Hope Kavulich, Product Realization Engineer at Synectic Product Development, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mack Group, recently sat down with The Manufacturing Shake-Up podcast to share her journey from STEM-loving student to professional engineer helping bring life-changing medical devices to market.
Hosted by Ellen Feldman Ornato and Jenny Drescher of The Bolder Company, The Manufacturing Shake-Up is a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of women and underrepresented groups in manufacturing. It’s not just about career paths—it’s about creating real, lasting change in the industry. Hope’s story fits that mission perfectly.
From a young age, Hope was drawn to how things work—tinkering, solving problems, and diving into robotics. That curiosity led her to Quinnipiac University, where she majored in Mechanical Engineering. While there, she helped launch a campus makerspace, teaching fellow students how to bring their own ideas to life.
“Getting hands-on with projects and helping others learn how to build was a big part of my college experience,” Hope says of her engineering journey. “That’s still what drives me today—creating, problem-solving, and working with a team to make products that matter.”
Now at Synectic, Hope plays a key role in product realization—transforming customer concepts into scalable, manufacturable devices, often in the highly regulated medical field.
She discussed how her internships in manufacturing and maintenance gave her the experience she needed to move confidently from prototyping to full-scale production. Today, her work focuses on optimizing design for manufacturability, improving efficiency, and ensuring every device is ready for the real world.
“Hope embodies what Synectic is all about,” says Synectic President Adam Lehman. “Smart design, collaborative problem-solving, and a commitment to helping our customers make a difference.”
Hope’s appearance on The Manufacturing Shake-Up also spotlighted the importance of early STEM exposure, especially for young women exploring careers in engineering.
“If you can see someone doing something you love, it makes it easier to imagine yourself doing it too,” she says. “That’s why platforms like this podcast are so important.”
We’re proud to see Hope representing Synectic and Mack Group on such an empowering stage—and sharing her journey with the next generation of makers, engineers, and innovators.
Watch the full episode of The Manufacturing Shake-Up featuring Hope Kavulich here:
