Levate is a startup focusing on designing, building, and commercializing an innovative wheelchair lift for manual wheelchair users, allowing them to overcome reach related difficulties such as raised surfaces and storage, speaking face to face, and transferring in and out of their wheelchair. Responsibilities included creating pro-forma financial documents, fundraising and securing initial seed funding, participating in the 2014 Sooner Launch Pad Business Accelerator, overseeing rapid prototyping and managing relationships with stakeholders, investors, and product developers, and leading community outreach to wheelchair users.

Taught Agile and Lean Startup methodologies around the globe, with an emphasis on rapid prototyping, in South America, the US, and Europe. Worked with BetterStories Ltd, a Bangladeshi economic development organization, for 3 months on incubator, accelerator, and awareness programs designed to increase entrepreneurial activity in Dhaka and Bangladesh. Content creation for marketing purposes.

Performed structural analyses on cell phone towers, conducted environmental impact studies of proposed build sites, and mapped proposed and existing fiber optic cable lines using AutoCAD and ArcGIS.

Launched and managed new Agile Product Design (APD) internship program at CCEW, including marketing to secure 18 applicants in its first semester, interviewing and selecting team, curating and managing product design focused Speaker Series, and creating strategic plan to grow impact of program. Led inaugural Agile Product Design team as Team Leader. Oversaw team of 5 to ideate a manually-operated wheelchair lift, validate product through over 60 interviews and survey responses. Applied Agile methodology to create 4 functional prototypes in 8 weeks. Resulted in plan for team to move forward with product, with projected returns of up to $9.5M and 19,000 lives impacted in 5 years. Planned and organized the 2014 Social Entrepreneurship Symposium with theme of Socially-Focused Design. Pitched event and secured $6,000 in external funding. Secured keynote speaker Paul Polak and managed relations. Organized panel discussion and interactive exhibits around theme. Implemented marketing strategy to attract 100+ attendees. Attended May 2014 workshop in Seattle, hosted by Wikispeed and Scrum Inc., to equip APD program with Scrum and Extreme Manufacturing frameworks and methodologies.

CCEW is an economic development organization specializing in technology commercialization, social entrepreneurship, product and software development, and early-stage business consulting.Developed and led 2013 Social Entrepreneurship Workshop for 20 WASH experts from 5+ countries to build social business plans.Managed 28 student interns across 5 teams in product design (1), software development (1), technology commercialization (1), and social entrepreneurship (2), spanning projects from English pedagogy for Mandarin speakers to impact investment in developing countries; resulted in 3 new startups and 2 strategic plans. Built relationship with Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA), and managed team of 5 interns consulting for WSA’s new $50M WASH Impact Investment Fund. Currently overseeing hand-off of strategic investment plan for $200,000 in net profit and 1.2M lives impacted.

Engineering consulting team of 9 engineers and environmental scientists designing stormwater management system for the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) EEC building. Pitched design solution to key stakeholders in GRDA, which is currently being implemented. Tested stormwater runoff at site for pollutants, discovering elevated coliforms, nitrogen and phosphorous. Designed innovative biofiltration terrace to neutralize 99% of coliforms and 85% of nutrients, utilizing small available space.

One of 5 students on interdisciplinary team commercializing a novel prosthetic activity monitor, providing recommendations to earn $1.35M in 5 year profit, 50,000 improved outcomes for amputees and positioning for long term growth as health care trends towards preventive measures. Developed and analyzed business model to save prosthetic clinics $90,000 over 5 years and return $170,000 in royalties to OU. Interviewed more than 15 prosthetists and industry experts to understand customer needs and market landscape

Worked with Dr. Ian Sellers to perform technical and market analysis for research group’s work on GaInNAs multijunction solar cells, culminating in final report and presentation outlining CPV module efficiency goals of 46% by 2016. Analyzed effects of siting, module efficiency, and local cost of energy on both PV and CPV financial feasibility. Developed case studies of 3 solar resource-rich communities in Australia, American Samoa and Uganda and showed Levelised Cost of Energy (LCoE) for PV and CPV systems to be as low as 1/3 the cost of local grid energy.