The Masters of Engineering Podcast Jon Hirschtick

Not many successful entrepreneurs call their startup “a total accident,” but Christina Perla, Co-Founder and CEO of Makelab, says her on-demand 3D printing company was all serendipity and happenstance, stemming from the start of a design firm. From being the customer herself to starting Makelab, Christina found an opportunity to provide top-tier service paired with on-demand 3D printing. Makelab provides end-to-end, custom 3D printing solutions to consumer and hardware brands, such as Peloton, Estee Lauder and Quip. Her company bridges the gap between designers, engineers, and manufacturers.In this episode, Jon chats with Christina about the future of 3D printing technology, quality control, sustainability initiatives, and valuable dos and don'ts in product design. Christina also shares her commitment to supporting women in STEM through programs like Women in Design, fosters the hardware community through NY Hardware Meetup, and offers candid career advice for aspiring professionals entering the additive manufacturing industry.

Founded in 1902, Massachusetts-based DW Clark has been a leader in casting manufacturing for well over a century. Working with customers from the prototype stage to production runs to meeting emergency shortages, the company continues to evolve with the exploration of new technologies, advanced materials and new processes. DW Clark plays a critical role in the defense, aerospace, turbine engine, energy, processing equipment and shipbuilding industries.
In this episode, Jon chats with Jeff Burak, Vice President at DW Clark, about his company’s approach to sustainability in casting practices, with an emphasis on reducing waste and environmental impact. They also explore the increasing role of automation and smart technologies in enhancing efficiency and precision in the casting process, shedding light on the crucial skills engineers need for the future.

The fast-food and restaurant industries have worker turnover rates as high as 150%. Daniel Fukuba, co-founder & CTO of California-based Hyphen, is reimagining food service automation – allowing skilled employees to spend less time doing the grunt work. Hyphen is now making automation accessible and cost-effective for restaurants of all sizes.
In this episode, Jon chats with Daniel about his vision for the future of kitchen technology, Hyphen's partnership with Chipotle, and how this technology isn't about job replacement but rather redefining roles. Automation, he says, can deliver higher wages and improved customer experiences. Daniel also shares insights into Hyphen’s agile hardware development process, and how their technology will be the “hyphen” connector of innovation to the food service industry.

In the world of hardware startups, building cutting-edge products comes with a unique set of challenges. Founders sometimes lose sight of their goals by falling in love with their first solution, and not fully focusing on the problem itself. Enter Sera Evcimen, mechanical engineer and founder of Pratik https://www.pratikdev.com, a product development consulting firm devoted to keeping startups away from the “Valley of Death.”
 
In this episode, Jon chats with Sera about her approach to engaging with startups – whether it's optimizing their operations, aiding in manufacturing processes, or nurturing innovation. Sera also shares insights on how large companies can adopt startup-like agile processes and walks through how external strategic guidance and engineering expertise are often the keys to success.

After years of launching products for behemoth brands like Amazon, Caterpillar, Tesla, Carbon and Rivian, Braden Ball discovered that design and manufacturing teams experienced similar bottlenecks for collaboration. He’s now the founder of Threaded, a stealth software startup devoted to making version control and communication easier between multiple product development teams.
In this episode, Jon explores Braden's fascinating career journey – from spending nights sleeping in the factory during Tesla’s Model X product launch to 3D printing custom Adidas shoes at Carbon. Braden shares invaluable insights into the importance and acceptance of failure, the collaborative nature of engineering, and the tools redefining tomorrow's product development landscape.

Forever Oceans is a sustainable fish farming company using innovative technology to generate less waste and impact on the environment while producing tasty and healthier fish in a shorter amount of time. Their approach to restorative aquaculture is revolutionizing the industry, and includes habitats that plunge deeper into the ocean to protect fish during hurricanes. 
 
In this episode, Jon chats with Tony White, Director of Innovation at Forever Oceans, who shares how machine learning and AI are transforming the future of food. He also reveals why his company’s fish farms have 1/14th the carbon footprint of raising cattle.