29 percent of the manufacturing sector is made up of women and very few of these are in leadership roles. Our guest on today’s show, Allison Grealis, is passionate about changing this. Allison is the founder and president of Women In Manufacturing, a national trade association focused on supporting, promoting, and inspiring women in the manufacturing sector. She is the president of the WIM Education Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of Women In Manufacturing, which provides effective and affordable educational opportunities for women in this field. Allison is also a frequent speaker at industry events and serves on many industry boards and committees. In this episode, she shares how she got into the world of manufacturing and realized the need for a trade association for women in this sector. She explains how the organization has grown and continues to grow, how it is structured, and the different kinds of programs it offers, from industry-focused programs and mentorships to social activities and support programs. Tuning in today, you’ll hear how the organization continues to identify and address the challenges faced by women in manufacturing and how it is affecting positive change in the sector.
Sn. 2, #15: Allison Grealis: Empowering Women in Manufacturing
Emily Soloby
Emily received her BA in Women’s Studies and JD from Temple University. Early on, she worked as a legal advocate for women in domestic violence cases. After practicing law, Emily began working on the business side of things. She is the co-owner of AAA School of Trucking, a truck and heavy equipment safety training firm, which she has spent the last 10 years growing into a thriving national business through government and military contracting and corporate partnerships.
As an executive in the transportation industry, darting from client meeting to trucking range required safety boots that met her style standards, and when she couldn’t find them anywhere, she created Juno Jones Shoes. Emily trained in shoemaking in Cuernavaca, Mexico and at the Brooklyn Shoe Space, and assembled a powerhouse team of designers, consultants, and industry experts to bring Juno Jones to life. Through Juno Jones Shoes, Emily is fulfilling her dream of not only providing women with safe, stylish footwear options for their jobs but of helping to normalize and empower women in traditionally male-dominated fields.
For more information go to junojonesshoes.com.
Allison Grealis
Allison Grealis is founder and president of the Women in Manufacturing® Association (WiM), a national trade association focused on supporting, promoting and inspiring women in the manufacturing sector. She also is president of the WiM Education Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of WiM, which provides effective and affordable educational opportunities for women in manufacturing.
From 2001 until March 2020, Grealis also served as vice president of association services for the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), a full-service trade association representing the metalforming industry.
Grealis is a frequent speaker at industry events, including the Financial Times’ Future of Manufacturing Summit, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence conference, the North American Manufacturing Excellence Summit, the Generis American Manufacturing Summit, and more. She also regularly is featured on industry podcasts and in the media.
Grealis was recognized as one of 2018 Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Women of Note, which celebrates women for their outstanding leadership in the community.
Grealis currently serves as a member of the Saint Joseph Academy Engineering and Design Honors Program Advisory Board, as an executive committee member for the Cleveland chapter of the Private Directors Association, and as a member of the national Skilled Trades Coalition. She previously served as a board member for the Greater Cleveland Society of Association Executives, The Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and Our Lady of the Elms High School.
Grealis earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a certificate in Women’s Studies from Ohio University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Akron.
