Rachel Dzombak

Rachel Dzombak is a design strategist and educator with a diverse background in civil and environmental engineering. She is currently based in Pittsburgh, PA, where she specializes in researching teams and technology management, teaching innovation and entrepreneurship, and supporting business model transitions and innovation ecosystems. Rachel obtained her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in civil engineering, with a focus on energy, civil infrastructure, and climate, from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Bachelor of Science in bioengineering from Penn State University. Her work is primarily grounded by a human-centered design process and a systems-oriented approach.

Rachel has held various positions throughout her professional and academic career, including Digital Transformation Lead at Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute Emerging Technology Center, Professional Faculty and Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Haas School of Business and Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley. Her expertise also includes serving as a Graduate Student Instructor and a Graduate Student Researcher, where she worked with women in STEM and entrepreneurship, as well as with students in design for sustainable communities and reimagining slums.

Rachel has published multiple papers on circular economy, design education, and impact assessment. She previously co-founded a health company in Nyeri, Kenya, called Mashavu: Networked Health Solutions, and has experience working on issues pertaining to education access, gender equity, and climate change mitigation.