Kendra Decker spends her weekends listening to owl calls as part of a conservation research project at the San Diego Zoo. During the week, she applies that same curiosity and attention to detail to the digital systems that support some of the world’s most highly regulated industries.
Technology, trust and maintaining life-saving environments
As a Regulated Industries Strategist on our Nuvolo team at Trane Technologies, Kendra works with cloud-based software in environments where reliability, precision and trust are essential. For her, the most meaningful part of her job lies in knowing that the technology she supports helps make real-world, life-saving therapies possible.
That sense of purpose led her to Nuvolo, which develops cloud-based connected workplace and enterprise asset management software for organizations like hospitals and clinical laboratories. The platform brings facilities, assets, spaces and work into a single system, helping teams and equipment operate accurately across complex environments.
“When people hear ‘regulated industries,’ they often think about data regulations,” she says. “But my focus is really on documenting how equipment is used and the conditions it supports.”
This attention to detail is vital in industries like healthcare and life sciences, where even the smallest temperature fluctuations can have real consequences on equipment, processes and patient care.
Kendra gives the example of one of her customers, a large pharmaceutical company operating hundreds of plasma donation centers across the U.S. and Europe. “Each site has equipment that has to be checked every day.” These checks help minimize bacterial growth and preserve the integrity and efficacy of the donated plasma, enabling life-saving therapies in environments that depend on absolute consistency.
Growing a career in software for complex systems
Kendra studied geology and ecology in college and began her career in life sciences, pharma and biotech. Early on, she worked with technology tied to pharmaceutical regulations and clinical trials. “Understanding how a drug moves from clinical trials all the way through to patient care was fascinating,” she says. “That end-to-end view really stuck with me.”
When Nuvolo began expanding its life sciences offering, Kendra joined as a solution consultant, working directly with customers. Over time, her role grew into healthcare, public sector and other regulated environments.
“Life sciences has always been my core,” she says. “But Nuvolo gave me the opportunity to expand into other heavily regulated sectors. That really became my sweet spot.”
Today, Kendra’s role focuses on aligning market needs, customer realities and product strategy. She works closely with sales, customer success, marketing and product teams across the company to ensure Nuvolo’s solutions truly work for the environments they’re designed for.
On innovation and the future of cloud-based connected workplace solutions
As the needs of regulated industries are constantly evolving, Kendra likes to keep a close eye on the trends shaping the future. “In life sciences, for example, one major trend is the number of blockbuster drug patents expiring by 2030. That’s pushing companies to accelerate their development pipelines. There’s also a growing demand for built-in compliance support within software.”
Kendra credits Nuvolo’s acquisition by Trane Technologies in 2023 for being a catalyzing force for keeping up with rapid technological change. “There’s so much potential and possibility in this role to be a part of even more significant innovation,” she says. Kendra now has the opportunity to work with software, building systems and services teams across Trane Technologies to explore what becomes possible when those pieces come together.
“It’s unique because Nuvolo has the agility of a startup with the power of a global manufacturing company. That lets us step back and ask, ‘What can we now do that we couldn’t do before?’”
That connection became especially tangible during a recent visit to Trane Technologies’ La Crosse, Wisconsin manufacturing site. “Standing on the floor in La Crosse, wearing safety gear and seeing the scale of the equipment was eye-opening. It makes the impact of the work feel very real. You understand how important it is to get these systems right, because of the role they play in how buildings operate and how much energy they consume.”
That experience helped Kendra connect her day-to-day work with the broader impact of Trane Technologies’ systems, highlighting how decisions made in software ripple outward into real buildings, real energy use and real outcomes.
Trane Technologies’ mission state is to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world. Kendra comments on the acquisition by Trane Technologies and how she feels about the company’s mission:
“Sustainability has been of great importance to me since I was a teenager when I began getting involved in community environmental groups, and organizations and community groups centered around sustainable agriculture. I would say the motivation to focus on sustainability in my life was first driven by a love of wild animals, and then quickly shifted towards environmental health of both humans and animals and the realization that we all have a role to play in supporting sustainability efforts, whether we are aware of it or not. When Trane acquired Nuvolo, it married two areas of my life that I thought would always be separate, my career and, of course, sustainability. Two areas that I had always hoped I would be able to connect.”
Startup energy, global impact
Kendra particularly enjoys the fact that her team can have a global impact while retaining its startup-like culture.
“Nuvolo has always had a startup feel. We’re a very close team. We know each other’s lives, we’ve met each other’s partners, and there’s a genuine sense of investment in one another.”
The culture also encourages experimentation, which Kendra believes has played a big role in her professional growth. “If someone wants to try something new or move into a new space, there’s support for that – which means I’ve had the chance to see almost every core part of the business. I feel like finally understand how a business truly works.”
Advice for digital careers in unexpected places
Although Kendra never expected to build a digital career in manufacturing, it’s actually where she sees some of the most meaningful impact.
“A lot of people don’t initially think about manufacturing or the built environment when they’re exploring digital careers,” she says. “But once you’re inside it, you realize how complex, interconnected and important these systems really are.”
In her work at Nuvolo, Kendra sees how digital tools touch a wide range of industries in very real ways, from healthcare and life sciences to manufacturing and public sector environments. “You’re working on software that has a real-world impact, that connects physical systems, buildings, people and data. There’s a real human impact. You’re supporting environments where people depend on things working the way they should, every day.”
That’s why her advice comes back to mindset. “Develop a research mindset,” Kendra says. “Be genuinely curious. Listen for the signals. Look for patterns and trends. Learn how businesses work end to end. That understanding becomes incredibly valuable, especially if you want to eventually grow into leadership.”
Most importantly, Kendra emphasizes the importance of having fun at work.
Want to build an enjoyable career in tech like Kendra? Check out our digital solutions roles.