Sisterhood in 3D Printing: Increasing the Visibility of Women in Additive Manufacturing
Ozlem Akdogan, R&D chemist
Tiger Coatings
SUBMITTED
Ozlem Akdogan is an R&D chemist at Tiger Coatings in Chicago, Illinois, and leads a student group on Facebook called Radtech, The Association for UV&EB Technology, Student Committee.”
This past February, I was searching for interesting meetup groups while enjoying the sunny California weather. I saw an invitation from Nora Toure, the former general manager of Sculpteo USA, for a monthly meeting in San Francisco entitled “Women in 3D Printing.”
I decided to investigate online and found their website stating their goal of promoting female leaders in 3D printing. Further intrigued, I checked articles and interviews from and about their members. What I observed was a highly diverse, welcoming and supportive group that advocated for women in the 3D printing world.
Upon attending my first meeting on March 1, I realized that all the ladies were actively willing to share their own experiences to help one another. The range of experiences varied from managing companies and cooperating in business to individuals who recently purchased 3D printing equipment to fulfil their own dreams, such as a start-up business to make souvenirs. Present was an international team of women from France, Russia, US, Lebanon and Turkey. All in all, it was a mind-opening opportunity for me to be a part of the group.
The next meeting of the San Francisco chapter will be held July 19. Other “Women in 3D Printing” chapters are located in Seattle, Washington; San Diego, California; New York City, New York; Denver, Colorado; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, among other North American cities. For more information on meetings, visit https://www.meetup.com/Women-in-3D-Printing/events/.
Ozlem Akdogan is an R&D chemist at Tiger Coatings in Chicago, Illinois, and leads a student group on Facebook called Radtech, The Association for UV&EB Technology, Student Committee.”
