About Us
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We are Ph.D. scientists trained at one of the top research institutions in the country, University of Michigan, where we learned the process of discovery to find answers to big problems. Driven by a passion for a better world, we want to help build solutions.
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The Who ...
Founder and President: Dr. Niki vonLockette -- In my academic career as a university professor, I developed research specializations in employment and health inequality. I left a cushy tenured faculty position at Penn State because I want to help create solutions. In my policy work, I have served as consultant for the U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce and have ties with a number of policy think tanks. I have presented my work at the Federal Reserve Bank numerous times and I have received research awards from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Solving problems that haven’t been solved before that make people’s lives better is my reason for being.
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Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer: Dr. Paris von Lockette -- I trained as a mechanical engineer at the University of Michigan because I wanted to build technologies that solve real problems. As a Fellow of ASME, my work spans smart materials, soft robotics, novel medical devices, and product design. In addition to my more academic pursuits, I am on a path to bring innovation out of the lab and into communities where it can do the most good. I’ve developed medical technologies ranging from surgical tools to cardiac assist systems. Building solutions that improve health, equity, and everyday lives is why I do this work. Technology should close gaps, not widen them.
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