In this episode Spencer Krause and Steve Sparkes discuss basic principles of modern video game development as well as how he transitioned into this line of work. We also talk about European culture and tell tangential stories about life in Wales, Belgium, Ireland, and the United States of America.

Join us as Spencer speaks with Chris Paxton, a senior research scientist at NVIDIA. In this episode Chris talks about how he got his start in  robotics and AI. Chris shares some insights to young roboticists interested in AI, how to gain proficiency with AI, and attempts to explain this complex and evolving field to Hardware Specialist - Spencer  Krause.  At only 25 minutes, this episode is highly digestible so check it out.

Join us as we welcome back Modal AI's director of hardware, Vinny  Kemler.  This conversation is a good one, folks! In this episode Vinny and  Spencer sip whiskey, and chat about meeting your heroes, investments  gone wrong (and occasionally right), robotics hardware development,   optimizing production, robotic hardware development, and much more. It's  always great to talk to other hardware specialists, and we cover a lot  of ground. Vinny is a well-rounded guy with a lot of experience and wisdom. It's  always a pleasure welcoming him to CWSK. Grab a whiskey for yourself and  get comfortable, you don't want to miss this one! Please like and subscribe for more awesome content if you enjoyed this!

Kevin Dowling has worked all over the robotics and tech space, most recently as the CEO of Kaarta. Being on the cutting edge of robotics, taking a company through a major acquisition, starting the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, and more - Kevin has lived a career that most of us only see in movies. Not only that but he is honest, humble, and down-to-earth, so please do not miss this episode.   

For more on Kaarta, check out https://www.kaarta.com 

Kevin requests that you check out the Pittsburgh Robotics Network at robopgh.org   

If you like this and want to see more content like it, please subscribe. You'll be glad you did.

Thank you for joining Spencer and Ricardo again for another intriguing conversation. Ricardo is a Veteran NASA Engineer and Manager, and we always enjoy having him on.   

We are living is a unique time in history. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on global supply chain, and it is making it difficult for companies, labs, and agencies to acquire supplies which would normally be no problem to get.   

One supply which is in short demand is microchips. Not even NASA is safe from the consequences. In this episode, NASA Program Manager Ricardo Olivarez gives a one-of-a-kind inside account of what it is like trying to secure a chip that is in limited production. Please comment if this effects you as well.

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. In 1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait in order to get access to their oil fields. What followed was one of the most decisive counter-offensives of all time. 35 countries fought in order to restore Kuwait's independence. Explosion-Proof Robot Specialist, Stephen Antolich was one of the people who fought and served to help secure this outcome.  

We usually tell figurative "war stories" on CWSK, but in this one-of a-kind episode Stephen tells literal war stories about the 3 conflicts he has been involved in as well as what caused him to join up, what he went through becoming a Marine, what he learned from the experience, and how fighting with the Corps has shaped his life to this day.   

If you stick with us, you're going to hear some disturbing yet interesting stories that will keep you hanging off the edge of your seat. In true CWSK style, we also discuss tangential subjects ranging from religious philosophy to the relative size of the universe. This is admittedly a departure from CWSK's usual format, but I think you'll agree that its a good one.

Join us for a chat with entrepreneur and educator, Craig Markowitz about  his journey of becoming a successful business executive. In this one we  dive into some interesting conversation, and Craig shares some great  advice for anyone, entrepreneur or not!  In early 2016, Craig Markovitz and his partners sold their robotic  surgery company, Blue Belt Technologies for $275 million to Smith and Nephew. Craig now teaches and mentors business students and local  startup founders including, on occasion, Spencer Krause.   One of Craig's current goals as a mentor is to use his success to guide  the next generation of innovators. Craig is one of the most  down-to-earth people we have ever met, and it was an absolute pleasure having him on. Thanks for joining us this week on Collaborative with Spencer Krause. 

Craig's CMU Bio https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/faculty-and-research/faculty-by-area/profiles/markovitz-craig.html Head over to https://www.rkmf.org/ to check out all the remarkable differences the Richard King Mellon Foundation has been making with Craig's support and others.

Forbes 30 under 30 honoree Uriel Eisen and SKA Custom Robots and Machines Director of Product Development Spencer Krause have known each other for over a decade. In this time, Uriel has consistently impressed Spencer with his industriousness, intelligence, and admirable ability to follow through on most tasks he sets his mind to. Uriel has worked to bring several products though production- including water filters for the developing world, PPE face shields, space suits, and most recently a line of lightweight, high-performance buckles for the adventure sports market. Uriel's Research and Development portfolio is equally impressive with numerous boats, soft goods, machine tools, and small-batch processes. This interview is a lot of fun, so please be on the lookout for great things from Uriel. This is only a fraction of his press so be sure to look up "Uriel Eisen" on your favorite search engine for more:

http://www.urieleisen.com/ https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30-2017/social-entrepreneurs/#c3e1ac01332f https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/health/coronavirus-innovators.html https://bikepacking.com/gear/austere-manufacturing-buckles/ https://austeremanufacturing.com/

Join us as we talk to Constantine Greenias about his business, the Magnet Baron. The Magnet Barron sells thousands of products into the hobby sector every year. This is a bit different from our usual features so please don't miss it if you want a perspective into how a highly organized entrepreneur makes a living on high-volume sales of consumer product.

https://themagnetbaron.com/

Xena Workwear was the first company to market with an attractive and comfortable safety shoe for women. As Xena's CEO, Ana is responsible for being the face of the company and driving many of the high level decisions which dictate the company's operations and product mix. 

In this fun conversation between Ana and Spencer, Ana explains some of the entrepreneurial journey Xena has gone through as well as how her personal experiences as a woman in industry have informed the design of Xena's innovative line of products- past, present, and future. 

Check out Ana's article in Forbes here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvinoski/2020/12/03/the-right-man-for-the-job-may-be-a-woman-wholl-need-good-work-boots/?sh=5b25ed055784 

Check out Xena's badass products at https://xenaworkwear.com/

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