Devon Reid is a chemist and engineer with 18 years experience in high-tech product development. As an optical engineer at Abbott Laboratories, Devon was awarded five U.S. patents, including sole-authorship for a novel method of switching light. Other projects included semiconductor manufacturing equipment development, subsystems that manufactured mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope, and the design verification and validation of LASIK diagnostic equipment for U.S. Food and Drug Administration medical device approval. Pivoting to the cannabis sphere in 2014, Devon has since worked in nearly every aspect of this emerging industry (cultivation, manufacturing, training, compliance, etc.) In late 2017, Devon provided essential business planning input and documentation that garnered licensure for a manufacturing facility in California’s newly regulated cannabis market. Later clients include strategy consulting for a track-and-trace software startup in San Francisco, and development of a CBD brand of products. With his move to Oregon in 2019, Devon has realized his goal of joining a professional team to develop automated cannabis manufacturing equipment, with an eye towards applying automation in other industries.