Engineering begins with a question. How does it work? How can it be improved? What if there’s a better way?
This International Women in Engineering Day, we’re celebrating three women whose curiosity, determination, and passion for continuous improvement are helping shape the future of battery manufacturing at NextStar Energy. While each has taken a unique path into engineering, they share a common mindset: never stop learning, never stop asking questions, and never stop looking for better solutions.
Meet Jessica Loebach – Formation Part Leader, Cell Equipment Team
For Jessica, engineering started with curiosity long before it became a career. Helping her father with home improvement projects and exploring how everyday technology worked sparked a lifelong interest in understanding how things fit together.
Today, Jessica leads the Formation Cell Equipment Team, where she and her team work to improve equipment reliability and performance. She enjoys tackling complex challenges, identifying root causes, and developing solutions that support continuous improvement across the manufacturing process.
One of the defining moments in Jessica’s career came when she chose to advocate for herself. After building years of technical expertise in maintenance and leadership roles, she made it clear that engineering was where she wanted to grow. That decision opened the door to a new career path and demonstrated the value of believing in your own potential.
“Don’t be discouraged if the journey feels challenging. Engineering is built on collaboration, curiosity, and continuous growth.”
Meet Razieh Kiani Harchegani – Module Process Engineer
For Razieh, curiosity has always been the foundation of engineering. Every challenge presents an opportunity to better understand a process, uncover opportunities for improvement, and create meaningful change.
As one of NextStar Energy’s first seed engineers, Razieh helped establish and scale battery manufacturing operations from launch through mass production. Today, she supports process optimization, system improvements, and continuous improvement initiatives while collaborating with teams across the organization to improve quality, productivity, and performance.
One of the achievements she is most proud of is building a successful career in a completely new country and culture. Through resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to lifelong learning, she transformed uncertainty into opportunity.
“Engineering is less about knowing and more about discovering.”
Meet Minna Al Askary – Formation Process Engineer
For Minna, great engineering starts by asking the right questions.
As a Formation Process Engineer, she focuses on cell appearance quality, working with cross-functional teams to investigate issues, identify root causes, and implement solutions that support NextStar Energy’s goal of achieving zero defects.
Throughout her career, Minna has learned that meaningful improvements rarely come from quick answers. Instead, they require patience, collaboration, and a willingness to dig deeper. Her thoughtful, data-driven approach helps ensure lasting improvements that strengthen both quality and performance.
“The best solutions come from asking the right questions and never stopping at the first answer.”
Although their experiences are different, Jessica, Razieh, and Minna demonstrate the qualities that drive engineering forward: curiosity, resilience, collaboration, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
This International Women in Engineering Day, we celebrate these engineers, and all the talented women across NextStar Energy whose expertise, innovation, and leadership are helping build the future of battery manufacturing.
