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Christina Keller’s path into manufacturing began away from the factory floor.

She studied abroad in Costa Rica and Chile, taught microbusiness classes for young women in Peru, graduated from high school in Switzerland, consulted for global firms after business school and worked for a nonprofit that provides solar energy to impoverished communities in Africa.

From early opportunities that sparked her passion for building teams to leadership roles where she has driven strategy and culture, Christina has navigated every stage of her career with an openness to growth and reinvention. Along the way, Christina drew inspiration from leaders like Oprah Winfrey, whom she had the opportunity to interview as chair of the Economic Club of Grand Rapids. Examples of resilience and authenticity left a lasting mark on how Christina approaches her own leadership style.

That journey has brought her to the helm of her company today, where as CEO of Cascade Engineering she is leading with a vision of innovation and community good.

In the latest installment of the NAM’s “Forge Your Path” series, Christina talks about how trust fuels innovation, why she believes in “taking those who are most ready” and how Cascade’s triple bottom line—people, planet and profit—continues to drive lasting change.

Q: What is one lesson or insight you’ve gained in leadership that you haven’t widely shared before but that has been a key part of your and/or your company’s success?

Christina: “One lesson I haven’t shared widely is that real innovation starts with trust—trust that every voice has value. At Cascade Engineering, I realized that when people feel safe to share ideas, even small operational suggestions, we uncover transformational solutions.

For example, some of our biggest advances—EcoCart; Pink Cart; the first all-plastic chair (Equa for Herman Miller); and the first all-plastic vehicle (Chrysler Concept Vehicle)—came from individuals within our organization and our partners who have felt comfortable enough to share ideas. This is one of my roles as a leader: I spend time cultivating systems where ideas can flow freely. It’s reinforced for me that the idea of collective thriving isn’t just a philosophy; it’s a leadership strategy that unlocks innovation at every level.”

Q: Can you share a quote or mantra that defines your approach to leadership?

Christina: “‘Take those who are most ready.’ If one person, one team or one community thrives and models collective thriving, it lifts up everyone around them and then creates pathways where other people can follow. This shapes how I make decisions, whether it is investing in physical artificial intelligence to lighten repetitive work, or enabling people through the Source, which helps overcome barriers to housing, child care and transportation. I see leadership as not a zero-sum game but as a multiplier. When we help one group thrive, it sparks growth and resilience across the whole system. And to get there, you start with those who are most ready and pour into them.”

Q: What accomplishments at your organization are you the proudest of and why?

Christina: “As a triple bottom-line organization, I often think along the lines of people, planet and profit. So from a people perspective, I am most proud of our work with helping to establish the Source, which has helped nearly 600 employees overcome more than 1,800 barriers to employment and demonstrating how businesses can directly improve lives. In our community, we have collectively shifted the recidivism rate, and the BBC spotlighted our work.

From a planet perspective, I am proud of our decades of being zero waste to landfill and our award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries for our EcoCart, which uses post-consumer curbside bulky rigids in addition to taking back post-consumer trash containers from the field.

From a profit standpoint, I am most proud of our innovative products and our use of physical AI to build out our automation and layer on a rich history of product innovation that includes the first all-plastic chair, the first all-plastic vehicle, all of the bumpers, grills and chassis skirts for the heavy truck industry in North America and the premier waste-collection product—Evolution cart—which fits 40% more on a truck than others in the industry.”

Q: Where do you see your company in the next 5–10 years, and what are you hoping to achieve?

Christina: “I see Cascade Engineering as a leader in collective thriving, circular economy and physical AI. We will be a factory of the future, modeling what sustainable manufacturing can look like globally. We will be leaders in physical AI, utilizing automation and robotics not just to reduce costs, but to create safer, more human-centered jobs and to expand on our innovative creativity.

We will also expand our diversified portfolio of circular economy products, such as containers, flood barriers and medical solutions, and tackle real environmental and community challenges. Most importantly, we will continue to demonstrate collective thriving—business success, employee well-being and community growth are mutually reinforcing. My hope is that others in manufacturing will follow, accelerating an industrial movement toward sustainability and dignity at scale.”

Q: What are the past three books that you’ve read that you would recommend to your peers and why?

Christina: “One that I recommend is ‘The Circular Economy Handbook’ by Peter Lacy, Jessica Long and Wesley Spindler. It’s a practical and strategic guide to embedding circular economy principles in business. It’s enhanced in my mind the importance of life-cycle thinking as we consider the design of products. It also echoes what we did with EcoCart—making carts from recycled carts—and inspired me to think about how we can scale circularity across industries.

Another book is ‘How Minds Change’ by David McRaney. This book offers insights into persuasion, psychology and how people shift their beliefs. As leaders navigating innovation, sustainability and culture change, it reinforced for me that transformation isn’t only about new technology; it’s also about helping people move through the chance curve with dignity and understanding.

I’d also recommend ‘The Coming Wave’ by Mustafa Suleyman. It’s a compelling exploration of how AI and emerging technologies will reshape society. It sharpened my conviction that physical AI, when applied with foresight and responsibility, can create safer, smarter and more sustainable manufacturing.

Together, these books cover the essential themes that I continue to explore and I see as key areas for manufacturing leadership: circular economy, collective thriving and physical AI.”