Don Hirsh, Lc Email & Phone Number

Chapel Hill, Nc, Us

DCbright USA is your source for DCbright and Dark Licht luminaires and accessories in the USA.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Us

Support CSO/Sales/Marketing for microbial water quality test manufacturer. • Product, supplier, manufacturing rationalization• Pricing, margin, market analysis• SMB accounting and inventory management systems & vendors

After Cree LED I am working with clients, delivering marketing and management services to small and medium-sized businesses with B2B product portfolios.Between Bright View and Cree, I commercialized LampBright, a specialty adapter for 3-way lamps and one-way bulbs. Conceived, invented, patented, prototyped. Developed all market research, industry contacts, commercialization plans. Participated in line reviews with several national retailers.Between OptXCon and Bright View, I performed multiple market analyses for a venture funded semiconductor company, developed manufacturing process/supplier analysis for an early stage display component company, and did marketing/business development as well as Crystal Reports programming for a local software developer.

Durham, North Carolina, Us

"Utility infielder" in our small product marketing group. Cree LED was acquired by SGH, in March 2021. Separated from the Wolfspeed brand/focus, our group had to revitalize our well-known brand. In addition, critical path items included website and content overhauls.• Data architect/program manager of www.cree-led.com redesign/refresh• Redesigned infrastructure to support our distribution partners

Durham, Nc, Us

Rejoined LED team when Cree Lighting BU was sold to IDEAL Industries. • Supported newly reorganized, multi-line-selling sales force with technical product content for new sales enablement system (HighSpot); implementing marketing automation (Pardot/SFA)• Analysis and evangelization of next generation display components

Durham, Nc, Us

Manage T&E staff of three, delivering the customer, sales and channel training needs of the Lighting Business Unit. With intelligent lighting products, sensor and communications subsystems are as important as great optics and high efficacy LEDs. Our team delivers training, seminars, and online learning modules covering our entire product line.• Coordinate learning content creation with new product introduction schedules• Developed SmartCast® Wireless Certification Program, a seminar+online training program for installers. Expanded our installer-base by 2-3X. • Support Cree’s SmartCast IOT team with presentations, demonstrations and general evangelization of all SmartCast products, including POE, wireless, IOT appliance and other• Manage 2 Lighting Experience Centers/Programs in Racine WI and Durham NC

Durham, Nc, Us

Cree's Lighting Experience Center (LEC) helps lighting professionals and others internalize the superiority of LED illumination in every lighting application. Worked with team of industry specialists to craft high tech, high-touch education and training events for 10-20 people at a time, evangelizing the new world of LED lighting. Events are delivered to our distribution partners, sales agents and their customers across all the lighting segments we serve. • Develop and present state-of-the-art programs and courses to demonstrate and contrast Cree's technology and lighting products• Host, MC and logistics support for the 75+ groups that visit the LEC yearly• Manage and maintain plant and content of a medium-sized, multi-purpose, multi-media facility, which includes a complex, often changing theatrical-level general lighting system• Evangelize our lighting products throughout North America

Durham, Nc, Us

Cree's components product marketing team supports the sales force and distribution partners of the industry's top brand for lighting-class LEDs. Our team consistently delivers industry leading product support and thought leadership in all aspects of LED technology and solid state lighting. During my time with this highly productive group, I was influential and productive in creating and delivering dozens of industry-leading sales and marketing tools: • Lead groups to create expert-level white papers, application notes, articles, software tools and demonstration devices • Developed and delivered sales force training, customer presentations, public speaking • Worked with internal resources and outside agencies to develop advertising, signage, tradeshow booths and content, web content, video • Maintained, improved technical product documentation of the XLamp family of products

Durham, Nc, Us

Developed two major product lines from laboratory to commercial introduction at this optical films development and manufacturing company:ACEL Light Management Films is now Bright View's dominant product line.• Performed initial market and competitor research, business case, strategy and tactics• Signed early customers, distribution agreement, multiple Asian tours• Developed white papers, presentations, demonstration tools• Created multiple fixtures and demonstrations by modifying LED luminaires and bulbsGIGASCREEN FP, microstructure optical film-based projection screens with innovative enclosures, designed for portable (micro, pico, nano) projection applications.• Created a family of portable projection screen cases/frames and variety of microlens and diffusion-based projection screen materials and optical films• Performed all market and competitor research, business case, prototype and production costing• Developed/delivered white papers, presentations, promotional video, prototypes, demonstrations• Developed novel screen metrology for contrast and ambient signal rejection• Co-inventor on 8 utility and design patents, all granted• Company discontinued GIGASCREEN FP to develop ACEL Light Management Films.Technical development for PDP ACE, optical contrast film for plasma and OLED displays. • Created compound lens prototyping and manufacturing techniques, including IR Laser ablation systems for collimated apertures• Created prototype films and specifications for customers• Integrated/installed optical films into plasma (PDP), OLED and RP display systems

Founding management for this VC-funded telecomm components company. Developed a liquid crystal-based, non-blocking optical switching subsystem. Principal strategist and business plan author. Our team raised $12.2M A-round with investment from Corning Ventures, Boston Millennia Partners, and HIG Capital. Managed external R&D and manufacturing alliances. Developed all initial materials, contacts and presentations in IXC/LEC markets. Developed operational prototypes before operations ceased in 2002.

My first start-up. True Image developed and manufactured a luminance/illuminance sensor subsystem, which required tight integration with monitor CRT and electronics. The subsystem was used for display quality control in electronic radiology and commercial graphics. Achieved 5%-10% penetration in the market for 1-2 mega pixel monochrome medical monitors.

Worked with a series of early-stage, high tech companies:Director of Operations at MinMAX, a WU-spin-out, ATM-ASSP, fabless semi-conductors.• Managed a staff of five; responsible for accounting, finance, facilities, personnel, and computing systems at this 20-person operation• Lead all facets of company operations, was secretary at Board and shareholder meetings• Negotiated, prepared and maintained legal documents - employment and consulting agreements, bridge financing agreements, an employee compensation deferral program, re-negotiation of the MinMAX-Washington University research and license agreement, due diligence binders and materials, stock certificates• Delivered shareholder and employee communicationsCOO role at Locus Technologies company, commercializing a then-revolutionary directional antenna system and associated transponder for use in location and tracking applications• Revised business plan, organized MO tax credit-based $150K investment from new private investor, work-out negotiations w/major creditor• Re-instituted financial controls, reconstructed lost accounting data for historical financials, initiated periodic shareholder communicationsSales and marketing at STS Technologies, a company commercializing Washington University-developed ATM switches, codecs and adapter cards. • Developed and rolled out profitable product maintenance program• Prepared collateral materials, mailings, website redesign and implementation• Set up prototype demonstrations for Williams Telecommunications, worked with investors to prepare company for funding

Meridian developed portable-C implementations of of communication protocols (TCP/IP, LAT, XNS) licensing them to data communication OEMs. I negotiated contracts for 40% ($6.5M, 91 contracts) of Meridian’s income between 1990-96.

Ba, Mathematics

Performance: Classical Guitar

Liberal Arts