Podcasts about first robotics

Send us a textBrogan Miller, PE is a startup veteran, product engineer, and the founder of Doula Studios, a consultancy dedicated to helping early-stage hardware companies bring their ideas into reality. Calling himself a “doula for startups,” Brogan supports entrepreneurs as they navigate the often-chaotic birth of new products, offering hard-won wisdom, technical expertise, and a get-it-done mindset.Brogan's career path has been anything but ordinary. He's held pivotal roles as one of the earliest employees at several startups, including Sensel, AliveCor, Trove Foods, and Typhur, where he designed and launched everything from ultra-thin pressure sensors to a 200-pound electromechanical cooking system. As Head of Engineering at GaeaStar, he guided the company through critical product validation stages, building engineering infrastructure and supply chain resilience. His work has spanned continents, including a year living in Asia to shepherd product development on the ground.But Brogan's story is more than just shipping products. He's also deeply committed to education and community. As an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, he has guided students in product design and engineering, while his earlier work in the Graduate School of Education led to the creation of seven open-sourced educational tools—one of which was acquired by Google. Beyond academia, he volunteers with organizations such as First Robotics and Youths of Africa Career Development, where he introduces Ugandan youth to engineering pathways and mentors the next generation of innovators.With a reputation as a jack of all trades and a master of one—getting things done—Brogan brings a unique lens on what it takes to turn bold ideas into successful products.LINKS:Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brogan-miller/Guest website: https://www.doulastudios.com/ Aaron Moncur, hostAbout Being An Engineer The Being An Engineer podcast is a repository for industry knowledge and a tool through which engineers learn about and connect with relevant companies, technologies, people resources, and opportunities. We feature successful mechanical engineers and interview engineers who are passionate about their work and who made a great impact on the engineering community. The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us

When the founder of the world's largest furniture manufacturer partners with one of the nation's most innovative technical colleges, you get one of the most unique learning centers in the world. This week, host Matt Kirchner is joined by the visionaries behind the landmark Wanek Center of Innovation at Western Technical College: Ron Wanek, Founder of Ashley Furniture Industries, Dr. Josh Gamer, Associate Vice President of Workforce Partnerships and Innovation, and Dr. Roger Stanford, President of Western Technical College.The conversation is a masterclass in industry partnerships, future-forward educational technology, and building a true pipeline from K-12 education to technical colleges to a four-year degree.This episode is a must-listen for any educator, employer, or policymaker committed to a skills-based, adaptable future workforce.Listen to learn:Why the 50-year partnership between Ashley Furniture and WTC was the core ingredient for this innovation.How a manufacturing leader defines the handful of ways to build true wealth in the United States today.The Digital Twin technology that allows students to digitally perfect process changes before implementing them on physical robotic assets.Western's new strategy to use a full-time position to bridge the operational gap between K-12 schools and local manufacturers.How the college is developing an enterprise AI strategy to use data from the center for operational efficiency and curriculum change.3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. U.S. education must refocus on technical skills to compete globally. Ron Wanek warns that the U.S. is falling behind countries like Germany and China because it has deprioritized technical education in favor of liberal arts. His partnership with Western is designed to reverse that trend through STEM and workforce training.2. The Wanek Center is a national model for Industry 4.0 integration in education. The facility includes 39 networked robots, a live IoT data infrastructure, and the first educational Digital Twin of its kind. The Digital Twin allows students to simulate manufacturing process changes in a virtual environment before applying them to the physical robotic cells. Students and employers alike now use the space to prototype real-world innovations.3. Western has built a full pipeline from middle school to a 4-year Automation Leadership degree. Through dual credit programs, high school students in the district now earn thousands of Western Technical College credits annually. A full-time K-12 liaison connects schools and employers, supporting everything from field trips to FIRST Robotics. Dr. Roger Stanford also signed 13 new transfer agreements with UW-Stout—including a direct 61-credit transfer into the new Automation Leadership bachelor's degree, which stacks seamlessly from credentials like SACA into advanced career pathways.Resources in this Episode:Learn more about the Wanek Center of Innovation: westerntc.edu/WanekCenterWe want to hear from you! Send us a text.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

In this episode of The Boulos Beat, guest host Cameron Foster interviews Torey Penrod-Cambra, Co-Founder and Chief Communications Officer of HighByte, an industrial software company headquartered in Portland, Maine.  Torey shares her journey from Columbus, Ohio, to settling in Maine in 2011, as well as the educational and professional experiences that ultimately led to the founding of HighByte in 2018. The conversation highlights the company's rapid growth, its role in advancing industrial data infrastructure, and its commitment to community engagement through initiatives such as Girls Who Code and FIRST Robotics. 

What do Upward Bound Saturdays, a grandmother's wisdom, and a suitcase full of robotics kits have in common? They're all part of the story behind ACCESS Educational Services, founded by Gwen Brantley to expose underrepresented students to meaningful STEM opportunities.This week on Mission CTRL, Ramon sits down with Gwen to explore how her journey from HR professional to nonprofit founder has empowered thousands of students over the past 20 years. From moonlighting on lunch breaks to taking the leap full-time in 2017, Gwen shares how personal loss, faith, and the drive to give her son opportunities shaped her mission to build confidence and career pathways for underserved youth.Gwen opens up about chartering the first NSBE Jr. chapter in Bridgeport, partnering with organizations like NASCAR and FIRST Robotics, and why teaching by doing - through coding, robotics, eSports, and more - is the key to unlocking student potential. She also reflects on the realities of funding a nonprofit, the importance of accountability to donors, and why representation in STEM careers matters as much as exposure.Whether you're an educator, entrepreneur, or just someone who believes in the transformative power of opportunity, this conversation is packed with lessons on resilience, vision, and community. If you've ever wondered how to turn a side hustle into a 20-year movement that changes lives, this episode is for you.•••Find full episodes of Mission CTRL on Anchor, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.Mission CTRL aims to ignite the innovative spirit inside us all through providing budding and successful entrepreneurs and community leaders with a platform to share their stories and inspire others. Tune in every Wednesday and catch up with the team at Peralta Design as we unleash the origin stories behind some exceptional leaders, share marketing/branding insights, and navigate the ever-changing currents of pop culture.Subscribe for more weekly branding and entrepreneurial content here! To learn more about Peralta Design's work visit peraltadesign.com.#welaunchbrands #launchyourbrand #BrandU #missionctrl #mctrl #digitalagency #mbeagency #mbe #digital #branding #marketing #web #creative #contentcreator #contentstrategy #marketingstrategy #leadership #leader #entrepreneur #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurial #startup #startups #business #businessowner #businesstips #scalingyourbusiness #smallbusiness #w2 #fulltime #9to5 #office #officelife #corporate #podcast #podcasts #podcastshow #businesspodcast #lifestory #lifestories #personalstory #personalstories

A candid conversation with high school engineer and FIRST Robotics alum Natalie Macias about curiosity, consistency, and carving out room for young makers inside a sometimes closed-off industry. We talk early exposure to CAD and flight sims, why manufacturing is the first mile of everything, the lemon tree lesson on failure, and how leaders can be firm yet flexible. Natalie wants more hands-on opportunities before college and a more welcoming on-ramp for students who are ready to show up.Guest:Natalie Macias, student engineer from Los Angeles, senior capstone lead, robotics team veteran, and Future Faces of Manufacturing feature with AMT. She's using LinkedIn to learn directly from practitioners and find mentors across the industry.What you'll hear:How a DOD Starbase program quietly introduced CAD, chemistry, and flight simulation to a curious kid from South CentralWhy FIRST Robotics felt like a real company under deadline, with design, programming, assembly, and manufacturing all moving togetherThe jump from loving law to choosing engineering, then finding home in manufacturingA classroom set up like DARPA, complete with two “companies” competing for a contract under a mentor who worked at Northrop GrummanWhy opportunity before college is the missing bridge and how dual-enrollment and apprenticeships could fix itLeadership as knowing your people, staying open to feedback, and bending for the needs of the group without becoming a people-pleaserCreating space in schools so students can actually grow rather than learn inside a boxFailure as pruning a lemon tree so the next season grows strongerUsing LinkedIn for mentorship and perspective, not just job huntingThe ask to our audience for college experience stories from programs that truly delivered hands-on engineeringKey quotes:“If you keep showing up, even if you didn't do well, you're showing that you want to be there. That goes a long way.”“Manufacturing is phase one. Piece by piece, chip by chip, you're contributing to something bigger.”“Failure isn't to stop us. It's pruning the dead branches so the tree can grow.”“Be firm where it matters and flexible where it helps the group.”“Create space for growth. Don't keep students in a box, then act surprised when they don't grow.”Topics covered:Early STEM ignition through Starbase and school projectsFIRST Robotics as a training ground for teamwork and urgencyHands-on access for high schoolers versus the current college-first gateHow industry perceptions can intimidate newcomers and how to fix that welcomeLeadership habits students will actually followNatalie's college search and what she's looking for in an engineering programThe pace of automation and why that excites herNatalie's ask to listeners:If you studied engineering or work in manufacturing, message Natalie on LinkedIn with what your university actually did to prepare you. What labs, co-ops, shops, or professors made the difference. Short stories beat brochures.Sponsor note:Med Device Boston is the go-to Med Tech sourcing and education expo on September 30 through October 1 at Boston's VCEC. 200 plus suppliers. 1500 plus attending professionals and OEM decision makers. Explore 3D printing, AI, materials, regulatory tech, and contract manufacturing under one roof. Register and plan your visit at meddeviceboston.com.Resources mentioned:Starbase STEM programFIRST Robotics CompetitionProject-based capstone with a Northrop Grumman mentorDual-enrollment and apprenticeship models for high school studentsHow to support Natalie:Share a warm intro to mentors who welcome high school talent into labs, job shops, and build teamsInvite her to tour your facility or shadow an engineer for a daySend those honest college experience notes she asked forAbout the Manufacturing Connector Network:We help brands and builders turn trade shows, plant tours, and expert interviews into a steady pipeline of video, audio, and social content. On-site capture, mobile studio, short-form editing, podcast production, and distribution that stays consistent week after week. If you're heading to a show or launching a product, we'll bring the cameras and do the heavy lifting.

In today's news: Edgewater Automation is inviting everyone to help raise some money for FIRST Robotics teams from around the region with its third annual Edgewater Automation Poker Run this month. The Berrien Community Foundation has announced the latest recipients of Heart of Cook grants. Planning is underway for the next Michigan Black Summit, once again to be held at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center in February. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's news: Edgewater Automation is inviting everyone to help raise some money for FIRST Robotics teams from around the region with its third annual Edgewater Automation Poker Run this month. The Berrien Community Foundation has announced the latest recipients of Heart of Cook grants. Planning is underway for the next Michigan Black Summit, once again to be held at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center in February. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's news: Edgewater Automation is inviting everyone to help raise some money for FIRST Robotics teams from around the region with its third annual Edgewater Automation Poker Run this month. The Berrien Community Foundation has announced the latest recipients of Heart of Cook grants. Planning is underway for the next Michigan Black Summit, once again to be held at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center in February. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for a conversation with Tennessine Titans FIRST Robotics member, Lacey Coates. Lacey offers valuable insights into how manufacturers can attract and inspire young talent, emphasizing the need for a cultural shift that prioritizes innovation, technical skills, and long-term investment in STEM education. As part of FIRST Robotics, Lacey and her teammates take a holistic approach to design and engineering, ensuring every member understands all aspects of their robot to develop a versatile skill set that translates beyond competition.Sponsored By:

Participation in FIRST Robotics serves as a gateway into STEM and manufacturing careers as students learn facets of mechanical, programming, electrical, and the business side of robotics. Dhruv Patel from Flagship First Robotics joins us from the ASSEMBLY Show South in Nashville to share his enthusiasm for the latest technological advancements in manufacturing, like rapid liquid printing. He also shares ideas for how manufacturers can inspire the next generation through sponsorships, camps, and partnerships with local colleges. For many students who join us at the ASSEMBLY Show, observing the impressive precision of robotic arms on display is like viewing a work of art. Learn more about how FIRST Robotics is involved with The ASSEMBLY Show.Sponsored By:

Shawn Tierney meets up with Rylan Pyciak of Cleveland Automation Systems to discuss Trends in Automation, Inspiring a New Generation of Controls Engineers, and more in this episode of The Automation Podcast. For any links related to this episode, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video. Watch The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: Listen to The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: Read the transcript on The Automation Blog: (automatically generated) Shawn Tierney (Host): Welcome back to the Automation Podcast. My name is Shawn Tierney from Insights and Automation. And in this episode, I sit down with Ryland Pychak from Cleveland Automation Systems, a system integrator house, to talk about all things industrial automation, including how do we get more people involved in controls engineering as well as, like, what are the latest products and technologies people are using. So with that said, let’s go ahead and jump right into my interview with Ryland Piechak from Cleveland Automation Systems. Ryland, it’s great to have you on the show. Now before we jump into our conversation, can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. Certainly. Well well, first and foremost, thanks for having me as well, Shawn. Definitely appreciate the opportunity. Yeah. To give a little bit of background, I’m Radom Pyshak, founder, president of, Clearwater Automation Systems, as well as a controls engineer. You know, we’ve we’ve essentially been in business for ten years now. And, ultimately, you know, my background has been controls engineering through and through. Actually started the manufacturing floor myself. You know, a lot of maintenance technician role, a lot of day to day kind of supporting troubleshooting equipment and whatnot. From there, obviously, went off to college, got a controls engineering background, did a little stint at Rockwell, also worked at an OEM as well as a system integrator. And then from there, kind of saw the entire picture of manufacturing and decided to go out and start cleaning automation systems myself. You know, so since then, like I said, we’ve been in business going on ten years so far. And, yeah, it’s been been great. You know, there’s a lot of unique things we’ve come across in the manufacturing industry, and, I’m definitely very passionate. And it’s, something that’s very interesting from my perspective. Shawn Tierney (Host): Well, I appreciate you coming on the show. And, really, that’s our audience, the controls engineers, the, really, the automation electricians, those electricians who just really get into automation and do that as kind of a specialty, as well as the, maintenance technicians and control technicians, you know, maybe have an electronics background, a mechatronics background, and then get into automation. And so, really great to have you on. And it’s you have a great pedigree. They have different companies you’ve worked with. You’ve kinda seen the industry from different angles, which, you know, a lot of people don’t get that get that chance to work for a vendor and a integrator and an OEM and on the plant floor. So what really, tell us about your company, Cleveland Automation Systems. What do you guys do? Like, what was the purpose and found doing it? And and, really, what’s your what’s your focus? Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. Yeah. Certainly. So click on automation system is probably the best, you know, term for us as a system integrator. Right? We typically have various clients that come to us to solve unique problems. That’s anywhere from simple, you know, field troubleshooting, simple service calls we get to complex equipment development, a lot of custom automation, as well as a lot of integration. You know? So, really, we work pretty much with every clientele across the board. I would say the main one, pretty much the only thing we don’t do is oil and gas. But we support clients across various manufacturing industries. And, really, you know, we essentially got into business to solve a lot of these complex problems. What I saw from my perspective was a lot of, you know, lack of support for various legacy systems, you know, other challenges that our our clients would have where, hey. How do we integrate various components together? So really going into business kinda to solve a lot of those problems, and that’s still what we do today. You know, anywhere from upgrading, you know, obsolete components and hardware, software control systems, all the way to developing custom unique, you know, different kinds of equipment and machinery. So very interesting industry, and our client base is pretty wide as well. Shawn Tierney (Host): Now I know with your background, right, there’s probably a focus on, like you were just saying, on helping people migrate to the latest generation or to a platform that’s gonna be stable for them. I know in the pre show we talked about some of your clients have, like, just a mishmash of controls. And so, and I know a lot of people in the audience, they have to deal with all different types of vendors. And so, just a, you know, a minute and not that not you know, we’re gonna be preaching to the choir here. But when you’re when you have a a one of your customers come to you and say, here’s what I got. What’s the best path forward? What’s some of the things you tell them about? Maybe not having every vendor on the planet every control system on the planet in your plan, well, that would be great for a museum, is not really great for your your people because it can be difficult. I mean, people struggle understanding an iPhone how to use an iPhone and an Android. Right? Because it’s so different. And if you take that times five or 10, it really just puts a lot of stress on the, the maintenance staff, the electricians, and and the engineers on-site. So what’s some of the advice you give when when you’re working with your your, vendors? Your I’m sorry. Your, customers. Rylan Pyciak: Certainly. I mean, I think you hit the nail right on the head there with the, you know, the iPhone to Android comparison. I use that as well. You know, the biggest thing is what we like to do. First and foremost, we usually do a site assessment for our clients, and that is coming in and understanding everything within the facility. Right? That is, you know, what control systems, hardware, software, motors, kind of everything that makes automation run. And really from there, it’s identifying and saying, hey. You have these, you know, five, six, 15 different vendor hardware, software platforms in your facility. You know, which route do you wanna go? Obviously, there’s some name brands that, you know, all of us understand are are primary here, you know, at least in The US that most people use. And and, really, it’s more of an educational thing than anything else with our customers of outlining and saying, hey. You know, to be able to hire somebody, you know, to fill a maintenance technician role, to fill a controls engineer role, you know, not only do they have to bring the skill sets of actually doing that work, they also need to bring along the skill sets of how to support these systems. You look at something such as DeviceNet versus Ethernet IP. Right? There are, you know, different I’m gonna call it generations, different demographics that grew up supporting that versus what is currently used in the market. So, you know, really, it’s sitting down, talking to our customers, kind of looking at that list we’ve developed with them and saying, hey. This is everything you have within your facility. Which route do you wanna go? What does your current maintenance staff look like? What can you support? As well as what does your infrastructure look like? Because end of the day, it’s you know, one, obviously, obsolescence is huge. I’m sure we’ve all been there. Right? You have a an obsolete hardware software device that goes down. Now you’re scrambling to go and find another one, right, typically on eBay, pulling it off the shelf, potentially opening up and soldering things. Nobody wants to go that route. So it’s more so understanding this is the route you should go and a lot of guidance education on, you know, one, why you should migrate as well as two, what that’s going to look like, you know, from your support and maintenance perspective where, hey. Now you only have one software license to manage. You only have one platform to manage, and it’s not, you know, five, six different platforms and somebody’s old Windows XP sitting on the shelf that you have to clean dust off of every time. So that’s, you know, I’d say in a nutshell, a lot of education, you know, goes into a lot of these conversations. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. You know, I think about over the years, all the peat times people upgraded and the reasons for upgrading and just the the cost of upgrading. There was a lot of people who upgraded in, for y two k when there was no reason to. And but they would there was a fear factor there. You know? Fear and certainty, doubt. Right, FUD? And so they would do upgrades, and they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. And I was just sitting there as a technical person being like, you’re wasting your money. You don’t need this. And, you know, I often see, like, an end user where they have a, you know, they have a a storeroom full of every IO module and every terminal block and every, processor and memory card, and it’s like, should we update the entire plan? I’m like, why? You not only is everything running smoothly and everybody’s trained on it, you have all the speeds you could ever use, and this stuff will last forever. Whereas when you’re sitting down with an OEM and they’re like, well, now I need to do six axes, and I have to do, you know, coordinated motion. You’re like, well, yeah, you’re not gonna wanna use that old stuff. Right? You we need to get you into the latest stuff where we have these new text test axes, commands and different things we can do that will just make your development so much easier. Plus, you’re gonna want tech support because if you go into the new generation, you’re probably gonna have some questions because you’ve been using the old generation. So it can really be case. And then I see, like, a lot of the the sensor vendors we have on, they come out with this new sensor that has features that no other sensor on the market has. And so I can see an end user saying, well, we usually use brand x, but brand y is really killing it. And this is the application brand x couldn’t solve, so we’re gonna go with brand y. And so it does make sense to I mean, you know, you can come at this from every different angle, but at the end of the day, I guess, like you were saying, you don’t wanna have a plan with 15 different things in there, 15 different software licenses. And, you know, it’s like, just because you’re good at Word doesn’t mean you’re an expert at Excel or PowerPoint. Right? And just because you’ve learned brand x does not mean you’re gonna be able to pick up brand y quickly. I know when I started working with Siemens, it was like a huge just, it was like going from, you know, Photoshop to PaintShop Pro or you know? It was just like a huge, huge change, and you really just you’re not as efficient when you first start off. So definitely definitely a lot of considerations there. You know, I think one of the things we’re talking about, in the preshow was the you know, how do you attract young people? Because so many people like us who are getting older. Right? And then the people who taught us who are retiring, you know, there’s a a lot of a lot of the younger, audience, you know, they they’ve been using a touch screen since they were. My grandkids have never known, devices without touch screens. Right? Rylan Pyciak: Mhmm. It’s Shawn Tierney (Host): so and so, you know, how do we what do what can we do to help get that younger generation in? Because we need to bring before everybody retires who has that that, you know, that knowledge. We’re gonna we’re gonna get that the younger folks to keep coming in and, you know, maybe we won’t have as many because, you know, systems are more mature and the you know, when I first started PLCs, we’re still relatively new. So programming PLCs with software was still relatively new, only a couple years, three, four years old. And so but today, we’ve been doing it for, you know, thirty five years, forty years. So, we may need less people as as as the knowledge is easier as a and and the products get easier, easier to use too. But how do we attract, younger engineers into this? I think we would both agree is a phenomenal, industry of, you know, automating manufacturing and other and other Rylan Pyciak: things? Yeah. Yeah. No. That that’s a great question. You know, honestly, I think some of it from my perspective, manufacturing is almost like a black sheep. Right? A lot of people haven’t heard of manufacturing. They typically look at it of, hey. It’s something either I see on TV or it’s how cars are made. But I feel like there are a lot of younger generations that may not just fully understand what we do day in and day out. You know, from the technical aspect, from problem solving, from engineering design, you know, all of the things that go into manufacturing a product, both on our side as integrators, programmers, things like that, but also from support, from production, you know, on the flip side. So, you know, I think there’s some of that of actually drawing an awareness to what our industry is and what it does. You know, if I’m being frank, a lot of my first introductory really was just talking to friends of friends, you know, and primarily, you know, older generations of, hey. You’re really hands on, really like to do things like this. You should look at this industry. And if it weren’t for those conversations, I probably would have never ended up in this industry either. You know, so, really, I think it’s it’s kind of opening up and saying, hey. You know, First Robotics, other, you know, kind of vocational or technical, you know, trades kind of situations when you’re in high school, even middle school of identifying people that are interested in these industries or interested in more, you know, hands on designing things, building things, and getting in front of those younger generations and showing them, hey. Manufacturing is something you can get into. And, right, you could pick up a teach pendant and move half of a car around with a robot. That’s really cool. So I think it’s a lot of kind of, you know, not only educational from a sense of educating people, but also just, you know, getting in front of younger generations, showing them what’s out there, you know, things that we like to do. There are a lot of career days at schools if we can go in and do things like that. Any kind of, you know, I guess, community involvement or outreach where you do have middle school, high schools, you know, even vocational schools of having introductories. Definitely love to do that. I mean, I sit on a couple advisory boards. Anytime we have professors that wanna invite us in, absolutely would jump on board and say, yes. I will sit down, show everything what we do, show Dawson pictures, kind of walk them through what you can do, you know, as controls engineers, as mechanical engineers, and really get a better sense of of this is what this industry looks like. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. You know, I think, when my kids were growing up they’re all grown up now, have kids of their own. When I was when I was when they were growing up, there was really no inexpensive way to to they nothing inexpensive I really could put in front of them to let them let them learn, you know, electronics and programming. We had, you know, we had PCs, but, beyond that, that’s not the way it is today. Today, we have, and we’ve covered them on the channel is, you know, I think one of the best places to start is with the Arduinos. And you can buy kits from kits with lots of electronics. It’s kinda like when I was a kid, they had a thousand and one experiments. Right? So you can buy buy, you know, kits that are, you know, $20 or $30. And we’ve reviewed a lot of the kits and and and the what comes in them, but they they come with all kinds of electronics and then the world, you know, the the world’s your oyster from there. You can do so many things. But even before you get to that point, I loved and I used to coach legal league. And for those younger middle school kids, right, legal league, you know, you can I was I had kids in there in fourth grade, right, learning to do the Lego League stuff, and they they do a great job of trying to make it fun? You you’re plugging the like, motors into into bricks, onto a a computer, and then you program it graphically, you know, with, you know, moves and, you know, if you’re into motion, everybody you know, you got a gut moves and how far you’re gonna go and sensors that tell you when to stop. And, I mean, it’s just I think it’s amazing. But the one thing I found, though, that that is difficult is that, you know, most most parents these days, they’re working, they’re both working, they don’t have a lot of time, they come home exhausted, and so they they have, an Xbox or a streaming surface that is their babysitter just so they can have some some alone time. And and I would just recommend, you know, limit that time. You know, the especially with video games these days, everything’s a season. You don’t wanna miss the next big thing that’s happening and and you would think from roadblocks to to, Destiny or, you know, Call of Duty or whatever. But don’t limit your kids’ time so when they’re bored, they have to they have to pull out that kit and stop playing with it. I was with my grandson recently, and he got grounded. And I said, well, I bet your mom well, you can’t play video games. I bet your mom will let you create your own video games. It’s like on her computer. He started, you know, designing his own levels and whatnot. It’s like, you know, if they if, you know, people are gonna go for easy. Right? But once easy is not there anymore, then they’ll they’ll look for something else. And, now talk to me about how how have you worked with the young have you done anything with the with the first robotics or with training? You said you’re on advisory councils. Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. Yeah. So we’ve, you know, we’ve sponsored a few high school competitions as well as some other local high schools that essentially, you know, they’re they’re just looking to do introductory into robotics design. You know, I think it almost goes back to the educational standpoint where, you know, your typical curriculum is is pretty standardized now. And a lot of, you know, shop classes, I feel like don’t exist at many high schools like they did, you know, ten, fifteen, thirty years ago. So some of it’s conversation. Some of it is honestly just where we’ve engaged with, you know, either prior high school, you know, where I went or other high schools that are interested in that and supporting it. Right? Like you mentioned, the biggest thing is is funding and finding opportunities. And to your point, yes, nowadays, it is hundreds of dollars. It’s not thousands or tens of thousands to do that. Exactly. But that that’s something I feel like us as, you know, us as companies in the integration world, and just speaking kind of at in general, being able to identify those things, you know, from anyone listening, if you are on the integration side or even if you’re on the manufacturing side of maybe having conversations with, you know, what your your current layout looks like, potentially your your children or high schools that you worked with, you know, and then going to higher ups and maybe asking for a little sponsorship. I mean, a couple $100 can get quite a few different pieces of hardware and software, and you could start building these things that, you know, allow for that aptitude and that intriguing, you know, design and and doing hands on design, you know, I think opens a lot of doors from that perspective. Yeah. I mean, definitely having good conversations with with, like I said, high school students, as well as trying to find other opportunities where you can work with these generations and allow them to have that curiosity. You You know, I think that’s the biggest thing. Once you get that spark and that curiosity, really just continuing to run from that and seeing what other options are out there in the world. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. And and if you’re gonna sponsor as a company or as a group or as a, you know, organization, I would definitely put a put a requirement in there and and maybe go and and see the final project. Because my wife’s a principal, she’s been teaching for twenty years, and, people have sponsored different different, you know, things that she’s tried to implement in her school. And I think the one thing they fall down on is, yeah, they they have you fill out a form. They give you the money. Then so you can go buy the kits, but and then they don’t get involved. And it’s like, you know, people get busy. And if there’s not, like, this requirement that, hey. They have to show you know, at the end of the at the end of the season or year or course, we’re gonna come in and see what they did. Just to try to hold their feet to the, not hold their feet to the fire, but just to give the teacher or the instructor some accountability, some some, reason to make sure that this stuff gets used and covered because there are so many mandates. Hopefully, this will change, but today, there’s so many mandates that it’s difficult. They really have to make an effort to teach, outside of what’s mandated, which is and and like you said, unfortunately, shop class shop class, and, you know, basic electricity, those type of things are not mandated anymore or not mandated today. But, you know, as we’re talking about this, let if you don’t mind, can we switch over and talk about smarter manufacturing? So we’ve talked a while about how we get youngsters involved, but as you go to work every day, right, and you work with your people and you work with your customers, I mean, what are some of the trends you’re seeing out there where people are doing things maybe smarter or adopting new newer technologies that, you know, we didn’t have maybe ten years ago that are really making a difference in their plants? Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. Yeah. Certainly. You know, there are quite a few different things that we’ve come across. You know, there there are some buzzwords definitely. You know, I think that you kind of have to sandbox exactly what they are, AI being one of them. Right? I think in the general sense, a lot of people may not understand. But there are some I’m gonna call them, you know, AI such as vision systems where essentially you’re teaching it, hey. Here are, you know, passable or passing products. Here are failing products. And it’s not necessarily how vision systems traditionally were, right, where it always has to be the same picture if it doesn’t line up. If it’s not good, it’s bad. Right? That that’s kinda more of the traditional sense where some of these newer AI, you know, learning systems that are out there are actually able to detect and say, hey. You know, I may be looking for something to be right side up, and it’s within that plus or minus 10 degree window. That’s gonna be a pass. If I see something flipped upside down, that’s certainly gonna be a fail. So we’re seeing some newer technologies like that definitely being implemented out there. IoT, smart sensors, IO Link are other ones that are huge. We’re seeing a lot of deployments, especially in food and beverage where you’re no longer having to run analog sensors everywhere, but rather, you know, you’re basically implementing IO Link and other similar platforms where now I’m actually getting that process data over Ethernet IP. I don’t know if they’re about scaling other things like that. They make field installation and setup time a breeze. We do a lot of that as well. So definitely some newer technologies. And then some other things I’d say are pretty unique too are more maybe around the robotics where we’re seeing a lot of your ROS and ROS two development where, you know, again, it’s kind of more of a open source platform that essentially allows you to run the control kind of independent of what we would traditionally look at from a controller where, hey. You may have a Fanuc or a KUKA robot that is essentially now running, you know, from a ROS perspective versus your traditional, you know, picking up the teach pendant and programming points. So it it it’s definitely interesting. I’d say, you know, we’re working on a quite a few different applications that are kind of bridging that gap between traditional and newer technologies, you know, where there’s a lot more dynamic going on. You know, for instance, an application we’re currently doing, essentially, we have, you know, a product coming into an area, a couple scanners doing a three d point cloud, and then robots that are actually going over top of that. That product that’s coming in is never the same from one product to the next. So there’s a lot of kind of, you know, ongoing smart technology that’s feeding in there, vision systems, three d systems, and that’s actually using one of the the ROS, you know, approach as well. So, yeah, it’s definitely something that I think as our our industry grows, there’s a lot more, interest in it, and there’s a lot more funding coming in, private equity, venture capitalists, that are are starting to try and solve some of these more complex problems. And I think from that, it it does allow us to now look at this. Hey. Traditionally, you would program with a PLC ladder logic. And the teach pendant. Well, that way you might be able to use more software based controls and engineering versus, you know, ladder logic programming and things like that. So, yeah. I mean, it’s interesting. Again, from our standpoint as a system integrator, we get to see so many of these different things going on, that you walk in and you’re like, this it’s pretty neat to see what other people are trying to do out there. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. You know, we talked about AI quite a bit last year in in robotics. AI, you know, we and and I asked the audience to help me. Look. We gotta spread the the the knowledge about AI as far as what it really is. Couple years ago, I was on vacation, and we were on a tour, and we had these dinners every night. And this older man, he’s he’s like, AIs self aware, and they’re programming itself, and we don’t need people anymore. And I’m like, that’s a great science fiction book you just read, but, I mean, I think if you know? You know, you try to explain to them. It’s like, look. It’s like they published this. IEEE does a great job covering this. They’ve literally spent millions every year, like, 10 of the millions every year programming these AIs. They’re not self aware. They’re not then that people still are needed. That’s why they’re paying people, you know, millions of dollars to program them. And, you know, it’s it’s it’s basically you know, as we look at the I always go back to, like, voice activation, and I should mute my, my device here so I don’t accidentally trigger it. But, you know, if we think back, like, I bought Dragon Natural Speaking back in the day because I wanted I my old job for twenty five years, I spent half or more of every day driving. So four hours driving, seven hours working, or eight hours driving, four hours. It was just it was just a for somebody who likes to do for a doer, it’s just demoralizing to be on the road that much. For a driver, that’s great. I mean, they love that. But in any case, long story short, it’s 90% and, again, I have an accent. But 90%, you think that sounds great until you go to edit what you said. It’s not good. Right? It’s, like, too much work. I could just type this from scratch. And we we also see that with a lot of transcripts. Like, if you’re on a video streaming site, the transcripts, the, automatic English captions, right, closed captions, A lot of times, they’re not that good either. But we’ve seen that grow. I know when I first got my, my iPhone and it had Siri, and I would be like I would talk to it and be like, I can’t answer that. Today, I can talk to it, and it does a great job. It’s it’s the the database that has backing it up is so much better. And so I take that and I go into, like, the vision system example you gave. Right? Now in the past, like you were saying, we had to have the lighting perfect. We had the gauges and the tools, and the the product had to be in the spot all the time, and there was no way to for it to float around and find the product and and most early on. And today, you can shoot it, like, a 100 products and say these are all good, and it can the algorithm can figure out, hey. What are the minor variances of these so I can understand what falls into the good bucket? And then you can shoot at a 100 bad products and say, okay. These are bad. And they can actually build some, some, tables or or value sets to know, to really know really well, you know, much faster than any person could, what’s good and what’s bad. And it’s amazing. Even one vendor said, hey. If you need to give it train it do even more training, we you can upload it to our website. We’ll do it offline and send it back to you, which I just think is amazing. And I know it’s revolutionizing, you know, cancer treatment or or detection and all kinds of other things. But, yeah, no. This is not data from Star Trek. Rylan Pyciak: Right? Yeah. Shawn Tierney (Host): This is not Al from 02/2001. And, and, yeah. And so so go ahead. Go ahead. Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. No. I was I mean, you’re you’re spot on, Shauna. It it it’s a good balance. Right? I mean, you know, I even look at it. We’ve all been there, right, especially from the controls perspective where something isn’t running and you walk out and it’s that slight little turn of the photo eye. Right? So as much as I think a lot of people may look at it of, hey. It’s taking over the world and it’s taking over what we’re doing, It still requires people, you know, in in at least in our world, technicians to implement it, to program it, to set it up. And, again, a lot of our equipment too doesn’t even have that smart that technology. So, you know, it’s something that as we move forward educationally, I think, you know, generations that that still have a pretty good length of career left, it it’s making sure you’re educating yourself on it, understanding what it is, how to deploy it, utilizing it as it becomes more commonplace, but definitely not you know, I wouldn’t be intimidated by it because it it’s something that it it’s like anything else. It’s a tool that’s going to be used. You know, and I think it’s making yourself aware of it, understanding how you can actually deploy it in the future. And and something else, I guess, you know, a thought that they brought up from my standpoint is actually investment in this new technology. It’s something else that we have a lot of these conversations with customers. You know, I know automate just happened. Right? You go out and you see the latest and greatest of everything. Lot of cool technology, new technology. You know, we always caution our customers to be, you know, cautiously optimistic and consider what you’re investing in, because one of the things you have to look at you know, there are all these these crazy new technologies that are out there. I’m gonna use collaborative robots as an example. Right? When when they first came out, it was universal robots. Now you watch the show, you know, there are probably 50, a 100, I don’t know, 500 collaborative robots. The thing you have to really consider is not only are you purchasing this technology, you’re investing in education, you know, from an internal standpoint to to bring your teams up to speed. But you also have to make sure that technology still exists in five, ten, twenty years. A great use case, you know, we actually did case study on it. You know, Ready Robotics, I thought was a great platform, works really well, you know, kind of made robot programming agnostic. And and they had a really, really valuable, you know, use case, I thought. And, you know, they went bankrupt. They went out of business. So you have to look at that too of, hey. I’m gonna go and spend this money as a decision maker for my plant, for my company, for my process. You have to also make sure that that hardware, that software, that firmware, that company that developed that is also there in the long term. So you kinda have to do a pros and cons and make sure, really, our our biggest things, you know, how long have those companies been in business, what does their technology look like, what does their tech support look like, Right? Do they have a team? Is it one individual? Are they writing firmware on the back end as these bugs come up? But it really is a holistic picture. And and, again, I really recommend having conversations with your personnel that are on the floor supporting this. Reach out to integrators, reach out to individuals within the market. You know, ask a lot of questions before you make those decisions. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. But, you know, it’s does it work with your existing architecture? So there are so many great cobot and robot manufacturers. And, quite honestly, some of them work better with brand a and some work better with brand b. And if you have brand b, you probably want one that works really well with it. You know, if you have brand a, then, you know, that’s gonna be and I know they all try to work with all they try to be vendor agnostic as far as the control systems, but some do a better job with you know? A lot of times it’s geographical or it’s just, you know, the the mission of the company internally. But, and then there are there are companies out there who do just just do a phenomenal job or try to with all vendors. But, you know, I think Cobot’s, that’s one place we talk about the younger generation. I mean, you think about it. Right? And and I worked in a machine shop one summer when I was, in high school, and it’s it’s a job that young people do not want. Right? If you’re if you’re if you’re machining products, right, it it’s similar to, like, if an injection molding facility. People don’t wanna work there either. Right? Younger generation, a lot of them don’t because they want something more, you know, twenty twenty five ish. Right? And so, if you can have a COBOS sit at that machine and put the pieces in and out instead of a human being, and I could tell you that was very boring work. And I and and and most of the people there were not college graduates. Right? They were there because they were you know, it was the best paying job they could find without having any experience. And so as those people retire, if if you don’t have enough people to fill those roles, that’s where the Cobots, I think, could do a great job. And this people even have innovative uses for them. Like, this one company was it was a three d printing company, and so they like to work eight to five like most people do. They have families. They wanna enjoy their evenings. And, the problem was, though, the printers would finish the print. You know, they would take custom print jobs. They’d finish, like, in the evening. Right? And nobody wanted to drive back to work and switch out the trays so they could print something else. Right? Expensive machines printing expensive products. And so they bought a Kobo. Now all that Kobo does is it goes around and replaces the trays on the three d printers when they finish their job so that you can print something else. And it gives them another, you know, theoretically, another sixteen hours worth of printing they can get out of their machines while everybody’s at home, you know, spending time with the family and and and sleeping. And so there’s a lot of innovative ways to use cobots. Now have you guys done any work recently with cobots? Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. Yeah. That’s it it’s definitely something, you know, we’ve deployed quite a few collaborative applications. Yep. You know, really, when when it comes to I’m gonna say collaborative versus noncollaborative. More so, we’re we’re kinda back to, I guess, what you just touched on is identifying, you know, what are the problems that you could potentially solve? Or, honestly even just walking in and saying, hey. There is a potential solution here that maybe somebody’s never thought of. You know, that’s identifying, like you said, that, right, the three d is dirty, dull, dangerous where people just it’s a boring job. People hate it. It’s high turnover. You know, really kind of finding those applications where it’s something simple. You know, it it it’s low cost. It’s something you could implement very easily. And then being able to walk in and replace that with a robot with a collaborative robot, you know, with an automated solution that actually solves those problems. Right? And then it takes those individuals from doing that that high turnover, boring, or dangerous, or, you know, mind numbing kind of position into something that that opens up a lot more doors, and now they can be technicians. They can, you know, kinda move into a higher position where they’re doing more from the company perspective. But, yeah, I mean, in terms of collaborative applications, definitely a lot of opportunity that’s out there. You know, I think the biggest things are, you know, obviously identifying what you’re trying to do, making sure you do proper risk assessments to make sure that application is actually collaborative, as well as, you know, really finding what are you trying to solve at the end of the day. Right? Is it a labor problem? Is it, you know, just just an ergonomic problem is definitely a big one we see a lot of. Time saving problems. We deployed one two years ago, actually, that essentially just mixing the solution. Right? In every fifteen minutes, operator would have to stop, open up the door, go in there and mix this this solution, essentially, to keep it mixed, shut the door, and hit go. That essentially removed that where now that operator is no longer there and actually doing the other pieces of their job. You know, it was a slam dunk for everyone involved. So definitely a lot of opportunities out there. You know, I think, really, it’s it’s identifying what you’re trying to solve. But you can definitely utilize them in quite a few different locations. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. You know? And I that kinda brings another thought to mind is, you know, we hear a lot of people say, well, automation is bad because it takes away jobs. And I usually, it’s a boomer when I see somebody saying this on TV and not to pick on boomers. Okay? But, typically, it’s a boomer. Right? Mhmm. And, they’re holding a, like, an $800 smartphone, and they’re standing next to a a, you know, a $5,500 big screen TV. And I’m just like I’m I’m like or with those products you love to use, the car you like to drive, that smartphone you love, you know, None of those can be made without automation. Impossible. Literally impossible to make your modern devices without automation. Technology, and I like to just say technology technology gets rid of the lowest level jobs. Right? So from the day we learned to tie an ox to that wheel to turn it so we could either pump water or grind, you know, grain or whatever, right, or harness it harness the wind with the wind with the winter a wind wheel, a windmill. You know, that where people are always trying to find smarter ways to doing thing. And, you know, not that mixing a container by hand is extremely difficult or but I don’t know how many times I’ve gone to the local, home supply store, and they’ve mixed my paint wrong, literally. Or I’ll say this too. Same place. Have my keys made wrong. I’ve I have, like, half a dozen keys I’ve paid them I had made, and they mess them up. Right? And so I’m not picking on people. They’re they’re stressed out. They got lots doing. But if If if if I need a key now, because I know there’s one, department store nearby that has the automated. You just put your key in. It does everything automated. I will only go there because I know it is done correctly every time. And quite honestly, I don’t have to listen to the to the the sales guy go, oh, I don’t like making keys. I can’t believe I gotta do this. You know? It’s just so funny. Yes. I wish you didn’t have to do this either because you keep doing it wrong. So Uh-huh. I mean, do do you agree with me? Or I mean, the technology I find is elevating. It’s giving people better jobs. It’s not it’s really eliminating the jobs that most people don’t want. Am I right about that? What what are your thoughts about that? Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. I you know, honestly, Shawn, I think I think you’re spot on with that. You know, really, automation and and I would say this. You know, the last couple years, a lot of our customers, they’re asking for automation because they simply cannot find enough people to fill their roles. It’s not that, hey. We wanna, you know, necessarily improve a process or, you know, replace people. Nobody’s actually filling those roles where they don’t have enough resources to do that manually. So it’s a, you know, it’s a labor shortage issue, honestly, of what we’re dealing with. But by no means is it actually taking over, replacing jobs, anything like that. I mean, exactly what you said. Right? You look at at jobs that are very labor intensive, that are, you know, very stressing, ergonomic issues that, you know, it it’s honestly it’s backbreaking work. And I definitely understand that I wouldn’t wanna do that kind of labor myself day in and day out, five days a week. And that’s where automation is key. Right? So you now walk in and a robot, a control system, you know, whatever it is is replacing those things that are, you know, beating up your body or, you know, other things, you know, very toxic locations, locations that you don’t wanna deal with chemicals, things like that. Now those same persons that had to go in and do that are now actually supporting it. And kind of back to what we were talking about before, right, now those individuals are learning how to operate the HMIs. They learn how to recover the robots. They’re learning how to do basic troubleshooting on PLCs, you know, robotic systems, things like that. So, you know, from from an employment perspective, from a technology and educational perspective, I think it’s taking them from doing a repetitive, laborious job, and now it’s opening up more avenues where you could walk in and say, hey. You know, I have background, you know, programming, doing basic troubleshooting on this system that has, you know, phanic robot, Allen Bradley PLC. I made edits. You know, we may be maybe that system, you’ve put in five new part variants since you purchased it. You know, so now you you have more applicable skills that I think, in general, our industry needs to head that rate. Right? As you mentioned, one, to be able to be competitive with the prices of what we pay for the cost of goods sold in general. But two, just from a standpoint of, you know, if corporations and companies are going to try and remain competitive, they certainly are going to have to automate. You’re not going to be able to replace and do everything with manual, you know, human labor, and you need to start implementing automation, you know, in the right locations, but also making sure you’re implementing it so you can, like I said, obviously, fill those labor gaps, fill the labor shortages that you have, you know, high turnover positions or dangerous positions, replace that with industrial automation. And, yeah, I mean, end of the day, It it is definitely not taking people’s jobs. I can’t say I’ve seen any project where we walked in and said, hey. Here’s a machine that runs x rate. These five people are now gone. Usually, they’re moving into higher level positions, technician positions, and and, honestly, getting more education. So, I mean, I’m absolutely on board that automations automation is nothing but a good investment from a company perspective. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. And, you know, I think back to, BeachNet, they make baby food. And, I was, working with them when they were building a new plant, and, the old plant looked ugly. It was like an old brick building, multistory. Yeah. It I like, I walked through it, and I’m like, I don’t know that I could ever buy this baby food again. But their new plant was just beautiful. Beautiful. When you walk into the lobby, it’s huge and beautiful. You walk in the lobby, they have a mural on the wall. It’s like endless mostly ladies in hair nets, endless table of ladies cutting potatoes and carrots, and and, they’re all happy. They’re like, yeah. This is great. The kids are in school. I can make some extra money. Maybe we’ll buy a new car. You know? They were all pretty happy. It was like they can sit there. They can chat. They can cut the carrots and potatoes, and they’re making healthy baby food for the community. And so it was great. Today, I don’t think my granddaughter would wanted that job for a a, you know, million dollars. You know? She’s never known a time when it hasn’t been, you know, high screen high resolution touch screens in her hand or in her mother’s hand or, you know, in her house, and it’s like, why would we do this manually again? Rylan Pyciak: Mhmm. Shawn Tierney (Host): Why would I spend all day repetitively getting carpal tunnel tunnel syndrome or whatever? You know? You know? And and so that’s just where we are. I think most of us see most people most people who who are paying attention to what they’re doing, they wanna do it better. They wanna improve. You know? It’s that continuous improvement, CAN ban, all that stuff that talks about, you know, let’s let’s keep making changes to make the process better. And, you know, you’re not always not every change is is for the positive. But, you know, I think this kinda this brings us full circle too because, you know, I there was a technologist recently who was saying, we can import a lot of engineers because we don’t have enough engineers. And it’s like, I replied to him, like, we have tons of engineers. What you’re really seeing is the schools are not teaching what you want them to learn. Partner with the schools so like, my youngest son and all these other software engineers out there are not unemployed because the schools didn’t teach them what you wanted. You need a you need a thousand engineers. Go to the local go to the local school. Tell them this is why I need your people to learn. Trust me. They’ll start teaching it. Because the last thing that, you know, a competent school wants to do or college or university is, you know, put people out there who can’t actually get a job. They they love being able to brag about people getting jobs. They love to be able to brag about hey. I’m working with company Y, and, we send them a thousand engineers over the last four years. So we kinda come full circle. I think we all need to think about that. How can we encourage our local educational institutions? Maybe it’s our kids where our kids are going. Maybe it’s where our grandkids are going. Maybe it’s where nieces and nephews or siblings are going. How can we get involved and help those local you know, everything from grade school through high school through through, junior college, technical, you know, community colleges, and so on. We we gotta help them understand what we’re doing and what’s valuable so they can stay away from, you know, maybe saying, hey. The Raspberry PIs gonna take over the world, so that’s all you need to learn. No. Sorry. Yeah. No. I hate to bring it to you, but there’s a reason why we have major vendors, and they’ve been in business for over a hundred years because they make the what the customers want. But, yeah, that kinda brings a full circle to what we were talking about at the beginning of the show. Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, It it definitely it it’s an entire ecosystem. Right? I think from from that perspective, right, from the large corporations that are manufacturing, it is having those conversations and saying, hey. These are the kind of technicians, the controls engineers, the, you know, whatever roles you’re trying to fill. This is what we do day in and day out. And those individuals and corporations need to have conversations with, again, the the local vocational schools, the community colleges, the technical colleges, even, like I said, even high school and middle school and outline Yeah. This is what our career path looks like. This is what you know? Right? This is what our process looks like. Honestly, you know, doing site tours, facility tours, understanding how things are made, looking at equipment and working with equipments where, hey. We may have, you know, humongous boilers or, you know, I grew up in Southern Ohio where steel at one point was was very large before it went overseas. You know, understanding what that looks like, how electric arc furnaces work and function, and actually working with local community colleges of, hey. This is this is the kind of technical resources of what we need. Right? That’s low rates. It it’s electricians. It’s hands on labor, whatever that is. And then, you know, aligning both what you’re trying to fill from a technical perspective with what is actually being taught in those vocational technical community colleges even back again to high schools where, you know, hey. Yeah. PLC programming is great. We actually utilize, like you said, we utilize Siemens or Allen Bradley. We don’t do Arduino for, you know, a a $100,000,000 production facility. So I think a lot of it is honestly, it’s more community involvement. Quite honestly, it’s conversations like you and I are having, but on a on a bigger scale of understanding, hey. These are the skill gaps. This is where we’re currently at, and these are the roles we’re trying to fill. Because a lot of it, like you said, it’s it’s I feel like a lot of people in our industry more often than not, kind of stumble upon it or at least have some in. But if it weren’t for that, people really wouldn’t know what manufacturing does. So I mean, I would definitely encourage that. Again, kind of back to the advisory boards that I’ve talked about, we have a lot of those conversations with the local community colleges of this is what we do. This is what’s good. Your training systems, this is awesome. We don’t use any of this. And just having those those two way conversations and making sure you’re staying involved. I mean, end of the day, communication’s key, and I think that’s what we all need to do more of. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Rylan, I really appreciate coming on the show. I’m just looking at my list of bullets of things I wanted to talk about. Was there anything that you wanted to talk about that we hadn’t gotten through yet? Rylan Pyciak: I don’t think so. I mean, I think we touched on a lot of great topics. You know, in general, Shawn, I’d say, you know, really, one of my passions is definitely bringing in younger generations’ education into this industry. You know, end of the day, we’re all engineers. I think by default, we like to collaborate and have conversations. And, really, I’m just trying to encourage more of that, right, of of all of us being able to have open, honest conversations. I know you get onto the forums and you get onto Reddit and all these other, you know, areas of the Internet, and it’s great because there’s a lot of collaborative energy. And I and, honestly, I think it’s something we just need to do that more, be more supportive of other individuals, of others in the industry, and keep having these conversations. Right? Because the more collective minds we bring together, I think it’s gonna open up more doors, and it’s gonna allow us to have, you know, more exciting conversations like this. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yep. Yeah. Absolutely. Well, Rylan, I really appreciate you coming on. Now if people wanna learn more about Cleveland Automation Systems, where would they go to find out more? Rylan Pyciak: Yeah. Definitely. You can find us on our website since clevelandautomationsystems.com. I know it’s a mouthful. You could also look look up myself on LinkedIn, Rylan Pyshak, Cleveland Automation Systems as well as on LinkedIn. But definitely feel free to reach out. I’m always open. I love having conversations like this. So definitely you can find us, like I said, website LinkedIn. Send me a direct message if you wanna talk about something. I’ll definitely share my contact info, and, you know, we can connect any which way you want. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. And we’ll include all those links in the description so you guys, wherever you’re listening or watching, you’ll be able to have access to that so you don’t have to type it all in. But in any case, Ryland, thank you so much coming on. I really enjoyed our conversation today, and, just thanks again for coming on. Rylan Pyciak: Definitely. And thank you for having me, Shawn. I definitely appreciate the opportunity. Shawn Tierney (Host): I hope you enjoyed that episode. I wanna thank Rylan for coming on the show and talking about all things industrial automation. I really enjoyed our chat. I hope you did too. And I will put his link to his LinkedIn profile and to his company in the description. I also wanna thank Cleveland Automation Systems for sponsoring this episode so we could bring it to you completely ad free. So if you’re talking to Ryland or anybody over there, please, tell them thank you for us. And, with that said, I just wanna wish you all good health and happiness. And until next time, my friends, peace. The Automation Podcast, Episode 238 Show Notes: Special thanks to Rylan for coming on the show, and to Cleveland Automation Systems for sponsoring this episode so we could release this episode Ad Free! Below you’ll find links to Rylan’s LinkedIn profile, and to Cleveland Automation Systems: Rylan Pyciak’s LinkedIn Cleveland Automation Systems Until next time, Peace ✌️  If you enjoyed this content, please give it a Like, and consider Sharing a link to it as that is the best way for us to grow our audience, which in turn allows us to produce more content

With summer right around the corner, we're exploring the exciting lineup of summer camps offered through Seneca Valley's Academy of Choice. From Culinary Arts to FIRST Robotics, this episode highlights unique options for camps, how to register and a brief overview about SV's Academy of Choice and the Drop-in Center.IN THIS EPISODE, WE WILL REVIEWAn overview of the Seneca Valley Academy of Choice (SVAOC) The SVAOC Drop-in CenterSummer camp offeringsWhat's new for summer campsDeadlines and registration information for summer campsSummer Camp Registration - Deadline for registration is May 23SPECIAL GUESTMs. Sarah Parish, Seneca Valley Academy of Choice Assistant PrincipalMs. Sarah Parish is the Assistant Principal at Seneca Valley Academy of Choice, where she supports students in both virtual and blended learning environments. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Communications and a Master of Education from Westminster College. She also earned a K-12 Master of Science in Art Education from St. Joseph's University and her Principal Certificate from Westminster College. At SVAOC, she focuses on student engagement, innovative programming, and building strong relationships with families and the community. Ms. Parish believes in meeting students where they are, creating inclusive spaces where they can thrive and empowering them to take ownership of their learning.

The relationship between generations often shapes the trajectory of careers, with parents serving as role models, mentors, and sources of inspiration for their sons and daughters. Whether through direct guidance, inherited talent, or the values instilled during upbringing, the influence of one generation on the next can lead to extraordinary achievements. Across sports, entertainment, and politics, certain parent-child duos have exemplified how legacies are built and carried forward. Whether the Griffeys and Earnhardts in sports, the Douglases and Sheens in entertainment, or the Bushes and Adamses in politics, the bonds forged between generations can create lasting impact for the world. But that dynamic is not exclusive to blood, often shared interests in fields like robotics can forge relationships that last a lifetime.   FIRST, F-I-R-S-T (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Kamen envisioned a program that would make STEM as exciting as sports, fostering innovation, teamwork, and leadership. The inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) was held in 1992 with 28 teams, challenging high school students to design, build, and program robots for competition. Over the years, FIRST expanded its programs to include groups of all ages. Today, FIRST serves hundreds of thousands of students annually across more than 100 countries, offering hands-on robotics challenges that emphasize creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. Through partnerships with corporations, schools, and governments, FIRST has become a global movement, inspiring students to pursue STEM careers and shifting cultural perceptions to celebrate science and technology… alongside sports and entertainment. Here in Arizona, we have AZ FIRST, which is a chapter founded by Microchip CEO Steve Sanghi. Steve's journey of extending Kamen's vision started in 2002 as a regional organization supporting and promoting FIRST Robotics programs in Arizona. It serves as a hub for organizing events, securing resources, and encouraging collaboration among teams across the state. AZ FIRST hosts annual competitions, including the Arizona Regional for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), and works to expand access to STEM education through outreach and mentorship. One key part of Microchip's involvement in AZ FIRST is the participation of its employees as mentors and advisors. In some cases, multiple generations of mentorship, like the story you're about to hear today. As we reflect on the profound impact of generational influence—whether through family legacies or initiatives like FIRST—it becomes clear that the future is shaped by the connections we make today. They remind us that success is not just about individual achievement; it's about creating opportunities for those who come after. Looking ahead, the call to action is simple yet powerful: find a way to engage with the next generation. Mentor, inspire, and invest in their potential. Whether through STEM programs, community outreach, or simply leading by example; by empowering young minds to dream big and equipping them with the tools to succeed, we ensure that innovation, leadership, and progress continue to thrive. The future is bright, and it belongs to those who dare to build it.   How can Microchip Technology promote and strengthen these generational legacies?

The relationship between generations often shapes the trajectory of careers, with parents serving as role models, mentors, and sources of inspiration for their sons and daughters. Whether through direct guidance, inherited talent, or the values instilled during upbringing, the influence of one generation on the next can lead to extraordinary achievements. Across sports, entertainment, and politics, certain parent-child duos have exemplified how legacies are built and carried forward. Whether the Griffeys and Earnhardts in sports, the Douglases and Sheens in entertainment, or the Bushes and Adamses in politics, the bonds forged between generations can create lasting impact for the world. But that dynamic is not exclusive to blood, often shared interests in fields like robotics can forge relationships that last a lifetime.   FIRST, F-I-R-S-T (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Kamen envisioned a program that would make STEM as exciting as sports, fostering innovation, teamwork, and leadership. The inaugural FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) was held in 1992 with 28 teams, challenging high school students to design, build, and program robots for competition. Over the years, FIRST expanded its programs to include groups of all ages. Today, FIRST serves hundreds of thousands of students annually across more than 100 countries, offering hands-on robotics challenges that emphasize creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. Through partnerships with corporations, schools, and governments, FIRST has become a global movement, inspiring students to pursue STEM careers and shifting cultural perceptions to celebrate science and technology… alongside sports and entertainment. Here in Arizona, we have AZ FIRST, which is a chapter founded by Microchip CEO Steve Sanghi. Steve's journey of extending Kamen's vision started in 2002 as a regional organization supporting and promoting FIRST Robotics programs in Arizona. It serves as a hub for organizing events, securing resources, and encouraging collaboration among teams across the state. AZ FIRST hosts annual competitions, including the Arizona Regional for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), and works to expand access to STEM education through outreach and mentorship. One key part of Microchip's involvement in AZ FIRST is the participation of its employees as mentors and advisors. In some cases, multiple generations of mentorship, like the story you're about to hear today. As we reflect on the profound impact of generational influence—whether through family legacies or initiatives like FIRST—it becomes clear that the future is shaped by the connections we make today. They remind us that success is not just about individual achievement; it's about creating opportunities for those who come after. Looking ahead, the call to action is simple yet powerful: find a way to engage with the next generation. Mentor, inspire, and invest in their potential. Whether through STEM programs, community outreach, or simply leading by example; by empowering young minds to dream big and equipping them with the tools to succeed, we ensure that innovation, leadership, and progress continue to thrive. The future is bright, and it belongs to those who dare to build it.   How can Microchip Technology promote and strengthen these generational legacies?  

Iowa Business Report Tuesday EditionMar. 25, 2025    Jeff Margrett, Iowa/Nebraska regional competition director for FIRST Robotics, which holds a high school regional in Cedar Falls this week, on what students get out of the program. 

With coffee fueling the shop floor, can it also fuel the future of manufacturing?This week, Matt Kirchner is joined by ShopFloor Coffee Co-Founder Mike Franz as they explore the intersection of coffee, manufacturing, and workforce development. What started as a side project quickly became a nationwide movement to support technical education and career awareness in manufacturing—all through a product that shop workers already know and love.From the early morning rituals of manufacturing professionals to the power of branding that truly speaks to the industry, Mike shares how ShopFloor Coffee is brewing up more than just bold blends. With 20% of proceeds going directly to workforce initiatives, this isn't just about coffee—it's about investing in the next generation of makers and doers.Listen to learn:Why coffee is more than just a drink—it's part of manufacturing cultureHow ShopFloor Coffee's fundraising model outperforms traditional school fundraisers by putting more money back into technical education programsThe branding strategy behind blends like “Red Shop Towel” and “First Shift” that instantly resonate with manufacturersWhy Metallica is making a surprising impact on the future of technical education and workforce development (hint: it's not just about the music)The surprising number of robotics teams in one U.S. state (hint: it beats high school hockey!)3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. Coffee culture runs deep in manufacturing.Early mornings, long shifts, and breakroom conversations—coffee has always fueled the shop floor. That's why ShopFloor Coffee uses it as a bridge to workforce development, helping manufacturers invest in the next generation while enjoying a better cup of coffee.2. Workforce development has an awareness problem.Despite countless initiatives, many students and employers don't know about the programs designed to connect them. ShopFloor Coffee is directing funding to organizations like FIRST Robotics, FAME, and Metallica's All Within My Hands foundation to help close this gap—giving educators new opportunities to introduce students to careers in manufacturing.3. Branding matters—speak the language of your audience.When manufacturers hear Red Shop Towel or First Shift, they immediately recognize something familiar. ShopFloor Coffee's approach proves that technical education programs can better engage students by framing opportunities in ways that resonate—whether that's through pop culture, industry traditions, or hands-on experiences.Resources in this Episode:To learn more about ShopFloor Coffee, visit: shopfloorcoffee.comRemember, 20% of all proceeds go toward workforce development!Connect with ShopFloor Coffee Online:LinkedIn  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  InstagramWe want to hear from you! Send us a text message.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

In this special episode of Debugged, a member of our Debugged team, Suhaani Sodhi dives into the world of robotics with three extraordinary Congressional App Challenge alumni and fellow Debugged team members—Suri Le, Aarav Kansupada, and Tushar Mehta. Together, they explore how they got started in robotics, the creativity and collaboration involved in programs like FIRST Robotics, and the essential business skills behind running a successful team. From LEGO inspirations to lessons in gracious professionalism, hear how these young innovators are shaping the future of technology and what advice they have for anyone looking to join the robotics community. Tune in to uncover the limitless possibilities of robotics and discover how you, too, can get involved! Stream the episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Anchor.fm, and follow @cacdebugged for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.For this episode, I welcome Chloe Doherty, a 22-year-old Industry 4.0 tech center engineer for machinery manufacturer Zoller Inc. Doherty's interest in manufacturing started as a student in FIRST Robotics and PLTW, a nonprofit organization that develops STEM curriculum. Through FIRST Robotics, Doherty was introduced to a mechatronics CTE class where she studied many disciplines in manufacturing. She then discovered Zoller at a career fair and went on to earn a mechatronics apprenticeship. Doherty became a full-time Zoller employee in the spring of 2023 where she has been responsible for ensuring that the machines in the showroom are up to date and working properly, training new employees and customers, helping the technical support team with customer inquiries and doing live or online demonstrations.Download and listen to the audio version below and click here to subscribe to the Today in Manufacturing podcast.

Comienza esta época del año, ¡la temporada de obras teatrales de otoño! Por favor, marque su calendario para venir y apoyar a nuestros actores de las escuelas preparatorias mientras muestran sus muchos talentos y semanas de arduo trabajo.   El grupo teatral y cinematográfico de Glencoe le da la bienvenida al público y lo invita a su producción Trap, los días 25, 26 y 31 de octubre, y el 1 y 2 de noviembre a las 7:30 p.m.  El grupo teatral de Liberty presenta Ride the Cyclone (edición para escuela preparatoria) los días 15, 16, 22 y 23 de noviembre a las 7:00 p.m. El grupo teatral de Hilhi lo invita a ver Clue: On Stage los días 15, 16, 22 y 23 de noviembre a las 7:00 p.m., y el 16 y 23 de noviembre a las 2:00 p.m. El grupo teatral de Century presentará Harvey los días 15, 16, 21, 22 y 23 de noviembre a las 7:00 p.m. y el 16 de noviembre a las 2:00 p.m. ¡Visite nuestro sitio web para consultar las sinopsis de las tramas, los precios de los boletos y más información! Nuestro evento destacado es la actuación del equipo de robótica AEMBOT de la Escuela Preparatoria Liberty en Chezy Champs, una prestigiosa competencia fuera de temporada de FIRST® Robotics llevada a cabo en San José, California, el fin de semana del 27 al 29 de septiembre. Compitiendo contra 46 equipos de todo el mundo, AEMBOT mostró sus destrezas al lograr un impresionante tercer puesto en la clasificación general. «Estamos increíblemente orgullosos de nuestro equipo AEMBOT», explicó el entrenador principal y maestro de Liberty, Steffan Ledgerwood. «Su compromiso y resiliencia realmente brillaron en Chezy Champs. Esta experiencia resalta sus habilidades técnicas y la importancia del trabajo en equipo y la determinación». ¡Felicidades y les deseamos lo mejor para el resto de la temporada, equipo AEMBOT! ¡Nos hacen sentir Orgullosos de Ser HSD! No habrá clases para todos los estudiantes el viernes, 11 de octubre por ser un día sin contrato laboral para el personal con certificación pedagógica. Las clases se reanudarán el lunes, 14 de octubre.  La publicación de Noticias de la Semana se elabora y se envía por correo electrónico a las familias y a los miembros del personal de HSD cada semana durante el año escolar. Por favor, agregue esta dirección de correo electrónico a su lista de «remitentes seguros» para asegurarse de recibir siempre la publicación más reciente. Además, por favor no deje de agregar a sus enlaces favoritos el sitio web de nuestro distrito (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hsd.k12.or.us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) para mantenerse informado sobre lo que está sucediendo en nuestro distrito y en las escuelas.

It's that time of year again - fall play season! Please mark your calendars so you can come out and support our high school thespians as they showcase their many talents and weeks of hard work.  Glencoe Theater + Film welcomes audiences to its production of Trap on October 25, 26 and 31, and November 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m.  Liberty Theatre presents Ride the Cyclone (high school edition) on November 15, 16, 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. Hilhi Theatre invites you to Clue: On Stage on November 15, 16, 22, and 23 at 7 p.m., and November 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. Century Theatre is taking on Harvey on November 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23 at 7 p.m., and November 16 at 2 p.m. Visit our website for plot synopses, ticket prices, and more! Our featured event is Liberty High School's AEMBOT robotics team's performance at Chezy Champs - a prestigious off-season FIRST Robotics competition held in San Jose, California, the weekend of September 27-29. Competing against 46 teams from around the world, AEMBOT showcased their skills as they battled their way to an impressive third place finish overall. “We are incredibly proud of our AEMBOT team,” explains head coach and Liberty teacher, Steffan Ledgerwood. “Their commitment and resilience truly shone through at Chezy Champs. This experience highlights their technical abilities and the importance of teamwork and determination.” Congratulations, way to go, and best wishes for the remainder of your season, Team AEMBOT! You make us Proud to be HSD! There will be no school for all students on Friday, October 11, for a licensed non-contract day. Classes will resume on Monday, October 14. Hot News is produced and emailed to HSD families and staff each week school is in session. Please add the address to your “safe sender” list to make sure you always receive the latest issue. Please also bookmark our district website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hsd.k12.or.us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to stay informed about what's happening in our district and schools.

Craig Loewen has had a love for technology ever since he was a child and has grown passionate about building things that empower people. From constructing his own quadcopter for photography to delivering developer tools that aid developers in driving technological innovation, he has done it all.   As a product manager at Microsoft, he is responsible for the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), a developer tool used by over 3 million developers and IT professionals. He defines the product vision and prioritizes the feature roadmap based on customer data, technical feedback, and market studies. On the personal side, he volunteers as a mentor at First Robotics, teaching high school students how to build robots and fostering a passion for STEM.   Topics of Discussion: [3:52] Craig's career journey, starting as an intern working on Windows console and WSL features. [5:18] Common use cases for WSL — allowing developers to use Linux tools while staying on Windows. [7:43] How to get started with WSL. [8:59] Does Craig have any favorite Linux programs? [10:05] New Dev Home feature for managing WSL distros with a graphical interface. [11:36] How WSL works using virtualization technology. [13:35] Memory management in WSL — typical usage and automatic optimization. [15:22 WSL is designed primarily for development scenarios, not production environments. [20:33] Integration of local AI and small language models with WSL using VS Code AI Toolkit. [23:37] Using small language models for various tasks, including issue labeling and search functionality. [27:35] Intro to Sudo for Windows, bringing Linux-like elevated permissions to Windows commands. [28:39] What exactly is Sudo? [32:39] New enterprise features for WSL, including security controls and integration with Microsoft Defender.   Mentioned in this Episode: Clear Measure Way Architect Forum Software Engineer Forum Programming with Palermo — New Video Podcast! Email us at programming@palermo.net. Clear Measure, Inc. (Sponsor) .NET DevOps for Azure: A Developer's Guide to DevOps Architecture the Right Way, by Jeffrey Palermo — Available on Amazon! Jeffrey Palermo's Twitter — Follow to stay informed about future events! Craig Loewen What is the Windows Subsystem for Linux Windows Subsystem for Linux, Your Enterprise Ready Multitool Zero to Hero — Develop your first app with Local LLMs on Windows   Want to Learn More? Visit AzureDevOps.Show for show notes and additional episodes.

ASSEMBLY Audible stops by the FIRST Robotics of Tennessee Booth at The ASSEMBLY Show South to tap into the future of robotics. FIRST is a global nonprofit organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of life-changing youth robotics programs that build skills, confidence, and resilience. These FIRST Robotics Competition teams consist of students in grades 9-12 who design, program and build a robot starting with a standard kit of parts and a common set of rules to play in a themed head-to-head challenge.Sponsored By:

The Caterpillar Foundation lives its mission with four power words: Together, We Are Stronger. There's no better example than the Foundation's fledgling Volunteer Service Program. Only a year old, the program unlocks people's passion to support their communities in a variety of ways. In this Beyond the Iron podcast conversation, Caterpillar Foundation President Asha Varghese talks to host Rusty Dunn about why the program has seen early success, and other initiatives helping build resilient communities around the world. PROGRAM GUIDE (13:58 total run time)   Guest: Asha Varghese / Caterpillar Foundation President & Tim Koch / Caterpillar STEM Program Manager :45 – The Foundation meeting the moment to build resilient communities and improve lives. 3:02 – Helping people help others through the Volunteer Service Match program. 5:41 – Supporting communities around the world through volunteerism. 7:10 – How Caterpillar's STEM program and FIRST Robotics' volunteers are helping students grow. 11:09 – Volunteering is local. The impact is global.

On this edition of the Iowa Business Report: Ben Murrey of the Common Sense Institute Iowa shares data from CSI's "Economic Competitiveness Report," indicating Iowa ranks among the top third of states in the nation.Jeff Margrett gives information about the FIRST Robotics regional competition to be held in Cedar Falls Mar. 21-23. And in this week's "Business Profile", we'll reintroduce you to Erin McGregor, the fourth generation president of McGregor's Furniture.For more, go to totallyiowa.com and click on the "radio programs" link.    Support for the Iowa Business Report radio program and podcast comes from the Iowa Business Council, online at iowabusinesscouncil.org.        

In the second hour of "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Monday, March 11, 2024, local students and mentors discuss their work as FIRST Robotics competitors and what they see for the future of their field.

Episode #328 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Ellen Chisa, Partner at boldstart ventures. Back in 2016, we wrote a profile about Ellen on VentureFizz when she was leading product management at Lola.com. The profile was part of a series that we called Driven, which I think is a very fitting word to describe Ellen… and ironically, the discussion around considering a role in venture capital actually came up. So, in my opinion, it was only a matter of time. From being part of the winning team in high school for the FIRST Robotics competition, to starting a company in college, to a career path in product management, to leading a company that was developing a new programming language… Ellen has built the perfect core foundation for a successful career as an investor. boldstart is a venture capital firm that is your partner from inception for developer first, infrastructure, & SaaS founders that looking to turn your idea into a category-creating iconic company. The firm's portfolio includes companies like Snyk, Kustomer, BigID, Superhuman and many more. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * A conversation about what makes a great product manager. * Ellen's background including the story off taking some time of to build an EdTech startup with other classmates while in college at the Olin School of Engineering, * Working on early mobile initiatives at Microsoft, then joining Kickstarter as a Product Manager, and what led her to pursue her MBA at Harvard Business School. * Meeting serial entrepreneur, Paul English, and leading product at Lola.com, a travel app. * Developing a new programming language for her startup called Dark with Paul Biggar which allows companies to build software faster, plus what this experience taught her in terms of leading a company and getting adoption with the developer community. * The future of AI developed code. * How she landed in venture capital at boldstart including what she is targeting for investments and what has been her biggest surprise as a VC. * Startup pitch advice. * And so much more.

In this episode, we're honored to have Nic Sikma, owner of Copper Industrial and Head Coach for the Brighton Robotics Team, as our special guest. Tune in as we delve into the dynamic world of FIRST Robotics, the challenge of attracting young professionals to manufacturing, and how we have to change the mindset of working in manufacturing.  Discover the transformative impact of FIRST Robotics on the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. Nic shares his firsthand experiences as a coach, highlighting how programs like FIRST Robotics inspire young minds and cultivate a passion for STEM fields, including manufacturing.    We'll explore the critical issue of attracting young talent to the manufacturing sector. Nic offers insights into effective strategies for engaging and retaining young professionals, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, hands-on experiences, and highlighting the exciting opportunities within manufacturing careers.  Moreover, we'll delve into the need for a mindset shift within the manufacturing industry. Nic discusses the misconceptions surrounding manufacturing careers and the steps necessary to change perceptions, showcase the innovation and creativity inherent in manufacturing, and foster a culture of inclusivity and diversity.    Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vhfu_VduLLw Copper Industrial  Promess    Nic Sikma  Lauren Rall  Matthew Rall    #FIRSTRobotics #ManufacturingCareers #WorkforceDevelopment #STEMEducation #IndustryInsights #PodcastDiscussion 

November 17, 2022 - Arrow Guetschow, Lakeshore FIRST Robotics

Manufacturing careers are for everyone, especially creatives! In this episode, we dive into the intersection of manufacturing innovation and the perspectives of the Gen Z workforce. Join Ann Wyatt as she sits down with Jacob Sanchez, the MFGKid, for a dynamic conversation about the roles of creativity in the future of work, what Gen Z values in their career development and how we can continue to make an impact for the next generations.Featuring Ryan Treece as the guest co-host, tune in as we explore how Gen Z is revolutionizing manufacturing. From embracing emerging technologies to advocating for sustainability and diversity within the sector. Whether you're a seasoned industry professional or simply curious about the future of manufacturing, this episode promises to offer thought-provoking insights and inspiration.In This Episode:-Jacob shares his passion for the nonprofit program, FIRST Robotics and how he has seen this robotics competition impact kids of all ages at a deep level (~timestamp 9:44)-Jacob shares his insights on recruiting more members of the Gen Z workforce into the manufacturing industry by expressing what motivates them (~timestamp 18:57)-Jacob shares the one word that describes the Gen Z workforce and how being upfront with people and embracing empathy can help bridge the gap between the workforce generations (~timestamp 39:47)More About Jacob Sanchez:Jacob's passion for changing people's lives, no matter their age or experience, is why he stays connected with his industry and stays engaged with his community. Jacob began his career as an Application Engineer and has successfully grown his own brand to include hosting educational content for MSC, being featured at industry events and working exclusively as a digital creator. Jacob continues to bring his talent and passion for this industry to his clients by developing individualized winning social media strategies that improve company brands and speak to multiple generations. To learn more, connect with Jacob here.About Workforce 4.0: Workforce 4.0 is an industry centric podcast featuring Manufacturing Executives from all industries coming together to emphasize how companies are partnering with technology to give people more meaningful work. As a passion project created by Ann Wyatt, Workforce 4.0 highlights crucial topics such as the increasing talent gap, success stories of real people engaged with the latest manufacturing technology and how the manufacturing workforce can transition into these exciting new roles. Connect with your host, Ann Wyatt | Watch video recordings on YouTube | Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts

Jonathan Norris lives in Toronto, and has a passion for tech that started early in his life. He has participated in the First Robotics competition, which got him into mechanical engineering, building robots, and leading teams to world championships. He still actively volunteers and mentors people in the program today. Outside of tech, he is a new Dad, and stays quite busy parenting his kid, when he's not riding an eBike to work.In Winter 2014, Jonathan and his founding team did Y-combinator and formed Taplytics. After doing this for nearly 10 years, what his team noticed was the most passionate users were developers using feature flagging over the core offering of the product. So - they decided to spin out a new brand, to focus on just that.This is the creation story of DevCycle.SponsorsDrataCacheFlyClearQueryLinkshttps://devcycle.com/https://taplytics.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathantnorris/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/code-story/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, we welcome Team 7770 – Infinite Voltage, a distinguished group within the FIRST Robotics competition. This team, guided by dedicated mentors, is about more than just robotics; it's about shaping the future leaders and innovators of tomorrow. Their mission is to inspire young minds towards innovation, with a vision to infuse a deeper respect for science and technology in our culture. Join us as we delve into the exciting world of robotics, AI, and competition with Team 7770, exploring the transformative potential these fields offer.Here are links for you to bookmark, save, follow, memorize, write down, and to share with others:FRC 7770 - Infinite VoltageFacebookInfiniteVoltage7770 (@7770_Voltage) / X (twitter.com)FRC Team 7770 Infinite Voltage (@infinite.voltage) • Instagram photos and videos7770 Infinite Voltage - YouTube Here's a podcast that I recommended - This Is Robotics: Radio NewsFour Seasons Landscape & Construction Se While we perform the traditional lawn and landscape bed services, our passion is providing drainage Get your story told and book written. Schedule a call with Mike Ulmer at Select a Date & Time - CalendlySupport the showFollow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingFacebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingInstagram – Harford County LivingTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTok Sponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Recorded at the Freedom Federal Credit Union StudiosHosted on BuzzsproutRocketbookSquadCast Contests & Giveaways Subscribe by Email ...

Two guests. No time to waste. This conversation is all about unlocking creativity, what holds us back, what can propel us forward and what we would tell our 15 year old selves if given the chance now.  Elliot Kotek is a shockingly humble creative legend with 7 Emmy nominations, 5 Cannes Lions, 2 Clios, multiple Webby honors and the Shortys' Audience Award for Best Brand Awareness Campaign in 2023 with First Robotics. He is the producer of award-winning festival-favorites such as Queen Mimi, the NBC Peacock Original Black Boys, and the Netflix Original Little Miss Sumo. The Hidden Power of Purpose, made with AARP, is set for release in October 2023. Sarah Hernholm is a former elementary school teacher turned entrepreneur and the creator of the international non-profit WIT — Whatever It Takes - creator of the first college credit social entrepreneur and leadership course in the country for high school teens. Their hackathons partner with big names like Google and Toyota and empower kids to launch businesses that make a national impact. Sarah is also a speaker and writer for Forbes and Today. She's currently writing her book 11 Tips for Doing WIT.

[본] ESG 먹는건가요(MSG아님) / FIRST robotics league 뒷이야기 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kwangwook-gang/support

In celebration of National Robotics

Robotics season has begun. Never heard of it? It's when high school robotics teams meet up to meet the next challenge issued by First Robotics. Reset checks in with the Lane Tech team's head coach Robert Berg, seniors Gabby Weffer and Joaquin Valencia and junior Jane Bazzell.

This week, Karen Lee—Founder and CEO of GLOU Beauty, a sustainable beauty marketplace on a mission to reimagine e-commerce for beauty lovers in an age of conscious consumerism—shares the inspiration behind her company and its focus on operational efficiency: “Our whole goal is to try and bring more joy in your life and reduce any kind of pain you might have”. As sustainability becomes more important within the business world, Karen's concept of “rehoming” makeup, skincare, and other beauty products has become increasingly important. Karen also discusses the importance of listening to consumers, implementing machine learning, and building a team with a shared vision. She attributes her success to “knowing what other people are good at, and putting that together”.

Dazzling details of “World of Color – ONE” at Disney California Adventure Park revealed, the schedule for nighttime spectaculars at Walt Disney World is here, the opening date for TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom Park announced, new updates for Downtown Disney District, the 2023-2024 runDisney race season dates have been announced, Marvel Studios has debuted an action-packed trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets Disney+ streaming date, IMAX signature sound by DTS is coming to Disney+, the 2023 FIRST Robotics season is set with Disney Imagineers as mentors, Adventures by Disney has announced their 2024 River Cruise itineraries, and new 2024 travel opportunities with National Geographic. Plus, Disney Theatrical Productions' Thomas Schumacher on his biggest memory from The Lion King 25, adapting Hercules for the stage, and what's on the musical horizon (hint: it's Hidden Figures).

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

There's a popular misconception that homeschoolers are antisocial or socially awkward. While there's little truth to that in our modern homeschooling world, it does take additional effort for us to ensure our children are able to meet and make friends with other kiddos. Today on the show we'll be talking about our favorite social opportunities for our kids, from co-ops, to scouts, to volunteering and more! Core Educational & Social Opportunities Arts Outdoors Sports Clubs Volunteering Touring The World Resource Guides Check out our country resource guides to help you with your around the world journey: https://gumroad.com/homeschooltogether Consider Leaving Us A Review If you have a quick moment please consider leaving a review on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeschool-together-podcast/id1526685583 Show Notes The Importance of Outdoor Play with Hope Helms, Urban Eden Farm School - https://homeschooltogether.fireside.fm/23 Meetup - https://www.meetup.com/ Wild and Free - https://www.bewildandfree.org/ Salute Your Shorts! - https://youtu.be/WqMFnCBGWi8 AAU - https://aausports.org/ Boys and Girls Club - https://www.bgca.org/ YMCA - https://www.ymca.org/ Boy Scouts - https://www.scouting.org/ Girls Scouts - https://www.girlscouts.org/ Camp Fire Kids - https://campfire.org/ Frontier Girls - https://frontiergirls.com/ American Heritage Girls - https://americanheritagegirls.org/ Quest Clubs - https://questclubs.com/ 4-H - https://4-h.org/ First Robotics - https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc What we are into this week Battle bots - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2khasJJaLI Real Steel - https://youtu.be/T75j9CoBVzE Connect with us Website: http://www.homeschool-together.com/ Store: https://gumroad.com/homeschooltogether Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/homeschooltogether Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/homeschooltogetherpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/homeschooltogetherpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/hs_together The Gameschool Co-Op: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gameschoolcoop/ Email: homeschooltogetherpodcast@gmail.com

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

FIRST Robotics might be the most influential STEM activity that high school and younger students can participate in. Heck, most of those involved with FIRST Robotics are probably better engineers than we are, without having gone to college! Learn what it takes to get started with FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), from giant piles of cash to the time commitment from everyone involved. We also discuss the FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.