CLEVELAND — One Ohio woman is sharing her story of success in the field of science, technology, engineering and math, where she said women often lack representation, especially in leadership positions.
As the author of her book “A Chip off the Silicon Block,” Carol Latham said she is hoping to inspire new entrepreneurs.
“Someone who can start a business with no products, no customers, no employees, no physical plant and no money. So if you can do that, I really believe you qualify to be an entrepreneur,” said Latham.
It’s advice she said she can give after her experience building a successful company. However, she said the road to success in a STEM industry dominated by men wasn’t easy.
“People squirted my equipment with acetone so the keys wouldn’t stick. I had somebody try to blow up my experiment one day. It was pretty hair-raising, some of my experiences,” said Latham.
She said she took a leap of faith by starting Thermagon Inc. as a single mother. Thermagon made materials that went into electronics to help dissipate heat. As her company and success grew, she said so did her diverse workforce in Cleveland. Latham said she made sure her employees didn’t have the experiences she did.
“They were my extended family. We never lost anyone. We taught, we brought them in unskilled and trained them,” Latham explained. “I just wanted every one of those people having had their experience at Thermagon to have a better life, no matter what they chose.”
Ohio is seeing progress in recent months with tech and manufacturing. Intel has plans for a $20 billion chip plant in the central part of the state. Latham actually worked with the tech giant during her time as a CEO. She said she sees the project as a major opportunity for the state’s tech industry to grow.
“If they complete the project, they’ll make probably the most sophisticated chips in the world there. The universities will thrive. It’ll bring much technology and business from an economic standpoint and really put Ohio on the map,” said Latham.
Latham said she hopes to see STEM in Ohio continue to grow. She said she hopes for her success to be an example of what can be accomplished with the right mindset.
“Your performance, your service—you have to find a way to differentiate yourself, I think, to ultimately, really have success,” said Latham. “I tell young women that they need to be themselves, and to thy own self be true.”
