Women and Manufacturing
EPISODES
From marketing to real estate, procurement officers need to be jacks-of-all-trades, saddled with the huge responsibility of dealing with the many third-parties needed to run an organization. Today, host Rosemary Coates interviews the COO of 9thWonder, Mary Ann Brennan, about why procurement is so vital to modern companies. We open by touching on Mary Ann’s …
Today on the WAM podcast, we welcome to the show, Courtney Wright. Courtney is the CEO of Gemini Builds It! and Showcase Acrylics. Prior to Gemini, Courtney founded CDW Merchants, the leading provider of 3D virtual retail displays and e-commerce gift packaging for the nation’s top retailers, including Kate Spade, Sperry’s, and Club Monaco. In …
Unlike linear models we see across most industries, the circular economy model is one that is focused on sustainability and reusing products and resources. We’re seeing this model gain traction and businesses who adopt it are finding it to be a profitable decision long term. In this episode, Linda Rigano has a fascinating discussion with …
Consumer demand for transparency is getting stronger every day and manufacturers are being held accountable in ways they never had to. WAM podcast co-host Linda Rigano speaks with Judy Moon, a fearless champion for greater transparency in the fashion industry. Judy heads up sales for EVRYTHNG, a market-leading Internet of Things SaaS platform for consumer …
A lot of people, to this day, are only now learning about what supply chain is because of toilet paper. The pandemic has opened up opportunities for supply chain educators, as people are becoming aware of professions in supply chain. However, there is still a lack of education in various spaces such as in grade …
If you have worked in an engineer to order manufacturing environment long enough, you have most likely had some type of negative experience with enterprise software. And while ERP software has been out there for many years, it has never really focused on a project orientated environment. Our guest today on the Women and Manufacturing …
Business owners often neglect planning because they are busy working in the business rather than thinking about the next step. This is why it’s important to bring in a third-party to help with planning and looking to the future. Today’s guest is Rachel Lower, President of Cornerstone Advisors, an advisory consultancy that helps companies develop …
As with anything in life, we make plans. But plans change and paths shift. You have to teach yourself to be resilient, to be open, and to be flexible in life so that when challenges arise and new opportunities present themselves, you can take advantage of them. Linda Rigano’s guest on this episode of the …
Family-owned takes on a whole new meaning, something much larger to our guest today on the WAM podcast. In this episode we heartily welcome Rita Tabatchnick. Rita is the President of Tabatchnick Fine Foods, a nationally recognized soup company with over 30 varieties of hearty soups and broths. The company, amazingly, is now in its …
Most people don’t know what a “traceability expert” is, but they appreciate the importance of knowing how products are made – from initial creation to distribution. Linda Rigano’s guest is Grainne Lynch, who heads up Supply Chain Traceability for Accenture’s newly acquired ESP Enterprise System Partners Group. Grainne started her career writing software for a …
Robotics and automation makes you think speed, efficiency, and higher productivity. However, there is a key component that is often lacking. Take the example of a grocery story cashier being replaced by a robot — teaching the robot how to pick up a banana without squishing seems to be a futile task, but the robot …
Andrea Aranguren’s message to all women is “don’t be afraid to take risks.” Early mentors taught Andrea to be willing to do what it takes to pursue your passion. Linda Rigano’s guest today co-founded CMDTY, a company whose mission is to make physical commodities as efficient as possible. Andrea and her team are transforming commodities …
Today on the WAM podcast, host Rosemary Coates interview Beth Pride, the founder and president of BPE Global, a woman-run and led consulting and training firm that facilitates global trade and strategy. Bringing years of valuable and hard-won experience to the table, Beth speaks about how she unexpectedly grew into loving global trade compliance. Beginning …
There are 75 million workers in the apparel industry, but according to the International Labor Organization, between 60-88% of those workers are at risk of losing their jobs because of automation in the next 10 years. In today’s episode, Linda Rigano interviews Sarah Krasley. Sarah is a fearless entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of …
Today on the WAM podcast, host Linda Rigano interviews Jan Weiss, who is an expert in commercial credit and collections, across a number of industries. She is also an independent producer, having worked on shows for the Jewish Broadcasting Service. In this episode, Jan shares with us her professional journey, as well as some expert …
Today on the WAM Podcast, host Frances Brunelle interviews Kim Alford, who is the production manager of KAM Tool & Die of B-Square Precision Group located in Zebulon, North Carolina. Having been a part of this prestigious company since it’s founding in 1995, Kim brings extensive, time-tested expertise in production planning, human resources, and accounting …
From growing up in a small Pennsylvania coal mining town, to a volunteer post in Africa – and a successful career in the logistics industry, our guest, Mollie Bailey Haney, has experienced things most people don’t get to see in a lifetime. After completing her degree in liberal arts, Mollie wasn’t ready for a 9-5 …
In today’s episode, Frances Brunelle speaks with Jessica Ginsberg, Director of Business Development at LFM Capital. LFM is a private equity investment group focused on niche manufacturing and industrial service businesses. Jessica is responsible for LFM’s business development activities, including overseeing the firm’s direct sourcing and outreach to intermediaries. She brings over 11 years of …
In today’s episode, host Frances Brunelle interviews Jaimie Petrow, the Head of Business Development at Accelerated Manufacturing Brokers. In this episode, Frances and Jaimie discuss all of the ins and outs of buying and selling manufacturing companies, from necessary documents and information to the risks involved and the duration of transition. Jaimie highlights the importance …
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed just how interconnected, yet fragile the global supplychain truly is. One company, Resilinc, has been addressing risk in the global supply chainthrough a clear vision and innovative software, and its CEO Bindiya Vakil, joins us today. Having come from the world of sourcing and procurement in high-tech, Bindiya felt the …
The time has come for us to consider what it will look like to return to work once stay-at-home directions are withdrawn. How are employers preparing workplaces to ensure the safety of employees, and what role do safety professionals play in getting America back to work? In this episode, host Jennifer McNelly speaks with Diana …
With content creation at an all-time high, it’s important to have reputable, reliable sources of information. Marina Mayer, today’s guest, is Editor-in-Chief of two of the foremost supply chain publications, Food Logistics and Supply and Demand Chain Executive which both draw on expert industry knowledge to provide readers with an impressive variety of content. We …
Relations between the US and China are at a low-point right now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic among other things, but how is that affecting global innovation? Today’s guest on the WAM podcast is an innovation expert, author, public speaker, and media entrepreneur, Rebecca Fannin, who is the founder and leader of Silicon Dragon Ventures. …
It’s not a birthday unless there’s cake! Why shouldn’t that be true for dogs too? Today’s guest is Kelly Costello, founder of Puppy Cake. Her lightbulb moment came when she was looking at old cake mix advertisements for a client and thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if they made that for dogs too?” Realizing that dog …
At the intersection of fashion and engineering, today’s guest was inspired to found her ownstartup focused on simplifying the lifecycle of products. In this episode of the WAM Podcast, host Linda Rigano speaks with Lucy Blackley, CEO of Bombyx PLM: Product Lifecycle Management, about fashion, digital innovation, and seriously motivated women! Lucy discusses with us her …
Welcome to the first episode of Hazard Girls™, the show that explores the inspiring professional journeys of women in non-traditional roles. In this episode, your host Emily Soloby of Juno Jones speaks to Charli K. Matthews, the founder and CEO of Empowering Brands, the founder of Empowering Pumps & Equipment, and Empowering Women in Industry. Charli …
Have you ever tried to get through a day without using or coming into contact with a manufactured item? It’s pretty impossible! Manufacturing is such a big part of our day-to-day lives and we don’t always recognize that. Today’s guest on the WAM Podcast is Tanya DiSilvo, she’s the president of Criterion Tool, in Brookpark, …
They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and this was certainly the case for Julie Austin, creator of Swiggies, a range of wrist water bottles. After going for a run and passing out from dehydration, she came up with this innovative solution to a problem she knew many people had. In this episode …
We are excited to share today’s guest and her company with all your manufacturing businesses, especially those who are small to mid-sized. Today on the WAM podcast our guest is Dawn White, the founder and CEO of Perisense Inc., based in Ann Arbour Michigan. Perisense is a company that manufactures sensors to deliver performance and …
This week we welcome Noreen King of Evolve Manufacturing Technologies to the WAM podcast. Contract manufacturing is different from other types of manufacturing in that products are designed elsewhere, and then the contract manufacturers get the blueprints to assemble the goods. They have to source the parts and work with various partners to ensure compliance. …
Welcome to the 100th episode of the WAM podcast! On today’s show, host Frances Brunelle welcomes Elisabeth Weissenrieder-Bennis, the Executive Vice President of Weiss-Aug. Weiss-Aug is a company that provides custom insert molding, precision metal stamping, and assembly solutions to the automotive, medical, electronic, and semi-conductor industries. Beth has had over 15 years in the …
Today on The WAM Podcast, host Rosemary Coates welcomes Kimberly Wiefling of Wiefling Consulting. Kimberly is known throughout Silicon Valley as the Guru of Innovation. She is a physicist by training, a techno-nerd, and an extraordinary networker and today, we discover how she has come to be one of the most respected business owners by …
Today on The WAM Podcast we have Lydia Di Liello, CEO and founder of Capital Pricing Consultants, joining Frances Brunelle for another exciting episode of the WAM Podcast. Capital Pricing Consultants is a revenue management consultancy dedicated to helping clients grow profitability through strategic operational and tactical recommendations. Lydia has more than 23 years of …
In this episode, host Rosemary Coates discusses supply chains and the law along with our guest, Sarah Rathke. Sarah is a Partner at the international law firm of Squire Patton Boggs and coauthor, along with Rosemary, of the book Legal Blacksmith: How to Avoid and Defend Supply Chain Disputes. Sarah possesses some really outstanding legal …
Christina Fuges is the editorial director of MoldMaking Technology (MMT), and today she joins Frances Brunelle to talk to listeners about their unique publication for the mold manufacturing industry. Christina has 28 years of experience in trade publishing, is the technical conference director for the annual Amerimold expo, and is a contributing editor to Additive …
Our guest today, Emily Soloby, has been on a mission to help women since the start of her career. From being a women’s rights lawyer to owning two companies, Emily has always placed empowerment at the core of what she does. She has moved between many different industries throughout her career, and while she found …
Today on the WAM podcast, we welcome Colleen Gray, president, and CEO of Consensus Orthopedics Inc. Colleen started her career in accounting, but never quite felt at home. She then gravitated to cost accounting because she felt it really gave her an inside view of manufacturing. Her career trajectory has led her on an incredible …
Not many bakeries can brag about their pumpkin pie being ranked number one in America by Rachael Ray. Sweetie Pies Bakery holds this accolade, along with being having been featured in Bon Appetit Magazine, Food & Wine Mag, and USA Today. Today’s guest, Toni Chiappetta, is the owner of this acclaimed bakery, which she grew …
This podcast features WAM’s two newest hosts, Frances Brunelle and Rosemary Coates, as they discuss different sides of the manufacturing industry and the impact that the global economy is having on manufacturing both domestically and internationally. Frances Brunelle is the founder of Accelerated Manufacturing Brokers Inc., a company that specializes in the sale of lower …
This week on The WAM Podcast, host, Linda Rigano, extends a warm welcome to Sabari Raja, who is the co-founder of Nepris Inc. Nepris is a first of its kind cloud-based platform that connects educators and learners with a network of industry professionals, virtually, bringing real-world relevance and career exposure to all students. 47% of …
This week on The WAM Podcast’s special series with ASSP (American Society of Safety Professionals), host, Jennifer McNelly, speaks with Wells Bullard, the 5th generation CEO of the family-owned safety equipment giant, Bullard. The company was founded in 1898 by Well’s great-great-grandfather as a supply company for copper and gold mines in California and Nevada. Bullard is …
This week on The WAM Podcast, hosts, Andrea and Desiree give their imaginary 28-year-old selves some advice for maintaining great relationships and excelling in the workplace. Sometimes, especially as young people, we can get caught up in the wrong definition of what it means to be excelling at our job. Maybe we got a little bit of …
This week on The WAM Podcast’s special series with ASSP (The American Society of Safety Professionals), we are very grateful to have Rosa Carrillo on the show, who has come to share some of the research she has published in her new book, The Relationship Factor in Safety Leadership. Rosa’s book argues that business leaders should build strong, …
This week on The WAM Podcast, host, Linda Rigano gets to chat with an amazing trailblazer, Allison Grealis. Allison is on a mission to create worldwide awareness for women in all areas of manufacturing. Allison’s background is fully rooted in service and manufacturing. Growing up in Akron, Ohio, Allison’s father had a successful career at Goodyear …
This week on The WAM Podcast’s “Bad Boss” series, hosts, Andrea Olson and Desiree Grace save the worst for last. In this episode, you’ll be introduced to the five ‘evil’ boss archetypes of Bobby Backstabber, Power-Trip Paul, Micro-Manager Matt, Absentee Al, and Ladder-Climbing Larry. No one likes an ‘evil’ boss, but the good news is that you …
This week on The WAM Podcast’s edition of “Riveting Exchanges,” hosts, Andrea Olson and Desiree Grace, continue with their “Bad Boss” discussion. The ladies look at the four different types of “weak” personalities. Here, you’ll meet the four archetypal passive-aggressive bosses: Indecisive Ike, Steady Eddie, Insecure Ida, and Absentee Al. Indecisive Ike is the indecisive enemy of …
This week on The WAM Podcast, host, Linda Rigano is joined by Rosemarie Truman, a woman on a mission to help entrepreneurs realize their dreams. Rosemarie shares with listeners about how the most revolutionizing inventions, including the Internet, GPS, and cancer vaccines, have come out of government-funded Research and Development (R&D). According to Rosemarie, the majority of …
This week on The WAM Podcast, host, Barbara Trautlein interviews Diana Peters, the Executive Director and Founder of Symbol Training Institute, which is a Chicago-based educational organization that builds partnerships with manufacturers and students to improve lives through quality education. They provide hands-on training in programming, set up, and operation of CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) machines. Diana …
This week on The WAM Podcast’s special series with the American Society Of Safety Professionals (ASSP), host, Jennifer McNelly, chats with Diana Stegall, the President of ASSP and Executive Vice President of Rivendell Safety Consulting in Tucson, Arizona. Diana was the first woman to be named ASSP’s safety professional of the year. With years of experience, she is …
On this edition of “Riveting Exchanges” on The WAM Podcast, hosts, Andrea Olson and Desiree Grace continue their conversation about bad bosses. In the workplace, we deal with a whole range of different (and sometimes conflicting) personalities, which can be a real challenge. The most important thing is for you to remember that, while you don’t have …
