The Accidental Scientist
When Laura Schewel graduated from Collegiate in 2002 and headed off to Yale, she was absolutely certain that she’d one day become a writer or a literature professor or maybe even an artist.
Aesthetic endeavors were definitely her forte.
Math? Science?
They were simply requirements to be fulfilled.
“I liked being good at things, so I worked hard, and I really liked Mrs. (Ann) Griffin (Collegiate’s legendary AP biology teacher),” Laura said. “That was about as far as it went.
"Then, I had a total transformation of interest in college. If you had told my 18-year-old self what I’m doing now, I would have laughed at you.”
She isn’t laughing now (except when she drops a self-deprecating one-liner).
For the past four years, Laura has been the CEO of StreetLight Data, an Oakland, California-based technology startup that she founded.
“We analyze how people move around the city by taking trillions of records off cellular networks and GPS networks,” she explained. “We see the mobile devices going from here to here to here.
“Our analytics are useful to urban design and transportation system planning. We support city, state, and regional agencies when they’re (determining) where a new bus route or subway stop or off-ramp should go.”
So how did this awakening come about?
As a sophomore comparative literature major in New Haven, Laura took introduction to environmental engineering to meet her science requirement.
“It was pass/fail,” she said, “and I was failing. So I started to study pretty hard and ended up acing the final.
“When I went in to talk to the professor, he said, ‘Have you every thought about double-majoring? We have this incredible double major for people who aren’t official engineers but want to study engineering.’
“I sort of thought that was funny. Then I decided during my 20-minute walk back to my dorm that he was right and I was going to change the entire direction of my life.”
She graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in engineering sciences and comparative lit and moved into the real world.
She worked at the Rocky Mountain Institute think tank in Colorado and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C.
She moved back west to begin a doctoral program at University of California-Berkeley, along the way earned an master's degree in energy and resources, then took a sabbatical when a too-good-to-pass-up opportunity arose.
“I was working on a technology idea as part of my Ph.D. program,” she said, “and was trying to get some funding for my lab. I entered a competition at the business school with a big cash prize – 40 grand.”
She won, of course, and planned to use the proceeds to hire a research assistant.
“I talked to a lot of folks who convinced me that if I had my idea actualized as a business,” she continued, “it would have much more impact on the environment than if it was a research project.
“Basically, I didn’t mean to start a company, but I wanted to help make more sustainable urban planning.
“The business hasn’t collapsed yet. I’m still doing it.”
What factors have made her successful?
“Auxiliary skills,” she responded. “I’m good enough at math and science and proposal and grant writing, but I got lucky in learning public speaking.
“It started with theater. It’s a huge asset. If you can speak in public and appear to know what you’re talking about, you get more traction than actually being good at something.
“And you have to take risks at the right time. And you can’t let the fear of failure and embarrassment cripple you.”
Laura returned to Collegiate today as part of the Alumni Centennial Speakers Series.
In addition to sharing her journey at an Upper School assembly, she visited with old friends, sat in on several classes and spoke with students in small groups.
So what is her message?
“Be numerate … literate with numbers,” she said. “You don’t have to be a genius at math and science. You don’t have to be in all AP courses.
“But being comfortable using numbers and solving problems with numbers will make your career better and your life better and give you a lot more options, especially if you’re a woman. You just have to suck it up and take the classes.”
There’s more.
“Be open to changing your mind,” she said. “People who just stick to this idea of who they think they might be will end up in places where they’re not happy and with people they’re not happy with. It’s not worth it.
“Changing your mind and admitting that you were wrong before … or just changing it because you feel like it … that’s when good stuff comes your way.”
-- Weldon Bradshaw
Back
Math? Science?
They were simply requirements to be fulfilled.
“I liked being good at things, so I worked hard, and I really liked Mrs. (Ann) Griffin (Collegiate’s legendary AP biology teacher),” Laura said. “That was about as far as it went.
"Then, I had a total transformation of interest in college. If you had told my 18-year-old self what I’m doing now, I would have laughed at you.”
She isn’t laughing now (except when she drops a self-deprecating one-liner).
For the past four years, Laura has been the CEO of StreetLight Data, an Oakland, California-based technology startup that she founded.
“We analyze how people move around the city by taking trillions of records off cellular networks and GPS networks,” she explained. “We see the mobile devices going from here to here to here.
“Our analytics are useful to urban design and transportation system planning. We support city, state, and regional agencies when they’re (determining) where a new bus route or subway stop or off-ramp should go.”
So how did this awakening come about?
As a sophomore comparative literature major in New Haven, Laura took introduction to environmental engineering to meet her science requirement.
“It was pass/fail,” she said, “and I was failing. So I started to study pretty hard and ended up acing the final.
“When I went in to talk to the professor, he said, ‘Have you every thought about double-majoring? We have this incredible double major for people who aren’t official engineers but want to study engineering.’
“I sort of thought that was funny. Then I decided during my 20-minute walk back to my dorm that he was right and I was going to change the entire direction of my life.”
She graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in engineering sciences and comparative lit and moved into the real world.
She worked at the Rocky Mountain Institute think tank in Colorado and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C.
She moved back west to begin a doctoral program at University of California-Berkeley, along the way earned an master's degree in energy and resources, then took a sabbatical when a too-good-to-pass-up opportunity arose.
“I was working on a technology idea as part of my Ph.D. program,” she said, “and was trying to get some funding for my lab. I entered a competition at the business school with a big cash prize – 40 grand.”
She won, of course, and planned to use the proceeds to hire a research assistant.
“I talked to a lot of folks who convinced me that if I had my idea actualized as a business,” she continued, “it would have much more impact on the environment than if it was a research project.
“Basically, I didn’t mean to start a company, but I wanted to help make more sustainable urban planning.
“The business hasn’t collapsed yet. I’m still doing it.”
What factors have made her successful?
“Auxiliary skills,” she responded. “I’m good enough at math and science and proposal and grant writing, but I got lucky in learning public speaking.
“It started with theater. It’s a huge asset. If you can speak in public and appear to know what you’re talking about, you get more traction than actually being good at something.
“And you have to take risks at the right time. And you can’t let the fear of failure and embarrassment cripple you.”
Laura returned to Collegiate today as part of the Alumni Centennial Speakers Series.
In addition to sharing her journey at an Upper School assembly, she visited with old friends, sat in on several classes and spoke with students in small groups.
So what is her message?
“Be numerate … literate with numbers,” she said. “You don’t have to be a genius at math and science. You don’t have to be in all AP courses.
“But being comfortable using numbers and solving problems with numbers will make your career better and your life better and give you a lot more options, especially if you’re a woman. You just have to suck it up and take the classes.”
There’s more.
“Be open to changing your mind,” she said. “People who just stick to this idea of who they think they might be will end up in places where they’re not happy and with people they’re not happy with. It’s not worth it.
“Changing your mind and admitting that you were wrong before … or just changing it because you feel like it … that’s when good stuff comes your way.”
-- Weldon Bradshaw
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