Beyond Bosch

Electric bikes (eBikes) are gaining traction as a means of transportation in the United States after enjoying years of popularity in Europe. Many people can ride them, and they allow the freedom to go further. eBikes have the potential to expand bike riding to new audiences and keep people riding bikes throughout their lives; not to mention, the potential impact of the last mile and future delivery of goods to remote locations.

The eBike inspires our mobility behavior and is one of the most sustainable and healthiest means of transportation of our time. Listen in on an entertaining and informative conversation with two experts from Bosch who live and breathe eBikes – Laura Montero and Steven Sheffield.

Laura "Sunshine" Montero is a field technical specialist serving the southern Midwest region of the U.S. and is based in Austin, Texas. Although cycling was originally a rehabilitation tool for her after a knee injury, it has since evolved into a central aspect of her life – as a passion, as a vehicle for adventure, as a means of connecting with others, and as a fulfilling career path. She's an avid rider, whether it's adventuring around the Big Island of Hawaii or commuting to work in Texas. 

Steven Sheffield is a product manager and is involved in business development at Bosch. Steven has worked and lived in the U.S., Switzerland, Australia and China throughout his 15 years with Bosch, bringing a unique and broad perspective to the eBike team. Steven is a family man with four kids and a Bernedoodle. He's an active mountain biker and even coaches his older kids' mountain bike team.

Download this episode and enjoy the ride! 

Bosch eBike systems: https://www.bosch-ebike.com/us/

Get your motor running and listen to this podcast! Motorcycles are known for the thrill of the ride...and the inherent risks that come with it. This episode is a peek inside how our engineers develop and use safety systems to keep our partners and YOU riding safely, without compromising the fun! Associates Brad Heiler and Justin Magri share epic stories, talk about loss, and describe why they are so passionate about motorcycle safety. Brad and Justin, as with most of the engineers in our Two-wheeler and Powersports group at Bosch, are also riders themselves, so safety is personal to them. Sit back, relax and enjoy! Bonus points if you listen to this on your ride. Brad Heiler has been a motorcycle rider for over 30 years and has ridden in well over half of the states in the US. He been working in various manufacturing, engineering and business roles with engine management, braking systems, connectivity, and advanced rider assistance systems for motorcycles and powersports vehicles for over 20 years. Brad is an electrical engineer and is currently Manager - Sales and Project Management in the Two-wheeler and Powersports group at Bosch. Justin Magri is a passionate engineer in the motorcycle industry. Currently the Technical Project Manager for the Two-wheeler and Powersports group at Bosch, Justin has been riding motorcycles since he was three and a half years old and has followed his love for two-wheeled vehicles to help improve the safety of motorcycling for fellow riders and their families.

Links: Yamaha Champions Riding School:  https://ridelikeachampion.com

Video (1:16): Pushing the limits of motorcycle stability  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_AqDMYLyRM

Video (4:53): The test: Bosch + ARCH Motorcycle + 2-wheel ABS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKNFNVESqQk

The more we understand each other, the stronger we are as a company.

Listen in as a group of individuals from the African Ancestry @ Bosch resource group discuss race, social unrest and the impact on family dialogue and the work environment. You'll hear personal stories from Bosch associates as they transparently share from their perspective and how this conversation evolved in the workplace.

“I’m a wife to a black man, I have two black sons, I’m a sister. This has been an awakening in many ways.” – Mondraea Calvin, Human Resources Business Partner & President of African Ancestry @ Bosch

Listen to two long-time Bosch associates, Erin and Bonnie, share how they pushed past the old taboo of talking about race at work and created a safe space to learn, share and grow via a virtual book club. This is not just any book club, but one with the focus on becoming an anti-racist. Tune in to hear how the idea to share resources and transparent dialog to support one another on their journey came to be and the doors that have opened because of those willing to participate. 

Mental wellness is an important factor for all of us and now more than ever, our society has recognized the need to focus on mental wellness at all levels, including employer support of employees total health and wellness. On this episode, we talk with Jason Youngblood of Cigna who partners with companies like Bosch to offer comprehensive wellness plans for their associates. David Kaprielian, director of benefits at Bosch, also joins this episode to discuss how organizations can and should support their employees in this way. Listen in as we discuss everything from the impact of living and working during a pandemic as well as the importance of physical exercise and staying connected with each other. Enjoy!

Jason Youngblood is the Director of Cigna's Behavioral Center of Excellence.  Jason is also a Licensed Professional Counselor, in the state of Maryland, as well as a Personal Trainer, and focuses on the link between mind and body, and the impact to overall wellness.    

David Kaprielian is the Director of Benefits for Bosch,  North America. Prior to Bosch, David spent 30 years as a benefits consultant. 

Working with NASA, Principal AI research and SoundSee project lead, Dr. Samarjit Das led the mission to put SoundSee on the International Space Station. SoundSee is artificial intelligence that uses a custom array of microphones and machine learning to analyze information contained in emitted noises. “Our SoundSee algorithm uses machine learning to analyze these subtle acoustic clues and determine whether a machine, or even a single component of a machine, needs to be repaired or replaced,” Dr. Das explains, and talks about his involvement in the SoundSee project and his inspiration to get involved with artificial intelligence at Bosch.

**Our guests’ thoughts and comments do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Robert Bosch LLC.

We've all heard that the future of mobility is electric, but where do we stand now and how do we get there? Listen in on a special Powertrains of the Future episode to hear insights from experts at Bosch on what the future of electrification really looks like and the journey required to get there. Joining us in this episode are Stefan Koidl, Vice President and Rich Kohler, Director of Marketing of Powertrain Systems Engineering at Bosch in North America.

Now more than ever, we are all being thrown into our own digital transformations, whether we intended to or not. In this episode we dive into the topic of Digital Transformation and this is not just a topic for digital natives or software developers, this is relevant for all of us. We hear this phrase in almost every industry, but what does it really mean? Listen as Global Digital Business VP Davie Sweis describes how digital activities are transforming companies, industries and our world. 

**Our guests’ thoughts and comments do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Robert Bosch LLC.

Some of life's greatest innovations come during our toughest times. The COVID-19 crisis is forcing all of us to view life as we know it with a new lens. Join us as we talk to Russell Keiger, who along with a dedicated, passionate team, turned our plant in Anderson, SC into an in-house producer of hand sanitizer. Listen as Russell shares the details from idea to implementation and how this project is inspiring others to follow suit. 

**Our guests’ thoughts and comments do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Robert Bosch LLC.

We all have a leadership role to play in one way or another, especially during times of unprecedented challenges. We caught up with Bosch North America president Mike Mansuetti, who gives insight into how he tackles daily and even hourly challenges, where he finds optimism, and his focus on associate safety while ensuring business continuity.

For an uplifting perspective on leading in difficult times, listen now. We’re all in this together.

Mike Mansuetti's biography here

**Our guests’ thoughts and comments do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Robert Bosch LLC.