Her Story
About Tamara
Tamara Robertson is a chemical and biomolecular engineer who has been in the field since 2009. She specializes in facilities development, plant development, and product development for high-stakes startups. A graduate of North Carolina State University, she earned a patent in polymer additives for polypropylene during a student internship at Milliken Chemical. Robertson serves as an ambassador for the Society of Women Engineers, where she runs the Invent It, Build It program for high school students. She is on the board of directors for Discover E and has supported Engineers Without Borders with projects including renewable energy and hurricane relief. She also serves on the board of the Jesse Combs Foundation. In addition to her engineering consulting work, Robertson is a leading voice in engineering for television as an expert and host for channels including Discovery and History Channel. She attributes her success to her ability to pivot, stay open-minded, and embrace failure as iterative design and growth moments. She credits advice from her stepdad's father that skills cannot be taken away, which has made her a lifelong learner.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tamara
01What do you attribute your success to?
Being able to pivot and stay open-minded and curious enough to pivot whenever anything goes wrong, embracing failure as iterative design and growth moments rather than setbacks. This has served me both as an engineer when things go wrong and as a person navigating the corporate world.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
They can take your money and they can take your job, but they can never take your skills. This has made me a lifelong learner, always looking at what I can learn from every opportunity, especially after graduating during the recession.
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