#8 Paige Kassalen - Engineer & Market Analyst

Futures Collective

Meet Paige Paige Kassalen is a market analyst for the future of mobility at a material science company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kassalen began her career in material science as a process control technology intern at a Baytown, Texas, plant site. One of Kassalen’s first jobs was representing her company as an electrical engineer on the ground crew for Solar Impulse. In this role, she traveled with the world’s first solar-powered airplane (Solar Impulse 2) as it completed its historic flight around the globe. On the ground crew, Paige was the only American, only female engineer, and youngest member. Her experience with Solar Impulse not only gave her the opportunity to apply her electrical engineering background in a new and exciting way, but it also marked the beginning of Kassalen’s role as a spokesperson for young women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). She continues to be a voice for the company in inspiring the next generation to create their own path in STEM fields. Prior to graduating college, Kassalen gained valuable experience in her field completing her Electrical Engineering capstone project with Intel and internships with Westinghouse Electric Company and Federal Mogul. The Pittsburgh native graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. Kassalen is an active member of the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Pittsburgh Chapter, serving as co-chair from 2015-2017. She is also involved in the Women’s Leadership Council – United Way of Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh Social Exchange. She landed a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 energy list for her work with solar impulse as a ground crew member. Now in her role as a Market Analyst, she explores how new mobility trends, like autonomous vehicles and ridesharing, will create new material demands. She works on a team to identify how highly engineered materials can solve the technical challenges and leads projects to uncover the unmet needs of the industry. What we discuss - Where science and creativity meet - The importance of a support network & diversity in the workforce - Identifying & pushing your limits - The potential of technology.