Nevada Sanchez Lives His Dream in Technology

Many people live their lives dreaming but not living their dreams. Nevada Sanchez, the co-founder of the Butterfly Network, is different because he is living his dream and making his mark.

When he was just 10 years old, Sanchez told his parents that he wanted to establish a technology company in the future. He was advised to enrol at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – and he did just that in 8 years but he did something different, too. He secured three degrees from MIT including his education as a software and electrical engineer.

While he was an MIT undergrad, Sanchez worked for Max Tegmark, a physicist and designer of radio telescopes. This paved the way for the co-creation of the Butterfly Network, a technology company dedicated to transforming the field of diagnostic and therapeutic imaging devices as well as deep learning and cloud systems. By bringing engineering and medicine together, the Butterfly Network is revolutionizing the industry.

Sanchez is presently involved in the research and development of techniques and technologies particularly algorithms for advanced imaging solutions. He specializes in several computer platforms and software tools, such as SolidWorks and AutoCAD.

Vijay Chudasama Works In the Hottest Biotechnology Areas

With the brilliant brains of Vijay Chudasama, working on one of the hottest biotechnology drugs is easy. Chudasama, the co-founder and technical director of ThioLogics from September 2013 to present, leads the company in the research and development of a revolutionary sites-specific conjugation platform across several sectors.

The technology will allow the effective and efficient combination of antibodies, the body’s system for identifying and destroying possibly toxic organisms or cells, with other drugs including medicines. This will provide doctors with the opportunity to deliver chemotherapy drugs to tumour cells only, thus, lessening the side effects, among other applications.

Chudasama also worked as an intellectual property consultant for ThioLogics from August 2012 to present. He is credited for ThioLogic’s efficacy in relation to patent prosecution, claim construction, and application strategy, among others.

ThioLogics, a biotechnology company, was established by Dr. Vijay Chudasama together with Dr. James Baker and Professor Stephen Caddick. The company was founded based on the proprietary chemistries developed by the co-founders at the University College London laboratories. The conjugation platform allows for the stable, selective and functional modification of free cysteine or disulfide bonds in proteins, peptides and antibodies – truly, a revolutionary invention in its own right.

He has published 20 – and counting – peer-reviewed publications as well as granted with a patent, namely, the Thiol Protecting Group (Europe EP2464654) issued 9 August 2010. The patent is useful in the creation of functional conjugate compounds, among other functions.

Chudasama possesses several other professional credentials. He worked as a trainee patent attorney at JA Kemp where he gained extensive experience in patent processes; as a tutorial and laboratory instructor at New York University London where his teaching skills were honed; and as process chemist at AstraZeneca and a medicinal chemist at Arrow Therapeutics where his chemist skills became advanced, among others.

Antonio Arocha: Protecting Cargo against Theft

One of the hurdles many companies face is the theft of their precious cargo. It doesn’t matter whether the cargo is transported by air, land, or sea, criminals find a way to steal tens of billions worth of cargo each year. Driven by the desire to help in solving a real world problem, Antonio Arocha used his background in computer science to develop a security system for cargo being transported.

Arocha graduated from the University of Texas with degrees in both computer science and government. After graduation, he founded Nuve, a company that designs and manufactures a sensor and tracking system that secures cargo in transit. In 2012, the company was accepted into Mexico’s IBM SmartCamp competition and won. Soon after, the company attracted attention from local incubators in Austin, Texas. Arocha has also earned recognition from business media outfits such as Forbes Magazine which included him as one of their 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing for 2015.

Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre: Using Material Science to Create a Greener World

We live in the world where most of the things we use in our daily lives are made of toxic, non-biodegradable, and unsustainable materials. This causes harm not just to the environment, but to people’s health as well. In 2007, two graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute set out to change the way people create things that we need. While still in school, Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre found a way to use fungi to create rigid, molded materials. After graduation, the duo quit their jobs to develop their idea even further and co-founded Ecovative. This endeavor has earned them recognition from different sources including a slot in the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing list for 2015.

Eben Bayer graduated with degrees in both Innovation & Design and Mechanical Engineering. Growing up, he was exposed to farming and agriculture and learned the ropes hands on at his family’s farm in Central Vermont. Aside from serving as Ecovative’s CEO, Bayer also serves as an advisor for startups in New York City and has seats on the Tech Valley High School’s business board as well as on the ASU Origins project’s external advisory board. Bayer has also spoken in a number of large scale forums including PopTech, TED Global, and The World Economic Forum in Davos.

Gavin McIntyre serves as Ecovative’s Chief Scientists. He earned his dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Product Design and Mechanical Engineering and has since tucked several utility patents under his belt. Aside from his duties as Chief Scientist, McIntyre also serves on Ecovative’s board of directors as well as the Rensselaer Center for Automation Technology and Systems, and the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute. He was also once the principle investigator for grants received from the USDA, the US EPA, the NSF, the New York State Energy Research and Development, and Empire State Development.

Meet the Product Guy – Ryan Hoover

Ryan Hoover is a self-proclaimed “product guy”. He founded Product Hunt, an online community which features the best new products out in the market every day. The community members are product enthusiasts just like Hoover. On the site, they can discuss the pros and cons of the latest mobile apps, tech products, websites, and hardware that are made available to the public.

Prior to founding Product Hunt, Hoover also created Startup Edition, a website similar to Product Hunt with a focus on bloggers within the startup community. He also worked as an EIR at Tradecraft, an in-depth training program for budding UX designers, sales and business development professionals, and growth hackers. Hoover was also part of PlayHaven as Director of Product.

Hoover is also a writer, having written over 150 articles and essays published in TechCrunch, FastCompany, and many others. He also contributed to Nir Eyal’s book called Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products.

Ankur Jain and David Wyler: Turning Contacts into Relationships

Ankur Jain and David Wyler are no strangers to entrepreneurship, or to each other. They are the co-founders behind the company that developed the app called Humin which sorts out the user’s phone, email, and social media contacts, as well as calendared activities and presents them through a neat and easily searchable interface. This innovative app earned the duo a slot on the Forbes list of 30 Under 30 in Consumer Technology for 2015. Before Humin, they partnered up to co-found The Kairos Society, a non-profit organization that aims to connect student entrepreneurs and help them develop creative and innovative startups that will have a major impact on the world.

Ankur Jain grew up around tech startups as his father, Naveen, is the founder and CEO of Intelius. His mother, Anu, on the other hand, is the company’s Vice President of Community Relations. Jain graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. Around that same time, he was touted by Inc Magazine as the “Best Connected 21-Year-Old in the World” and was included in their list of 30 Under 30 for that year. He was also chosen out of 1,800 students to be part of the 80 who would take part in Singularity University’s Summer Program. Jain is also into philanthropy, having interned at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

David Wyler, the other half of this dynamic duo, hails from the Netherlands. Since 2013, he has been working as the CEO of Daking Ventures, Inc., the US arm of Granaria Holdings BV a global investment company which he was named CEO of in 2010. He graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a Bachelor of Arts degree in European Studies and Economics. He was also one of the few who were chosen to attend the Singularity University Summer Program.

Zara Terez Tisch: From Marketing to Fashion Design

Zara Terez Tisch had no plans of starting her own business before she opened up her own fashion line. In fact, after working as an intern at Coach, she wanted to pursue marketing as a career. Luckily for her, her entrepreneurial genes took over. Her parents are both entrepreneurs in the textile and garment industries and it wasn’t long before she followed in her footsteps.

Her fashion line, aptly called Zara Terez, started as a leather handbag line which showcased the individuality of her customers. While the handbags were simple on the outside, the inside of the bag was colorful and unique. She then teamed up with her best friend Amanda Schabes to create pencil cases with the same concept as her leather handbags – simple on the outside, fun on the inside. Retailers were impressed with her pencil cases and the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, the Zara Terez fashion line not only sells bags and accessories, they also sell fun, colorful, and unique clothes for women and young girls alike.

Alan Tisch: The Journey from City Hall to Spring

Alan Tisch is the co-founder and CEO of Jello Labs, the company that created Spring, a mobile app that allows users to choose from a curated community of brands and do their shopping directly on their mobile device. The app is currently available for both iOS and Android mobile devices. Tisch co-founded the company with his brother David who is the company’s Chairman of the Board, and Octavian Costache, Spring’s Chief Technology Officer. The company has been doing exceptionally well and has been able to secure investments from reputable venture capitalists such as Neil Blumenthal, Groupe Arnault, and Thrive Capital. At just 26 years old, his role in the company’s success has earned him a slot in Forbes Magazine’s list of 30 Under 30 in Retail.

Before co-founding Spring, Tisch earned a lot of his experience working for other companies. Prior to co-founding Jello Labs, Tisch worked in Operations at Fab. He also worked on some projects for the local government in New York City. His task while working for City Hall was to increase the city’s tech friendliness. During this time, he worked on and launched New York City’s Big Apps, an annual contest wherein app developers compete to create innovative apps that would solve some of the toughest challenges that the citizens of New York City face on a day to day basis. He also helped launch the NYC 311 app. This app provides citizens with non-emergency services as well as important government information. Tisch also did a short stint with boutique investment bank, Allen & Co. as well as with J.P. Morgan as a Global Investment Specialist.

Tisch earned his Bachelor in Business Administration degree from the Michigan Ross School of Business. He went on to earn his Masters in Business Administration specializing in Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation from NYU Stern.

Jordan Edelson Has An Appetite for Business

Few men have the guts and gumption to follow through on their appetite for business. Fortunately, Jordan Edelson is one of the few men whose appetite for business continues to be translated in business success.

Edelson is well-known in the business industry as serial entrepreneur whose career started at a young age. He started his first companies as a teenager. These companies include Game Broadcasting Live, an online streaming video game broadcasting channel; and eSportsTV, an online site for streaming live professional video games and sports broadcasts.

He was also the Chief Technology Officer of H3 Enterprises. He has been featured in several mainstream publications including Popular Science Magazine, Biz Journal, and Business Review as well as Discovery Channel.

Edelson’s biggest accomplishment so far is as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Appetizer Mobile, a world-recognized innovative mobile digital agency established in 2009. The company develops creative mobile applications and marketing programs used on major platforms including Apple devices like the iPad and iPhone as well as on Android and Blackberry devices.