appears on television and does public speaking events for a living!
  • She’s become an advocate for women in strong, powerful roles—especially in STEM—because when she was growing up, the media didn’t show her examples of women in those positions.

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