Arie is an R&D Machinist at Modern Electron. Arie has seven years of machining experience in the aviation field working with a variety of exotic machinable alloys with high precision tolerances and using a variety of multi-axis milling centers.
In his spare time, Arie likes to read classic literature. John Milton, William Blake, Kierkegaard, Ovid, and Plato are his favorite authors. Arie is also teaching himself how to cook french mother sauces.
Aditya is an Associate Mechanical Engineer at Modern Electron. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he worked extensively on data analysis for a research group developing intelligent prosthesis and exoskeleton controls. He is a co-author on a publication for an automated method of motion capture data analysis.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing the violin, writing music, cooking food, and playing video games.
Amit Goyal is the Director of Technology at Modern Electron. He has over a decade of experience managing research initiatives and commercial business development in areas of sustainable chemistry, catalysts, and process development. He has led several US-DOE-funded programs for first-of-kind technologies, utilizing alternative feedstock for the production of fuels and chemicals. He received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, India, and a Master of Science and doctorate in chemical engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Amit is an inventor on seven granted and two pending US patents. His accolades include induction to the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame (2008) for his work on methods for electrophoretic deposition of carbon nanotubes for FET and sensor applications. He was awarded the Schering Plough Science and Innovation Award for his doctoral research (2007). He was also selected for the best technology pitch for biomass-derived sugars conversion to acrylonitrile – a monomer used as a precursor for the production of carbon fibers to investors during the “Shark Tank” session held at the World BioMarkets 2017 conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His hobbies include badminton, travel, and reading.
Alex is a Senior Materials Engineer at Modern Electron with significant experience working at the intersection of semiconductor processing and energy technology. He specializes in surface science, thin-film processing, solid-state and nonaqueous electrochemistry, and vacuum engineering.
Prior to joining Modern Electron, he worked as part of a multi-institutional Department of Energy-funded Energy Frontier Research Center, where he successfully developed the first solid-state lithium-ion battery fabricated using conformal, vapor-phase chemistry. He obtained a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Maryland based on this work. He has co-authored 20+ scientific publications and one patent on topics ranging from colloidal nanolithography to lithium-air batteries. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Alex’s hobbies include hiking, diving, skiing, and fossil hunting.
Andrew is a Senior Engineering Manager for Modern Electron with expertise in low-dimensional carbon materials, ultra-high vacuum systems, and nanofabrication. Andrew earned a MASc at University of British Columbia, where he designed and fabricated nanostructured devices for heat-to-electricity conversion.
During his two-year Master’s studies, he was published in a multitude of peer-reviewed journal papers and conferences. He earned a BS and graduated #1 in Electrical Engineering at The Ohio State University. His passions include writing and producing music, teaching science to grade-school students, and consuming spicy food.
At Modern Electron, our people are our foundation, and we are excited to continue our series of employee spotlights with Senior Engineering Manager, Andrew. Andrew joined Modern Electron before the company spun out in 2015, starting as a Test Engineer before becoming an Engineering Manager in 2017.
Andrew grew up in a small town in northern Ohio, always interested in science and technology but unsure of his ultimate career path until he discovered semiconductor device physics in the final year of his undergraduate studies at Ohio State. It was thrilling to discover a technology that required one to understand the principles of quantum physics, get one’s hands (or rather, gloves) dirty in the cleanroom, understand the microfabrication processes used in the cleanroom, and relate all of this to the wide-ranging applications of semiconductor devices such as MOSFETs, LEDs, and photovoltaic cells.
After earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State, Andrew went on to earn an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, where he worked on devices utilizing advanced materials including thermionic converters.
Andrew started collaborating with Tony & Max, the co-founders of Modern Electron, on thermionic converter technology even before the company was formed. After Andrew graduated, Andrew immediately joined full-time to become the 3rd person in the endeavor, even before Modern Electron was officially founded in November 2015. Andrew spent the first two years as a fabrication and test engineer, building and testing thermionic electrodes. Andrew was then given the opportunity to take on a leadership role on the R&D team, and has since become deeply interested in the topic of how to effectively manage research and development efforts and innovation in commercial settings, specifically in startup companies with very aggressive deliverables and timelines.
First and foremost, this team and our commitment to each other. We’ve assembled a group of talented scientists, engineers, technicians, business leaders, and administrators that are not only highly competent, but also strongly committed to each other and to making Modern Electron successful. We’ve created a fun, fast-paced environment fueled by a passion for our technology and desire to see its impact in the world.
Helping to assemble this team. I’m a dinosaur by Modern Electron’s standards (employee #3), so I’ve interviewed most of the people I work with. Hiring is usually a pretty arduous process at Modern Electron because we’ve set our bar so high – in terms of both technical skills and team fit – so the process can be almost painful at times, but the results speak for themselves. I’m very proud of the team we’ve assembled and my contribution to the process.
Everyone has unique strengths and interests that can be leveraged to benefit a company. Good leaders will find ways to leverage those strengths and direct natural energy for certain types of projects or tasks rather than assigning project or task ownership without regard for that. Maximizing the overlap between strengths/interests/energy and business needs is a good way to “think win-win” and is something I would consider best practice.
Roelof Groenewald – Roelof is a technical powerhouse at Modern Electron whose contributions range from particle-in-cell model development, to simulation of our experiments, to power electronics development, to working side-by-side with experimentalists to help interpret experimental data, to coordinating external consultants, and more. Beyond that, he’s a remarkably friendly, helpful, energetic, and fun person to work with!
On a team level, the chemistry team recently demonstrated a huge increase in emission current density with our next-generation chemistry. This is something we’d been banging our heads against for nearly 2 years, and finally made a breakthrough! On an individual level, I recently redesigned the heater/temperature control system for the test chambers we use in the lab, and since then we’ve scaled up that system such that it’s used on nearly every small test chamber. It’s nice to see the little control box I designed popping up all over the lab!
Innovative, fast-paced, fun, friendly, helpful, highly logical.
If you’re willing to dive deeply into a complex technology, have an eager desire to learn, are willing to turn wrenches at least a few times, and enjoy the sound of humming vacuum pumps, you’ve come to the right place!
My colleagues at Modern Electron, a few public intellectuals such as Sam Harris and Coleman Hughes, a few popular scientists and engineers such as David Deutsch and Andy Grove, and anyone who has made a successful career out of their creative passion.
Walk or bike the Chief Sealth trail – a new urban trail that runs underneath high-tension wires that spans the length of South Seattle – from its northern terminus near the VA to its southern terminus near Kubota Garden. It’s sort of a well-kept secret, so don’t tell anyone!
Arvind is a Senior Computational Physicist at Modern Electron. He holds a BS in chemical engineering (biomolecular track) from the California Institute of Technology and an MPhil in chemistry from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Churchill Scholar. His research experience spans from protein folding and atomistic simulation to biocatalysis and drug discovery, and he is broadly interested in applying techniques from computational physics and statistics towards problems of societal interest.
Arvind is currently pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering as a Hertz Fellow at Stanford University, where he is working with Professor Jennifer Cochran on enzymology and high-throughput biochemistry projects. He has coauthored ten publications and patents, and enjoys homebrewing and electronic music production in his spare time.
Bailee is a Bookkeeper and Administrative Assistant at Modern Electron. She recently graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Business Administration, focusing in operations & supply chain management as well as entrepreneurship. During her time at the University of Washington, Bailee helped to create a startup company where she was responsible for a variety of roles, including financial management.
In her spare time, Bailee enjoys trying new activities, swimming, watching television, and baking.
Bill is the VP of Engineering at Modern Electron. He has over 30 years of professional experience in product R&D, involving a wide range of science and technology. He has led numerous multi-disciplined R&D engineering teams throughout his career. Bill has held leadership positions in a number of start-up companies, and has also worked for a number of fortune 100 companies including Boeing, United Technologies, Dow Chemical, Martin Marietta (now Martin Lockheed), and Johnson & Johnson.
Bill earned his BA in mathematics from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe Pennsylvania, and his BSEE from the Pennsylvania State University. He also holds an M.S. in Physics from the University of Washington.
Bill’s hobbies include cooking, kayaking, fishing, and golf. In his free time, he also enjoys spending time with his family, reading, eating, and watching football and ice hockey on TV.
Casey is an Associate Mechanical Engineer at Modern Electron. He recently graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He’s had experience interning at a solar-powered refrigerator/freezer R&D lab as well as a camper-van conversion and camping equipment company doing mechanical design and fabrication.
He is an avid outdoors person and can usually be found mountain biking, skiing, backpacking, or recreating in any other capacity outdoors. He also enjoys playing the guitar and creating art.
Dan is a Facilities and EHS Coordinator at Modern Electron. He has over 8 years in mixed-use Facilities including running the largest gas stations across 4 states and commercial car washes for consolidated rental car centers. He’s a certified Facility Management Professional with ongoing training in other areas of Facilities Management, including sustainability.
He graduated with a B.S. in Construction Facilities Management from Brigham Young University, Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology. His hobbies include many board sports, most recently surfing. Dan loves cultural travel and being in new places, especially the great outdoors.
Daniel K. is a senior thermal mechanical design engineer at Modern Electron. He has nearly a decade experience in solid-state power conversion ranging from semiconductor materials development and characterization to prototype device design and testing.
Daniel holds a BS and MS from ETH-Zurich, and earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT by spearheading multiple research projects ranging from the experimental demonstration of solar thermoelectric generators, the development of high-temperature solar absorbers and highly thermally conductive polymers.
He is the author of 20+ peer-reviewed publications and 2 book chapters and is a co-inventor on 7 patents and patents pending. His hobbies include windsurfing, basketball, exploring cities and national parks by car and foot and trying new restaurants.
Daniel M. is an Senior R&D Scientist at Modern Electron. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Southern California, studying doped superfluid helium nanodroplets. Prior to his Ph.D. he worked at Sandia National Laboratories, analyzing the fundamental chemical kinetics of hydrocarbon combustion, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, applying state-of-the-art metrology techniques to help service x-ray optics at the Advanced Light Source.
Besides work-related subjects, Daniel is passionately curious about a wide range of topics in physics, chemistry and mathematics. He also enjoys running, swimming and hiking in his spare time.
Emily is an Engineering Technician at Modern Electron. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry at Bellevue College. Emily has a background in laboratory research with GC-MS, LC-MS, and TLC practices and 2 years of laboratory management experience. In addition, Emily worked for Bellevue College’s Disability Resource Center as a professional note taker for three years.
In her free time, Emily enjoys watercolor painting, cooking, video games, and spending time with her boyfriend John and their two cats, Luna and Maple.
Ethan is an Electrical Engineer supporting the Core R&D team at Modern Electron. Prior to joining Modern Electron, he worked at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, developing functional test setups and procedures for airplane systems. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from MIT.
Outside of work, he can be found somewhere in Washington climbing a mountain or at home tending his garden.
Harrison is an Associate Materials Test Engineer at Modern Electron specializing in materials testing, experimental automation, and prototype assembly. He graduated from Oregon State University in material science (MS, 2020) with thesis research focused on in-situ microstructural characterization of high-temperature oxides for power plant applications.
While working at the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, Harrison was involved in the development of chemical looping combustion, a process that seeks to drastically improve the carbon-capture efficiency of power plants that utilize fossil fuels.
In his free time, Harrison enjoys cooking, running, playing video games, and reading.
Jeff is a Chemical Engineering Technician at Modern Electron. He has a B.S. in Environmental Health and Safety and over 20 years of experience in R&D / hydrocarbons production with the Dow Chemical Company. He spent his career in polyolefins research supplying resins for the specialty chemicals market, hydrocarbons research with a focus on ethane and propane dehydration, and hydrocarbons production operation manufacturing ethylene and propylene monomers. Jeff is also Certified Six-Sigma Green Belt and has led teams to VPP certification through OSHA.
In his free time, Jeff enjoys working out, golfing, traveling, investing, cooking, managing his online store, and spending time with his family.
John is a Senior R&D Engineer at Modern Electron. He has 20 years of experience working in the field of vacuum tubes and cathodes, ranging from CRT manufacturing to field emission to mass spectrometers and ion thrusters. He is a co-inventor on 4 patents and co-author on 6 publications. He has helped start-ups bring products from concept to prototype to market, and has designed and assembled hardware that has flown to Venus! John holds a B.S. in Physics from Truman State University.
John’s interests include planetary science, movies, science fiction, and travel. He enjoys spending time with his family hiking, canoeing, and visiting waterfalls.
Jonah is a Combustion Engineer at Modern Electron with expertise in combustor design, fluid/mechanical systems, manufacturing, and testing/instrumentation. Prior to joining the Mod Squad, Jonah worked on large rocket engines at Blue Origin. His work primarily focused on the design and development of liquid oxygen/liquid methane preburners for staged combustion engines. He has a PhD from Stanford University where he researched propellants for hybrid rockets.
When not at work, Jonah can usually be found hiking in the mountains, biking around Queen Anne, or on a sailboat somewhere on the Puget Sound.
Josh Wolcott is a welder and fabricator at Modern Electron. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a major in Fashion Design. He has spent his professional career doing custom design and fabrication in a vast array of materials and spent the last decade doing 3D design, welding, and CNC machining. He is currently teaching himself woodturning, blacksmithing, and finding the next skill to add to his repertoire.
In his spare time, Josh loves working on projects in his home shop, camping, gardening, and spending time with his family.
Kate is a Materials Engineer on the Full Device Engineering team. She graduated with a Masters in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University with a focus in semiconductor characterization.
In her spare time, Kate enjoys hiking and crossword puzzles.
Kevin is an Associate Research Software Engineer at Modern Electron. He holds a B.S. in neuroscience from the University of Washington and a B.S. in computer science from Oregon State University. He has experience in working with high-performance parallel computation and developing operating system emulation software. He also has research experience in performing neuronal electrophysiology procedures and studying embryonic and postnatal neurogenesis.
In his free time, Kevin enjoys calligraphy, traveling, skiing, and reading.
Kira is a Purchasing Agent at Modern Electron. Previously, Kira has managed supply chains in healthcare, defense, aerospace, technology, public transit, and the casino industry. Kira brings her passion for fixing systems and spreading visibility to Modern Electron, with continuous process improvement as her ethos.
In her free time, Kira enjoys spending time with her two partners, Chloe and Nova. She loves running, shooting, and reading non-fiction & philosophy.
Kristen is a Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer on the Product Development Team at Modern Electron. Kristen has five years of experience in the energy industry in process equipment design, maintenance, and fabrication, including thermal analysis and design of heat exchangers. Kristen obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.
In her spare time, Kristen enjoys attempting new recipes, exploring the outdoors, and constantly learning.
Lindsey is the Senior Administrative Specialist at Modern Electron. Previously, Lindsey oversaw clinical, administrative, and treatment operations at an orthodontics office. Lindsey brings her passion for identifying inefficiencies and simplifying processes to Modern Electron, with the goal of constantly improving day-to-day functions within the company. She’s no stranger to wearing many hats and is excited to apply her previous experience to a new and exciting industry.
In her free time, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her fiance, Spencer, and her son, Henry. She loves being outdoors & staying active, going wine tasting, and attempting home renovation projects!
Luisa is the Senior HR & Operations Manager at Modern Electron. Luisa graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Public Health. Her passion lies in growing startups & small businesses and working to make the world a healthier place for all, and she’s grateful to be able to combine both passions at Modern Electron.
In her spare time, Luisa enjoys running, hiking, and trying new foods. However, she is also just as content curling up with a good book and listening to the rain.
M.J. is a Mechanical Engineer – Chemical Reactor Design at Modern Electron. He has over five years of experience in the innovation of high-temperature applications in the metals and mining sector; most notably commercializing the dry granulation technology from lab-scale to full-scale. He is experienced with computational fluid dynamics with a focus on particle modeling. M.J. graduated with a BASc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada.
M.J. is an avid fencer, both as an athlete and a coach. He also enjoys exploring the outdoors, snowboarding, and learning new things!
Marcelo is an R&D Technician at Modern Electron. He has an A.A.S. in both Machining and Electronics from Lake Washington Institute of Technology and he enjoys projects that allow him to utilize these strengths together.
In his spare time, Marcelo likes running, reading nonfiction, and learning new skills.
Mark is an R&D Engineer at Modern Electron and holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Florida International University in Miami, FL. His research consisted of understanding and developing next-generation energy-efficient information processing devices. He focused on developing spintronic nanodevices as a promising alternative to the semiconductor microprocessor and memory technologies.
Mark enjoys playing sports and traveling abroad with his wife. He’s passionate about Spanish culture, food, and literature.
Matt is an Engineering Technician at Modern Electron. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. He has experience in manufacturing and R&D settings doing mechanical design analysis and prototyping in the medical device industry.
Matt is also a musician and instrumentalist who can be found outside of work writing and arranging compositions in his home studio. He also enjoys reading, skiing, hiking, and weekend trips to the coast for surfing.
Matt is an associate materials engineer at Modern Electron. He earned a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Washington State University and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Materials Science from Vanderbilt University. His Ph.D. studies investigated thermal conductivity, and in particular, acoustic softening and acoustic stiffening in silicon and zinc oxide nanowires.
In his free time, Matt enjoys skiing, hiking, swimming and otherwise getting outside.
Matthew is a Materials Engineer at Modern Electron with expertise in prototyping, development, and automation of experimental test stations, and materials research. He graduated from UC Davis in Chemical Engineering (MS, 2014) with research projects in the synthesis and characterization of ceramic electrolytes for batteries and fuel cells.
He was involved in the development of novel X-ray sources based on the triboelectric effect at a startup in Los Angeles called Tribogenics and more recently was involved in SBIR projects related to X-ray scanning and optical metrology at Physical Optics.
For fun, he enjoys bouldering, kiteboarding, and board games.
Mothusi is the VP of Business Development and is responsible for Marketing, Product Management, and Governmental Relations at Modern Electron. The former Chief Commercial Officer at private equity firm B3Bar, Mothusi cofounded a data contextualization startup and has led early-stage Business Development and Go-to-Market in and around Energy, Power Generation, WHR, Utilities, and Industrial Operations. Mothusi formerly worked at Cummins Inc (NYSE: CMI) as part of the Strategy and Business Development team and later as the executive in charge of the company’s Power Generation division for commercial and industrial customers in 11 countries in southern Africa.
Mothusi is also a former whitewater river guide in the Grand Canyon. He has studied economics, math, and Chinese at Beijing University and UC Santa Cruz. He holds an MBA from Yale University where he was recognized as a Kauffman-Jewett scholar with multiple distinctions including Environmental & Land Use Law.
Nik is a TIG Welder / Fabricator at Modern Electron. Nik is primarily a self-taught fabricator with 15 years of experience in welding, machining, design, and precision fabrication. His versatility combined with a fast-paced, tried-and-true work ethic enables him to deliver on-time, quality, one-off solutions to Modern Electron’s prototyping team.
Outside of work, Nik’s life revolves around his family. Nik, his wife, and two young sons enjoy riding dirt bikes and raising chickens together. Nik is also building a custom Harley Davidson chopper. His multi-year goal is to have the Harley Davidson chopper featured on the cover of a cycle magazine.
Noah is a Senior Engineering Manager at Modern Electron. He leads the fabrication team that delivers quality on-time parts to support the company’s rapid design needs.
Prior to joining Modern Electron, Noah spent nearly a decade in the aerospace industry focusing on delivering automated tooling solutions in multi-million dollar projects. Over the years, he has developed expertise in machine design, control systems, software development, advanced manufacturing, and project execution. Noah earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering Technology at the Oregon Institute of Technology.
When Noah is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, trying new recipes, and working on lots of wood/metal/building projects.
Patrick is a Senior Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer on the Product Development team. He brings over 10 years of thermal-mechanical design experience, designing several components in power-generating industrial gas turbines with GE Power. Most recently, he helped develop conceptual designs for hybrid propulsion systems for the aircraft startup Zunum Aero. His engineering experience has been focused on exploring the full design space and bringing parts from sketches to prototype, test, and production phases.
Outside the office, Patrick enjoys attending and performing live music, cooking and eating food, and exploring new cities.
Peter is a Senior Computational Physicist at Modern Electron, with more than 11 years of experience in quantum mechanics, condensed matter theory, and computational simulations of materials. He received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago where he studied high-temperature superconductivity and his B.S. from Harvey Mudd College. Before joining Modern Electron, he studied methods for atomic-scale fabrication of quantum information devices as a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. He is the first author of nine papers and is a recipient of several national fellowships, including the Hertz Fellowship, the Goldwater Scholarship, and the IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.
Peter plays cello and piano, pursues landscape photography, and enjoys lightweight backpacking, bicycling, and gardening.
Rick is a Senior Manufacturing Engineer at Modern Electron. Over the last two decades, he has helped several medical device startups move from R&D labs to commercial production. Products included cardiac implants, ultrasound diagnostic, therapeutic devices, and other electromechanical devices. Rick holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Washington.
Rick’s hobbies include auto racing, skiing, ice hockey, canoeing, cooking, and also enjoys quilting with his wife.
Roelof is a Senior Computational Physicist at Modern Electron. He has extensive experience in computational condensed matter physics, ranging from ab-initio studies to method development for computing many-body interactions. He holds an MS degree in computer science and a PhD in condensed matter physics from the University of Southern California.
Outside of science he enjoys motorcycle riding, sailing and traveling. He is also a big rugby fan.
Ryan is an Associate Materials Engineer at Modern Electron working on new methods of controlling electrode chemistry to improve device performance. He graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and from Oregon State University with an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. His Ph.D. work spanned multiple projects from the surface characterization of engineered biomaterials for vascular grafts to a microfluidic photoreactor for the treatment of neonatal jaundice.
Ryan’s hobbies include reading, skiing, and walking his dog Bagels.
Sam is a Materials Engineer at Modern Electron who specializes in microscale materials processing and characterization for energy conversion. He has over 10 years of R&D experience in nanostructure fabrication, nanomaterials processing, microstructures for thermionics, and semiconductor optoelectronics.
Prior to joining Modern Electron, Sam developed novel templating methods for bottom up nanostructure self-assembly and growth during a PhD at MIT and micro/nanostructured ceramics for thermionics and solar flight while a postdoc at UPenn. Most recently Sam was a Sr. Technical Development Engineer at nLIGHT working on high power semiconductor lasers. He has over a dozen papers and patents developing microstructures for semiconductor nanodevices, solar cells, thermal-to-electricity conversion, medical devices and space flight.
In his free time, Sam enjoys being active in the woods, mountains and lakes of the Pacific Northwest, throwing together a culinary masterwork in the kitchen, and cheering on his alma mater Kentucky Wildcats basketball team.
Sammy is an Associate Mechanical Engineer at Modern Electron. She is pursuing her master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Sammy has worked on a variety of projects including the wheel anomaly testing for the Mars Curiosity Rover at JPL and the Science Cryostat design for Caltech’s Sharpening Images Using Guidestars at the Hale Telescope (SIGHT) at Palomar Observatory.
In her free time, you can find Sammy mountain biking, exploring the outdoors, and traveling. She enjoys trying new hobbies and sports, especially those outside of her comfort zone.
Stephen is a Senior Materials Engineer at Modern Electron with a background in the development and industrialization of high temperature and composite materials, particularly Ceramic Matrix Composites, for energy, aerospace, and space applications.
Prior to joining Modern Electron, he worked for a major jet engine manufacturer developing Ceramic Matrix Composites, their manufacturing processes, test methods, and lifing and reliability models. He obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MS in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California Los Angeles. He holds 20+ patents on various materials, manufacturing processes, and component design methods for managing thermal, mechanical, and environmental issues.
Stephen’s hobbies include sailing, hiking, and restoring antique cars.
Tony Pan is the co-founder and CEO of Modern Electron. He is an inventor on 250+ patents pending. Past experiences include: Member of Global Future Councils of the World Economic Forum, in Energy & Entrepreneurship. Strategist at Goldman Sachs. Pro bono consultant on global health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Global Good Fund. Term Member, Council on Foreign Relations. National fellowships: Hertz, Soros, and National Science Foundations. Graduate, Stanford; Ph.D. in Physics, Harvard University. Named to Forbes 30 under 30, MIT Technology Review Innovators under 35, Business Journal 40 under 40.
Vik is a seasoned industry professional, with over 25 years of experience developing sustainable energy technologies and products going into buildings and transportation, such as HVAC&R, as well as the organizational capabilities that support these. In particular, he has been instrumental in the successful introduction of not-in-kind thermodynamic systems such as absorption chillers, heat pumps, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems, as well as digital enabling technologies such as modeling & simulation. In one of his more recent roles with Ingersoll Rand/Trane, Vik built and led the first Network of Excellence for Modeling & Simulation, a team of 50+ advanced engineers from around the company’s operations worldwide, to support the innovation and product development efforts of all its business units.
Vik has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering/thermal sciences from Penn State and an MBA in global management from the University of Manchester in the UK. He has over 30 publications as papers, seminars, and theses to his credit, presented in various global forums.
Vik was invited to serve on the Industry Advisory Board for his alma mater at Penn State. He has also been invited as a consultant to the US Dept. of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions (Technology Commercialization), Building Technologies Office, and Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy on different occasions.
Outside of work, Vik enjoys travel, reading, and most of all, art. He is particularly passionate about music (plays a little piano) and dabbles in amateur theatre (writing, direction, and production).
Vikram is a Chemical Process Engineer at Modern Electron. He has 6+ years of experience in the Chemical Industry in both R&D and Manufacturing of hydrocarbon resins. Vikram graduated with his B. Tech from SASTRA University and M.S. from Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chemical Engineering. He earned his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University with his work on Chemical Kinetics of Combustion and Pyrolysis of Biomass-related compounds. He has published six journal papers and one patent. Vikram is also a Certified Six-Sigma Green Belt.
Vikram enjoys playing squash, badminton, and running. He occasionally does acrylic painting of landscapes and listens to (and used to learn) Indian Classical music (Karnatik). Last but not least, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
Yan is a Senior Combustion Engineer at Modern Electron and has over 15 years of working experience as a Combustion Engineer in the gas turbine industry. She designed, re-designed, analyzed, and tested multiple E-, F-, H-class gas turbine combustor systems and components, with many still running in the fields. Yan earned her Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Outside of work, Yan enjoys reading, skiing, and hiking in the mountains.
Carsten Voigtländer is a board member of Modern Electron. Previously, he headed the Vaillant Group as CEO until 2018. With 13,000 employees and over €2.5 billion/yr revenue, Vaillant is a market leader in the HVAC market. Carsten has a PhD in thermodynamics. He has more than 25 years of international management experience in mechanical and plant engineering, in series production, in the energy sector and in the service industry.
Alex Molinaroli served as the Chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls, a leader in building systems and efficiency products with over 100,000 employees worldwide and $30 billion/yr revenue. He was with the company for 34 years serving as CEO beginning in 2013 to 2017. Prior to that he was the President of the company’s Power Solutions battery business.
David J. LaGrand was the CEO of Nortek, a major manufacturer of Residential and Light Commercial Heating and Air Conditioning products. He was with the company for 29 years serving as President since 1997 and CEO beginning in 2001 to 2017. During his tenure the business grew more than six fold. Mr. LaGrand also served on the Board of Directors of the Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
Ed Williams is a serial entrepreneur in the technology and energy industry. Ed was the CEO of SilLion, Novinda Corporation, Firefly Energy, and Accumedia, and has served on the boards of Solid Power, Catalyst Repository Systems, and the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association.
David Bradwell is the co-founder and CTO of Ambri, a deep tech energy company revolutionizing long-duration energy storage via liquid metal batteries.