As the daughter of a woman engineer who was forced to choose between a successful career and raising a family, Lusnail Haberberger aspired to improve gender, racial and ethnic diversity in the engineering industry. “Early in her career, she realized that while progress had been made since her mother stepped away from her career, women engineers were still not as valued as their male peers, and minorities remained a minority in the STEM world,” said her colleagues.
After receiving backlash for taking two maternity leaves too close together, she decided it was time to make a change. In 2017, at the age of 33, she started her own firm with the support of industry friends.
LUZCO Technologies, LLC, is a minority-owned, woman-owned boutique engineering firm, specializing in the utilities engineering sector. The company’s expertise includes transmission and distribution line engineering, substation engineering, environmental services and industrial and corporate consulting.
LUZCO hires people from diverse backgrounds and partners with other MBEs and WBEs with demographics that currently includes 25 percent minorities, 42 percent women and 7 percent LGTBQ. LUZCO currently employs 109 employees and in its first year reached $600,000 in revenue. That number tripled within the firm’s first 14 months of operation and by 2023, the firm ranked 22nd in the list of Largest Minority-Owned Businesses in St. Louis based on revenue.
“Lus is a titan in the engineering industry because of her strong convictions,” said her staff. “She has the problem-solving mindset of an engineer and the leadership instincts of an entrepreneur.”
Under Haberberger’s leadership, the firm has won numerous awards throughout its six years in operation, including recognition with the St. Louis Hispanic of Commerce’s Emerging Business of the Year Award, the SBA-St. Louis Startup Business of the Year and the Future50 Award. The company also won the Edison Electric Institute Diverse Supplier Award for championing diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Taking the leap to start my own company was the biggest risk I’ve embraced,” said Haberberger. “It wasn’t just about the uncertainty of entrepreneurship; this decision demanded a lot – vision to see what could be, adaptability to handle unexpected challenges, and resilience to bounce back from setbacks.”
It wasn’t just about a business move; it was a personal and professional gamble, said Haberberger. “Despite the uncertainties, this risk has been transformative, pushing me to grow, learn and embody a commitment to embracing change for the creation of leaders, giving back to the community and providing opportunities for my employees.”
For her forward thinking and commitment to promoting STEM careers for all, Haberberger has been named a titan.
