Micco Wu
Micco Wu is an accomplished mechanical engineering leader with extensive experience driving innovation across technology and consumer industries. She currently serves as Associate Director of Mechanical Engineering at Opentrons Labworks Inc., where she leads the development of next-generation robotic platforms from concept through mass production. Micco combines hands-on technical expertise with strategic leadership, overseeing precision electromechanical systems, thermal management, fluid dynamics, and design-for-manufacturing initiatives, while mentoring and empowering high-performing engineering teams.
In her day-to-day role, Micco’s responsibilities span a wide spectrum of activities, from guiding product development and troubleshooting robotic systems to supporting compliance, legal, and cross-functional team challenges. She applies a design-thinking approach, focusing on understanding the problem first before pursuing solutions. Whether handling logistics issues, providing documentation for product releases, or enabling her team to solve complex technical challenges, Micco emphasizes empowering her colleagues with the information and skills needed to identify the most effective and efficient solutions. Her leadership philosophy blends problem-solving with team development, ensuring both technical excellence and collaborative innovation.
Prior to joining Opentrons, Micco held key mechanical engineering and leadership roles at Peloton Interactive and OXO, contributing to award-winning product designs, including the OXO Quick Extend Aluminum Pole Shower Caddy, recognized by Time Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of 2019. She holds a Master of Science in Engineering Design and Innovation from Northwestern University and a B.S. in Telecommunication Engineering with Management from Queen Mary University of London. Fluent in Cantonese and English, Micco also actively volunteers in educational and animal welfare initiatives, bringing a global perspective and human-centered approach to engineering leadership.
• Queen Mary University of London - BS, Telecommunication Engineering with Management
• Northwestern University - MS, Engineering Design and Innovation
• Time Magazine Invention of the Year
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• PetSmart
• ASPCA
What do you attribute your success to?
I think I'm very happy and proud of myself for being able to get to a very content state mentally. I've worked really hard to get here, and I'm juggling the roles of motherhood and a full-time career without any support - it's just me and my husband, and we're expecting a second child. Being able to juggle through it all and being mentally content with everything I have feels great. I think that's probably the biggest achievement I have. It's about finding that balance and reaching a place where I feel fulfilled both professionally and personally, despite all the challenges.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
There are so many incredible people who have made an impact in Micco's life and in her career that she wanted him to think on this, she will be jumping into add more detail regarding the people who have either served as a mentor, an inspiration, encouraged and supported her journey or just simply been special and that she would like to highlight and recognize for the positive light they've brought to her life.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think it's very important that whenever you notice you're in a feeling of being stuck, do a proper stop and reflect. For a very long time when I was younger, I was under the mindset that if I don't get a promotion every two to three years, I'm failing. I was extremely competitive since I was a little kid, and till my late or early 30s, I was always in that path. At some point, it became like a rat race - you're chasing it without really understanding what the point is, what the truth is, what you actually want. What is happiness? For a long time, I thought as long as I'm better than my peers, I'll be happy, and that was my motivation until my early 30s. But then I asked myself, what exactly will make me happy? What exactly do I want from a career? Eventually, I realized it's a sense of fulfillment of social responsibility - doing something where I can see myself making the world better. Now I feel like what I'm doing every day, working hard every day, is contributing to something bigger than just myself and my own happiness. It's actually contributing to a brighter future for my children. That took quite a while for me to really get, and I think everyone has their own definition of life and satisfaction. It's very important to create that space to reflect and spend the effort to really do this soul-searching of what you want to be and what makes you happy - what life means to you.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Micco We'll be jumping in to add more detail regarding her career path and what has inspired her, what brings her joy outside of work including her interests and hobbies, the people who have inspired her including any mentors or inspirations who have impacted her journey and career, any additional accolades or accomplishments she would like to include and any detail regarding how she would like to connect with other incredible women within her industry in our community and how she would like to inspire our readers as she continues the journey within her career.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think number one, it took me a long time to really trust my instinct and gut, and just speak out. I work in a very man-dominated industry, and it took a while to understand that it's okay to interrupt people and make my point, not just for me but for everyone. So I think overall, it's authenticity and bravery - the truth combined. Being able to be myself is one of the most important values for surviving in the environment and industry I'm in. What's interesting about mechanical engineering is that a lot of the knowledge comes from experience over the years, developing muscle memory. You look at a design and you know something is going to have a problem, but you can't explain it in words or tell AI how to think about it. Part of it is understanding how this knowledge and experience develops, and being able to trust myself on it. It's about trusting your own instincts when you have that sense that something's off and it's not going to work - that's something you attain over years of experience.