Story spotlight with Ann Arbor’s tech visionaries.
Individual presentations are available here.
About Tech Talk
From origin stories to behind-the-scenes accounts of the fascinating technologies being developed here, join us for virtual storytelling as we hear from the brilliant minds behind the Ann Arbor region’s innovative companies.
This event is hosted by Ann Arbor SPARK.
Speakers
Robert Alexander
AuraLab
Biography
Robert Alexander
Dr. Robert Alexander is the CEO and Co-Founder of AuraLab, a company whose primary focus is to help individuals shift from surviving to thriving through transformational breathing technology. As a NASA fellow, Dr. Alexander worked with scientists at Goddard Space Flight Center to transform our understanding of the solar wind through auditory data analysis. For this research, he was featured in Origin Magazine’s list of the top 100 creative leaders. Before launching AuraLab he worked as a Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Michigan and lectured on Sound Design and Psychology at the renowned HK Polytechnic University School of Design. The Breathscape app was released in April and is currently free to download on the iOS app store.
About AuraLab
AuraLab LLC was founded in 2018 to develop innovative technologies to promote Deep Slow Breathing (DSB). Our initial product is Breathscape™, the first iOS application harnessing the power of breathing to help users manage a host of conditions such as stress, anxiety, insomnia, and migraines, as well as supporting mindfulness and relaxation.
Jasmine Burns
Censys
Biography
Jasmine Burns
Jasmine Burns is Head of People at Censys, a growing cybersecurity startup in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She’s had the privilege of gaining over 10 years of diversified experience in a range of companies from tech unicorns and scale-ups like Duo Security and ForeSee. She’s a regular speaker for Venture For America, Hacker Fellows, and enjoys presenting on topics around recruiting and D&I. She’s most passionate about evangelizing people-first cultures and optimizing the people function with tools and technology. She enjoys challenging fellow HR practitioners to not only think progressively about HR/recruiting practices but to also share their own wins and learnings with the industry, which is why she serves as Chair on the first-ever HR Open Source Operating Board.
About Censys
Censys allows users to discover the devices, networks, and infrastructure on the Internet and monitor how it changes over time.
Censys was created in 2015 at the University of Michigan by the security researchers who developed ZMap, the most widely used tool for Internet-wide scanning. Over the past five years, the team has performed thousands of Internet-wide scans, consisting of trillions of probes, and has played a central role in the discovery or analysis of some of the most significant Internet-scale vulnerabilities: FREAK, Logjam, DROWN, Heartbleed, and the Mirai botnet.
Today, Censys has become the gold standard in data-driven security, and has answered millions of questions from researchers, corporations, and government users. To better serve this growing demand, in the fall of 2017, Censys spun out of the university into its own company, offering enhanced services, technical support, and an even more complete and powerful view of the Internet.
Rachel Cash
Elroi
Biography
Rachel Cash
Rachel Cash, Esq. is an attorney with a passion for privacy and data compliance. Rachel is the Founder and CEO of Elroi a data management company providing products for both consumers and enterprises. She believes you must control your data to control your world.
About Elroi
Elroi is focused on shifting ownership of individuals’ data back to those individuals by creating innovative data management relationships between enterprises and users that influence social change. Elroi’s cloud-based technology which provides both a consumer data management tool and enterprise solutions to meet compliance and privacy requirements.
Hien Lam
Huck Finch
Biography
Hien Lam
Hien (like the ketchup with the z) Lam is the Chief Prophesy Fulfiller at Huck Finch. In addition to running Huck Finch, Hien also co-hosts both the Life on Brand podcast, which shares lessons on how change-makers and rulebreakers live life on their own terms and the YouTube show, Bourbon & Brand, where he geeks out on all things brand while sipping on America’s only native spirit.
Before Huck Finch, Hien started a personal development blog with his business partner, Matt Hansen, called Chillpill that shows people of today how to live up to their potential through OG wisdom distilled from Stoicism, Buddhism, and Minimalism. Hien was also temporarily ordained as a Buddhist monk and can either be found hunting down a new gif to use, stuffing his face with bánh xèo, or rubbing his cat’s belly during his downtime.
About Huck Finch
Based at the Ann Arbor SPARK East Innovation Center, Huck Finch is a strategic branding studio distilling a brand’s purpose into messaging and visual design that’s vibrant and scroll-worthy.
Tara Lanigan
May Mobility
Biography
Tara Lanigan
Tara Lanigan is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at May Mobility, an Ann Arbor-based startup that is transforming cities using self-driving shuttles. May Mobility uses its industry-leading technology to create transportation systems that have launched in four cities, helping to create a safer, greener, and more accessible world.
Prior to her current role, Tara helped build a pipeline for growth and strong public-private partnerships as May Mobility’s Director of Business Development. Tara has worked for Southeast Michigan startups since 2014, including previous Detroit-based ventures Castle and Chalkfly.
Tara has a passion for equitable mobility, public-private partnerships, and D&I. She is an active member of local groups Women in Mobility and Shine and Rise. Tara holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and has returned to U-M as a Master’s candidate at the Ford School of Public Policy.
Brandon Martin
Reaction Technologies
Biography
Brandon Martin
As a lifelong student and fan of football, he saw the sport he loved being questioned about the safety of its players. His love of the game and the safety issues associated with it moved him to ask himself, “How can I make the game of football safer for the players?
About Reaction Technologies
Producing products to improve the safety and situational awareness of athletes.
John Mclaughlin
KLA Corporation
Biography
John Mclaughlin
John McLaughlin is Senior Director & Ann Arbor Site Leader at KLA, a California-based technology company that built a new global site in Ann Arbor and hiring over 500 people in the region. KLA develops innovative process control and process-enabling solutions for semiconductor chip, packaging, printed circuit board and flat-panel display manufacturing throughout the world. Prior to KLA, John served at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, where he managed the College’s robust engagement with external partners who fund research and recruit students. John began his tenure at the University in the Business Engagement Center, where he developed corporate partnerships across the institution. Prior to returning to Ann Arbor, John resided in Boston where he served in several project management and operations leadership roles and received his MBA from Boston College. John is an Ann Arbor native and earned his undergraduate degree at U-M in Political Science.
About KLA
KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists, and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward.
Mitchell Rohde
Quantum Signal AI
Biography
Mitchell Rohde, Ph.D.
Dr. Mitch Rohde is the CEO and co-founder of Quantum Signal AI (QSAI), an advanced math-based engineering R&D company headquartered in Saline, Michigan. Under Mitch’s leadership, the company has been building and delivering solutions leveraging intelligent algorithms for two decades, including extensive work in autonomous and robotic vehicle technology, systems, and tools. In 2019 QSAI was acquired by Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC, and he now continues to manage the organization albeit with a new dedicated focus on building the future of transportation. In his spare time, Mitch is a serious collector and restorer of antique arcade equipment, with 75 classic machines in his collection. He holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering, all from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and is a member of Sigma Xi, IEEE, SAE, AUVSI, HKN, and TBP.
About Quantum Signal AI
Engineering R&D focusing on mobile robotics, autonomous systems, and mobility. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Autonomous Vehicles, LLC.
Susan Wagner
KLA Corporation
Biography
Susan Wagner
Susan is the Vice President of Global Facilities and Real Estate at KLA, responsible for directing the full life cycle of real estate activities for KLA’s Global manufacturing, offices, and lab portfolios — including strategy, planning, design, build and lease management, and operations. Her team focuses on enabling KLA business and culture through the environment and services provided. They deliver an environment that provides for the efficient and productive execution of KLA’s business operations. Overseeing 4M square feet, across 20+ countries with over 250 buildings.
Prior to joining KLA in 2020, Susan worked at Microsoft for 20+ years as well as in the general construction industry for nearly 12 years in various geographies across the United States.
Susan is also a leader when it comes to diversity and inclusion, having led the development of the Women in Real Estate and Security (WIRE+S) community at Microsoft. This initiative helps create a globally connected and inclusive community that promotes, inspires, and supports the success of women in the organization.
She sits on the board for Global CoreNet and has a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering from the University of Kansas.
About KLA
KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists, and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward.
Special Thanks to our Sponsors!
