Brian Smoliak Email & Phone Number

Saint Paul, Mn, Us

Established the company with a co-founder by clarifying our shared mission, vision, and values. Managed company operations and compliance. Supervised 2 summer interns. Led customer discovery leveraging the Lean LaunchPad entrepreneurship method, validating key assumptions and achieving a 75% conversion rate on requests for early access to a groundbreaking personal weather service. Secured intellectual property through non-provisional utility patents, copyright, and trade secrets. Proposed research and development, including 3 SBIR grant proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF), 2 SBIR grant proposals to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and an innovation grant proposal to Launch Minnesota. Won a $3k mini-grant award from the MIN-Corps NSF I-Corps site to support customer development in 2019. Won a $150k SBIR Phase I award from NOAA in 2022 and a $650k SBIR Phase II award in 2023.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Us

Joined a founding team composed of a former classmate, a technology scouting leader, and a data science executive to form an innovative climate adaptation consulting firm bridging the gap between risk assessment and engineering. Accelerated business development through conference attendance, advisory services, and partnership with other companies in the climate resilience ecosystem. Published blogs and a pioneering report on the value of 7 select technologies to offset $1.7 trillion of annual costs of climate change by 2030.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Led albedo research leveraging state-of-the-art atmospheric reanalyses, remote sensing imagery, and distributed cloud computing to enable product development and inspire climate action. Launched the first global reflectivity potential tool to help users explore the difference that lighter surfaces can make. Communicated the climate science, materials science, and atmospheric science underpinning the larger effort to quickly slow global warming through climate interventions.

San Francisco, California, Us

Seattle, Us

Represented the Co-op at frontline and in footwear, welcoming and guiding customers based on their interests and needs. Increased retail sales by encouraging customer engagement, team communication, and visual merchandising standards. Achieved a 36% conversion rate on new memberships. Minimized shrink through loss prevention techniques and accurate inventory counts.

St Paul, Minnesota, Us

Contributed applied research and scientific software development as a member of the Science & Research Team: created, developed, and maintained 4 production R software packages; researched and developed a cloud shading filter for solar photovoltaic power station data; reduced wind turbine and solar inverter power surface training time by 50% while increasing accuracy through improved data filters and new machine learning methods; prototyped a battery energy storage system operational assessment product. Coached colleagues on Git version control, research standards, and programming style guides.

St. Louis, Missouri, Us

Contributed basic and applied research and development (R&D) leveraging python and distributed cloud computing as a member of the Climatology and Weather Science Teams: produced dynamically downscaled gridded quantitative precipitation estimates with the WRF model in a region with coarse observational data coverage; researched patterns of seasonal climate variability over the US Midwest and their predictability using statistical and dynamical models; documented the sensitivity of FieldView Nitrogen Advisor to hydrometeorological data inputs. Introduced weekly weather briefings for internal audiences across the enterprises; wrote 3 posts for the Climate Insights blog; presented at 3 professional conferences.

Minneapolis And St. Paul, Minnesota, Us

Advanced the “Islands in the Sun” project investigating urban heat islands as a member of the TwiSny research group in the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate: maintained an unprecedented dense sensor network to monitor temperature across the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (sensor calibration, deployment, and data collection); developed a data pipeline to automate temperature sensor data quality assurance, geostatistical interpolation, analysis, and visualization; published a peer-reviewed article documenting results; submitted a National Science Foundation AGS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship proposal (withdrawn); won a $2300 mini-grant to investigate local temperature variability across natural and managed areas at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum; won a prestigious NCAR Advanced Study Program Fellowship (declined). Initiated a weekly peer mentoring series, “Boreas Booya” with a group from the Boreas Leadership Program in the Institute on the Environment.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Supported Professor John “Mike” Wallace’s research program as a member of his research group: co-authored 9 peer-reviewed journal articles and 1 book chapter, analyzed atmospheric and oceanic data leveraging MATLAB in service of studies concerning climate dynamics, air-sea interactions, atmospheric general circulation, and teleconnections; reviewed literature and grant proposals; prepared figures, powerpoint slides, Keynote slides, and other visualizations; recorded video of lectures; designed and maintained web pages.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Supervised 20 graduate teaching assistants (TAs) in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences over three academic quarters, providing resources, support, and teaching feedback. Hosted three microteaching events for current TAs to receive feedback and guidance from other department graduate students; introduced video recording and feedback to the events. Conducted weekly 1:1 check-ins with TAs during their courses. Provided written feedback to each TA based on course observations conducted throughout the quarter.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Taught ATM S 101 (Weather) to 25 undergraduate students during 10 week summer quarter 2010. Built the course website (see link below). Designed daily lectures, assignments, quizzes, and a final exam according to the course goals. Encouraged experiential learning through student self-reflection, interactive demonstrations, and outdoor classroom time.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Supported Professor Joel Thornton’s delivery of ATM S 211: Climate and Climate Change to 90 undergraduate students during 10 week winter quarter 2008. Led two weekly discussion sections, each with 45 undergraduate students. Graded homework assignments designed by Professor Thornton. Designed and graded exams in collaboration with Professor Thornton.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Supported a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation initiative as a member of the Evans School Policy Analysis and Research (EPAR) group: reviewed literature, analyzed data (climate, weather, and agronomic) relevant to sustainable agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa, co-authored a white paper, presented at a professional conference (JSM) and a UW Scholars Studio lightning talk.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Wrote 26 science-oriented articles spanning news, features, and a bi-weekly column, "Speaking of Science." Covered topics including: climate science, weather, oceanography, museum exhibitions, fellowships and research grant awards, quantum computing, and nuclear physics.

Washington, Dc, Us

Supported operational meteorologists, hydrometeorological technicians, service hydrologist, program managers, and officers (MIC, SOO, WCM) at NWS weather forecast offices in Chanhassen, MN (MPX) and Valley, NE (OAX) as a meteorologist in the NOAA Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). Issued short-term forecasts, aviation products, and daily climate summaries, among others. Contributed to area forecast discussions, gridded forecasts, and severe weather operations. Launched upper air observations (weather balloon and radiosonde) under routine and special operations. Verified severe weather warnings in communication with citizens, broadcast media, public safety officers, and emergency management officials. Led outreach programs in collaboration with local schools, civic groups, and event organizers.

Chicago, Il, Us

Placed retail products on shelves, end caps, and in aisle displays following planograms. Set signage before, during, and after sales promotions. Collaborated with customer service and sales associates to ensure accurate pricing and visual merchandising standards.

Chicago, Il, Us

Served customers on the retail sales floor and at the point of purchase in Sears’ hardware department (“Tool Territory”), providing direction and product expertise in consultation with sales associates. Sold purchase protection plans and master service plans at 26% conversion rate. Redeemed warranties on Craftsman tools. Performed stocking and annual inventory.

Phd, Atmospheric Sciences

Bsc, Atmospheric Sciences

Education record