Episodes

Insights into Machine Vision with Yamini Vattipalli In this episode, Nikki interviews Yamini Vattipalli, Director of Operations at EZ Automation Systems. Yamini shares her journey from being an image processing engineer to her current role. They discuss the challenges and importance of vision applications, the transition to system integration, and the role of AI in machine vision. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC,...

Nikki and Ali G sat live with Linda Freeman, an Industry Manager and longtime employee at Rockwell Automation. They look at the importance of functional safety and cybersecurity skills in the industry, the need for continuous learning, and using traditional gender roles to one's advantage. Check out the original live episode here. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, and Nikki Gonzales Head of Partnerships at Quotebeam...

This week, Nikki gets a one on one interview with Startup Mentor, Dyci Sfregola. Nikki and Dyci discuss mentorship, starting her own venture, supply chain management, and her brand new book. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, and Nikki Gonzales Head of Partnerships at Quotebeam Follow us on Linkedin for live videos, demos, and other content Music by Samuel Janes Audio Editing by Laura Marsilio Leave us an audio messag...

In this LinkedIn Live, Nikki and Ali G (and a little bit of Courtney) speak with student PCE employee Kortni Pendon. Kortni began her journey into automation thanks to her dad and time in the Navy. She discusses her military experience and the soft skills she developed, the importance of playing into your strengths and working on your weaknesses, as well as, how being a mom has helped her in the technical world. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and...

This week Nikki speaks with Chioma Aso, Founder of STEAMDivas Inc. and longtime engineer. The importance of art and creativity in engineering isn't the only conversation they have. Nikki and Chioma both open up about imposter syndrome, emotions, and finding yourself within the workspace. Interested in Chioma's book? Check it out here. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, and Nikki Gonzales Head of Partnerships at Quotebea...

This week, Ali G and Courtney get the chance to talk to Festo Product Manager, Daniella Gonzalez. They cover topics like gender imbalances in the field, problem-solving with customers, Daniella' work with training and workforce development at Festo, and which Harry Potter house they all are. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, and Nikki Gonzales Head of Partnerships at Quotebeam Follow us on Linkedin for live videos, ...

Nikki, Ali G, and guest host Courtney catch up live with Morgan Wilson, Partner Success Manager at SVT Robotics. Last time Ali G and Courtney spoke to Morgan live about her experiences at SVT Robotics and her outreach with customers. They talk SVT's work with diverse technologies and custom systems, potential application of certain automation, and the evolving landscape that is automation. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineerin...

While Nikki is away, Ali G takes on her own solo interview with guest Krystle Ponce, Senior Data Analyst at TREW. Krystle started her journey into automation as an aviation electrician in the Navy. She talks about her journey from the sea to the land, the importance of learning through mistakes, and the importance of confidence in the workplace. Interested in the TED talk mentioned? Take a look here. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Control...

Starting the Linkedin Lives up for the 2024 season, Nikki, Ali G, and guest host Courtney talk with robotics and AI expert, Juan Aparicio Ojea. Juan is the co-founder of a start up and spent many years working with robotics. They discuss how AI can be brought more into robotics, the lack in current AI technology when it comes to automating certain jobs, and a look into the future of technology. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engin...

This week's episode is a little different since Nikki was at an industry event: the A3 Business Forum hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation in Orlando Florida. She thought she found a quiet corner to have a conversation with Cathy Rinne (the infamous Conveyor Cougar on TikTok) and Lauren Van De Mark - President and Sales and Marketing Manager respectively at Flex-Line Automation We apologize for the audio quality and noise in this one, turns out the spot was quiet for a while unti...

Continuing Season 3: Nikki and Ali G (along with a guest appearance from Courtney) take time to speak with Jasmine Quick, an Industrial Automation Engineer at GPS Electrical Services in Melbourne. Sometimes working long shifts, Jasmine is no stranger to the engineer lifestyle. She talks about going through school in Australia, VM's, converting whole sites to new programs, and software. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering at Process and Controls Engineering LLC, ...

Naomi Pittman began her career in IT but found herself looking for more. Now Naomi is a master electrician and the owner of ElekProTek, an electrical & controls contractor with presence in 6 states! Nikki & Naomi talk about her journey, entrepreneur stuff like building a website and growing a client base, and the apprenticeship model that allows skilled tradespeople with the drive to succeed to become masters of their craft. Support the show Co-Hosts are Alicia Gilpin Director of Engineering ...

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...