Vanessa Raponi (she/her)

About me

I was born/grew up in: Toronto, ON

I now live in: Toronto, ON

I completed my training/education at: Bachelor of Engineering and Management (Co-op), McMaster University. I also did an 8-month exchange program in at the Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP), Grenoble, France!

What I do at work

At Spin Master, I oversee manufacturing in Europe and Mexico, where we make millions of toys a year! You can find me playing with toys to help test and improve them. At other times I'm working on the step-by-step process of how we get from a concept design sketch all the way to the shelves of your local toy store. You'll always find me collaborating with different people from all over the world! I work on all issues from cost to quality to safety to manufacturability of the toy. I make dozens of decisions every day that impact all of my toys. I love to say that I make toys for a living!

I also founded an organization to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in engineering. This organization, EngiQueers Canada, is a national non-profit that advocates for the inclusion of queer people in the engineering profession. My work at EngiQueers has taken me coast-to-coast to present in panels, sessions, and give talks on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. I have also launched a vlog on life, stories and advice from the perspective of a queer woman of colour.

My career path is

I ended up in engineering kind of by accident. I was just following courses in math and sciences in high school. As I went through my engineering degree, I had lots of co-op experiences. Co-ops are short-term full-time work in the industry where you can apply what you learn in class. Through this process I found my place in manufacturing engineering. It's so fun to make things come to life!

I am motivated by

I love the fast-paced environment, full of people excited to get to a solution for a wide range of technical and business problems. I particularly like the entrepreneurial environment that allows for lots of innovation, creativity and forward-thinking. For example, I got to help create the sustainability committee. As a result, we've now offset more than 250,000 lbs of plastic! I also love that I can thrive and be respected as a queer woman of colour at work.

How I affect peoples’ lives

I love being able to bring ideas to life. Seeing my toys in real life is so fulfilling!

Outside of work I

I love travelling, sports, hanging out with friends, and knitting!

My advice to others

There's a place for you in engineering! Just keep going 1 day at a time.