UNCF, 10,000 Degrees to Establish Scholarships with Partner Amyris

Amyris, Inc. a leading synthetic biotechnology company active in the Clean Health and Beauty markets through its consumer brands, today announced partnerships with UNCF and 10,000 Degrees^® to establish a $180,000 scholarship fund to support Black and African American students pursuing higher education across STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), business, and marketing studies.

“UNCF is thankful for meaningful partnerships, such as this partnership with Amyris,” says Dr. Michael L. Lomax, UNCF President and CEO. “Workforce diversity is proven essential to 21st century business success. Our HBCUs and their students have oftentimes been overlooked for opportunities within the STEM, business, and marketing fields. Collaborations with UNCF, Amyris, and other industry giants ensure Black and Brown students are prepared for career success and make impactful contributions to their families and communities.”

“Access to education for all requires a steadfast commitment to bring funding, community, and opportunity directly to students,” said John Melo, CEO and President of Amyris. “It’s an honor to partner with the UNCF and 10,0000 Degrees and play a role in helping students achieve their higher education goals and also help foster diversity and inclusion in the biotech industry.”

“When we set our diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, it was abundantly clear that education would be a key pillar we would dedicate both our time and resources to,” said Christine Ofori, Amyris Chief People Officer. “We are proud to support students through our scholarship with UNCF and 10,000 Degrees and believe this is the beginning of a journey to achieving equal access to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds.”

For more than 75 years, UNCF has cultivated a robust community of under-represented students and shepherded them through the higher education process, ensuring they thrive at college and go on to become leaders in their professional and personal communities. Since its inception, UNCF has raised more than $5 billion, supported more than 500,000 students, and provided financial support to 37 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). UNCF has a well-established STEM program that will now include an Amyris scholarship to bring new and diverse talent to STEM fields.

10,000 Degrees’ mission is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college. In addition to providing scholarships,10,000 Degrees supports over 12,000 students a year across seven Bay Area counties with near-peer mentorship, financial aid advising and navigation, community college transfer support, career readiness, and other invaluable resources that are critical to a student’s successful college experience. From the organization’s founding in 1981, 10,000 Degrees has awarded over $80 million in scholarships and helped over 20,000 students graduate from college. With Amyris’ headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, supporting local students and future STEM, business, and marketing leaders is an essential part of the company’s ethos.

“For the past 40 years, 10,000 Degrees has worked to help students from underrepresented backgrounds attend and graduate college, and we’re honored to partner with Amyris and UNCF to help more students achieve their college dreams,” said Kim Mazzuca, 10,000 Degrees president and CEO. “We believe in the unlimited potential of all our students, and their right to an excellent education, and the support they need to achieve it. We know that with this scholarship, these students will go on to make a transformative impact on the world.”

About Amyris

Amyris (Nasdaq: AMRS) is a science and technology leader in the research, development and production of sustainable ingredients for the Clean Health & Beauty and Flavors & Fragrances markets. Amyris uses an impressive array of exclusive technologies, including state-of-the-art machine learning, robotics and artificial intelligence. Our ingredients are included in over 3,000 products from the world’s top brands, reaching more than 200 million consumers. Amyris is proud to own and operate a family of consumer brands – all built around its No Compromise® promise of clean ingredients: Biossance® clean beauty skincare, Pipette® clean baby skincare, and Purecane™, a zero-calorie sweetener naturally derived from sugarcane. For more information, please visit http://www.amyris.com.

Amyris, the Amyris logo, No Compromise, Biossance, Pipette, and Purecane are trademarks or registered trademarks of Amyris, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

About 10,000 Degrees^®
10,000 Degrees® is a leading college success nonprofit in California that supports students from low-income backgrounds to and through college. 10,000 Degrees serves more than 12,000 students and their families each year with comprehensive wraparound support, college and financial aid counseling, near-peer alumni coaching, scholarships, and financial aid management. Unlike most other college success organizations, there is no GPA requirement to participate in 10,000 Degrees programs. Powered by Fellows, near-peer coaches who are recent college graduates and often alum of 10,000 Degrees, they are embedded in high school and college campuses to help students navigate life both on and off-campus and throughout their college success journey. With this innovative support model, 10,000 Degrees achieves unmatched success rates: Over 80% of 10,000 Degrees four-year college students earn bachelor’s degrees, compared to 31% of their peers nationally. 10,000 Degrees community college students transfer to and graduate from four-year colleges at a rate that’s three times the national average. 10,000 Degrees students also graduate with 88% less student loan debt than the national average. 10,000 Degrees operates in seven Bay Area counties – San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara – and works in 28 high schools, 26 community colleges, and over 130 four-year colleges and universities across the nation. For more information about 10,000 Degrees, please visit www.10000degrees.org.