Innovations at Research Park Podcast
Hear insightful conversations on fascinating industry innovations with members of the Research Park community- startups, corporations, students, and alumni. Tanmay Shah, an alumnus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Grainger College of Engineering, is your host.
Stream now on iTunes or Spotify.
S1 E1: Mark Moran - Breakthroughs in AgTech
Mark Moran joins the show to discuss AgTech innovations at John Deere, fueled by student projects at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Research Park. Mark is the Site Director for the John Deere Technology Innovation Center at Research Park, as well as the Lead for John Deere’s next-generation sensing technology for their IoT devices.
S1 E2: Laura Appenzeller - Research Park Origins, Impact, and Student Talent Pipeline
Laura Appenzeller joins the show to discuss how UIRP has built its brand over 20 years, highlight what impact it has made in the Champaign community, and showcase a few of the many stories of homegrown entrepreneurship & student talent.
Laura is the Executive Director of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Research Park, “where she oversees operations & development, manages entrepreneurship programs, and supports the University’s economic development efforts.”
S1 E3: Srijith Srinath - The Research Park Intern Experience
Srijith Srinath joins the podcast to share his insights on being a Research Park intern turned full-time employee at Motorola Solutions Innovation Center. Tune in to hear what kind of experiences he had as an internship applicant, what tips he offers for having a successful summer, and what takeaways he provides for anyone unsure about pursuing the internship experience.
S1 E4: John Cole - Transforming Cancer Care with SimBioSy
John Cole, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer of Research Park startup SimBioSys, joins the podcast! He discusses the breakthroughs his team has created for “transforming decision making and patient experience in cancer care” through a powerful software platform.
S1 E5: Gerald Wilson - Insights from a Startup Journey & Empowering Other Entrepreneurs
Dr. Gerald Wilson is President and CEO of Autonomic Materials, a homegrown U of I startup, and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Research Park. He joins the show to share lessons learned on his fascinating startup journey as well as provide insight into how he helps budding entrepreneurs as an EIR.
S1 E6: Aadeel Akhtar - "Redefining Human" through Advanced Prosthetics
Dr. Aadeel Akhtar is Founder and CEO of PSYONIC, a prosthetics company on a mission to “redefine what it means to be human through advances in biointegrated technologies”.
He joins the podcast to shed light on his exhilarating entrepreneurial journey, from winning startup competitions to partnering with U.S. Army sergeants to being selected as an MIT Top 35 Under 35 Innovator. He also dives into ways in which he & his team overcame significant obstacles and where he thinks the prosthetics industry is headed next.
S1 E7: Paul Couston - Using Technology to Improve the Lives of First Responders
Paul is the Co-Founder & CEO of Ascent Integrated Tech, a startup company in the Research Park that is building technology to improve safety for people in hazardous environments including firefighters, industrial operators, and aviation mechanics.
Paul is a seasoned entrepreneur and well-known in the student startup ecosystem on campus, having previously co-founded a technology company for solar integration for which he raised more than $2.5M in private equity funding.
S1E8: Deana McDonagh- The Importance of Design
Dr. Deana McDonagh is a Professor of Industrial Design at the University of Illinois as well as the Designer-in-Residence at the Research Park. Dr. McDonagh is an experienced strategist who works with startups at the Research Park to help them incorporate design thinking in their development workflow in order to improve user experience and create delightful products for consumers.
S2 E1: Trevor George & Meghan Reynolds - Disrupting the Marine Industry with Tech
Trevor is the Site Director for the Brunswick Corporation’s Innovation center located in the Research Park, and Meghan is a Software Engineering Intern. Brunswick is an industry leader in the marine space and they manufacture recreational boats, marine engines, and other products. The Brunswick I-Jet Lab at the University of Illinois Research Park works on prototypes to modernize and improve customer experience.
S2 E2: Eli Lazar - SNOOZing with Tech
Eli is the Co-Founder and CTO of SNOOZ, a consumer electronics company that focuses on controlling airflow and acoustics to turn a bedroom into a haven for sleep. SNOOZ’s flagship product is a white noise machine and they are currently in 2000 hotel rooms around the country.
Tune in to this episode to hear about Eli’s journey from UIUC student to CTO, his inspiration to create this product, and what’s on his roadmap for the future of the company!
S2 E3: Dr. Mani Golparvar & Scotty Greenburg - Using AI To Revolutionize the Construction Industry
Dr. Mani Golparvar, Co-Founder, and Scotty Greenburg, Head of Marketing, join the podcast to share how their company Reconstruct is using AI to revolutionize construction planning & management for thousands of projects around the world.
Reconstruct is a tech company founded in Champaign and now based in Menlo Park, California. Their AI powered Visual Command Center has revolutionized monitoring of large scale construction projects, and Reconstruct is now the industry “leader in remote quality control and progress monitoring”.
S2 E4: Chinmay Soman - Robotics and the Future of Agriculture
Chinmay is Co-Founder and CEO of EarthSense, an agricultural robotics and AI company that is developing a technology platform to support the next generation of sustainable and large-scale agriculture.
S2 E5: Cozad 2022 Winners Showcase
This is a very special episode of the series, and a bit different than our usual podcasts. The Cozad New Venture Competition is an annual event at University of Illinois which attracts student teams looking to get funding and support for their innovative ideas. There were some incredible winners this year, and this episode profiles the 3 top place finishers– all who received thousands of dollars in funding from the Research Park and other UIUC entities. Tune in to hear from Jonathan Politzki (Nephra), Jeffrey Lu (Ferritiva), and Namin Shah (Haylon Technologies) as they talk about about their ventures, Cozad journeys, and tips for aspiring student entrepreneurs.
S2 E6: Jack Marck - Accelerating AgTech Innovation at U of I
Jack is the Managing Director of the Illinois AgTech Accelerator, a 12-week program designed for early-stage agtech startups to gain traction and improve business models.
S2 E7: Celebrating Research Park Interns
As 2022 wraps up, we’d like to highlight the outstanding students that made this another great year for Research Park. Tune in to hear from David An and Natalie Xiong, two winners of this year’s Research Park Intern Awards. They discuss their perceptions of RP, memorable moments, skills gained, and advice for students listening who are curious about what Research Park has to offer.
S3 E1: The Latest in AgTech - From the Research Park AgTech Summit
Welcome to a new year of the Innovations at Research Park podcast! We are so excited to continue bringing you new conversations, new insights, and new perspectives from the Research Park community. This episode highlights conversations held on-location with several panelists from the Research Park’s 8th annual AgTech Summit held on March 7, 2023.
S3 E2: Paul Miller - Flats or Spikes CEO Shares his Journey as a Serial Entrepreneur
Paul is the Co-Founder and CEO of Flats or Spikes. Flats or Spikes is building a “community of expertise and science in running in a brand new way”. With their product, athletes of all levels can benefit from science and analytics-based expertise.
Tune in to the episode to hear about Paul’s successful career in agtech, his transition from academia to entrepreneurship, his pivot into a new domain, his entertaining anecdotes, and his candid advice on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
S3 E3: Brandon Yates- Simplifying Public Works Compliance with AI
Brandon is the CEO of DeepWalk, a tech startup born and raised in Champaign. Brandon and his team are on a mission to create AI-powered solutions for the city planners and engineers that build important public infrastructure that we rely on every day.
S3 E4: Susan Hinrichs - Chief Scientist at Aviatrix
Susan Hinrichs is Chief Scientist at Aviatrix, a cloud networking and security company based in Silicon Valley. Prior to Aviatrix, Susan held prestigious leadership roles at a number of top tech companies including Blue Ridge, Cisco, and Yahoo. She’s also been a Computer Science professor at UIUC and is a strong advocate for women in tech.
S3 E5: Alex Kosyakov - Creating Efficient Batteries for a Renewable Future at Natrion
Alex Kosyakov is the Co-Founder and CEO of Natrion. Natrion is creating safe, high-performance, and highly scalable solid-state batteries with the goal of powering mass market electric vehicles and renewable energy. With more than $2 million in seed funding and the backing of giants like Mark Cuban, Alex is on a mission to create batteries without compromises.
S3 E6: Arpit Dwivedi - Disrupting the Energy Storage Industry
Arpit Dwivedi is the Founder and CEO of Cache Energy. Cache is developing energy storage systems that can be safely installed anywhere and transported everywhere. In the past two months, Arpit and his team have raised a whopping $4.5 million which will accelerate them on their mission of decarbonizing industrial processes so that we can look forward to a cleaner and safer future for our planet.
S3 E7: 2023 at Research Park - Year in Review
This is a special episode to celebrate a great year at UIRP! Research Park’s very own Laura Appenzeller and Laura Bleill join the podcast to talk about startup and corporate highlights from the year, plans for 2024, industry trends, and more.
S4 E1: Brad Miller - AI, Linguistics, and Knowledge Transfer
Dr. Brad Miller is the Co-Founder and Chief Linguistic Officer of Puzzle Labs, a software platform that uses AI to make knowledge transfer easier. Previously, he was the Site Director for P&G’s Smart Lab in the Research Park, and he’s also spent time traveling the world from Ecuador to India studying the impact of languages.
S4 E2: Beth Conerty - Transforming Central Illinois into a Leading Biomanufacturing Hub
Dr. Beth Conerty helps lead business development for the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Lab at the University of Illinois. She’s also the Regional Innovation Officer for the iFAB Tech Hub, an initiative created by the Biden administration to strengthen manufacturing innovation in America. Tune in to hear about the research area of bioprocessing and how it can transform the central Illinois economy.
S4 E3: Matt Ahrens - Perspectives on AI from an NVIDIA Leader
Matt Ahrens oversees performance and tools work for the Accelerated Big Data Platforms group at NVIDIA. He’s a long-time leader in the University of Illinois community with a story that spans the 20-year history of the Research Park.
S4 E4: Dr. David Lomiashvili - Digital Identity Verification
Dr. David Lomiashvili is the CEO of Identomat which has created an innovative AI-powered KYC and identity verification solution. Prior to his current venture, Dr. Lomiashvili has an extensive pedigree in entrepreneurship, not to mention a PhD in Astrophysics. Tune in to hear about topics like digital identity verification, his career journey, and his outlook looking ahead.
S4 E5: Jack Cu i- CEO of Yummy Future
Jack Cui is Co-Founder and CEO of Yummy Future, a Y-Combinator backed robotic coffee shop with roots, and stores, at the University of Illinois. Yummy Future’s mission is to “enhance the artistry of the human barista by the precision and efficiency of robotics.”
S4 E6: 2024 at Research Park - Year in Review
This is a special episode to celebrate a great year at UIRP! Research Park’s very own Laura Appenzeller and Laura Bleill join the podcast to talk about startup and corporate highlights from the year, plans for 2025, industry trends, and more.
S5 E1: Cara Bognar - Founder & CEO of Top Tier Lessons
Cara Bognar is the Founder of Top Tier Lessons, a sports technology platform that connects collegiate student athletes with parents looking for sports lessons for their children. She’s an athlete herself, as a former team captain for Illini Swimming & Diving, and graduated from UIUC with dual degrees in Bioengineering and Innovation Leadership and Engineering Entrepreneurship (ILEE).
S5 E2: Dr. David Ruzic - Pioneering Plasma Physics Research
Dr. David Ruzic is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering at UIUC , founder of Starfire Industries– a company born at the Research Park– and Director of the new Illinois Plasma Institute.
He has spent his career not just pushing the boundaries of plasma physics, but making science unforgettable. He has lit up classrooms—often literally—with his engaging teaching style and explosive demos. He has taken research from the lab to the patent office and helped shape technologies for fusion reactors and advanced semiconductor manufacturing. He’s earned countless accolades in his field and has an active youtube channel called IllinoisEnergyProf with nearly 10 million views. Simply put—if you think science can’t be exciting, you haven’t met David Ruzic.
S5 E3: 2024 at Research Park - Year in Review
This is a special episode to celebrate a great year at UIRP! Research Park’s very own Laura Appenzeller and Laura Bleill join the podcast to talk about startup and corporate highlights from the year, plans for 2025, industry trends, and more,