From Art Class to Engineering: One Woman’s Unconventional Tech Journey

Rarely does a tech career story begin with a 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 in Switzerland, found her way into mechanical engineering only after a university prep year in mathematics. She had previously studied social science in high school, which is not exactly the typical engineering origin story. She eventually landed at Siemens as a sustainability manager focused on circularity, and co-founded the Womengineer Foundation in Sweden alongside her best friend from university with whom she went through many difficulties. Their annual „Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day“ has now inspired over 10,000 participants.

What makes Emelie’s perspective particularly compelling is her insistence that tech is inherently creative, pushing back against the persistent misconception that engineering and creativity are somehow opposites. In Swedish engineering programs, approximately 34 percent of graduates are now women, a meaningful sign of progress.

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

Emelie thinks so, and she advocates for authentic representation, showing real workplaces instead of glamorized versions. An early and long-time mentor of hers offered advice she still carries – 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/