Engineering with Laura
An engineer by trade and a mother of three, Laura Manjo works to make cars smarter and safer with microcontroller-based chips as VP of Sales Operations at indie Semiconductor. Michigan will always be home; that's where she grew up, went to school, fell in love with the outdoors, and raised her family. Laura shares her advice on how to balance it all without putting your professional career on hold.
Starting in Automotive
Early on, Laura discovered her aptitude for math and science. She wanted to attend the Air Force Academy after high school, but unfortunately, her eyesight wasn’t good enough. Instead, Laura chose to enroll at Kettering University, a small private school in Michigan.
At the time, Kettering was known as the General Motors Institute, as it was owned by GM to develop engineering and managerial talent for the company. The school employed a unique cooperative education model that alternated between academic terms and work terms with sponsor companies.
Laura was sponsored by Bosch, so she worked at the company for three months and then attended school for three months. This arrangement provided her with extensive hands-on experience in automotive engineering, where she specialized in writing software for analog brake systems and traction control.
Transition to Sales
Eventually, Laura transitioned to a role in technical sales of microcontrollers at a new company. She was a natural! Sales was fast-paced and had Laura working on multiple projects with ten or more customers on any given day. There was never a dull moment.
“I loved engineering and problem-solving, but you can get stuck working on any given problem for weeks or months at a time. Once I switched to sales, it was something different every day. Most semiconductor salespeople are engineers. You need to understand the system, voltage levels, inputs, outputs, and communication protocols to do the job well."
indie Semiconductor
“We’re innovating vehicle technology that helps reduce the risk of accidents or road fatalities. If anything we design could prevent even one tragedy, then it’s time well spent. But in reality, our technology is helping to deliver a safer future for all.”
At indie Semiconductor, they make application-specific integrated circuits that are custom-designed for a particular task and standard products that can be used by multiple clients.
In simpler terms, the company makes semiconductors, which are small electronic chips that allow them to pack as much functionality as possible into small automotive spaces. For instance, they use mixed-signal chips to enable sensing technologies like radar and LiDAR to understand what’s going on in and around a car, allowing it to respond with safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and driver/occupant monitoring.
“The smaller you can make the electronics, the more you can integrate into a vehicle. With higher levels of integration, you can enable greater levels of automated driver and safety features.”
Career Advice
“You are going to be the best version of you when you do what you love. So, if you don’t love it, don’t do it. If you love it, you will work so much harder and longer and be better in your career,” says Laura.
She also points out that an engineering undergrad degree is a great springboard to start your career. People with engineering backgrounds can later move to law, medical, sales, and other pursuits.
“Engineering teaches you how to problem solve and every aspect of our society needs problem solvers.”
Being a Woman in STEM
Laura has often looked to Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook, for inspiration. Laura shares, “The best advice I could give to women is to have faith in yourself. Know that you are just as good as anybody else there. You’ve done your time, you’ve put in the work, you’ve learned the material, so you have earned a place at the table. Don’t be afraid to speak up and lean in.”
When she was a young mom and regional sales manager, Laura and her husband had to find a balance between work, household responsibilities, and caring for their kids.
She decided that their best solution was to hire a trusted nanny who could cook, clean, and help with the kids. To Laura, the most important thing was to be present for the significant moments that mattered to her children.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff and don't worry that you're not always home. The big stuff is what's important to your kids. Are you at their basketball and softball games? I would come off red eye flights and go straight to the soccer field and stay there all-day drinking coffee. Just show up and be there!"
"Children learn by watching their parents even when you’re not teaching. It’s important, especially for girls, to see that their mom can work and take care of the house. Show them that you can be an engineer, a mom, a wife, a sister, and an aunt. You don't need to fit a mold. You can choose to do it all.”
Outside of Work
Laura plays golf, tennis, pickleball, and does pilates. She also joins her kids in activities that they enjoy, like equestrian and basketball.
A self-described former daredevil, Laura used to go skydiving and rock climbing outdoors. She decided to tone down on adrenaline sports since having kids, but that doesn’t mean she won’t revisit them in the future.
Xena Boots
“When we go to automotive manufacturing plants, it’s always a good idea to wear a steel-toed boot. It’s nice to be able to comfortably go to any plant and not have to worry about being safe or looking good,” says Laura.
