” I was one of 3 female graduates in a class of 70. “

-Rupa Dachere, CEO of ThriveWise

With over 20+ years of experience in software engineering,leadership,innovation and product management, Rupa is the creator of ThriveWise, a non-profit organisation supporting and retaining female engineers in their careers of software engineering and product management. In today’s episode, we learn lessons no textbook can teach with insider tips on applying and studying at top American universities, bringing an initial design to fruition with Rupa’s PiDoorbell, and of course, her experiences founding and developing ThriveWise.

One of the moments that stood out most to me was hearing how Rupa identified a problem that resonated with a large demographic and turned it into an innovative product. It was fascinating to hear how she came up with the idea of PiDoorbell ( a camera and Raspberry Pi built together to view her front porch at all times) and the journey from design to production and how she thoughtfully open sourced it for the benefit of the users. It was equally inspiring how she recognised another gap for women along the engineering ladder and technical PMs (those in product management/development), giving them an opportunity to sustain their careers as a part of the ThriveWise organisation. These are just a few of the stories you could listen to for innovation that many overlook or fail to act upon.

Beyond problem-solving, our conversation is key for those interested in applying to/ studying at American universities for technology, Rupa discusses the significance of fundamental skills and initiative to learn outside the classroom to better oneself. Every aspiring engineer will benefit from a listen!

WATCH NOW ON THE LINK BELOW!!

💬Got a question for Rupa? Contact us or drop it in the comments — we’d love to hear from you! And if enough of you are interested, we might just bring her back for a second Q&A episode tailored to your questions. Don’t forget to like and subscribe for the next episodes of the spotlight series.

Please enjoy this episode from us and stick around for more exciting episodes coming soon on chemical, materials science and civil engineering…

-Lara, Founder of Queengineers

30th July 2026