Modulus Women Advancing Materials Interview featuring Laura Wentworth of Re:Build Composite Resources

Discover the incredible journey of Laura Wentworth, Quality Manager at Re:Build Composite Resources, in our ongoing interview series spotlighting women in the materials and composites industry. As she leads initiatives in quality management, Laura emphasizes the importance of embracing imperfections for progress. Let's cheer for Laura's success and her call for a more inclusive and supportive workplace in the materials and composites sector.?

An unexpected career path shift?

Embarking on a career journey can often take unexpected turns. For Laura, a love for English and History shifted gears during junior year of high school when AP Chemistry opened the door to a newfound passion for science. “Funnily enough, the main reason I signed up for that class was to get on the teacher’s good side- he also directed our school plays,” she admits. This serendipitous twist led her to pursue a BS in Chemical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Post-graduation, a Quality Engineering role at a materials company marked the beginning of her niche discovery. Today, as the Quality Manager at Re:Build Composite Resources in South Carolina, Laura reflects on her journey and embraces the challenges of her first management position.

Navigating uncharted territory

When she was 22 in her first engineering job, Laura faced challenges as the lone woman in a technically unfriendly environment. “While I had the support of my direct boss, I was often treated differently and I frequently witnessed coworkers, including leadership, openly discuss how women didn’t have the reasoning skills or intelligence to be successful.” Undeterred, she honed the art of strategic communication and learned to trust her instincts. “I mastered the skill of talking people into thinking my ideas were their own, because I learned there was a lot of less resistance that way.” Reflecting on those early days, she now advocates for women's rights in manufacturing, emphasizing the importance of a supportive and respectful work environment. “Even though we have a male majority [at Re:Build], like most manufacturing companies, I’ve never felt like I am the “Female Quality Manager” instead of the Quality Manager.” Her experiences have continued to fuel her passion for advocating for women in the industry, ensuring that the next generation feels entitled to a workplace free from biases.

Lessons from imperfection

As the Quality Manager, Laura spearheaded initiatives in process standardization and scrap reduction, leading to a significant reduction in the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) and quality escapes. Acknowledging her mistakes along the way, she emphasizes the balance between perfection and progress. She reflects, “At first, I was so concerned about having everything perfect that it ended up dragging out timelines for things like documentation. Something that is key to remember is that perfect is the enemy of done.” This experience provided invaluable insights into effective quality leadership, reinforcing her belief that true Quality Assurance involves not only finding problems but solving and preventing them.

Seizing opportunities

To young women aspiring to join the materials and composites sector, Laura advocates for putting oneself out there, taking on challenging projects, and stepping out of comfort zones. Her advice resonates with the power of volunteering for roles that may seem like a reach, emphasizing that discomfort often precedes significant career growth. She encourages women to challenge their self-doubts and seize opportunities:

?“My internal monologue goes something like this:

Oh that looks interesting but they probably want someone smarter/with more experience! I shouldn’t volunteer. Well what’s the worst case scenario? If I volunteer, and they say no, I won’t do the project. Which is where I am in the first place. Wait, why am I so stressed about this?”

A call to action

In addressing gender diversity within the industry, Laura challenges the assumption that the absence of diversity is merely coincidental. She urges companies to thoroughly examine root causes, scrutinizing recruitment strategies, language utilized in job postings, and the overarching company culture. For example, Re:Build employees live and breathe their guiding principles, including those of diversity. By proactively tackling these factors, organizations can foster a more inclusive environment, enticing a broader spectrum of applicants. Laura advocates for a reflective approach, encouraging companies to pose critical questions such as, "Are recruitment efforts centered around traditionally male activities? Are job postings crafted with gender-neutral language? Does the company culture inadvertently project an unwelcoming atmosphere for women?" These considerations represent actionable steps toward dismantling barriers that may contribute to the current lack of diversity in the applicant pool.

Empowering women through community?

Laura played a pivotal role as a founding member of WOMEN:Build, the inaugural Employee Resource Group (ERG) introduced by Re:Build. At the core of their mission lies a commitment to cultivating a robust community that not only champions the cause of women but actively contributes to their empowerment through multifaceted initiatives. Here’s their mission statement:

WOMEN:Build

seeks to build an inclusive community to support and empower women

across all Re:Build Manufacturing member companies by

fostering mentorship and networking connections,

providing professional development opportunities,

promoting increased representation of women,

creating awareness around topics that affect women in the workplace,

and inspiring future generations of women in STEM and manufacturing

By fostering these connections, WOMEN:Build aims to provide a scaffold of support that enables women to navigate the often intricate landscape of the industry.

Let’s celebrate Laura

Laura's journey embodies resilience, self-discovery, and advocacy in the materials and composites industry. From early challenges in an unsupportive environment, she has fueled her commitment to fostering a workplace that is both supportive and respectful. Leading initiatives in process standardization and scrap reduction, Laura not only showcases her prowess in quality management but also highlights the importance of embracing imperfections for progress. Her success and determination shine through as she advises aspiring women professionals to step out of comfort zones and challenge self-doubt, creating an environment where opportunities thrive. Her passionate call for a deeper examination of root causes in addressing gender diversity issues challenges companies to actively shape a more inclusive landscape. In Laura's narrative, the Women Advancing Materials Interview Series unveils not just a career trajectory but a powerful testament to empowerment and advocacy within the materials and composites sector.

Does Laura’s journey motivate you to keep moving forward in your career? Connect and share how with fellow professionals in the materials and composites industry by becoming part of Modulus and the Women Advancing Materials channel. Here you can network, learn, and grow alongside dedicated individuals who, like Laura, are actively shaping the future of materials and composites.

If you're a woman working in the composites and materials industry, or you know of one and would like to share your story and be featured in an upcoming article for the Women Advancing Materials series, please reach out to us at [email protected].