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/ Company: https://www.clickbond.com/

------- Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/ Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/ Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/

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/ Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/ Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/

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/ Office of Workforce Strategy: https://portal.ct.gov/gwc/ows-initiatives ------- Podcast hosted by The Bolder Company: https://www.theboldercompany.com/ Podcast executive production by Gael Communications: https://www.gaelcommunications.com/ Podcast technical production by Miceli Productions: https://miceliproductions.com/