Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, September 2026

A Career Built at the Intersection of Technology, Sustainability, and Human Connection

My love for the built environment started early. Growing up, I often went to my dad’s office after school before we drove home together. As a property manager, he would show me mechanical rooms, explain a new heat exchanger, or tell me about maintenance projects. (I also got my first construction job at about 11 years old—but I’ll save that story for another time!)

I began university studying mining engineering, where I quickly became aware of how few women I saw around me in STEM. That experience shaped something I still believe strongly today: representation matters. I volunteered as a tutor and visited high schools to encourage students to consider STEM careers. Even now, when I attend an industry conference, I notice who is on stage—and who is not. I believe seeing someone who looks or sounds like you can expand your sense of where you belong.

After earning my degree in mining in Estonia, I shifted toward MEP, pursued a Master’s in Energy Efficiency of Buildings, and worked for a general contractor. Then life took me to Austin, Texas, where I spent nearly five years at a manufacturers’ representative firm specializing in hydronic HVAC and plumbing, progressing from project coordination to estimating and eventually to applications engineering and business development.

Austin is also where I first joined ASHRAE. It remains one of the best professional decisions I have made. ASHRAE has given me technical knowledge, volunteering and leadership opportunities, and friendships around the world!

In 2022, my interests in sustainability, technology, and HVAC&R came together when I joined an innovative electric motor system and “EC+” fan manufacturer. Over four years, I moved from sales engineering into business development and channel management while traveling across 40 U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico. During this time, I also made a point of saying yes to public speaking opportunities—even when they terrified me. My philosophy is: do it scared, but do it anyway. Somewhere in the audience may be a young engineer, an immigrant, a woman, or simply someone who does not yet see themselves standing on that stage.

Today, I live in Stockholm and focus on helping go-to-market teams in the built environment while supporting the ASHRAE Nordic Chapter’s YEA and sustainability efforts. I feel lucky that my day-to-day work brings together all my favorite topics: innovative technology, sustainability, buildings, and people. ASHRAE has connected all four throughout my career. If there is one lesson I would pass along, it is this: say yes to opportunities that stretch you. You never know who might see you doing it and realize there is room for them, too!