Lily Ray

UC Berkeley's Innovative Mobility Updates for the week of November 11th to 17th, 2024; please see:  https://lnkd.in/g__kMG7c To receive our latest updates, please subscribe at: tsrc.berkeley.edu (bottom of homepage). Note views are my own. #AV #driverless #EV #congestionpricing

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OK, this is pretty wild. Almost 800 impressions! I'm close to Elon Musk territory. Well, sort of.. But more to the point - the fact that my post about mentoring got that many hits means I hit a nerve. At a minimum, folks out there agree that we must stuff our STEM pipeline to stay competitive in the world. If we are to feed the economic engine of this country (and the world), we need to help create more STEM leaders. But a more lean-in interpretation is that folks really agree with the mentoring thoughts. This is where all of us can help, regardless of our educational background. This is the classic opportunity to pay it forward, give back, whatever you call it. Just do it. The talk is cheap. But the action is so valuable. Mentoring doesn't have to be this huge mock-pitch student sponsor type of role (that I'm interested in); it can be as simple as showing a child how to tie shoelaces (ok, simplistic), or as useful as showing parents how in the world to navigate the crazy university admission process (where only university admissions offices profit crazily, but I digress...), or helping a newbie at work. The point is, give of yourself. Share your knowledge, wisdom, mistakes, and successes. All matter. I'll stop here. But if you're reading this, please do consider acting on this. Giving feels good. And the good pays off. For everyone. Have a great day. Babu

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As I was driving from San Francisco to Los Altos for an X Factor workshop with the amazing Donna Griffit, I was in awe of how amazing the Bay Area is.  The beautiful hills, water, and people here create magic here.  3 hawks flew in front of my car as I drove down 280 and when the traffic stopped at Sand Hill Road, the license plate on the car in front of me had the letters JOY in it.  It perfectly described my state of mind at that moment.  I often pinch myself that I get to live here. I could not have imagined what transpired during the workshop.  Not just the information Donna shared, but also the women I met and the energy that was alchemizing.  Donna’s book “Sticking to my Story - The alchemy of storytelling for startups” is a good descriptor for this workshop.  I was at a table with 4 women founders.  Each one of us approaching creating uniquely.  We shared and inspired each other. Anna Yuan, Judy Kopa, Sophie Maler If you have a chance to follow Donna on LinkedIn, you will get an advanced notice when she offers the workshop again.  I found that storytelling is so important in everything that we do.  I’m writing a book and building.  Storytelling is an integral part of this process.  I’m so grateful for this workshop that WoW /Elena Krasnoperova coordinated. Donna Asked if there’s a quote that we love or use in our lives .  For me it’s “grow through life”.  A quote I’ve been using for decades.  I am a skills accumulator and always in a a state of continual learning.  My work in technology has been mostly non-tangible, so I like to focus on things I can hold.  Hence my skills are diverse and uniquely mine. In one part of the exercise, we were identifying the skills we had from a list Donna prepared. I did a reverse of eliminating the ones I didn’t have.  There were only three from her list.  This is not a complete picture of what I can do, but I loved seeing it all on one page.  The skills are diverse because I worked in many consulting roles in technology, started community organizations, always volunteering, taking classes, started a business, lobbied for policy change and love adventure.  Last year I came across Hunan Design system and found that I am a Manifesting Generator, someone who is multi-passionate with lots of energy and interests.  That perfectly describes me.  Next week I have a follow up session on my X factor with Judy Kopa.  Continuing to write my story.

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Save the date! If you're going to be in Santa Clara this fall for RoboBusiness, please attend our Robotics Startup Bootcamp Best Practices session. I'll address foundational marketing and PR needs for robotics startups. My fellow panelists will discuss: - Customer discovery - Developing a sales pipeline - Intellectual property and trademarks - Working with corporate partners - How to fund your startup Daniel Theobald Joyce Sidopoulos Marita McGinn Ben Waters MassRobotics RoboBusiness WiBotic

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The Power of Hope – my new workshop, which I'll be presenting for Micron Technology later this year, and for the public in Seattle next month. These days lot of people (younger people in particular) are struggling with anxiety, finding it hard to see reason to hope in the future, for themselves and for the world. Which is understandable. We live in times of extraordinary uncertainty, faced with a mental health crisis, increasing wealth disparity, climate change, international conflict, and much more. But at the same time, we live in an extraordinary time in history where women's literacy is at record heights, infant mortality has never been lower, we are discovering new cures for diseases every day and some endangered species are even recovering their numbers (did you know that there are now more humpback whales in the oceans than there were before we started hunting whales 200 years ago?). Hope is a choice. If we focus on negative news, we easily lose hope. If we choose to pay attention to good news, we feel optimistic. And if we deliberately cultivate hope internally, using time-tested practices based on music and meditation, we realise that what the poets say is true, 'Hope springs eternal'. #optimism #hope #Anxiety #futurism #Seattle

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CBS just ran an ~incredible~ segment on us and our collaboration with Green Design STEAM Academy! CHECK IT OUT!!! We are SO proud of our organization 🚀 😁 🤖 #nonprofitorganization #education #losangeles #stemeducation #STEAM #science #technology #engineering #art #maths #funlearning #makerspace #makermindset #coding #technology #FutureLeaders #innovations #development #programming #Softwaredevelopment #softwareengineer #computerscience #webdevelopment #developer #machinelearning #programmer #coding #CBS #CBSNews

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 Meet Kevin Hong, a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at San José State University (SJSU) with a passion for cars and engineering. Growing up in Oakland, CA, Kevin’s journey began with building Lego cars and trucks, watching “Top Gear,” and diving deep into the technical explanations offered by YouTuber Engineering Explained. His fascination with how and why things work laid the foundation for a career in mechanical engineering. Kevin’s high school Creative Technology class introduced him to design and manufacturing, igniting his interest further. But it was joining SJSU’s Formula SAE team that truly put him on the fast track. Initially starting with little knowledge, Kevin learned by doing—designing sprockets and axles for the team’s race car. His hands-on work in the shop, supported by dedicated mentors at Spartan Racing, helped him develop confidence and expertise. This practical experience, Kevin says, has been an incredibly rewarding part of his education. Last summer, Kevin interned at Kleinfelder, a civil engineering firm that gave him a new perspective on how engineering impacts everyday life. His role involved assisting engineers in ensuring transmission lines were up to code and interpreting historical data. While civil engineering wasn’t his original focus, the experience opened Kevin’s eyes to the breadth of engineering and its applications beyond just technology. Kevin advises other students not to limit their education to just the classroom. "Don’t fail your classes, but definitely work on projects outside of them," he says. Encouraging others to step out of their comfort zones, build practical skills, and communicate with others to open doors to new opportunities—just as he did in landing his internship. Like many, Kevin has faced doubts, especially when it comes to leadership. Now tasked with leading a team, he’s learning to overcome feelings of inadequacy by acknowledging that he’s still early in his career and that leadership is a skill developed over time. "Take a breather and acknowledge your situation. Not everyone is perfect, and the best way to learn is through mistakes," he says. Kevin’s ultimate goal isn’t defined by a specific job title but by a desire to broaden his horizons. "I want to learn as much as I can about the world," he shares. "Engineering doesn’t just teach technical skills—it teaches problem-solving and other life lessons that will help me grow both personally and professionally." Even though Kevin has only started his sophomore year, he is off to a great start and deep understanding of the industry he will be joining after graduating in 2027. #sjsu #engineering #internship

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IEEE Hawaii member Isar Mostafanezhad will be participating in Hawaii's Deep Tech Future - Chips, Energy, and Beyond panel, part of the inaugural Honolulu Tech Week! Check it out! https://lu.ma/n87j19vc Deep tech refers to groundbreaking technological advancements rooted in scientific discoveries and engineering innovation, from chips and energy solutions, to aerospace and ocean exploration. Deep tech often involves long-term R&D, specialized technical expertise, and significant capital investment. Once overlooked in the rush to build software apps and marketplaces, deep tech has now emerged as one of the hottest and most critical areas of technology growth and investment.

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It was an honor and a lot of fun to be invited back to UCSB to judge the Department of Engineering Grad Slam. Back in June I had the opportunity to serve as a judge for both the UCSB College of Engineering Multidisciplinary Competition (https://lnkd.in/g4NAbXbw) and Capstone Projects (https://lnkd.in/gG6szFCP), and apparently they aren’t sick of me. As Capstone judges, we dove deep in order to evaluate the engineering merit and presentations of seniors’ year-long group projects. These projects are no joke, posing sophisticated engineering and project management challenges that require coordination of large teams with students from multiple different departments. A great example is the Formula SAE Electric project(https://lnkd.in/g7hPSNcE). For the Grad Slam, grad students delivered lightning talks on their research, aiming to be both accessible engaging to a broader audience. It was convenient that I’ve had pitching on the mind recently, and lots of fresh feedback from some very smart people. Their feedback (“never have something on a slide you aren’t going to talk about”) echoed in my ears as I feverishly scribbled notes trying to keep up. It’s fantastic to see UCSB’s commitment to blending rigorous engineering with strong communication skills. I also had the chance to meet some of the talented people in the department these days, like department chair Jeff Moehlis and Tyler Susko. Interestingly, enrollment in the department has decreased from 100 students a year to 85 since I graduated, but the value of the education has only increased. Mechanical Engineering truly makes the world go round, and it’s a field that’s hard to outsource. As software jobs move to cheaper locations over the next decade putting downward pressure on those famously high comp packages, we may see more people gravitate back to fields like mechanical engineering. If your kids are considering it, definitely check out UCSB. While the two competitions were very different, each reminded me how much we learn throughout life’s journey and how much we can help develop people who are where we were not long ago. Hopefully by sharing our feedback and lessons learned we can make each successive generation smarter, faster, than the previous one, and thereby accelerate humanity’s progress. I still haven’t learned to get a picture of myself (ideally standing with some important person), so here’s the one I took of students working in the MEMS lab on my walk in from the parking lot 😂.

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🚀 On July 11th, Venture Lab Silicon Valley hosted the Japan Society of Northern California event, "A New Era in the Space Ecosystem – Future Collaboration between the US and Japan for a Post-ISS World," attracting around 100 attendees. As NASA plans to retire the ISS by 2030, a new space station operated by private companies will take its place, incorporating Japanese experimental equipment and modules. The event featured Japanese and US space tech startups discussing the post-ISS world and the opportunities and challenges of US-Japan collaboration. At the event, GM of Investment Tom Kluz presented on Niterra, and VP Craig Tibbetts introduced Niterra's innovative small radiation device (SRD). The material used in the SRD changes is emissivity based on temperature, a very useful property for thermal control on spacecraft exposed to temperature extremes in the vacuum of space. Niterra has developed a cost effective production process for the material, promising performance at one-fifth the weight and cost of conventional thermal control devices. Why It Matters: This collaboration enhances international space partnerships, driving innovation and new opportunities in space-related industries. Technologies like the SRD offer more efficient and cost-effective solutions, opening up new possibilities for scientific discovery and commercial ventures. Visit our website to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gHdbEhDU #TeamVentureLab #BeyondCeramics #SpaceTech #JapanSocietyNorthernCalifornia

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It was the summer of snakes at Cal Poly! Thanks to our researchers, you can now livestream rattlesnakes in their natural habitat, allowing you to watch these incredible creatures up close without disturbing them. Witness rare events like mass gatherings and snake pups being born, all while contributing to groundbreaking science! Curious? Check out this link! https://bit.ly/47vovMX #CalPoly #CalPolyScience #CalPolyNews

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The annual Bay Area Biomedical Conference took place on April 3, 2024, at the San Jose State University Student Union. It serves as a forum to see the latest advances in medical device technologies and regulations. When biomedical engineering (BME) student volunteers were asked why they attended they all had a different reason to go. Shweta Raghuraman wanted to see what was out there in the BME industry. Talia Litvin thought it would be a nice chance to meet people majoring in BME and also see what is happening in the industry. Emily Harvey wanted to expand her knowledge by attending the conference. Akshaya Snankar Ganesh hoped to explore the BME area more intently. They also wanted to network, get a better perspective of the biomedical industry, expand their knowledge on topics such as how artificial intelligence could be used in radiotherapy for cancer and stem cell research, and see all the different career paths the industry had to offer. Derrick Richardson, a presenter at the 2023 conference who is currently working for Alumis, a company focused on immune-mediated diseases such as lupus and Crohn’s disease, saw the conference as a way of plugging into the SJSU community. He also loves talking to students and having them pick his brains. Mr. Richardson has another connection with SJSU– he is a lecturer for the College of Engineering. He was asked by Dr. Guna Selvaduray and Dr. Alessandro Bellofiore to teach a class on project management, which he started doing in 2021. Daniel Ramos, a junior biomedical student who has been more focused on his studies in previous years at SJSU, saw the conference as a good way to get more involved in campus activities. “It is important for me as a BME student to come and support the department,” he said. “I hope to network and get a chance to meet some of the presenters.” Daniel plans to pursue a Ph.D. , so meeting individuals like Dr. William Leineweber, a presenter from Stanford, to get more insight into the program and learn about other research prospects, was just the type of networking opportunity he was looking for. He also wanted to grow his knowledge in BME fields that he currently isn't doing research in. “I’ve expanded my knowledge in 3D bioprinting for example, but I’m looking to grow my understanding in areas such as regenerative medicine, and there are a lot of presenters at the conference who are touching on that topic,” he added. Bioprinting leverages 3D printing technology, but instead of using plastic or something similar, the technology turns out functioning biological tissue. One presenter Daniel hoped to see at the conference was Dr. Ngan Huang, an Associate Professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University. “She is doing stem cell research which is very applicable to 3D bioprinting because it can be used to grow cells to treat cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases,” Daniel said. Don’t miss the next Biomedical Engineering conference in 2025!

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Curious how California leads in innovation and sustainability? From offshore wind to driverless cars, Next 10 founder Noel Perry shares key insights on building a greener future on this latest episode of Line of Sight. https://lnkd.in/gSyGmd7T

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UC Riverside's Office of Technology Partnerships is driving economic growth in the Inland Empire by supporting startups focused on sustainability innovations. Through the Inland SoCal Accelerate Hub, we're connecting entrepreneurs with the resources they need to succeed. Key Programs: ・Opportunity Gateway: Helping startups secure investments and expand into larger markets. ・SBIR/STTR Resource Center: Providing coaching for federal grants from $50K to $1.5M. We’re here to support Inland Empire entrepreneurs! We believe that by continuing these efforts, we can drive the success of local businesses and contribute to the growth of both the university and the community. Click here to read the press release: https://lnkd.in/gCMywBma #InlandSoCalAccelerateHub #IHub #SoCalEntrepreneurs #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Sustainability #StartupSupport #OpportunityGateway #SmallBusinessFunding #GrantFunding #TechInnovation #BusinessGrowth #Commercialization #Networking #RiversideCA #MorenoValleyCA #SanBernardinoCA #InlandEmpire #UCRiverside #UCR #otp

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We're excited to share we've been featured in a recent Cal Poly article! If you're interested in learning more about our mission and journey check out the full story: https://lnkd.in/gqExQ37B #CalPoly #GreenSight #Startup #CalPolyCIE #ITAD

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EVENT: Crafting Your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for Startup Success with Victor Macias https://lnkd.in/gBCKhH5i The journey from a mere idea to a successful startup is thrilling but filled with challenges. One of the critical steps in this journey is developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)—a process that can make or break your venture. That’s why we’re excited to announce our upcoming event, “Crafting Your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for Startup Success.” Why is an MVP Important? An MVP is more than just a product with minimal features; it’s a strategic approach to validating your business idea with real customers, minimizing risk, and ensuring you’re solving the right problem. By focusing on core functionalities, you can gather valuable feedback from early adopters and iterate quickly, saving time and resources while refining your vision.

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