The Manufacturing Shake-Up

When Lara Mouakar moved from Lebanon back to the U.S., she never imagined she’d land in high-tech manufacturing. With a background in adult education, Lara could have settled into a new role in education. Instead, she took a huge risk on a third-shift group lead role at ASML and found a whole new career path! 

In this episode, Lara shares how she overcame the challenge of leading in an unfamiliar industry. She talks about building ...

How do you build strong culture in a global company—and make it feel local? 

In this episode, Ellen and Jenny sit down with Lee Ulinskas, Employee Engagement & Development Manager at ebm-papst, to explore what it really means to create meaningful workplace culture across locations, languages, and time zones.  

Lee shares how her role is to nurture culture, collaboration, and continuous learning—while also navigating regional di...

Are you drowning in “urgent” tasks and feeling like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? You’re not alone! In this episode of The Manufacturing Shake-Up, hosts Jenny and Ellen tackle the all-too-common struggle of overwhelm. 

They break down the hidden traps that lead to burnout, including the myth that everything is urgent, the pressure to do it all yourself, and the curse of competence—where being good at something can some...

What makes a great place to work for the new generation of manufacturers? Just listen to Gina Greco! 

Gina, an Automation Engineer at PTA Plastics, was bribed by her professor (for extra credit) to attend her university's STEM career fair. That small push led her to a booth that stood out: a company with a robot on display and, more importantly, a team of women excited to welcome her. That conversation landed her a job where she th...

Adrienne Henry was just 14 years old when she found a passion for manufacturing! Now a CNC Machinist at RayGinn Manufacturing, Adrienne is proving that persistence, curiosity, and hands-on learning can build an incredible career. 

Adrienne talks to Ellen and Jenny about how she combats imposter syndrome, how she gains confidence from the tangible results of her work, and why her company’s flexibility is a valuable key to her succes...

If you're struggling to attract or retain… generally it comes down to something going on in the internal climate of the organization that is undermining your efforts. 

Workplace culture has an undeniable impact on morale, retention, and business success. 

In this episode, Jenny and Ellen dive deep into the influence of workplace culture on hiring, retention, and overall company success. They discuss: 

• The dangers of toxic empl...

Paige Raffaele is redefining what it means to be a young woman in the manufacturing industry. Unlike generations before her, Paige hasn't absorbed the narrative that manufacturing was a hard place for women. Instead, she's been part of the new workplace – a space that has been welcoming to young women like her.  

In this episode, Jenny and Ellen chat with Paige about her journey from Abbott Technical High School to Naugatuck Valley...

When you walk into your workplace, do you feel inspired and energized? Or does it feel like you've stepped back in time to 1965?  

This week on The Manufacturing Shake-Up, we sit down with Jennifer Gaggion, Industrial Interior Designer at Design Your Monday, to discuss how thoughtful design can revolutionize manufacturing spaces—boosting productivity, employee engagement, and even revenue. 

Jennifer explains why manufacturing and i...

Sustainability in manufacturing isn’t just good for the planet—it’s smart business. In this episode of The Manufacturing Shake-Up, Rene Parrinello, Corporate Sustainability Specialist at Legrand North and Central America, shares how small changes can create big impact. 

She shares the importance of documenting environmental impacts from raw material sourcing to end-of-life product disposal and how data-driven decisions can lead to ...

From early tinkering to a career turning cutting-edge ideas into real-world products, Hope Kavulich has always been driven by curiosity. Now in Product Realization at Synectic, she helps transform concepts—mostly medical devices—into manufacturable, life-changing products. 

In this episode of The Manufacturing Shake-Up, Hope shares how early exposure to robotics and hands-on learning led her to mechanical engineering at Quinnipiac ...

Alethea Schaeffer, Owner of Form-All Plastics and VP of Sales and Marketing at USHECO, is not only steering the ship of her family’s 60-year-old plastics manufacturing business, she’s also leading her own company through its next chapter of growth—all while balancing family life across two states. 

Alethea shares her journey of leadership, delegation, and cultural transformation. Discover her work in formalizing communication struc...

What if life’s challenges weren’t roadblocks but stepping stones to something greater? This week, Jenny sits down with Raji Kompalli, VP of Research and Development at Laticrete, to explore the powerful mindset shifts that have propelled her remarkable career. 

Raji shares how her journey from a bench scientist to a leadership role was driven by persistence, adaptability, and embracing support systems. Her story includes a pivotal ...

How do you find a workplace that truly fits? For Melissa Mazo, Manufacturing Engineer Manager at Straton Industries, the answer lay in meaningful conversations, a culture of respect, and the power of a clean manufacturing facility. In this episode, Melissa shares her journey from a CT technical high school to leading in aerospace manufacturing, all while defying stereotypes and creating space for others to succeed. 

Melissa’s story...

In this episode, Lena Geliga shares invaluable lessons about personal growth, effective communication, and learning through failure. Now Operations Manager at Hygrade Precision Technologies, Lena talks about her career journey starting in retail and now leading operations in a high-precision manufacturing environment.  

Lena’s story emphasizes the importance of asking questions and embracing mistakes as opportunities for growth. Fr...

Ever faced a moment where you knew you had to leap into the unknown to chase your dreams? In this episode, we talk to Kristen Tangarone, founder of KTJones Management Consulting, about the daring career pivots that shaped her journey. 

Kristen shares how she transitioned from 20 years in traditional manufacturing to spearheading operations in the emerging cannabis industry. Then most recently, she launched her own consulting busine...

Jaclyn Epstein, COO of MICA Corporation, shares how her leadership is inspired by her grandfather’s values of doing good and doing right.  

Jaclyn explains how the words 'care' and 'careful' perfectly describe manufacturing as they drive decision-making, quality, and trust in the workplace.  

She discusses how she tackles challenges through self-awareness and vulnerability. She also shares her tips on how to take on tough conversat...

As we enter a new year, many of us create ambitious lists of goals—but how do we move from writing them down to actually accomplishing them?  

In this practical episode, Jenny and Ellen have a conversation that walks you through the art of setting and achieving meaningful goals. They break it all down into an actionable 5-step process, making the often-daunting task of goal achievement feel manageable and exciting. 

Here’s what the...

How can success drive more success? By pulling it apart to discover what made that success happen!  

In manufacturing, we are no strangers to pulling apart problems, doing root-cause analysis or applying Lean and continuous improvement principles. But how often do we take a pause to recognize a 𝐰𝐢𝐧 and find out what steps made it happen? 

In this episode, Ellen and Jenny walk us through an exercise of narrowing down a big win in...

In this episode, Lisa Brown, Market Segment Director at Ensign Bickford Aerospace and Defense (EBAD), shares transformative insights on navigating career growth without falling into the social media comparison trap.  

Lisa discusses the importance of learning in your first year, using lateral moves to build diverse skills, and the value of mentorship and networking. She emphasizes self-reflection, realistic timelines, and focusing ...