Collaborating to build a talent pipeline with Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Office of Workforce Strategy

Season One Finale: 47 women - Infinite wisdom

It’s the Season 1 finale of The Manufacturing Shake-Up! 🎉  This week Jenny Drescher and Ellen Feldman Ornato enter the studio to look back at a year of powerhouse guests and unforgettable insights from women changing the face of manufacturing in Connecticut. Whether you’re early in your career or already climbing the leadership ladder, this highlight episode is packed with career-changing wisdom, real talk, and inspiration to take into your next chapter.  In this special wrap-up, Jenny and Ellen revisit some of their favorite guest moments:  ⭐ Christine Marcin (Stifel Marcin) gets real about networking fears and how to overcome them. https://youtu.be/sJou3arO51E   ⭐ Beatriz Gutierrez (CONNSTEP) reminds us that mentorship doesn’t have to be internal—and that fear is a terrible advisor. https://youtu.be/fB0Zvi3TQxg  ⭐ Mia Merrel (Assa Abloy) shows how simply asking, “Can you help me?” can change your whole career trajectory. https://youtu.be/IyuPoS18LTY  ⭐ Lisa Brown (EBAD) champions the courage to seek out your own mentors. https://youtu.be/r43rM4rfXGU  ⭐ Hannah Belmont (Westminster Tool) gives us the “hire for character” blueprint and redefines onboarding. https://youtu.be/WWjtBSWNfPk  ⭐ Lee Ulinskas (EBM Papst) shares how treating coworkers as internal customers builds a collaborative culture. https://youtu.be/-bTEIk5uN40 [https://youtu.be/-bTEIk5uN40]  ⭐ Gina Greco (PTA Plastics) illustrates how investment in people—especially through training and connection—pays off. https://youtu.be/NqZ6XSMHLKk [https://youtu.be/NqZ6XSMHLKk]   ⭐ Monica Hilgarth (Hampford Research) reframes “no” as an invitation to get curious and persuasive. https://youtu.be/ehSSJsEQpSg  ⭐ Alethea Shaeffer (Form All Plastics) drops a truth bomb: perfectionism might be holding you back. https://youtu.be/bUmQNBTgFBQ  ⭐ Lena Geliga (Hygrade Precision) explores the delicate power of boundaries and discernment in leadership. https://youtu.be/k-8pUHLpKbM  ⭐ Cindi Bigelow (Bigelow Tea) gushes over her love for manufacturing and the project-based joy it brings. https://youtu.be/qfWvLPn6qXo  This episode is more than a recap—it's a roadmap for bold moves, brilliant ideas, and a better future in manufacturing.

Creating safer workplaces with Leah Rumore, Goggin Safety Services

Leah Rumore, Safety Manager at Goggin Safety Services, never set out to work in manufacturing, but when she accidentally discovered the field of ergonomics, everything clicked. Today, she brings empathy, intelligence, and creativity to her work helping teams stay safe and thrive.  In this episode, Jenny and Ellen explore Leah’s journey as a safety professional in the manufacturing and construction industries. Leah shares the secrets to successful a safety culture: connection and collaboration.   This episode is packed with insight on how to have a successful career keeping people safe, and how to implement effective safety strategies that people will actually adopt. Leah explains that coaching, not policing, is the key to long-term success.  Where you can find Leah:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-f-rumore-csp-138b2516/  Company: https://www.gogginsafety.com/   -------  Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/  [https://www.theboldercompany.com/]Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/  [https://www.gaelcommunications.com/]Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/ [https://miceliproductions.com/]

Quality Assurance is a mindset with Kamila Allen, Click Bond

Kamila Allen believes that great manufacturing is like a symphony—every department playing its part in harmony. In this episode of The Manufacturing Shake-Up, Kamila shares her unique perspective as a Quality Assurance leader at Click Bond, where she ensures processes and people align with excellence.    Kamila’s story starts on the factory floor. As a high schooler needing money for college, she skipped retail jobs and entered manufacturing, first packing needles, then moving across sectors including medical devices, automotive, aerospace, and even working with explosives. These diverse experiences gave her a horizontal view of manufacturing and a deep appreciation for the universal language of quality.    Listeners will hear how relationships helped Kamila grow and how a key mentor even saw her potential before Kamila saw it in herself. Kamila then talks about her advice to people new to manufacturing… “Be a sponge!”    Where you can find Kamila:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamila-feitoza-allen-71248a108/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamila-feitoza-allen-71248a108/]   Company: https://www.clickbond.com/ [https://www.clickbond.com/]   -------  Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/  [https://www.theboldercompany.com/]Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/  [https://www.gaelcommunications.com/]Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/ [https://miceliproductions.com/]

Hands-on learning is for everyone with Alex Hatem, General Dynamics Electric Boat

What does it take to lead in today’s manufacturing world? According to Alex Hatem, it takes trust, humility, and hands-on learning.  In this episode of The Manufacturing Shake-Up, hosts Jenny and Ellen speak with Alex Hatem, Manager of Enterprise Learning Programs at General Dynamics Electric Boat, whose career path has taken her from engineering to supervising operations on nuclear submarines...and now to leading enterprise-wide learning initiatives.  Alex shares how her early experiences laid the groundwork for a career based on curiosity, connections, and problem-solving. She dives into the evolution of her work, from hands-on operations to designing programs that teach others how to lead, and why hands-on learning isn’t just for the shop floor anymore.  We explore Electric Boat’s supervisor training programs that build essential leadership skills like trust-building, delegation, and communication and how Alex’s own career has mirrored the journeyman model she helps others follow. Alex also opens up about the challenges and rewards of being a woman in a male-dominated field.  Where you can find Alex:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-hatem-washakowski/    Company: https://www.gdeb.com/  -------  Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/  [https://www.theboldercompany.com/]Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/  [https://www.gaelcommunications.com/]Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/ [https://miceliproductions.com/]

Collaborating to build a talent pipeline with Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Office of Workforce Strategy

Kelli-Marie Vallieres, PhD learned first-hand – at her family’s manufacturing business – that leading well means learning first and then supporting her team from a place of understanding.  That approach, rooted in humility and curiosity, became the foundation for a remarkable career journey.  In this episode, Kelli-Marie shares how the power of applied learning, genuine collaboration, and relationship-building led to national best practices like the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative. And how that initiative led to her role at Chief Workforce Officer with Connecticut’s Office of Workforce Strategy.    Kelli-Marie talks about: * Asking questions before trying to lead  * Collaboration across industry and education.  * Building relationships to transform Connecticut’s workforce development model.   * Being “comfortable with being uncomfortable” and how it impacts change.  Her story is a powerful reminder that real leadership starts with learning, and that shaking up traditional systems requires courage, collaboration, and a commitment to continuous growth.  Where you can find Kelli-Marie:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelli-marie-vallieres-phd-9959a96/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelli-marie-vallieres-phd-9959a96/]    Office of Workforce Strategy: https://portal.ct.gov/gwc/ows-initiatives [https://portal.ct.gov/gwc/ows-initiatives]    -------  Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/  [https://www.theboldercompany.com/]Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/  [https://www.gaelcommunications.com/]Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/ [https://miceliproductions.com/]