Louise Lindblad, Co-founder & COO @ Valispace
PWIT Profile
Early years and where you came from?
Studied Engineering Physics in Stockholm, my hometown, and after that I started working in the space industry writing control software for satellites. I moved to Portugal in 2014 and worked as a satellite engineer while starting up my own business, Valispace.
How were you introduced to the world of the Portuguese tech industry?
With my startup we decided to build up the development team in Lisbon, where we can find great talent, great weather and a great startup community.
Walk me through your work and what you are doing now in the tech industry.
I am currently the co-founder of the startup Valispace, where we develop a software to empower engineers to build great products, such as satellites, rockets and cars. I have a lot of roles in the company, but mainly I’m leading the development team and taking care of the operations.
What part of what you do, you love the most?
I love building something that is actually helpful to people, in this case engineers, and providing something that can contribute to a better future. I love working in the space industry.
How do you think that your background and knowledge impact the way you approach your work in the Portuguese tech industry?
I have a mixed background having worked in big and small companies and lived in several different countries.
What advice do you have for young women that want to get into tech and don’t know where to start?
Talk more to women who are already there in the tech scene and have experience to share. We want more women in tech, we just need to know where to find you!
Walk me through a day in your life as a Portuguese women in tech.
Any normal day I would go to the office, work together with my team to improve our product, talk with clients and make demos to potential customers, and help people build better rockets and satellites with our software.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
As a startup founder, you need to constantly “fire” yourself from your current role (the main task that you are doing) and find someone better than you to replace you.
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
GitHub
You can find Louise Lindblad on LinkedIn.
