This week, while Ali was in the field, Nikki spoke with Jessica Morell.

Jessica has held various positions in the automation industry, from distribution to consulting. Jessica shares her journey, starting with her electrical and computer engineering technology degree. After graduation, she joined an apprenticeship program at a regional distributor and kept learning and expanding her knowledge and her network to become a sought-after strategy consultant in the Industry 4.0 arena. 

Both Nikki and Jessica discuss their similar paths in the automation industry and how they didn't initially realize the variety of roles available beyond traditional engineering. 

They also touch on personal topics like managing burnout, and networking in industry associations. 

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

While attending Live Stream event at Rapid Robotics recently, Nikki did an impromptu interview with their CFO Lisa Hu. 

Lisa talks about how she came into the robotics world, the importance of culture in startups, and the financial implications of a manufacturing business having access to automation and robotics as a service.

Here is a link to the whitepaper we mention in our chat: https://www.rapidrobotics.com/blog/white-paper-capex-vs-raas-true-cost-of-owning-robots

We want to thank Rapid Robotics for hosting and a special shout-out to Nichole Carlson for recording us. 

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

This week, Nikki and guest host Courtney Fernandez speak with Ale Walker, Director of Business Development at Gray Solutions. Ale has lived an eventful life going from pro-golfer to doing business development in the industrial automation and robotics world.

Ale speaks about her past, the importance of bringing tech to rural communities, and just having a good time and enjoying what you do.

This is the first in-person episode where we are all together (aside from a virtual pop-in from Ali G) and we want to thank Rapid Robotics for hosting us.

Thanks to our special episode sponsor Siemens!

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

This week, Nikki and Ali speak with Kara Branch, chemical engineer, and CEO and founder of Black Girls Do Engineer. Kara has had an amazing career spanning work in Oil & Gas, Space Exploration and is now in Tech working with Intel. 

Kara speaks about how she got interested in engineering, motherhood, and her non-profit Black Girls Do Engineer. Kara is based in Texas and hopes to bring awareness and pathways to STEM careers to underserved communities like the one she grew up in.

Want to get involved? Check out Black Girls Do Engineer and Kara's books on Amazon

Thanks to our special episode sponsor Siemens!

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

This week, Nikki was joined by guest host and fellow Automation Lady Courtney Fernandez, while interviewing Don Kiolbassa. Don is the author of "The Tao of the Side Hustle" which brings buddhism, martial arts, and business all into one.

We get into Don's experiences in his own side hustles, a great urban legend and its ties into business, and self-respect.

Check out the full episode on our page.

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

In this episode, we catch up with Blue Collar Automation founder Brennen Dugger. We discuss his beginnings, his experience working at a pharma end user, OEM, a plant, and eventually how he came to create his own company.  This was recorded as a LinkedIn live with Brennen on the road so we recommend you catch the replay on LI for the full experience.

See the full video on our LinkedIn page.

Check out Blue Collar Automation for systems integration needs from the design and build of electrical panels to robotic weld cell installations.

The sponsor for this episode is Quotebeam - if you can't find parts in stock check our marketplace and chat with our team for help sourcing those trouble BOM items that are holding you back from completing projects. 

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

This week, while Ali was busy in the field, Nikki interviewed Suzy Steele, Chief Strategy Officer at the ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute. Nikki & Suzy chat about the role robotics play in reviving our manufacturing industry, the challenges manufacturers face in implementing robotics, especially when it comes to skilled labor, the robot operating system (ROS), cobot safety, the 3 D's, what the ARM institute does, and how to get involved.

Make sure to follow the ARM Institute and check out the great resources for employers and those intersted in robotics careers at  roboticscareer.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoboticsCareer.org

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/roboticscareer

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@roboticscareer2352

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arm-advanced-robotics-for-manufacturing

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ARM_Robotics

Recorded with Zoom.

This episode is sponsored by Process and Controls Engineering LLC the Pacific North West's premier Woman Owned process and controls engineering firm. 

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

In this episode, we speak with recent graduate and member of the Technical Marketing Leadership Development Program at Siemens, Kristin Quasey. We talk about the Siemens rotation program, finding and building a network, as well as some talk about how this podcast came to be.

The sponsor of this episode is Siemens, to learn more check out: https://sie.ag/3h4ZbaW

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

In this episode, we speak with sales engineer Maranda Mrdjenovich about her journey from her beginnings in hospitality to her current role at Banner Engineering, their ongoing projects and use of IO-Link, and discussing ways to inform potential future generations about the wonders of automation and engineering.

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

Welcome to Season 2 of Automation Ladies!

In this episode of Automation Ladies, Ali and Nikki interview Courtney Fernandez, who has a background in embedded systems design and industrial automation.

Courtney shares her experience working in the field and the excitement of playing with new technology. They discuss the importance of clear communication in projects and the challenges of working with different companies and clients.

Courtney also emphasizes the importance of networking and learning from experts in different fields, while sharing her thoughts on the future of automation in manufacturing. 

The conversation covers various technical topics, including robotics, matrix singularity, and CNC machining. The hosts and guest also provide advice for breaking into the automation industry and tips for building a strong LinkedIn profile.

You can find Courtney Fernandez on LinkedIn.

Check out the full episode on our page.

This episode is sponsored by Quotebeam

Recorded with StreamYard.

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...