March 12, 2025 • 21 mins
What does it take to lead at the cutting edge of engineering and technology? From a farm kid dismantling equipment to understanding how things work, to a leader shaping the future of aerospace innovation, Sheri Hashemi's journey exemplifies how curiosity drives technological advancement.
Our conversation explores the transformative potential of AI and machine learning, which Hashemi describes as creating an "internet plus" environment - not just access to information, but enhanced ability to utilize it effectively. Unlike previous technological revolutions, these tools are democratically accessible, allowing broader participation and contribution. "The more that we put into the system," she notes, "the more that we're going to end up getting out."
At the heart of Hashemi's leadership philosophy lies trust - giving teams "space and grace for their own learning" while connecting them to personal inspiration. This approach builds resilience through stability and consistency, especially critical in high-stakes engineering environments. Digital capabilities have fundamentally changed risk management in engineering, allowing teams to test boundaries more extensively in virtual environments before physical implementation.
Hashemi emphasizes that diversity of thought accelerates problem-solving, distinguishing between mentorship (providing guidance) and sponsorship (advocating when someone isn't in the room). Her call to action resonates beyond engineering: "Create more seats at the table. Create space, bring folks with different perspectives. It's how we're going to solve these challenging problems."
Looking forward, Hashemi sees power consumption, materials science, and space technology as frontiers for breakthrough innovation, where engineers will partner with visionaries to transform the impossible into reality. Listen now to gain insights into building resilient teams, managing technological change, and creating inclusive environments that foster groundbreaking innovation.
#Catalyzeimpact #ideagen
View Sheri's LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-hashemi/
Watch more episodes of The Catalyze Impact Podcast Series here: https://www.ideagenradio.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
to the idea gen catalyzed impact podcast series.
Today I'm thrilled to have agood friend and guest of idea
gen, sherry hashemi.
Sherry, thank you for joiningus.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, daniel, happy to be here, happy to be
here in person.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Gorgeous day in DC.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
It's beautiful out and we appreciate you coming in
as always, so we can dive rightinto the interview.
You've had an impressive careerin engineering leadership, kind
of connecting those dots.
Could you go into what inspiredyou to pursue that field of
research and kind of follow thatcareer path?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You know it started when I was really young and just
growing up on a farm, havinghands on with equipment and
things breaking and learning howto fix them or breaking them on
purpose to see how they workedor taking things apart, and so
it really started as a young kidand then just really growing a
passion for aviation and theincredible influences and
(01:16):
enhancements that those bring topeople's lives, because, you
know, wherever airplanes go,economies prosper.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
So it's been, you know, inspiring go, economies
prosper.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So it's been, you know, inspiring to keep going,
especially for the value that itcan add to society yeah, a
natural problem solver.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
We'll call it um, that's, that's.
That's awesome, great to hear,that's.
Uh, I can just imagine you knowyou working on the farm back
those days yeah maybe getting ina little trouble taking things
apart.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
But not too much trouble there was always a smile
or a laugh and then helpputting it back together if I
ever really struggled.
So I had a lot of help from dadlearning the right ways, so it
was good.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
That's great, and so you're currently at the cutting
edge of technology.
What emerging technologies doyou find most exciting right now
?
I know it's.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
There's a lot there is a lot, and I think you know
one of the things that comes topeople's minds the fastest is
going to be the AI, the machinelearning, and I think that that
is really where we're on thecusp of making phenomenal things
happen, especially with thecomputing power, especially with
the abilities to make theenhancements and the progress
(02:36):
faster from.
You know some things someresearch might take, you know,
years to be able to accomplish,but with the higher level of
machine learning and algorithmsand the dedication towards
building and developing thetools for everyone, right, like
anybody can get online and have.
You know how many models areout there right now that people
(02:58):
are learning from.
I mean I think we've talkedabout you know two or three of
the most common right now.
I mean you use them, I use them.
You know finding ways from.
You know how to make, how tomake time more effective and how
to use it so that we canactually accomplish more.
So I think you know that'sprobably the most exciting right
now because we all get to bepart of it, because it's all
(03:21):
like with the machine learning.
You know it's, it's taking thedata and it's building and
growing off of that.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
So the more that we put into the system, the more
that we're going to end upgetting out, and I think that's
a really great part of it yeah,that is exciting and I've heard
from the past we've had otherguests come on compare it to
like the dawn of the internetand how everyone was trying to
figure it out in their own way,and now obviously it's you know
everywhere.
Would you agree with thatassessment?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, I think in its own.
I think in its own way.
It is like getting internet forthe first time and learning how
to use it.
I think that turns into itsnext thing, right?
Because I think we're going tobe internet plus as the
foundation is having that.
It is thing right, Because Ithink we're going to be internet
plus, as the foundation ishaving that it is information
(04:09):
right.
We have access to informationand the ability to use it.
I mean, I think we were justtalking about some of the more
to me brevity, right, like howdo I make this sentence shorter,
how do I make this more compact?
And being able to kind of helpthat and as you're feeding that
into yourself and yourdevelopment, I think that's
(04:30):
where it comes into play yeahand like, I guess kind of like
the internet, like shaped by thepeople, maybe a little bit.
Yes, exactly yeah.
The.
The influence from people wherethat might not have been, from
you know thecom days of you know, here's a product, here's an
(04:53):
end thing to now.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
It's evolving.
It's constantly growing.
Yeah, absolutely yeah.
Well, it's exciting and youknow, a core aspect of
leadership is the ability tomanage people.
What strategies do you use tokind of build your high-end
performing engineering teams?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You know a big one is trust, giving people the space
and grace for their own learning, and then also keying into what
they find inspiring as well,too.
That gives them the power oftheir why inspiring as well, too
.
That gives them the power oftheir why um.
So, I think, building the trustamongst your, your, your key
(05:29):
individuals and the teamcollectively, um, and then
giving them the opportunity tocome, seek help or, you know,
ask for resources, and thenbeing able to to back that
because it comes back toresources.
You know it's, you's, you know ablank piece of paper.
You got to give them a piece ofpaper to start.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, and kind of going into that a little bit.
It's different, kind of in thesame mold here, building
resilient teams.
You know, I think theauthenticity of the trust is
important.
But how do you kind of buildthose resilient teams,
especially, you know, in yourline of work that can be high
stakes, challenging, you know,mentally very exhausting
(06:12):
probably at some points.
How do you kind of build thatresilience?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You know, I was actually just having a
conversation about this thismorning and you had to check in.
You know, are you OK?
Yeah have you had too manycelsius's?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
today like have you eaten?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
um, I think resilience uh comes from the
ability for folks to continuedespite what's going on, and I
think, um, as people, managersand as leaders, we have to build
that strong foundation for themto stand on um, so that they
have the means to continue anddo their specialized jobs and
(06:47):
actually push the boundaries ofwhere we've been able to develop
and make further advancements.
And creating stability, I think, is our key piece for
resilience as as people, leadersand sponsors for individuals
out there, and I think thinkthat's just stability, and
stability doesn't have to beanything grand or major, it just
(07:10):
could be little things andconsistency.
I think consistency is whereyou can create that stability of
here's something I know thatI'm gonna be able to come in and
make an effort and it's gonnabe celebrated and supported, and
if I have to, you know, learnsomething or I need something,
then that's okay too.
So I think that's whereresilience comes in for those
(07:33):
teams and stability.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I like that.
Yeah, I like that kind ofenabling people to, you know,
perform and adapt that they needto be, but consistent that
they'll always kind of have thatsupport.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, and I know you know, being in DC there's a lot
of flux and dynamics.
Are you seeing somethingsimilar?
Were those strategies?
Are you saying here?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, you know, I think I think resilience is a
big point right now inWashington and I do agree, I
kind of think the teams and theorganizations that are best set
to achieve are the ones that areconsistent and the ones that
put the people first.
It's difficult now, I think, tosee that sometimes, but I think
(08:22):
you know, and it's hard now, Ithink, to see that sometimes,
but I think you know, and it'shard, it's hard right, the
people have we were talkingabout earlier.
You know differentcircumstances and different you
know, uh, viewpoints and life'sopinions and subjective nature
of everything.
But, um, I don't know, you know, I, I, I agree, I think the
(08:44):
people that are going to lastand the people that are staying
are the ones that are able to toput the noise behind it, um,
and kind of just focus on theproblem at hand.
Um, but you know, again, it is,it is different for everybody
so yeah, um, how do you approachbalancing risk and innovation
(09:08):
and engineering projects?
you know it's a great questionwith high stakes problems.
There's risks involved andsometimes it may be easier to
play it safe.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
But yep, um, I think when you're in an r&d
environment, you're gonnathere's value in learning from
the unexpected.
I think there's value in beingable to push and we are now,
with digital capabilities, ableto do, I think, a lot more on
(09:37):
the front end of our researchand our development by using
those tools, like going back tomachine learning and having
those continuous loops offeedback of you know, and that's
just now more data yeah right,and so I think we're able to
push the limits a little bitmore and maybe a bit faster,
because we have um, the digitalenvironment where we can
(09:58):
replicate where we might nototherwise have had that
previously.
so I think um using the tools isreally where we're going to
help manage the risk and havingthat level of quality and being
able to keep pace Right.
Because I think you know some ofus.
You know we've been seeingwhat's been going on and there's
(10:20):
a lot of fatigue with how muchchange has been going on.
I mean, you know you get youwake up one day and there's now
another tool you gotta go learn,or there is another resource
that you need to go figure out,and so I think being able to
utilize those in an effectivemanner will end up helping with
that risk management in there aswell too.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, absolutely it's .
You know, you're right, there'sso many things coming out now
and it may be seemingly hard tomaster one.
You're like well, you know, I'mlike a jack of all trades here,
I have to learn everything.
But yeah, um, I I think that'sinteresting that you pointed out
about pace and speed.
That's obviously a risksometimes of that, but balancing
that with, yeah, the quality iskey.
(11:05):
Moving on to the next questionyeah, we're talking about rapid
change, and the engineeringfield is one that always
experiences rapid change.
How do you stay ahead of thatchange and the technological
trends that may come in yourfield?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
A lot of reading and a lot of reading of history,
actually.
So I've had some really goodbooks that have been recommended
to me.
Most recently, one of them wasthe Mysterious Case of Rudolf
Diesel, which is the history ofthe development of the diesel
engine.
You know and where thatfoundation comes from, and I
(11:43):
think there's so much value andbenefit of studying history and
understanding problems and howindividuals have tackled those
problems and approached thoseproblems.
I think that gives you anopportunity to go take different
viewpoints and what people havealready done.
Because, again going back todata points, yeah, you know
(12:04):
going back into that, thatmachine learning, that model of
okay, here's a data point,here's a data point, okay, I've
got these, now what's next?
Or what hasn't been done?
Or, oh, that was used, but whatif we tweak, you know, this
element or, um, you know, add insomething that might not be
traditionally used in thatmanner?
And I think the reading andhaving conversations like this,
(12:25):
you know, of being able to pullapart the ideas a little bit
more and being able to dig in, Ithink is a key piece to stay
ahead, because anticipating whatthe problems are going to be
enable you to create solutionsyeah, I really like that because
I think that's kind of, in away, what IdeaGen has tried to
(12:46):
encapsulate.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Like you said, the different viewpoints coming
together, the problems may bedifferent, but the mindsets and
the solutions to solve themoften intersect.
So I really like that because Ithink that kind of encapsulates
what we've believed that hey,while you may be in a different
industry or you may do adifferent thing, your problems
(13:10):
are actually probably moresimilar than you think and, like
you said, like with the dieselengine, like how that they went
about solving that issue, couldprobably be correlated to issues
today.
Yeah, absolutely so.
You've been involved ininitiatives supporting women in
technology.
What progress have you seen andwhat kind of challenges do you
(13:33):
see still?
Speaker 2 (13:35):
in that field.
I think seats at the table iskey.
Getting people the opportunityto experience, learn and grow.
I think, giving individuals theopportunity to see that it is
possible, I think that's key aswell.
You know, an idea gen has beenphenomenal over the years.
We've gotten the chance to worktogether and creating seats at
(13:57):
the table, and I think justcreating that space is probably
the most pivotal, and it couldjust be having someone sit in a
meeting and understand howcertain things are operating, or
involving someone in part ofthe problem solving to create
the solution, because it'sreally about diversity of
thought and how you're lookingand viewing at problems and
(14:21):
having different experiences sitat the table right, like you
were just talking about the um,the cross industry, whether it
be, you know, medical, legal, um, manufacturing, you know just
all of those, those differentintersects of where you can come
together.
And when you have someone withdifferent experiences, I think
you can get there a lot faster.
(14:41):
And so having a spot at thetable, having that seat at the
table, is, I think, key.
You know, I do see.
You know I've seen an increasein seats available, which I
think is great.
I think there's still room tomake a bigger table.
And to add more seats.
I think there's there's alwaysroom for that.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, add another.
Add another piece of the tablethere.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely the table
there.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
You know, Absolutely, Absolutely, what role do
mentorship and sponsorship playin advancing?
You know, potentiallyunderrepresented groups in STEM,
or you know, like we said, youknow it's about creating more
seats at the table, but how domentorship and sponsorship play
a pivotal role in opening upthose?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
seats.
I think it helps individualslearn and understand how to
operate in those environments.
I think the mentorship and thesponsorship having people be an
advocate to stand up and speakon behalf of somebody is really
key because it goes back to thattrust.
It goes back to having trustand building trust within people
(15:44):
.
And I think you know mentorshiphaving the ability to ask
questions in a safe space whereyou might not have the
experience.
We were just talking aboutprogramming and I grew up on a
farm and there was no computerprogramming where I grew up
around, like it wasn't anythingI was really exposed to.
So when I had my firstprogramming class it was very
(16:07):
overwhelming because I wastrying to figure out what it was
and you know it wasn'textremely popular or well-known.
And you know, having mentorshipin those environments to be
able to ask the questions and tobe able to learn or get
different perspectives or, youknow, maybe cut out some of the
struggle of learning for thefirst time and being able to
have the mentor you know say oh,no, no, no, don't worry about
(16:30):
you know ABC, because you knowthis D and F is coming right.
So just hang in here for these,because on the other side you
know as an, as an example.
And then the sponsorship Ithink is very different from
mentorship because that's wherethe advocacy, advocacy comes
into play, I think is verydifferent from mentorship
because that's where theadvocacy comes into play.
And I think having advocatesbecause mentorships you know
(16:52):
very much the relationshipbetween two people and the
benefit and value that come fromthose exchanges the sponsorship
and the advocacy come fromsomeone who's in the room when
you aren't there come fromsomeone who's in the room when
you aren't there.
And having someone speak on yourbehalf, I think is really key
so that when opportunities come,you know you have someone
speaking or maybe creating anextra space at the table that
(17:14):
might not otherwise exist.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Yeah, having someone in your corner.
I think it's interesting thatyou mentioned trust too, and
that you know we've talked abouttrust from the employer's
perspective.
But it's also a two-way street,you know, sort of pathway to
(17:36):
the table, like we talked abouthere.
I mean, like you know, I wouldhave to have trust in you to
complete, you know what,whatever's necessary or what's
in front of you.
So, um, I just want tohighlight that, how that's
important and I think, um, thatthat dual-ended trust is really,
I think, where things kind ofhappen.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Do you agree, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Absolutely Awesome.
Well, it's crazy to think we'realready at the last question.
I could talk to you for hours,I think, but, as we mentioned,
change is, I think, the key wordof the day.
Yes, absolutely it's inevitableand it's rapid.
What do you see as the next bigshift in engineering and
technology?
(18:18):
Kind of on that landscape.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I think there's going to be a necessity drives
efficiency, and I think we'resaying, with engineering and
technology right now, with theemphasis on machine learning,
the power consumption and thematerials necessary to make all
of that happen.
(18:42):
So I think that there's goingto be a big push towards those
elements.
And then you know the unknown,unknown, unknown beyond right,
like we're rapidly making ourway there.
So I think materials, I thinkpower consumption, I think power
sources will be key and youknow, I'm here to speak at
Satellite 25 and super excitedfor my CTO panel tomorrow about
(19:08):
the future of space hardware andsatellite hardware and I think
that there is we're on the cuspof the unknown and the push, and
I think it's the dreamers whowill help us get there, the ones
that can envision the unknown,and they are going to be the
ones that are going to help pushthat landscape and help create
it.
And engineering, we're justgoing to follow right with them,
(19:33):
being side to side and helpcreate that and help the
dreamers have the resources andthe elements to actually
accomplish the task at hand.
So what do you think?
What do you think is next?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Well, I have no idea.
You have a much better opinionthan I do on this matter, I
think you know.
I think it goes back to kind ofwhat we were talking about in
terms of the internet and AI.
I think, again, I have no ideawhat's next, but I think I do
know that it's going to beshaped by, like you said, the
people involved.
(20:05):
Right, and, like the technology, I think, will evolve around
the people, not so much as usevolving around the technology.
I think there's an aspect ofthat that people are like oh you
know, ai, how will it impact myjob?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
or how will it?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
impact my everyday life, and it will, um.
But I think a better questiontoo is like how are you going to
impact the ai right?
Like how are you going tochange it, um, to make it work
for you?
Um?
So I I actually lied.
I have one more question foryou, um.
You know, we like to end theinterviews always with a call to
(20:41):
action, so I would just askwhat would be your final call to
action?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
My final call to action is create more seats at
the table.
Create space, create seats,bring folks with different
perspectives.
It's how we're going to solvethese challenging problems.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
That's great to hear.
I agree with you 100%.
I appreciate you for joining us, Sherry, as always A great
friend of IdeaGen, and we lookforward to seeing what's next
for you.
It's amazing work.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Appreciate it.
Thank you, daniel, thanks,thank you.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Thank you, thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks.
to the idea gen catalyzed impact podcast series.
Today I'm thrilled to have agood friend and guest of idea
gen, sherry hashemi.
Sherry, thank you for joiningus.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you, daniel, happy to be here, happy to be
here in person.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Gorgeous day in DC.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
It's beautiful out and we appreciate you coming in
as always, so we can dive rightinto the interview.
You've had an impressive careerin engineering leadership, kind
of connecting those dots.
Could you go into what inspiredyou to pursue that field of
research and kind of follow thatcareer path?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You know it started when I was really young and just
growing up on a farm, havinghands on with equipment and
things breaking and learning howto fix them or breaking them on
purpose to see how they workedor taking things apart, and so
it really started as a young kidand then just really growing a
passion for aviation and theincredible influences and
(01:16):
enhancements that those bring topeople's lives, because, you
know, wherever airplanes go,economies prosper.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
So it's been, you know, inspiring go, economies
prosper.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So it's been, you know, inspiring to keep going,
especially for the value that itcan add to society yeah, a
natural problem solver.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
We'll call it um, that's, that's.
That's awesome, great to hear,that's.
Uh, I can just imagine you knowyou working on the farm back
those days yeah maybe getting ina little trouble taking things
apart.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
But not too much trouble there was always a smile
or a laugh and then helpputting it back together if I
ever really struggled.
So I had a lot of help from dadlearning the right ways, so it
was good.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
That's great, and so you're currently at the cutting
edge of technology.
What emerging technologies doyou find most exciting right now
?
I know it's.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
There's a lot there is a lot, and I think you know
one of the things that comes topeople's minds the fastest is
going to be the AI, the machinelearning, and I think that that
is really where we're on thecusp of making phenomenal things
happen, especially with thecomputing power, especially with
the abilities to make theenhancements and the progress
(02:36):
faster from.
You know some things someresearch might take, you know,
years to be able to accomplish,but with the higher level of
machine learning and algorithmsand the dedication towards
building and developing thetools for everyone, right, like
anybody can get online and have.
You know how many models areout there right now that people
(02:58):
are learning from.
I mean I think we've talkedabout you know two or three of
the most common right now.
I mean you use them, I use them.
You know finding ways from.
You know how to make, how tomake time more effective and how
to use it so that we canactually accomplish more.
So I think you know that'sprobably the most exciting right
now because we all get to bepart of it, because it's all
(03:21):
like with the machine learning.
You know it's, it's taking thedata and it's building and
growing off of that.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
So the more that we put into the system, the more
that we're going to end upgetting out, and I think that's
a really great part of it yeah,that is exciting and I've heard
from the past we've had otherguests come on compare it to
like the dawn of the internetand how everyone was trying to
figure it out in their own way,and now obviously it's you know
everywhere.
Would you agree with thatassessment?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, I think in its own.
I think in its own way.
It is like getting internet forthe first time and learning how
to use it.
I think that turns into itsnext thing, right?
Because I think we're going tobe internet plus as the
foundation is having that.
It is thing right, Because Ithink we're going to be internet
plus, as the foundation ishaving that it is information
(04:09):
right.
We have access to informationand the ability to use it.
I mean, I think we were justtalking about some of the more
to me brevity, right, like howdo I make this sentence shorter,
how do I make this more compact?
And being able to kind of helpthat and as you're feeding that
into yourself and yourdevelopment, I think that's
(04:30):
where it comes into play yeahand like, I guess kind of like
the internet, like shaped by thepeople, maybe a little bit.
Yes, exactly yeah.
The.
The influence from people wherethat might not have been, from
you know thecom days of you know, here's a product, here's an
(04:53):
end thing to now.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
It's evolving.
It's constantly growing.
Yeah, absolutely yeah.
Well, it's exciting and youknow, a core aspect of
leadership is the ability tomanage people.
What strategies do you use tokind of build your high-end
performing engineering teams?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You know a big one is trust, giving people the space
and grace for their own learning, and then also keying into what
they find inspiring as well,too.
That gives them the power oftheir why inspiring as well, too
.
That gives them the power oftheir why um.
So, I think, building the trustamongst your, your, your key
(05:29):
individuals and the teamcollectively, um, and then
giving them the opportunity tocome, seek help or, you know,
ask for resources, and thenbeing able to to back that
because it comes back toresources.
You know it's, you's, you know ablank piece of paper.
You got to give them a piece ofpaper to start.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Yeah, and kind of going into that a little bit.
It's different, kind of in thesame mold here, building
resilient teams.
You know, I think theauthenticity of the trust is
important.
But how do you kind of buildthose resilient teams,
especially, you know, in yourline of work that can be high
stakes, challenging, you know,mentally very exhausting
(06:12):
probably at some points.
How do you kind of build thatresilience?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You know, I was actually just having a
conversation about this thismorning and you had to check in.
You know, are you OK?
Yeah have you had too manycelsius's?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
today like have you eaten?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
um, I think resilience uh comes from the
ability for folks to continuedespite what's going on, and I
think, um, as people, managersand as leaders, we have to build
that strong foundation for themto stand on um, so that they
have the means to continue anddo their specialized jobs and
(06:47):
actually push the boundaries ofwhere we've been able to develop
and make further advancements.
And creating stability, I think, is our key piece for
resilience as as people, leadersand sponsors for individuals
out there, and I think thinkthat's just stability, and
stability doesn't have to beanything grand or major, it just
(07:10):
could be little things andconsistency.
I think consistency is whereyou can create that stability of
here's something I know thatI'm gonna be able to come in and
make an effort and it's gonnabe celebrated and supported, and
if I have to, you know, learnsomething or I need something,
then that's okay too.
So I think that's whereresilience comes in for those
(07:33):
teams and stability.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I like that.
Yeah, I like that kind ofenabling people to, you know,
perform and adapt that they needto be, but consistent that
they'll always kind of have thatsupport.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, and I know you know, being in DC there's a lot
of flux and dynamics.
Are you seeing somethingsimilar?
Were those strategies?
Are you saying here?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, you know, I think I think resilience is a
big point right now inWashington and I do agree, I
kind of think the teams and theorganizations that are best set
to achieve are the ones that areconsistent and the ones that
put the people first.
It's difficult now, I think, tosee that sometimes, but I think
(08:22):
you know, and it's hard now, Ithink, to see that sometimes,
but I think you know, and it'shard, it's hard right, the
people have we were talkingabout earlier.
You know differentcircumstances and different you
know, uh, viewpoints and life'sopinions and subjective nature
of everything.
But, um, I don't know, you know, I, I, I agree, I think the
(08:44):
people that are going to lastand the people that are staying
are the ones that are able to toput the noise behind it, um,
and kind of just focus on theproblem at hand.
Um, but you know, again, it is,it is different for everybody
so yeah, um, how do you approachbalancing risk and innovation
(09:08):
and engineering projects?
you know it's a great questionwith high stakes problems.
There's risks involved andsometimes it may be easier to
play it safe.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
But yep, um, I think when you're in an r&d
environment, you're gonnathere's value in learning from
the unexpected.
I think there's value in beingable to push and we are now,
with digital capabilities, ableto do, I think, a lot more on
(09:37):
the front end of our researchand our development by using
those tools, like going back tomachine learning and having
those continuous loops offeedback of you know, and that's
just now more data yeah right,and so I think we're able to
push the limits a little bitmore and maybe a bit faster,
because we have um, the digitalenvironment where we can
(09:58):
replicate where we might nototherwise have had that
previously.
so I think um using the tools isreally where we're going to
help manage the risk and havingthat level of quality and being
able to keep pace Right.
Because I think you know some ofus.
You know we've been seeingwhat's been going on and there's
(10:20):
a lot of fatigue with how muchchange has been going on.
I mean, you know you get youwake up one day and there's now
another tool you gotta go learn,or there is another resource
that you need to go figure out,and so I think being able to
utilize those in an effectivemanner will end up helping with
that risk management in there aswell too.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, absolutely it's .
You know, you're right, there'sso many things coming out now
and it may be seemingly hard tomaster one.
You're like well, you know, I'mlike a jack of all trades here,
I have to learn everything.
But yeah, um, I I think that'sinteresting that you pointed out
about pace and speed.
That's obviously a risksometimes of that, but balancing
that with, yeah, the quality iskey.
(11:05):
Moving on to the next questionyeah, we're talking about rapid
change, and the engineeringfield is one that always
experiences rapid change.
How do you stay ahead of thatchange and the technological
trends that may come in yourfield?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
A lot of reading and a lot of reading of history,
actually.
So I've had some really goodbooks that have been recommended
to me.
Most recently, one of them wasthe Mysterious Case of Rudolf
Diesel, which is the history ofthe development of the diesel
engine.
You know and where thatfoundation comes from, and I
(11:43):
think there's so much value andbenefit of studying history and
understanding problems and howindividuals have tackled those
problems and approached thoseproblems.
I think that gives you anopportunity to go take different
viewpoints and what people havealready done.
Because, again going back todata points, yeah, you know
(12:04):
going back into that, thatmachine learning, that model of
okay, here's a data point,here's a data point, okay, I've
got these, now what's next?
Or what hasn't been done?
Or, oh, that was used, but whatif we tweak, you know, this
element or, um, you know, add insomething that might not be
traditionally used in thatmanner?
And I think the reading andhaving conversations like this,
(12:25):
you know, of being able to pullapart the ideas a little bit
more and being able to dig in, Ithink is a key piece to stay
ahead, because anticipating whatthe problems are going to be
enable you to create solutionsyeah, I really like that because
I think that's kind of, in away, what IdeaGen has tried to
(12:46):
encapsulate.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Like you said, the different viewpoints coming
together, the problems may bedifferent, but the mindsets and
the solutions to solve themoften intersect.
So I really like that because Ithink that kind of encapsulates
what we've believed that hey,while you may be in a different
industry or you may do adifferent thing, your problems
(13:10):
are actually probably moresimilar than you think and, like
you said, like with the dieselengine, like how that they went
about solving that issue, couldprobably be correlated to issues
today.
Yeah, absolutely so.
You've been involved ininitiatives supporting women in
technology.
What progress have you seen andwhat kind of challenges do you
(13:33):
see still?
Speaker 2 (13:35):
in that field.
I think seats at the table iskey.
Getting people the opportunityto experience, learn and grow.
I think, giving individuals theopportunity to see that it is
possible, I think that's key aswell.
You know, an idea gen has beenphenomenal over the years.
We've gotten the chance to worktogether and creating seats at
(13:57):
the table, and I think justcreating that space is probably
the most pivotal, and it couldjust be having someone sit in a
meeting and understand howcertain things are operating, or
involving someone in part ofthe problem solving to create
the solution, because it'sreally about diversity of
thought and how you're lookingand viewing at problems and
(14:21):
having different experiences sitat the table right, like you
were just talking about the um,the cross industry, whether it
be, you know, medical, legal, um, manufacturing, you know just
all of those, those differentintersects of where you can come
together.
And when you have someone withdifferent experiences, I think
you can get there a lot faster.
(14:41):
And so having a spot at thetable, having that seat at the
table, is, I think, key.
You know, I do see.
You know I've seen an increasein seats available, which I
think is great.
I think there's still room tomake a bigger table.
And to add more seats.
I think there's there's alwaysroom for that.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, add another.
Add another piece of the tablethere.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely the table
there.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
You know, Absolutely, Absolutely, what role do
mentorship and sponsorship playin advancing?
You know, potentiallyunderrepresented groups in STEM,
or you know, like we said, youknow it's about creating more
seats at the table, but how domentorship and sponsorship play
a pivotal role in opening upthose?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
seats.
I think it helps individualslearn and understand how to
operate in those environments.
I think the mentorship and thesponsorship having people be an
advocate to stand up and speakon behalf of somebody is really
key because it goes back to thattrust.
It goes back to having trustand building trust within people
(15:44):
.
And I think you know mentorshiphaving the ability to ask
questions in a safe space whereyou might not have the
experience.
We were just talking aboutprogramming and I grew up on a
farm and there was no computerprogramming where I grew up
around, like it wasn't anythingI was really exposed to.
So when I had my firstprogramming class it was very
(16:07):
overwhelming because I wastrying to figure out what it was
and you know it wasn'textremely popular or well-known.
And you know, having mentorshipin those environments to be
able to ask the questions and tobe able to learn or get
different perspectives or, youknow, maybe cut out some of the
struggle of learning for thefirst time and being able to
have the mentor you know say oh,no, no, no, don't worry about
(16:30):
you know ABC, because you knowthis D and F is coming right.
So just hang in here for these,because on the other side you
know as an, as an example.
And then the sponsorship Ithink is very different from
mentorship because that's wherethe advocacy, advocacy comes
into play, I think is verydifferent from mentorship
because that's where theadvocacy comes into play.
And I think having advocatesbecause mentorships you know
(16:52):
very much the relationshipbetween two people and the
benefit and value that come fromthose exchanges the sponsorship
and the advocacy come fromsomeone who's in the room when
you aren't there come fromsomeone who's in the room when
you aren't there.
And having someone speak on yourbehalf, I think is really key
so that when opportunities come,you know you have someone
speaking or maybe creating anextra space at the table that
(17:14):
might not otherwise exist.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Yeah, having someone in your corner.
I think it's interesting thatyou mentioned trust too, and
that you know we've talked abouttrust from the employer's
perspective.
But it's also a two-way street,you know, sort of pathway to
(17:36):
the table, like we talked abouthere.
I mean, like you know, I wouldhave to have trust in you to
complete, you know what,whatever's necessary or what's
in front of you.
So, um, I just want tohighlight that, how that's
important and I think, um, thatthat dual-ended trust is really,
I think, where things kind ofhappen.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Do you agree, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Absolutely Awesome.
Well, it's crazy to think we'realready at the last question.
I could talk to you for hours,I think, but, as we mentioned,
change is, I think, the key wordof the day.
Yes, absolutely it's inevitableand it's rapid.
What do you see as the next bigshift in engineering and
technology?
(18:18):
Kind of on that landscape.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I think there's going to be a necessity drives
efficiency, and I think we'resaying, with engineering and
technology right now, with theemphasis on machine learning,
the power consumption and thematerials necessary to make all
of that happen.
(18:42):
So I think that there's goingto be a big push towards those
elements.
And then you know the unknown,unknown, unknown beyond right,
like we're rapidly making ourway there.
So I think materials, I thinkpower consumption, I think power
sources will be key and youknow, I'm here to speak at
Satellite 25 and super excitedfor my CTO panel tomorrow about
(19:08):
the future of space hardware andsatellite hardware and I think
that there is we're on the cuspof the unknown and the push, and
I think it's the dreamers whowill help us get there, the ones
that can envision the unknown,and they are going to be the
ones that are going to help pushthat landscape and help create
it.
And engineering, we're justgoing to follow right with them,
(19:33):
being side to side and helpcreate that and help the
dreamers have the resources andthe elements to actually
accomplish the task at hand.
So what do you think?
What do you think is next?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Well, I have no idea.
You have a much better opinionthan I do on this matter, I
think you know.
I think it goes back to kind ofwhat we were talking about in
terms of the internet and AI.
I think, again, I have no ideawhat's next, but I think I do
know that it's going to beshaped by, like you said, the
people involved.
(20:05):
Right, and, like the technology, I think, will evolve around
the people, not so much as usevolving around the technology.
I think there's an aspect ofthat that people are like oh you
know, ai, how will it impact myjob?
Speaker 2 (20:18):
or how will it?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
impact my everyday life, and it will, um.
But I think a better questiontoo is like how are you going to
impact the ai right?
Like how are you going tochange it, um, to make it work
for you?
Um?
So I I actually lied.
I have one more question foryou, um.
You know, we like to end theinterviews always with a call to
(20:41):
action, so I would just askwhat would be your final call to
action?
Speaker 2 (20:46):
My final call to action is create more seats at
the table.
Create space, create seats,bring folks with different
perspectives.
It's how we're going to solvethese challenging problems.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
That's great to hear.
I agree with you 100%.
I appreciate you for joining us, Sherry, as always A great
friend of IdeaGen, and we lookforward to seeing what's next
for you.
It's amazing work.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Appreciate it.
Thank you, daniel, thanks,thank you.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Thank you, thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks.
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