We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamara Robertson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tamara, how does your business help the community?
As a Licensed Chemical Engineer who grew up tinkering in a shop with my dad I have never seen a difference between those that work with their minds and those that work with their hands in technical fields. Yet as I transitioned into my career as a TV Science Host and on screen fabricator I found that the audience often as me how to push their children to either a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) path or a Trade Skills path many times reflecting a bias towards the other pathway. With a hope to remarry Hand and Brain I started out on a journey to build a multi-media business covering TV, Digital Streaming, Comics, Books, Podcasts and more to help elevate and amplify the incredibly inspiring work, invention and story of those in both career paths while also helping to enhance Science Literacy and redefine the vision of the individuals who work in these fields. Through connecting everyday items to the Science, Fabrication and Designers that brought them to life I’m able to showcase that both paths are valuable to the individual pursuing them and society at large. Adding to this the fact that I am female, representing only 14% of Engineers and 4% of Tradespeople, and I am able to authentically help normalize children seeing women as experts in these fields. Each product that I produce works to amplify Diverse voices, careers, and pathways for pursuit in STEM and the Trades and partnering with organizations like Society of Women Engineers and the Jessi Combs Foundation helps me to get tools into more children’s hands so that they can start to build the future they want for themselves and the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Not a lot of people find themselves reporting into a CEO and launching a Global Division at 28 but my Engineering career afforded me the ability to excel in gaining skills quickly and applying them in lucrative ways for the companies I worked for during my career. It helped that I designed a patented technology in college 🙂 Early in my career I was handed a Forbes 30 under 30 list and found myself with a goal I took to with tenacity. Soon I found myself in the big corner office with the great career living someone else’s dream and so far removed from Technology and the Shop Floor that I was miserable. Add to that being the only female manager for several tiers of management and the lack of women coming through the door and in 2015 I knew it was time for a change. I walked away from my Full Time career to pursue outreach full time to try to help the pipeline issues we were having with regards to getting young girls to pursue STEM careers and continue them beyond graduation. It was during this time that I was discovered by the Mythbusters Franchise and was given the opportunity to be 1 of 10 people competing to be the new host. I saw this as am opportunity, not to land a new job, but to showcasing on a national network what a female engineer was capable of and expand the audience I could reach. I never dreamed of being the only 2 MVP winner or Female Finalist or continuing on to be with the Franchise for a number of seasons including my dream come true show Mythbusters Jr with 6 incredible kids from across the nation and of course OG Adam Savage but now that’s all history. Since then I have been able to establish and expand my own multimedia platform partnering with Non-profits across the globe to reach kids of all ages in all walks of life to help them see the true innovation in the world around them and inspire them to follow STEM and Trades pathways. Sometimes it takes achieving our dreams to realize that they never were really meant for us and I am so happy in 2015 that I came to that realization because the journey I am on now while not as lucrative seeming to most is more rewarding than anything I have ever pursued.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Eats: Pier Bakery & Churros (Redondo Beach Pier), Al-Noor (Lawndale), Girl and the Goat (Los Angeles), Milk Bar (Los Angeles), Bamboo Thai Bistro (Redondo Beach), Van Leeuwen Ice Cream (El Segundo), Hudson House (Redondo Beach) Drinks: Smog City Brewing (Torrance), Brewport Tap House (El Segundo), Bacari PDR (Playa Del Rey), Cinco (Playa Del Rey)
Visit: Griffith Observatory, Angels Flight, Grand Central Market, The Getty, Santa Monica Pier, Alabama Hills, Whitney Portal, Mammoth, Catalina Island

Los Angeles best feature is all the epic hiking and beautiful beaches in such close proximity! As an avid outdoors person I am always either in the mountains hiking and camping or in the water surfing and diving on my days off!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
No-one evolves or operates in a silo, especially in STEM and the Trades. There have been so many incredible mentors and teachers along my journey and the value which they brought to my life and career is unmistakable. I would have to give my first shout out to my dad who never let me know I was a girl in a shop and instead just taught me to use every tool and resource available to me to fix and create the world around me. I have to thank Dr. Andrew Wilmoth for redirecting my in my college career and introducing me to the possibility of being an Engineer as a woman. I have to thank the audience for inviting me into their homes not only for weekly episodes but also to talk to their kids and see the amazing journeys they’ve been on as they’ve grown up over the years. Most of all though I have to thank the brave women who paved the way before me, the inspiring women who are paving parallel paths in different industries and the young girls and boys who are creating a culture that invites everyone to the table in tech!

Website: https://therealtamararobertson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealtamararobertson/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealtamararobertson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlynnr85

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealtamararobertson

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TamaraRobertsons

Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2925543/ “Seekers of Science” Outreach Comic: https://seekersofscience.com/ “Tinkering Belles” Makers Podcast: https://tinkeringbelles.buzzsprout.com/

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