oseph Casebeer is a computer engineer, tech generalist, and founder of Takamori Robot, a startup building affordable, modular robotics kits for students and makers.

Born in Luxembourg to Japanese-American parents, Joseph grew up on four continents, giving him a global perspective on engineering, education, and problem-solving. Now based in Tacoma, WA, he's bootstrapping his robotics dream from a shared house with seven roommates, a borrowed 3D printer, and a Raspberry Pi Pico.

He's an active member of Startup253, helping energize Tacoma's founder community. His Kickstarter launches August 12 — no VC, just pure grit and curiosity.

What We Talk About • The 7-roommate reality of early startup life • How growing up across continents shaped his worldview • Joseph's journey into engineering and tech • Breaking into the industry without connections • Bootstrapping a hardware startup with limited resources • Preparing for Kickstarter without outside funding • The mission and vision behind Takamori Robot • Makerspaces, Startup253, and Tacoma's founder scene • Why marketing is just as critical as building • AI, sustainability, and the future of robotics • Joseph's surprising musical background • Advice for first-time founders and engineers

Joseph's Advice "It's not just about building the product. You have to talk to people. Marketing might feel like a chore — but it's critical if you want to create something people actually want."

Connect with Joseph & Takamori Robot 🌐 Website – https://takamorirobot.com 🚀 Kickstarter Launch – https://takamorirobot.com/kickstarter 📸 Instagram – @takamori_robot 💼 LinkedIn – Joseph Casebeer 📘 Facebook – Takamori Robot 🧩 Customer Discovery Survey – Preorder List

Episode Sponsor — Sentry Computing Keeping your business technology safe and running at its best shouldn't be a constant headache. With Sentry Computing, you get human-centered IT support and cutting-edge solutions for every stage of growth. Managed IT | Cybersecurity | AI Consulting | Cloud Consulting | Business Automation 🔗 Learn more → https://sentrycomputing.com

Free Resources & Ways to Support CavnessHR 📚 Get 7 Free eBooks from The Jason Cavness Experience → https://www.buildcavnesshr.com/ebooks 👥 Join the Builders Club → https://www.buildcavnesshr.com 💸 Support CavnessHR on Wefunder → https://wefunder.com/cavnesshr 🎧 Listen on all platforms → https://www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com