Manufacturing Tomorrow

As a pioneer in sustainable manufacturing and CEO of LightManufacturing, Karl von Kries has been instrumental in developing innovative, eco-friendly production techniques, including the breakthrough Solar Rotational Molding process. This technology leverages solar energy to produce plastic products more efficiently and sustainably, with applications already in use by companies and the US Military.

In addition to his work at LightManufacturing, Karl serves as the CEO and Managing Director of Technomad, the global leader in ruggedized high-performance audio systems. His career spans a wide range of expertise in manufacturing, including his previous role at Hardigg Industries, where he rose from staff engineer to head of New Product Development for their leading protective case solutions.

Key Terms: Solar Rotational Molding, Sustainable Manufacturing, Eco-Friendly Production, New Product Development

Join us as we dive into a conversation with Berk Birand, co-founder and CEO of Fero Labs, a leader in advancing manufacturing efficiency and sustainability through cutting-edge technology. Under Berk’s leadership, Fero Labs has revolutionized industrial operations by integrating data science with manufacturing processes using their Augmented Intelligence Platform.

Before Fero Labs, Berk co-founded Tuuum Inc and founded UhuruPacs, playing a pivotal role in guiding large industrial companies on their digital transformation journeys with machine learning.

Berk holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Columbia University, where he was also an IBM PhD Fellow. He’s an innovator with multiple patents in IoT systems for resilient fiber-optic networks.

Keywords: future of manufacturing, digital transformation, Industry 4.0, AI’s role in industry

We chat with Randy Carr, the dynamic president and CEO of World Emblem, a global leader in embroidered patches and emblems. Randy’s journey in the manufacturing world started at just 17, and over the past 21 years, he’s turned his father’s business into a powerhouse, crafting over 1 million emblems daily for iconic brands like New Era, Cintas, and Levi’s. Discover how Randy’s vision and leadership have propelled World Emblem to set industry standards in speed and quality, leveraging cutting-edge technology and strategically placed facilities across North America. In this episode, Randy shares insights into the company’s commitment to innovation, exceptional customer service, and strong family values that underpin its success.

Keywords: scaling family businesses, technology investments, nearshoring

John Kevin Koehler serves as manufacturing gofor at KK Tool Company, a custom tooling and parts manufacturer established in 1972 in Springfield, Ohio. KK Tools specializes in contract manufacturing, with a strong focus on tool and die design for the manufacturing industry. Their services encompass prototype design and manufacture, process development, and full-scale production. 

John has been supporting KK Tool’s production, quality control, and logistics departments for the past 11 years, although his exposure to the family business began at the age of eight. 

In addition to his professional background, John was an Olympic USA Swimming hopeful, training with Indiana University, the Dayton Raiders, and Gator Swim Club. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Indiana University. 

Keywords: tool and die, contract manufacturing, Industry 4.0, family business

Dave Evans, CEO of Fictiv, co-founded the global manufacturing company in 2013 with his brother, Nate, to simplify sourcing for custom manufacturing. Fictiv offers an intelligent manufacturing operating system that leverages a distributed network of vetted vendors to help teams streamline prototyping and product development cycles.

Dave is a distinguished member of the Fast Company Executive Board and a Forbes’ 30 Under 30 honoree. His entrepreneurial journey has been highlighted on Discovery, TechCrunch, Inc., and cheddar news.

Prior to Fictiv, Dave was Ford’s Silicon Valley Innovation Lab’s inaugural hire within the Global Research and Advanced Engineering Division. He also accumulated expertise through roles at Forsch Marine, MagCanica, and Slidepad Technologies.

Dave graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Lieutenant Colonel Kathy Gallowitz, founder and CEO of Vanguard Veteran, is a seasoned 30-year Air Force veteran. In response to 9/11, she designed and led a novel statewide outreach program for the Ohio National Guard to educate and engage civilians in support of troops and their families.  

Kathy is the author of Beyond ‘Thank You for Your Service:’ The Veteran Champion Handbook for Civilians, where she describes how civilians from all segments of society can become Veteran Champions and provide meaningful, practical support for those who serve.  Through her business Vanguard Veteran, she helps employers source, hire and retain Veteran talent.  

She is a past chair of the Governor of Arizona’s Veterans’ Service Advisory Commission and the Southwest Veteran Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She is the veteran hiring advisor for the Arizona Society of Human Resource Management. Her practice and perspectives are framed by master’s degrees both in nursing from UT Health San Antonio and political science at Ohio University. 

Keywords: workforce development, veteran employment, manufacturer employers

As Chief Learning Officer at HumanWRKS and Principal Industrial Strategist for Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence. Brent Kedzierski’s primary roles at both companies are to improve the worker experience by creating a more human-centered approach to digital transformation.  

At Shell, Brent served as Head of Learning Strategy and Innovation,  and Global Manager of Manufacturing Learning. He was the driving force behind many of Shell’s most critical global learning transformations, earning the company recognition as a world-leading human resource management and learning organization.  

In addition to an executive leadership program at The Wharton School, Brent earned his master’s degree in Human Performance Systems at Marymount University and a bachelor’s degree in training and development at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 

Keywords: Industry 4.0, human-machine interface, workforce development, AI-infused data insights

Meghan Kennelly is head of Global Marketing at German Bionic, a robotics firm headquartered in Germany and the US that develops and produces wearable technologies, including connected exoskeletons driven by artificial intelligence.  

Under Meghan’s leadership, German Bionic has secured a number of accolades, such as Fast Company’s “Innovation by Design Award,” the CES 2023 “Best of Innovation” Award, the German Entrepreneur Award, and a coveted Hermes Award nomination at the Hannover Messe, the world’s largest industry trade fair. 

Prior to German Bionic, Meghan worked as Director of Global Marketing & Communications at Yamaha Unified Communications, and as Marketing Manager for the CIO Executive Council at IDG. She earned her master’s degree in digital marketing at Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing at Worcester State University.   

Keywords: AI, exoskeletons, manufacturing workforce, Industry 4.0

Adam Gluck is CEO & Founder of Copia Automation, building DevOps tools for controls and automation engineers that streamlines operations, reduces downtime, and improves innovation and delivery of applications and services. Copia’s flagship offering provides Git-based source control for PLC programming. 

Adam was an early hire on Uber’s driver engineering team and later was the founding engineer on Uber’s engineering strategy team. At Uber, Adam worked on multiple rewrites of Uber’s driver app what was distributed to millions of drivers each month, and helped redesign Uber’s overall microservice architecture. He founded Copia to bring the same best practices to the fundamental technology that runs industry.  

Adam was recently recognized in the 2022 class of Forbes 30 under 30 in the category of Manufacturing and Industry. He received a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree in Sociology from the University of Chicago. 

Keywords: automation, manufacturing processes, PLC coding, digital transformation