Ilayda Samilgil is CEO/Co Founder of LLUME (Organic Robotics) and a graduate of the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell. LLUME utilizes patented Light Lace™ technology to accurately analyze user chest movement to deliver actionable insights on fatigue and performance levels. LLUME grew out of research that Ilayda conducted as a senior and she describes her journey as an entrepreneur.

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

Ilayda shares https://llume.io/

Bertrand Odom-Reed, Director
Cornell Broadcast Studios
broadcaststudio@cornell.edu
Melissa Bazley, Editor

A Mechanical Engineer who Embraces Entrepreneurship- Ilayda Samilgil ‘19

As a graduate of the operations research in engineering major, Debbie Madden describes herself as a “serial technology entrepreneur, CEO, founder, board member, thought leader, author and advisor.” Debbie is the founder, owner, and Chairwoman of Stride, a national technology services firm leading agile digital transformation at brands ranging from Series A startups through Fortune 100. Her company partners with the world's best tech teams like Peloton, Spotify, Warby Parker, Disney, NBC Universal, to deliver high quality software products to market and model engineering and product best practices that upskill and enable teams. She shares leadership lessons she has gained through both professional and personal experiences including as a breast cancer survivor. 

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

You can find Debbie on:
LinkedIn - Debbie Madden
Twitter - debbiemadden200
Stridenyc.com

Bertrand Odom-Reed, Director
Cornell Broadcast Studios
broadcaststudio@cornell.edu
Melissa Bazley, Editor

August 30, 2023

A Serial Tech Entrepreneur who Empowers Others to Grow: Debbie Madden ‘96

Dr. Malika Grayson completed a master’s degree and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell with a focus on wind energy, computational fluid dynamics, modeling and simulation, and wind tunnel experimentation. After graduation, Malika participated in a rotational program through Northrop Grumman and currently works there as a Program Manager. Malika discusses the importance of mentorship and building a community to be successful. She is a Fortune 100 global keynote speaker, best-selling author, and founder of STEMinist Empowered LLC, an organization focused on supporting women of color who are pursuing graduate degrees.
Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

You can find Malika on:
IG: @drmalikagrayson
Linkedin: Dr Malika Grayson
Twitter: MalikaGrayson

She shares the following books:
Hooded: A Black Girl's Guide to the Ph.D. by Malika Grayson 
Lessons Learned: Stories from Women Leaders in STEM Paperback by Deborah M Shlian (Editor)
Wall of Wonder: Cornell Women Leading the Way in Science, Technology, and Engineering by Madeline Dubelier, Catherine Gurecky, et al.

Bertrand Odom-Reed, Director
Cornell Broadcast Studios
broadcaststudio@cornell.edu
Melissa Bazley, Editor

A Mechanical Engineer Unbound by Conventional Career Paths: Dr. Malika Grayson ‘14, ‘16

Nathan Ghabour, who currently works at Nike,  is an experienced product leader in the computer software industry, skilled in computer-aided design (CAD), biomechanics, surface modeling, and product design. Nathan’s career launched with a Bachelor of Science focused in BioMechanical Engineering. Nathan discusses how his various experiences and interest led him to his current role as well as how he focuses on data ethics in his work. He also discusses the power of communication skills and the ability to distill ideas effectively to help teams perform well across an organization. 

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

Nathan shares the following resources:
MPI - for data ethics Max Planck Institute https://www.mpi-sp.org/
CVPR - for future of computer vision https://www.thecvf.com/
Modeling SIGGRAPH ​​https://www.siggraph.org/ 

Bertrand Odom-Reed, Director
Cornell Broadcast Studios
broadcaststudio@cornell.edu
Melissa Bazley, Editor

Innovating Sizing and Digital Fit Systems: Nathan Ghabour ‘13

Stwart Peña Feliz recently completed his MBA at MIT Sloan School of Management where he is the 2023 winner of the MIT Climate Energy Prize. He is the co-founder and CEO of MacroCycle, a startup focused on recycling plastic using an innovative and highly efficient process with minimal carbon emissions. He discusses his journey from being a chemical engineering student at Cornell to an entrepreneur with a mission to address plastic waste and climate change. You can connect with Stwart on Linkedin, and as he says, “If you spell my name correctly, I’m the only one who comes up.”

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

He can be found on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stwart-pena-feliz/ 
Instagram: Stwart530

A resource he shares is: https://www.plasticsnews.com

Bertrand Odom-Reed, Director
Cornell Broadcast Studios
broadcaststudio@cornell.edu
Melissa Bazley, Editor

Revolutionizing Recycling: Stwart Peña Feliz ‘17

Allie Gaines ‘14 discusses her educational and career journey from graduating with a degree in Information Science Systems and Technology to working as a Product Manager in Healthcare and Business Strategy at XponentL Data. She describes her transition from a technical role in data interoperability at Athenahealth to focusing on healthcare clinical solutions, particularly in cancer registries, which sparked her interest in using healthcare data to make a difference. She pursued a Master's degree in Global Health and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, followed by a Ph.D. in Public Health and Epidemiology at Imperial College London focusing on nutrition, public health, and climate change impacts on the food system. Allie highlights her work in creating a method to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from packaged foods based on ingredients. 

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

She recommends: 
Marion Nestle’s newsletter- Food Politics: https://www.foodpolitics.com/
The George Institute for Global Health: https://www.georgeinstitute.org/
XponentL Data: https://xponentl.ai/
The Blue Zone on Netflix

Allie can be found on LinkedIn. 

Melissa Bazley, Editor

Navigating the Intersection of Healthcare, Data, and Sustainability: Allie Gaines ‘14

Christine Chang ‘04 holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master of science in STEM Education from Boise State University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at University of Colorado Boulder where she investigates human-robot collaboration and communication supported via augmented reality, particularly in high-risk environments. Christine’s career spans working at NASA and Boeing, teaching elementary and high school students, and advocating for diversity in STEM. She shares how all of these experiences have led to her current research and interest in influencing technology policy at the federal level and beyond.
 
Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

Christine can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-t-chang/ and 
http://www.xtinebot.com.

She recommends the We Robot Conference.

Melissa Bazley, editor

Leading the Way for Technology Access and Equity: Christine Chang ‘04

Alissa Diminich, ‘08, ‘09, is a principal engineer at Tennessee-based Inflo Design Group, primarily working on drinking water and wastewater projects. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree, both from Cornell University, in civil and environmental engineering. During her time at Cornell, she was a member of the AguaClara project team. Post-graduation, she has also served on the Board of the nonprofit AguaClara Reach, which aims to advance the design and innovation of community-scale, gravity-powered water treatment technologies. In addition to sharing her career journey, Alissa talks about how becoming a parent has impacted her view of her work as well as how employers can support work-life balance. 

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

Alissa can be be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissadiminich 

She recommends following: 
American Water Works Association https://www.awwa.org/
Water Environment Federation https://www.wef.org/
Society of Women Engineers https://swe.org/
AguaClara Reach https://www.aguaclarareach.org/

Melissa Bazley, Editor

Water is Life: Alissa Diminich, ‘08, M.Eng. ‘09

Kasim Khan ’20 is a research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, a global provider of data and analytics solutions for the renewables, energy, and natural resources industries. Kasim discusses his path from being a Chemical Engineering student to his current role, where he advises clients on energy storage technologies and operations. He describes his day-to-day activities, which include aggregating quantitative and qualitative information to develop research reports and pricing forecasts. Kasim also shares his long-standing interest in climate and energy issues, highlighting his commitment to making a positive impact in the industry.

Kasim can be found on Twitter/X: @kawesomekhan

He recommends the following resources: 
The Economic Dispatch (economicdispatch.substack.com) - an energy & society newsletter he started with a couple friends.
Stephen Markley’s “The Deluge” - fantastic, gripping climate fiction novel.
Cornell Energy Connection- https://www.cornellenergy.org/cec

Transcript link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

Editor: Melissa Bazley

Delivering Insights on the Energy Industry and Climate Impact: Kasim Khan ‘20

Haley Antoine Grantham ‘19 is a Safety and Crashworthiness Engineer at Toyota Motor North America Research and Development. As a graduate of the Biomedical Engineering program, Haley talks about her journey from working as a Pedestrian Protection Engineer to her current role in advanced body structure and computer-aided engineering. She discusses the unique aspects of her job, such as using computer modeling tools to predict injuries and conducting physical crash tests to enhance vehicle safety for both occupants and pedestrians. Haley also shares her involvement in Toyota's recruitment efforts and leadership roles within the company.

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

She can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-antoine/
 
Editor: Melissa Bazley

Driving Innovation in Automotive and Mobility Safety: Haley Antoine Grantham ‘19

Howie Singer ’77, ’79 (ORIE) is an expert on the implications of new technology in the music industry. In 15 years at Warner Music Group, he served as SVP and Chief Strategic Technologist analyzing services and companies that could enhance or threaten WMG’s businesses. As a Strategic Consultant to Universal Music Group, MQA Ltd, and other start-ups, he currently advises on products, services, and technologies related to high-resolution music, Artificial Intelligence, podcasts, and streaming data analysis. He is co-author of a new book, "Key Changes: The Ten Times Technology Transformed the Music Industry."

Howie can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/howiesinger/ 
Check out his book: Key Changes https://www.amazon.com/Key-Changes-Technology-Transformed-Industry/dp/0197656900

Transcript Link: https://tinyurl.com/ECCtranscript1 

Editor: Melissa Bazley

From Engineer to Music Executive, Educator, and Author: Dr. Howie Singer MS ’77, Ph.D. '79

We celebrate excellence and innovation among engineers whose impact contributes to a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable world.

A Serial Tech Entrepreneur who Empowers Others to Grow: Debbie Madden ‘96

Cornell Engineering Career Conversations

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