RISE Inside

Well into retirement after an impressive 30-year career at Caterpillar, a call from RISE™ CEO Arron Acosta brought Chief Product Officer Ken Gray back into the game.

But he didn't come alone.

"I've brought in a couple of seasoned industry veterans that I think of as my peers—quite frankly, my superiors.

"My late, great father said that one of the secrets to longevity is meaningful work. At this point in my career, I want to do work that matters, work that truly makes a difference. A successful RISE™ is going to help equipment manufacturers make much better, much more efficient equipment, allowing them to take advantage of the electrification megatrend. I think that has a chance to matter."

To hear more about Ken's career, his time at RISE™, and his passion for disability awareness and diversity in the workplace, listen to the podcast now!

Nolan Hobart, Mechanical Engineer at RISE™Robotics, joins host Justin Starbird on the latest episode of Inside RISE™.

For Nolan, RISE™ has provided him with an opportunity to build a solid technical base as well as an opportunity to work in the green space.

"Boarding the rocket ship, 30 seconds before blast off," as he describes it, Nolan joined the founders in testing and designing their alpha cylinder, a demo unit for a relationship they were chasing with Anthony Liftgates. In his current position, Nolan assumes much of the technical responsibilities as an essential member of the Liftgate team.

To hear more about Nolan's vision of RISE™ and how his love for snowmobiling at a young age ignited his engineering career, listen to the podcast now!

After a distinguished 35-year career at Caterpillar, an opportunity to help RISE™Robotics reach the next level brought VP Business and Product Development, On Highway / Waterway, Walt Bradbury out of retirement.

Walt's first responsibility at RISE™ has him working with the pioneering Liftgate program. He shares, "We're blazing a lot of trails with this program. It's the first time RISE™ has done many things beyond developing products. We are taking it into production and supporting the project long-term developing many processes and tools along the way."

To hear more about Walt's journey, his work at RISE™, and his vision for the company, listen to the podcast now!

Erika Murray - Mechanical Engineer and Engineering Project Manager at RISE™Robotics, joins host Justin Starbird on the latest episode in our series highlighting the great people that make RISE™ unique.

With a combined Mechanical Engineering and Experience Design major from Northeastern University, Erika joined the RISE™ team with a vision centered on people and their experiences to drive design, processes, environments, and strategies.

Following her passion for sustainability to RISE™ also makes her days very fulfilling and proud to work at RISE™.

To hear more about Erika's journey, her vision for success, and her work at RISE™, listen to the podcast!

With years of experience in a wide range of senior leadership roles in high technology fields, including robotics, space propulsion, semiconductor testing, and telecommunications, Tom Phleps, now RISE™ COO, was looking for a new opportunity that would bring him back to his roots in robotics and heavy hardware.

He was searching for a revolutionary technology with the potential to change an industry and a committed and brilliant founding team.

"RISE™Robotics checked all of those boxes and aligned well with the next step in my career," he points out.

"It's a fascinating place to be," he adds. "We are at a point where there are more opportunities than bandwidth. Part of my role is filtering those opportunities and ensuring we can meet and exceed our customers' expectations. I want to ensure we over-deliver to customers and build the RISE™Robotics brand and reputation.

"RISE™Technology is truly revolutionary and will enable the development of the highest-performance and most efficient heavy machinery on the market. I look forward to helping RISE™ grow and become an industry technology leader."

To hear more about Tom's journey to RISE™ and what has him so excited for the company's future, listen to the podcast!

Disrupting an industry might seem daunting, but Hector Cazares, Systems Engineer, and the rest of the RISE™ team are here to prove it can be done.

Straight out of the Wentworth Institute of Technology, Hector joined RISE™ at the ground level. In his first two years at RISE™, Hector was part of the team designing harness systems and circuit boards. Today, he works as an integral part of the testing group, analyzing test plans for the design team to improve the product. He also oversees the real-world simulation testing of the ReGen Railtrac Liftgate.

To hear more about Hector's journey, his work at RISE™, and how his problem-solving skills transition to the kitchen and his love of cooking, listen to InsideRISE™ - Hector Cazares.

Introducing RISE™ Finance, Operations, and Administration Manager, Zoe Robert, a valued employee wearing many hats.

You may come across Zoe taking care of cash management, company spending, or financial planning, or maybe during hiring, interviewing, and managing employee benefits. She also ensures that the facilities are in order, plans travel for trade shows and executives, and serves as the CEO's executive assistant, scheduling calls with investors.

Zoe is very excited about the future of RISE™ and her role in it. To hear more about her journey, love for dance, and how she and her husband rode a motorcycle across the United States, listen to "InsideRISE™ - Zoe Robert”.

The Engine, a venture capital firm founded in 2016 by MIT, aims to support and accelerate the development of companies and innovations that improve the world through science and technology.

Reed Sturtevant, General Partner at The Engine, joins host Justin Starbird on the RISE™Inside podcast to discuss the company's mission and how they are supporting the small business ecosystem for the most promising teams and breakthrough inventions solving some of today's most pressing concerns.

Host, Justin Starbird is joined by special guests Roland Mattern, Director of Marketing for eSight Eyewear, and Gary Foster, advocate, former employee, and user of eSight Eyewear, to talk about eSight technology and the impact that interventions can have on improving people's vision and lives.

At its core, eSight is the most versatile and advanced all-in-one device for people with visual impairments, designed to move seamlessly with the wearer through daily life.

In the most recent episode of RISE™Inside, Molly Pasley, Assistant Professor of Special Education at Northern Illinois University in the Visual Disabilities Program, sat down with host Justin Starbird to discuss ways in which all employers can shift their mindset, recognize disability bias and discrimination, and create inclusive environments specifically surrounding visual impairments.

Through her teaching and research, Molly has recognized a common underlying fear of workplace discrimination surrounding "coming out blind."

Past episodes of the RISE™Inside podcast have shed light on and highlighted how RISE™Robotics and its team members have flourished as a result of inclusive practices, appropriate accommodations, and a mindset that looks beyond impairments or disabilities, shifts the focus to what people can do, and capitalizes on the inherent talent and value of every employee. Listen to the latest episode for Molly's experience and insight on creating inclusive environments.