Black women make up just 2 percent of engineers and 8 percent of STEM workers overall. Rose LeJiste is proud to be one of them—and even prouder to have engineered her own business success as founder and CEO of RL Engineering and Tech Solutions in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
Discovering a Passion for Engineering
In high school, Rose was involved in Future Business Leaders of America and enjoyed helping out with small business projects. Her mom was also a business owner. However, her high school pushed students to explore business and finance, so she entered college as a finance major before realizing engineering was her true passion.
After graduating in 2005 with her bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering, Rose landed a job with the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. She worked as a reliability engineer on the space shuttle program, then, when it ended in 2011, pivoted her focus to data analytics, business intelligence and contract performance management. “As I delved deeper into the years of data, I found so many opportunities for improvement and was able to truly tap into my love for problem solving,” she says.
Even though Rose enjoyed her time at the Kennedy Space Center, as one of so few Black women in engineering, she was often faced with microaggressions. “Going into work was like going into a battlefield. I wanted to create a safe space and welcoming environment, especially for the younger women coming up behind me,” she explains.
Moving From Space Shuttles to Entrepreneurship
In 2019, Rose began working to launch her business by March 2020. She did research, found mentors and joined local chambers. She was attending events and talking to potential clients when COVID hit. Rose decided to take a remote position with a large government contractor, knowing she would return to her business plan when there was less uncertainty.
Then, during a performance evaluation with her boss, Rose was asked where she saw herself in 6 months. She shared about wanting to work her business full-time. “I told her more about it and she came back and said, ‘I have an opportunity where you can go from being a full-time employee to a consultant—so my last employer became my first client!”
For the next two years, Rose worked for the organization as solutions developer consultant. It was the perfect launchpad, as she was bringing in more money than her previous salary and now understood the supplier side of business, including going through the procurement process and getting set up as a supplier.
“It was an amazing opportunity to go through the stages of going into business for myself, but with a safety net under me,” Rose recalls. “I took that opportunity to really hone in on what I needed to do for my business.”
Tapping Into the Power of Certification
NAWBO was an important part of this. Rose learned about NAWBO when she was doing her business research. She signed up as a Virtual member and attended several events virtually and in-person in Orlando. “Everyone seemed so businesslike and I felt like I was with elite group of business owners,” she says.
Rose continued to follow NAWBO when, two years ago, the NAWBO Institute launched its WBE/MWBE Certification Program. Rose already had certifications from the State of Florida, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and several other certifying organizations and her interest was piqued.
“I had certifications at the federal, state and city levels and knew I should not put all my eggs in one basket when it came to government contracts,” she explains. “I learned that the hard way on the business side and wanted to bring in commercial clients to diversify my revenue.”
Rose registered for NAWBO Institute Certification, but for 6 months, didn’t take the next step. Then she was on a Zoom with Certification Manager Kimberly Snodgrass who asked, “What’s holding you back?” “People shared what they were scared of and as we talked through it, I realized it wasn’t that hard. I got it done in three to four weeks and thought, ‘Why did I wait so long?’”
Through NAWBO Institute Certification, Rose has met and learned from supplier diversity managers with companies like VW and Target. She’s since signed up and set up profiles in their systems. “The main thing is to get in and see when they have opportunities,” says Rose, who is also leveraging her NAWBO certification logo on her website and in her email signature.
Scaling For the Future
Today, RL Engineering and Tech Solutions has expanded to a team of five. They have brought in additional contracts—three with city governments, one with a county and another with a large healthcare organization. She often collaborates with other business owners—mostly women—on contracts with one as the prime and the other as the subcontractor.
Rose says that her company is unique in that it provides end-to-end tech solutions, including data analytics, data management, artificial intelligence and more recently process automation and reliability/risk assessment. Her certifications set her apart even more.
“It’s the community that’s there,” she says about NAWBO Institute Certification. “Not only are you getting certified, but you are also joining meetings to work through your capabilities statement, marketing plan and meeting supplier diversity managers who are sharing about opportunities, and you are telling them what you do and asking questions.”
Rose is now focused on getting multi-year contracts, growing her team and establishing a physical headquarters in Florida with “hubs” in other regions of the U.S. She is also working with the International Trade Association to expand internationally into at least one other country by the end of the year.
From a young girl with a curiosity for business to a trailblazing engineer and entrepreneur, Rose has not only engineered her success but is also paving the way for the next generation of women in STEM and business!