Clara Remacha '16: Revolutionizing Manufacturing with 3D Printing
In 3D printing, ideas are brought to life through a process of layering materials to create a desired object.
In a similar manner, Clara Remacha has built a career in 3D printing by layering the various experiences that have influenced her path, many of which came together during her time as an MBA student at the University of San Diego's Knauss School of Business.
“The time I spent at USD was really the breakthrough in my career that helped me pivot toward what I’m doing now,” she said.
Joining a 3D Printing Revolution
Remacha is now working in one of today’s most groundbreaking fields with the potential to revolutionize manufacturing as we know it. As 3D Strategic Accounts and Application Development Project Manager for HP Inc. in Barcelona, she helps clients across a range of industries materialize their ideas using 3D printing. Whether it be an automotive part, printed prosthetic or any one of the various applications HP receives in a day, Remacha is responsible for helping clients go through the adoption journey, — from the idea stage all the way to manufacturing at scale.
“I think the greatest reward for the work I get to do every day is that I feel I’m part of a revolution that’s much bigger than myself,” she said. “The full potential of 3D printing has yet to be seen, and so I feel like I have the chance to help shape the industry.”
Getting Connected to HP
Remacha’s journey to HP began with a conversation after class one evening with Michael Lawless, previously a clinical professor of management and academic director of entrepreneurship at the Knauss School of Business. Still trying to decide on her post-graduation career path, she had planned a trip to Silicon Valley where she was hoping to meet with people working in her fields of interest. Professor Lawless put her in touch with Steve Wilson, Knauss School of Business alumnus and VP of Engineering for the global software company, Citrix. The rest was pretty much history.
“The meeting was really insightful,” she said. “Afterwards, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do — and in the end, it’s what I ended up doing.”
While her conversation with Wilson may have been the most pivotal factor in her decision to pursue a career in 3D printing, it certainly wasn’t the only one. Like the technology itself, it was an additive process — one that drew on the various people she met and lessons she learned both inside and outside the classroom.
Finding Her Passion at the Knauss School
“The atmosphere of USD and of San Diego as a whole made my experience there the most creative period of my entire life,” she said. “The passion and energy of the people there totally inspired me, and these are virtues I’ve brought back with me to Barcelona and have carried with me throughout my career. I believe the USD campus had a lot to do with this — it’s kind of hard not to dream big there.”
At USD, Remacha took a step outside of her comfort zone and began attending several entrepreneurship events and opportunities offered by the Knauss School of Business. These events, along with that fateful conversation in Silicon Valley and the connections she made through the USD entrepreneurial community, helped her discover the world of opportunities that existed at her fingertips—and inspired her to pursue the ones that ignited her passions. These events also helped her break away from some of the antiquated concepts being taught in her home country of Spain.
“The Hera Venture Summit, a women-led entrepreneurship event, was the first USD event I attended on campus,” she said. “I left with a bunch of notes to remind myself of the importance of actually doing things. One quote from that event really stuck with me: ‘It’s crazy how many mistakes you can make and still be successful.’ This totally breaks the culture of over preparing in order to avoid mistakes, which is promoted at the university level in Spain. It’s something I have carried with me from USD ever since.”
Using business as a force for good is a pillar of USD's Knauss School of Business, which seeks to develop socially responsible business leaders. In 3D printing, the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in this capacity is extraordinary — from enabling more sustainable supply chains to developing potentially life-saving and life-altering devices like prosthetics, orthotics and even organs. In her previous role as a technical consultant at HP, Remacha traveled with her colleagues to deliver a 3D-printed prosthetic leg to a man in France, an experience that is just one of many fulfilling her desire to make a positive impact.
“I graduated from USD ready to make an impact,” she said. “It’s really inspiring to see those stories flourish and the extent of what we are able to do with the technology to make things better. The possibilities are endless.”