Interviews Episodes

Nikki and Ali G had the opportunity to interview Özlem Biber with EPLAN at Rockwell Automation Fair in Boston last month. She is an Account Manager in the Chicago area and she called on Ali years ago when she was working at Probat so it was a fun reunion. We promise we did not mean to talk about EPLAN so much but we can't be too surprised the conversation kept coming back to it considering Özlem has spent almost 23 years with the company and is really passionate about what she does! Massive s...

Nikki speaks with Chelsea Lantto, president of Trenton Forging Company, a forging company that delivers high-quality forged steel components. Although not new to forging, as a second-generation leader of the company, Chelsea shares the history of Trenton Forging and how it's become a family operated business. The company strives to complete their long-term plan of gradual automation to replace outdated technology while also prioritizing the well-being of the automation workforce. They talk abo...

Nikki talks to Priyansha Bagaria, Founder & CEO of Loopr AI a computer vision company solving the complex challenges traditional vision inspection still can't solve. She started working in her family's manufacturing plant at a young age and saw what good employment opportunities in manufacturing can do for a community, but also the challenges that can come with trying to automate a process that may not be 100% automatable or just too expensive for a small to mid size manufacturer to undertake. ...

This week, Nikki and Ali G speak with Elisa Ochoa, Client Advisor at Skellig Automation. They met Elisa at the Inductive Automation Ignition Community Conference in Folsom recently and had to have her on the show to learn more. Elisa moved to LA from Mexico for college and became a DeltaV engineer who recently made the move into a client advisory (ghasp sales) role at a systems integrator! They talk of the importance of finding the right fit for a solution, the negative perception of sales, a...

With October being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Automation Ladies decided to speak with some experts in the field Leah & Hayley. Leah is the Principal Cybersecurity Specialist at Nextlink labs, while Hayley is a Product Marketing Specialist for Network and Security at Phoenix Contact. Follow them on LinkedIn! These cybersecurity ladies discuss ways to protect yourself against cyberattacks, what to look out for as an individual and as a company to stay safe, and the importance of having st...

In this live episode, Nikki and Ali G spoke with David Garcia and Nathan Schaffer, creators of MarketMate AI, a software built for industrial companies to help them scale their marketing efforts. We wanted to know does this work for a company like Process and Controls Engineering LLC a systems integration firm run by an engineer, and if so, how? Want to see the demo? Check out the live episode on our page. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Cont...

In this episode Nikki sits down, in person, with Sarah Larson - Digital Business Manager at ePLAN. Spending most of her career at Rockwell Automation, initially in technical support but then growing into both sales and marketing roles, she is one of our favorite people in *gasp* marketing. Hear the story of how her mom had to lobby to get her into shop class, what she thinks about the state of the customer journey in our industry, and where to find her at Automation Fair! Support the show ...

In this episode Nikki and Ali have a chat with Ann Wyatt the owner of Ann Wyatt Recruiting and the host of Workforce 4.0 a Linkedin Live show and podcast about the manufacturing workforce. This episode is a little more "girl talk" style than our usual interviews since they are all pretty good friends now since meeting in person at Automate earlier this year and participating together in the infamous "Dino Run" through the show floor. We cover Ann's recent visit to Seattle to work with Process ...

Nikki and Ali talk with Lynn McMahon founder & Engineer at Monona Instrumentation & Controls. After spending nearly a decade writing software for machines in the Aerospace and Pharmaceutical industries, Lynn branched out and started her own consulting firm. The ladies talk industry, entrepreneurship, professional certifications and how to balance it all. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, and Nikki Gonzales Head of P...

To wrap up Season 2 of Automation Ladies, Nikki speaks with Adam Crandall, Chief Revenue Officer at Addtronics about getting a "piece of the pie". Nikki and Adam talk about multi-level relationships, getting people excited about Mondays, being a platform company, and most importantly investing in your employees. Interested in joining or learning more about Addtronics? Check them out here. Support the show Thank you to all our supporters, especially our main sponsors Clarify and FactoryFix ...

In this episode, Nikki explores the world of AI with Senior Product Manager of IoT Strategy, Shanila Karim. Nikki & Shanila talk about the evolution of IoT, smart cities, the future, and projects they are passionate about. At a very young age, Nikki and Shanila both were inspired by their engineer fathers, so you will also hear a bit of back story from both and some mindset and wellness talk. Support the show Thank you to all our supporters, especially our main sponsors Clarify and F...

This time, Nikki talks to CEO and founder of Direktin and Algae Scope, Dr. Elvira Rakova. They talk all things pneumatics, energy efficiency, and reducing our carbon footprint with industrial uses of micro algae. You can check out Elvira's interview Youtube channel which has a conversation with Nikki from last year, as well as her No Boring Pneumatics channel. Keep up with her companies Dirketin and Algae Scope. Thank you to all our supporters, especially our main sponsors Clarify and Fact...

Courtney and Ali G takeover the podcast and speak with Sarah Coleman, a Product Manager with Liberty Reach. They talk about Liberty Reach, a company that produces robot guidance systems and software, how Sarah found her way into robotics, the importance of a buddy system at work, and all things robots. You can check out Liberty Reach here. Thank you to all our supporters, especially our main sponsors Clarify and FactoryFix Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and C...

This time, while Nikki is out on a much deserved vacation, Ali G and guest host Courtney speak with Amber Wilborne, business co-owner of TW Controls. Amber discusses her jump from marketing to automation, starting a business alongside her husband Tim Wilborne, and parenthood. TW Controls helps in automation, PLC programming, control panels, and more. Go check out TW Controls here. Go support the Queen and Andy channel here. Thank you to all our supporters, especially our main sponsors Clar...

In this episode Nikki and Ali G are joined by fellow Automation Lady Courtney in talking to John Piller: Owner, Engineer, and CEO at JPiller Design and Consulting. John discusses his journey in automation and his job hunt after being laid off earlier this year. From minimal responses to the mismatch between job supply and demand they discuss all that and more. Go check out John's websites Genau and JPiller Design and Consulting to learn more. You can also check out John on his LinkedIn page. ...

In this episode Nikki and Ali G talk with Terry Kuzoff, Technical Assistant to the VP of LM Space Ignite. Terry and Ali G went to the same high school in Hawaii. They discuss growing up there and the lack of STEM-related fields in Hawaii. Terry also speaks on her past jobs with GOES and NOAA. The conversation touches on the importance of early exposure to STEM, the difference of aspirations between generations, the space industry, and the importance of female mentors. Thank you to all our s...

In another LinkedIn Live episode, Nikki talks to Automation Controls Engineer Katelyn Desrochers. Katelyn, who recently got her Associates in Automation Engineering Technology on top of her Mechanical Engineering bachelor's talks about her experience breaking into automation, being a woman in the manufacturing industry, and her passion for promoting STEM and manufacturing careers to the next generation. You can check Katelyn out on her LinkedIn. Check out the Linkedin Live episode on Automati...

This week, Nikki and Ali talk with Christelle Keefer, who is a member of the A3 Robotics Technology Strategy Board as well as the Global Product Manager for Robotics Education at ABB. They discuss Ali's new non-priofit Kids PLC Kits, the importance of partnerships with OEMs and educators around the world, uplifting the next generation of engineers, and of course all the fun going-ons planned for Automate next week. Thank you to our special sponsor Siemens. We're excited for their booth this ye...

In this episode, Nikki and Ali G catch up with the President and Co-Founder of Infinity Robotics, Dave Neville. Dave is a space connoisseur and is looking towards the stars to integrate robots and automation. Dave and the Automation Ladies discuss their recent travels, the admiration of youth and newcomers into the automation and engineering sector, as well as, the emergence of AI and RaaS. You can check Infinity Robotics out on their website. Follow Dave on his LinkedIn page. Thank you to...

This week Ali G and Nikki talk to Sami Birch, the Marketing and Communications Manager at Mission Design & Automation. Sami speaks on her beginnings into automation as a tech writer (spoiler alert: like most of you she "fell" into it), the importance of building relationships, adaptation in a constantly changing market, and discuss how the pandemic changed the way we communicate with one another. You can check Sami out on her Linkedin page. Thank you to all our supporters, especially our ma...

While Nikki was at the 2023 Manufacturing in America conference in Detroit, she got to catch up with the U.S. Program Manager of Siemens Cooperates with Education, Amanda Beaton. Amanda and Nikki chat about how she got into the world of industrial automation, how the Siemens Cooperates with Education program reaches rural and low-income youth, helping students find careers in automation and mechatronics, and a little bit about what is going on at MiA! Thank you to all our supporters, especia...

In this LinkedIn Live, Nikki and Ali G spoke with Dave Griffith and Vladimir Romanov with Manufacturing Hub Network. You better be in this episode for the long haul. They cover a variety of topics like the pros and cons of in-person versus remote technical learning and networking, fixing pain points in operational technology, and cross-functional teams. Check out Dave and Vlad at Manufacturing Hub Network. Thank you to our special sponsors Siemens and iNSUPPLi for this episode. Thank you t...

This week our Automation Ladies, Nikki and Ali G, speak to Senior Software Engineer at Miso Robotics: Vinita Palaniveloo. The Automation Ladies and Vinita look at highlighting the need for ground-level skills and the importance of kids being exposed to real-world problems and industry hardware, filling the skill gap between school and industry, and the collective excitement about this new era of manufacturing approaching. Check out Vinita on her LinkedIn page. Thank you to all our supporter...

Join us for a thoughtful and engaging conversation between Nikki and Alex Marcy, the CEO of Corso Systems, an Ignition Premier Integrator specializing in the seamless connection of SCADA, MES, PLCs, HMIs, and more (without getting caught up in the Industry4.0 buzz). In this episode, Alex shares his experiences of starting his own business and the personal and professional growth that has shaped his understanding of the importance of diversity within his teams and the industry at large. Nik...