Mmasi Obi Of Deloitte Consulting On How We Can Increase Girls’ Participation in Engineering and Robotics

Despite the growing importance of engineering and robotics in shaping our future, women remain significantly underrepresented in these fields. This series aims to explore and address the barriers that discourage girls from pursuing careers in engineering and robotics. We are talking to educators, industry leaders, pioneering women engineers, and robotics experts who have made significant contributions to their fields, to discuss the strategies they believe can inspire and increase the participation of young girls in engineering and robotics. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Mmasi Obi.

Mmasi Obi is a Supply Chain & Network Operations analyst at Deloitte based in Dallas, Texas where she supports complex healthcare enterprise resource planning implementations. Also, with a background in mechanical engineering, she helps clients reimagine how they can transform their manufacturing facilities using state of the art technologies. She is also part of the Smart Factory Believers program, founded by The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita, with a philanthropic mission to empower science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education opportunities in underserved communities in the US and equip students to design, code, and build for the future.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this career path?

From a very young age, I knew that I always wanted to be in a STEM field, mostly because my parents ingrained that into me at a young age. Besides that, I was good at math, and it just felt natural to choose engineering when it was time to declare my major at Wichita State University (WSU). In college, I started working as an applied learning student with Deloitte at The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita, which is Deloitte’s U.S. immersive experience center and proving ground for next-generation, digitally-driven manufacturing, located on WSU’s Innovation Campus. At The Factory, I helped run the floor during client tours as well as helped fix/troubleshoot robots and the injection press. I was more than satisfied with the work I was doing at The Smart Factory because not only was it impactful, but I was also very confident in my work with Deloitte. I decided to join Deloitte full time after graduation to continue my mission to serve clients and help them solve complex problems.

What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering or robotics, and how can we replicate that inspiration for young girls?

My curiosity, by far, is the most prominent thing that pushed me into a career in engineering. When I was a child, I would spend hours trying to fix my broken toys or figure out why the TV remote stopped working. Growing up in Nigeria, I saw firsthand that there are not enough female engineers as that is a career path that is usually considered for men because women are not “fit” for the job. I also have five sisters, so my parents made it a point for us to pursue whatever dreams we had, regardless of what society said was okay for women or otherwise. My parents made it a habit to keep my brain busy during extended holidays, so I read a ton of books during the summer or worked on building toys with other kids in my neighborhood.

I think society is doing a great job uplifting women to continue to break barriers and not conform to the status quo and limitations put on us by society. There are more women in STEM now than ever and I will continue to encourage young girls to be more curious. You can be whoever you dream to be regardless of what society says, the sky is just the starting point.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

There are so many people who have contributed to my success as a person in both my personal and professional lives. I owe everything to my parents, who sacrificed a lot to raise me and put me and my sisters through school. I am grateful for so many people who have touched my life in different ways, be it knowingly or unknowingly. I am unable to mention every single one of them in this interview, but I will start with Mariem Berrada and Heather Denker who gave me an opportunity to work at The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita. I can’t imagine where I would be right now without their support and all their words of advice throughout my time there. I also want to recognize Alex Germany Wald who was the manager on my first project at Deloitte, and I cannot emphasize enough how instrumental he was to my career growth. Not everybody is patient with people just starting off in their career and who are prone to making mistakes. His feedback on my work, patience and words of advice really helped me to be a better consultant.

Can you share a story of a challenge you faced as a woman in engineering or robotics and how you overcame it

I do not know that I have faced a particular challenge but one that comes to mind on a general basis, was during project pairings for my engineering classes in college. Having majored in mechanical engineering, there were very few women in my classes and group projects. I had to learn to make sure my voice and opinions were heard while I was in spaces where women were underrepresented.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

I recently read “A Gentle Reminder” by Bianca Sparacino last year when I was going through a hard time and I loved it so much. I nonchalantly picked up this book and it ended up being one of my favorite reads. The book made it feel like a grandmother was speaking to me with love and hope, and it left me feeling so fulfilled and inspired.

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?

My favorite quote is “It is hard to fail but it is only worse never to have tried to succeed” by Theodore Roosevelt. It just reminds me to always try for something regardless of the obstacles that I may encounter. Being so new to the corporate world, imposter syndrome can sometimes sneak up on me and will make me afraid of chasing certain opportunities. During times like that, I always remind myself of this quote and pursue the scary opportunities because I would rather live my life with a ‘No’ instead of uncertainty.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this report, only about 16% of engineering positions in the US are held by women. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from Engineering and Robotics?

I think what is holding women back is self-doubt. The general misconception that engineering is too hard is making them more hesitant to enter the field. The truth is that engineering is not very difficult. If you put your mind to it and have a passion for solving problems, it is very enjoyable.

This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should enter the Engineering and Robotics fields?

We need more women to chase their passions, whatever that may be, but I want to encourage women to enter the engineering and robotics fields if they feel even the slightest passion for it. Women can bring unique perspectives and problem-solving abilities, which are important for companies that are creating products, services, and offerings that want to speak to all audiences. Engineering and robotics also offer robust career opportunities with competitive salaries and the potential for career growth, which is why I am proud to be a part of The Smart Factory Believers Program at Deloitte — the program is aimed at several underserved groups, including women, to help remove systemic barriers that prevent students from accessing STEM learning and create an equitable workforce of the future. The main component of the program, a Smart Rover, is assembled and shipped from The Smart Factory by Deloitte @ Wichita, along with a robust curriculum, teacher training, and ongoing support from Deloitte. It’s been very rewarding for me to play a part in Believers, as well as see the impact it’s had on girls in spurring interest in STEM fields.

Can you please share “5 Things We Need To Increase Girls’ Participation in Engineering and Robotics?”

1. Introduce engineering concepts to girls’ early on in school and at home. It could be through some using certain toys e.g., Legos so we can cultivate an early interest.

2. We should focus on school curriculum to ensure that we are highlighting and celebrating instrumental women in STEM and making it very relatable. A lot of the technologies we use today were invented by women. For example, Gladys West was very significant in the invention of the Global Positioning System (GPS) which is a widely used invention.

3. Confront stereotypes that promote engineering and robotics as a field for the male population. These stereotypes discourage women from pursuing these fields and we should be promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities for all genders in STEM.

4. Find programs outside of the school environment that promote inclusive learning opportunities for girls and women.

5. Girls and women need allies, role models, and mentors — we need men and other women to stand up and ensure that they are heard and have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

In your opinion, what are the most effective ways to introduce girls to engineering and robotics at an early age?

There are a lot of ways to introduce these fields to girls at an early age, some of which I have listed above but I think the most effective way will be to ensure that these girls are pursuing their passions in STEM and provide examples of other great women in STEM that are excelling beyond bounds. This will help to keep their passion alive and let them know that they are not very far from greatness.

How do you think the portrayal of women in STEM fields by media and educational materials impacts girls’ interest in engineering and robotics?

Representation by the media can impact girls’ interest in STEM by a lot. Positive representation of women in these fields can motivate and inspire young girls and challenge certain gender stereotypes in STEM. On the other hand, negative representation by media and educational materials can discourage girls from the field. Promoting diverse representation in STEM is very crucial — girls should see themselves being reflected in the field so they will feel empowered to pursue their education and, ultimately, careers.

What advice would you give to girls who are interested in engineering and robotics but are hesitant to take the first step?

Believe in yourself, you are so much more capable than you think you are! If you are hesitant, start small. There are a lot of introductory STEM courses and workshops you can find online that are fun and very educational. With a field as robust and multifaceted as engineering and robotics, you are bound to make mistakes and face challenges. Engineering is all about solving problems, so do not be afraid to face obstacles as overcoming them is part of the learning process and it is what makes engineering what it is.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

If I were to inspire a movement aimed at maximizing good for the greatest number of people, it would likely focus on promoting underserved communities to go against the status quo. This would have a profound impact on the social justice movement, education, and improved skills development, as well as amplify voices and drive collective action towards a better tomorrow for us all.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Yes, please feel free to follow me on Linkedln at Mmasi Obi. I post a lot of my career and personal achievements on there.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.

About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.

Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.