Amelia Gandara Age: 26
General Electric Louisville, KY
UNDER THIRTY D
iscard any ideas about traditional career paths and business models for Amelia Gan- dara. She’s busy creating her own. Amelia’s professional life started as a bal-
let dancer. Then, while studying chemical engineering at the University of Louisville (KY), she worked as a co- op student at two very different places: an oil refinery and an alternative energy research center. Now she’s a community developer for GE’s First-
Build program in Louisville, the company’s in-house accelerator for developing new home appliances. She’s on a team that elicits feedback from the public instead of keeping the products under wraps until launch. Oh yes, GE funds their projects on web sites like Indiegogo. “Often when you’re working on a new consumer
She co-hosts a monthly hardware startup meet-up at work, where students, entrepreneurs and local busi- ness people can practice making pitches, learn about jobs and more.
“Amelia uses her strong social media presence
“The old way was to be first to get the patent, but the new standard is really speed to market.”
product, you’re working in an R&D department with engineers behind closed doors,” says Amelia, explain- ing FirstBuild’s different business model. “The old way was to be first to get the patent, but the new stan- dard is really speed to market.” FirstBuild’s first product, which was funded and tested on Indiegogo, is Paragon, an induction cooktop with a sensor and optional smartphone app. FirstBuild raised more than $300,000 for Paragon via the site. While she may be working at a cutting-edge com-
pany, Amelia points to some old-fashioned qualities that have helped her get there. She credits the dedication and work ethic she developed while studying ballet for helping her get through engineering school. The confidence that grew from years of performing has contributed to her success as a FirstBuild team member who’s often in the public eye.
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and role at FirstBuild to embody how manufacturing is ‘cool’ and has something for everyone,” says Haley Stevens, associate director of workforce develop- ment and education outreach for UI Labs, a Chicago research and commercialization collaborative, who met Gandara through a group for young profes- sionals. “Her bright and energetic approach has made her a rising pres- ence in Louisville eco- nomic development.”
Amelia is also active in the community, and has even managed to keep one toe in the ballet world. She’s on the board of directors of IDEAS 40203, a Louisville networking group for students, business and the arts and is the local co-founder of Lean In Louisville, a group that embraces the principles pro- moted by Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. She’s estab- lished the Releve Society for young adult donors to the Louisville Ballet. Amelia’s very high public profile also led to a brief meeting with President Obama, in early March. Obama appeared at a Louisville data firm to pro- mote his new TechHire program, an effort to get Ameri- cans trained for high paying, in-demand technology jobs. Amelia was invited to the President’s speech, and shook his hand in a receiving line afterward. “I told him I was one of about five women in my chemical engineering program,” she recalls. “And I told him how much I liked him focusing on STEM education.”
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