Shifting Gears

Episode 2 features Mario Persicone, Director of Operations at PNM Company and Owner of Pro Laser Graphics. Mario discusses the applications of robotics and automation and how they can boost productivity and make a workplace safer.

Episode 1 features Dr. Satyandra K. Gupta, Smith International Professor in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department and Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing in the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California; and Craig Schlenoff, Group Leader of the Cognition and Collaboration Systems Group and Program Manager of the Robotic Systems for Smart Manufacturing Program in the Intelligent Systems Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). SK and Craig discuss the evolution of robotics technologies, the impact on the manufacturing industry, how to develop a roadmap for implementation, and their predictions for the future of robotics.

Season Three of Shifting Gears deep-dives into advanced manufacturing technologies: automation, robotics, and additive. The season concludes with a special episode in celebration of Manufacturing Day 2021. Shifting Gears’ host Gregg Profozich is joined by subject matter experts to explore each of this season’s four topics.

Episode 6 features Natalia Sephton, President & CEO of M&R Engineering; Sarah Myers, Founder & CEO of HMP - Hemp Made Products; and Lisa Anderson, Founder & President of LMA Consulting Group Inc. Natalia, Sarah, and Lisa discuss their experiences as women in manufacturing—how they got started, their professional accomplishments, and the current state of opportunities for women in the industry.

Episode 5 features Rob Lightner, Co-Founder of East Brother Beer Company; Linh Judin, Owner of Itsy Bitty; and Derric Haynie, Chief Ecommerce Technologist at Ecommercetech.io. Rob, Linh, and Derric discuss the recent boom in eCommerce, their individual journeys with it, and advice for leveraging one’s online presence to sell better.

Episode 4 features Dr. Jim Davis, Vice Provost of IT at the Office of Advanced Research Computing at UCLA. Jim defines smart manufacturing, explains how it’s evolved over the past two decades and provides some unique examples of how smart manufacturing is being used today.

Episode 3 features Christopher Thornberg, Ph.D., Founding Partner at Beacon Economics LLC. Christopher explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected different parts of the economy and offers his predictions about what the economy will look like as we return to “normalcy.”

Episode 2 features Hannah Going, Director of Marketing at Accel-RF Instruments Corporation, and Alex Meade, VP of Sales & Marketing at Beacons Point. Hannah and Alex discuss what inbound marketing is, the steps to getting started, ways to get company buy-in, and how to get the most value out of it.

Episode 1 features Matthew McKenney, President & CEO of the Institute for American Apprenticeships (IAA), and Mace Gjerman, the Technical Training Manager for Peterson Caterpillar. Matthew and Mace discuss the organizational impacts of starting an apprenticeship program as well as resources for those looking to adopt and the benefits of implementation.

Season Two of Shifting Gears deep-dives into apprenticeship programs, inbound marketing, the economic outlook in the wake of the pandemic, smart manufacturing, eCommerce, and women in manufacturing. Shifting Gears’ host Gregg Profozich is joined by subject matter experts to explore each of this season’s six topics.