Entrepreneurship within engineering takes many forms — from consulting and startups to technical services and product development. The SWE Entrepreneurs Affinity Group (AG) brings together members who are exploring or actively building businesses while leveraging their engineering expertise.
Behind the scenes, a dedicated leadership team helps guide the group’s programming, community building, and outreach efforts. Their backgrounds span industries, technical disciplines, and entrepreneurial journeys, but they share a common goal: supporting SWE members interested in entrepreneurship.
Meet the leaders helping drive the SWE Entrepreneurs AG forward.
In this first post, we highlight members of the leadership team who support programming, content development, and professional development opportunities within the group.
Tricia Drake
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Lead
Professional Background:
Tricia Drake is a licensed professional engineer with over a decade of experience in mechanical engineering and HVAC system design. She has supported hundreds of projects across health care, commercial tenant improvement, retail, and hospitality sectors, working closely with architects, contractors, and project teams to design effective mechanical systems.
Entrepreneurial Work:
Tricia is the founder and owner of HVAC Double Check, where she provides independent mechanical design review and consulting services. Her work helps project teams identify coordination issues early, improve system performance, and strengthen project outcomes.
Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
Tricia serves as the lead for the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, helping create space for engineers who are interested in entrepreneurship to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another.
Advice:
Don’t wait until you feel completely ready. Start by building relationships, learning how the business side of your industry works, and being open to opportunities that help you grow. Engineering gives you strong problem-solving skills and those translate well into entrepreneurship.
Victoria Png
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Communications and Resource Chair
Professional Background:
Victoria is a mechanical engineer and project management professional (PMP) with experience leading complex capital projects in industrial manufacturing and regulated biotech and pharmaceutical environments. She has managed multimillion-dollar initiatives, including manufacturing facility expansions, equipment installations, and operational improvement projects while coordinating cross-functional teams across engineering, quality, operations, and contractors.
Entrepreneurial Work:
Victoria is the founder of Zhen Project Services, where she provides project engineering and project management support for clients in manufacturing, biotech, and industrial sectors. Through her business, she supports capital investment (CapEx) projects by helping organizations plan, coordinate, and execute complex equipment installations and facility improvements while building structured systems for asset management, documentation, and operational readiness.
Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
As the communications and resource chair for the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, Victoria leads the development and publication of content that supports members interested in entrepreneurship. She manages the creation of newsletters, blog posts, and resource materials, coordinating with contributors and working with SWE to ensure content is published and delivered on schedule. Her work helps highlight SWE entrepreneurs while providing practical tools and insights for members exploring entrepreneurial paths.
Advice:
Don’t be afraid to explore entrepreneurship. While corporate roles can feel like the most stable path, building your own business can offer a different kind of stability — one where you have greater control over the work you do and the direction of your career. Starting a business doesn’t always require an immediate leap. Often, it begins by solving a problem you understand well, testing ideas, and building experience over time. Engineers are trained to analyze systems and identify opportunities for improvement, and those same skills translate naturally to entrepreneurship.
Robyn Broniewski
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Development Chair
Professional Background:
Robyn is a mechanical engineer with over a decade of experience in R&D, engineering leadership, and new product introduction (NPI) across highly regulated industries. She currently serves as a sr. NPI engineer at Johnson & Johnson MedTech – Heart Recovery, where she leads cross-functional teams to bring life-saving cardiac technologies from development through commercialization. Robyn’s work focuses on aligning engineering, quality, supply chain, and manufacturing to deliver innovative, compliant, and impactful solutions.
Entrepreneurial Work:
Robyn’s entrepreneurial interests are centered around building initiatives that create impact through community, leadership development, and innovation. She has led and contributed to programs that empower professionals to grow their careers, expand their influence, and explore nontraditional career paths. She is particularly interested in how engineers can leverage their technical background to create new opportunities — whether through startups, consulting, or thought leadership.
Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
As development chair, Robyn supports the growth and engagement of the SWE Entrepreneurs AG by designing programming, fostering connections, and creating opportunities for members to learn from one another. She is passionate about building a space where engineers feel empowered to explore entrepreneurship, share their experiences, and gain practical insights to take the next step.
Advice:
Start before you feel fully ready — confidence comes through action, not waiting. Engineers already have a strong foundation in problem-solving, critical thinking, and resilience, which are essential in entrepreneurship. Focus on learning quickly, testing ideas, and building relationships with people who challenge and support you. You don’t need to have everything figured out — just the willingness to take the first step and keep moving forward.
Wendy Cocke
SWE Entrepreneurs AG Monthly Topics Coordinator
Professional Background:
Wendy grew up being told she could be anything and learned firsthand that through hard work and perseverance, a small business can become the lifeblood that fuels a family. A chemical engineer by training, Wendy spent over 20 years leading technical teams in Fortune 500 companies before changing the trajectory of her career in her 40s to open her own business and join the faculty at her alma mater.
Entrepreneurial Work:
Wendy, best-selling author and the founder of Engineering Leadership Solutions, is passionate about redefining the working world. As a working mother and engineer who moved up the corporate ladder in Fortune 500 companies on a part-time schedule, Wendy is an expert on thinking about work differently and loves to work with people and organizations who want to do the same.
Role in the SWE Entrepreneurs AG:
Wendy works with the AG members to identify speakers and topics that would move our businesses forward. To achieve this, she coordinates virtual sessions throughout the year where members can log in and learn.
Advice:
Running a business involves so much more than your technical competency. You will need to identify or learn skills beyond engineering like sales, finances, social media/marketing, strategy, and more. There is always something else that could be done, so being really clear about what you should be doing is critical.
Supporting SWE Entrepreneurs
The SWE Entrepreneurs AG leadership team works together to:
- organize events and discussions focused on entrepreneurship
- highlight SWE member founders and business leaders
- provide resources and tools for starting and growing a business
- create opportunities for members to connect and learn from one another
Ways to Get Involved
- Join the SWE Entrepreneurs AG Facebook group and LinkedIn group
- Opt-in to the SWE Entrepreneurs AG email list. This can be found in the membership portal under communication preferences.
- Volunteer with the SWE Entrepreneurs AG
- Join the SWE Mentor Network and choose SWE Entrepreneurs AG
More Information
Connect with us on our various platforms! Membership in any SWE Affinity Group is open to all SWE members interested in participating.
Check out our AG resources! This folder hosts the AG’s business directory, past entrepreneur/member highlights, notes/references from programming activities, and other information that may be helpful to support members’ entrepreneurial journeys.
If you would like more information about the SWE Entrepreneurs AG, please email Tricia Drake at entrepreneursag@swe.org.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we highlight additional leaders supporting community engagement, advocacy, and the continued growth of the SWE Entrepreneurs Affinity Group.
