In 1998, WAAM Founder Janet Si-Ming Lee was the second to graduate from Wellesley College with a self-designed major in Multimedia Arts. From her multimedia arts class at Wellesley, and her courses in website design and e-commerce at MIT, she discovered the significance of project partnerships in creative innovation and community-building. After graduating from college, Janet sought to find a social network of friends and peers for creative inspiration, multimedia project collaboration and professional support. However, she quickly realized that a cohesive Wellesley alumnae community dedicated to supporting innovation in multimedia and other creative disciplines was non-existent. Hence, WAAM was established to support and inspire individuals who are interested in creative experimentation in new media.

WAAM aims to strengthen the alumnae network between Wellesley College and its academically-affiliated institution, MIT, by fostering project collaboration among alumni from the two institutions, and by organizing relevant activities for local alumni.