From Art Class to Engineering: OneWoman's Unconventional Tech Journey

Rarely does a tech career story begin witha parent in arts, a social science detour, and Taylor Swift as a role model,but Emelie Emanuelsson's path into engineering is exactly that refreshing.

Emelie, a Swedish engineer now based inSwitzerland, found her way into mechanical engineering only after a universityprep year in mathematics. She had previously studied social science in highschool, which is not exactly the typical engineering origin story. Sheeventually landed at Siemens as a sustainability manager focused oncircularity, and co-founded the Womengineer Foundation in Sweden alongside her bestfriend from university with whom she went through many difficulties. Theirannual "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" has now inspired over10,000 participants.

What makes Emelie's perspectiveparticularly compelling is her insistence that tech is inherently creative,pushing back against the persistent misconception that engineering andcreativity are somehow opposites. In Swedish engineering programs,approximately 34 percent of graduates are now women, a meaningful sign ofprogress.

Could the way we talk about tech careers belimiting who pursues them?

Emelie thinks so, and she advocates forauthentic representation, showing real workplaces instead of glamorizedversions. An early and long-time mentor of hers offered advice she stillcarries – listen to this episode to find out what the advice was.

Tune in to hear Emelie's full story,including her thoughts on AI, cybersecurity, and circularity.

Links:
https://womengineer.org/en/
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/