SyracuseCoE celebrated Global Entrepreneurship Week with a Research & Technology Forum that featured three perspectives on commercializing innovations energy and environmental systems. Those who presented were a founder and CEO of a student-led venture, a faculty entrepreneur who participated in the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, and a founder of a start-up company that brought game-changing LED lighting to sporting arenas across the country, including a stadium that hosted the Super Bowl. The presenters offered personal insights on opportunities and challenges along the paths of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Presenters:
Joe Casper
Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Ephesus Lighting
Joe is uncompromisingly committed to creating a whole new evolution in LED lighting technology. He drives design and engineering solutions to deliver what the customer needs rather than what the industry has been making. Joe brings to Ephesus 30+ years of experience and career achievements, which include work with industry leaders like Motorola, Fairchild Semiconductor, Lockheed Martin and part of the startup team for WaferTech, a Washington state-based semiconductor facility he helped grow to 1400+ employees and $1 billion in revenue.
Yan-Yeung Luk
Associate Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University
Luk is a faculty member in the Chemistry Department of Syracuse University since 2004. With a few of technologies spun out of his laboratory, and with his scientific advisory experiences to two biotechnology companies, Luk founded LifeUnit LLC, a startup company that develops chemical innovations for controlling bacteria-related diseases and problems. LifeUnit LLC has won the Innovation Corps grant from National Science Foundation, and Luk is the acting Chief Scientific Officer for the technical operation of LifeUnit.
Joshua Aviv
Founder and CEO, SparkCharge
Josh Aviv, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SparkCharge, holds a bachelors degree in Economics from Syracuse University with a focus in Environmental Economics and currently finishing his master’s degree in Information Science, with a C.A.S. in Data Science. Josh is in charge of product development and day-to-day operations including establishing relationships with electric vehicle (EV) owners. Josh, an EV owner himself, has extensive EV expertise and has been in the industry for the past 3 years.
Research & Technology Forum Series
SyracuseCoE offers regularly scheduled forums and networking showcasing innovative research, technologies and other opportunities of interest to stakeholders and community members. Past topics have included groundbreaking industry projects to modernize the HVAC systems at the Sistine Chapel, workshops to help state agencies develop funding priorities, and research on the impact of “green” buildings on cognitive function. To receive notice of these events, sign up for email updates at the “Join our mailing list” tab at the bottom right corner of the website. Visit the Research & Technology Forum page to see the archive.