FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2022
Media Contact: Josh Metz, Executive Director
Email: josh@montereybaydart.org
Phone: (831) 264-8299
Monterey Bay Drone, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative Receives $1.5M Research & Development Grant from James Irvine Foundation to support on-going work advancing new pathways to high road jobs in the Monterey Bay/Salinas Valley region.
Marina, CA. The Monterey Bay Drone, Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative, working in partnership with the CSUMB Institute for Innovation and Economic Development (iiED) and Joby Aviation, was awarded a $1.5M Research and Development Grant from the James Irvine Foundation to support the Foundation’s on-going Priority Communities Initiative in the Salinas Valley. The grant will provide for increased capacity curating an emerging technologies cluster in the Monterey Bay region orienting industry, academia and governments towards these future growth sectors; fund a workforce training cohort program focused on advanced manufacturing and aircraft mechanics; and support completion of an advanced manufacturing workforce training facility feasibility study.
“We are grateful for the support of the James Irvine Foundation enabling Monterey Bay DART to expand our programs supporting this exciting emerging technology sector, and for the active partnership of CSU Monterey Bay and Joby Aviation. Not only is Joby pioneering an entirely new air transportation system with zero operating emissions, they continue to expand their footprint here in the Monterey region, providing an incredible opportunity for our communities. We hope this work can yield broad industry and community benefit,” said Monterey Bay DART Executive Director Josh Metz.
As part of the $1.5M commitment, Joby Aviation will receive $400,000 to develop training and apprentice programs focused on manufacturing and quality.
“The Central Coast of California is Joby’s home, and we are committed to making meaningful career opportunities available here,” said Bonny Simi, Head of Air Operations and People at Joby. “This grant from the James Irvine Foundation is a tremendous vote of confidence in the local workforce, allowing us to develop and offer meaningful training and apprentice opportunities that provide career onramps to the diverse population of our region.”
“This partnership is a perfect example of CSU Monterey Bay supporting continued economic development in our region. Working with Monterey Bay DART and Joby Aviation is inspirational for our students and faculty, and contributes to our goal of supporting Joby’s and the DART emerging technology cluster success in our region. We are grateful for the support of the James Irvine Foundation” said University Corporation Executive Director, Lawrence Samuels.
“To achieve our vision of an economy that works for all residents, the Priority Communities initiative supports local efforts to create good jobs and more equitable economies. We are excited to support this growing regional partnership focused on innovation, job creation, and equitable access to opportunity in the region. The deepening partnership between Monterey Bay DART, Joby Aviation and California State University Monterey Bay represents the robust regional coordination, alignment, and partnership across academia, industry, and government needed to leverage existing opportunities create new quality jobs in the region,” said The James Irvine Foundation Priority Communities Initiative Director, Jessica Kaczmarek.
Monterey Bay Drone, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative. Monterey Bay DART is a 501 c3 organization working to align industry, academia, and governments towards these growth sectors for new venture formation, jobs growth and community vitality. More information can be found online at www.MontereyBayDART.org
Joby Aviation. Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
CSUMB Institute for Innovation & Economic Development (iiED). The iiED supports the founding, funding, and growth of new ventures in the Monterey Bay Region. iiED is an institute of the College of Business at CSU Monterey Bay. To learn more, visit www.csumb.edu/iied/.
James Irvine Foundation. The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s grantmaking is committed to a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided more than $1.98 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout California. With about $2.5 billion in assets, the Foundation made grants of $105 million in 2019. To learn more, visit www.irvine.org.
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Monterey Bay DART Partners with the Hatamiya GroupMarch 22, 2023 - 10:49 am
Chris Bley Tech TitanDecember 14, 2022 - 9:22 am
Monterey Bay DART Partners with the Hatamiya Group
/in Feasibility Study, Workforce/by Jen SimonChris Bley Tech Titan
/in Awards, Entrepreneurship/by Metz JoshuaOn behalf of Monterey Bay DART, we are beyond proud of our Board Member and Co-founder, Chris Bley, for receiving the incredible award: “Titan of Tech.”
Every year, Santa Cruz Works honors the people who have contributed to the growth of the local tech and entrepreneurial community. In the past, several of the nominees have consisted of CEO’s and founders. This year, Titan of Tech awards highlighted the MVPs who are essential to any thriving business and make tremendous impact in more ways than one.
In his acceptance speech, Chris reflected on “a chance meeting in my neighborhood with a neighbor that worked with Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA)… We got together and formed this non-profit (DART), which led into this connection with Joby Aviation and the re-education of under-privileged areas to work in the new manufacturing world that we would love to see in our communities.” He went on to share with the audience “I’m a little bit of an accidental entrepreneur and business owner, but, incredibly, it’s all worked out and I have to thank Santa Cruz for that.”
In addition to serving as a Board Member for Monterey Bay DART, Chris also brings years of entrepreneurial leadership to the Monterey Bay region and remains dedicated to tech related projects including Monterey Bay DART (a non-profit focused on supporting and connecting drone innovators), Insight Up Solutions (drone and sensor resale) and AirSpace Integration (provides shared work spaces, air spaces and training). These companies are located in the Monterey Bay region, La Selva Beach and the Marina Airport. Chris holds a BA in Biology from UC Santa Cruz.
Congratulations, Chris! You make the entire DART community so proud!
Watch his acceptance speech here.
2022 Monterey Bay DART Symposium Reaches New Heights
/in Agriculture, CC-FIX, DART Symposium, Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, Innovation, James Irvine Foundation, Mobility, Natural Resources, Transportation, UAS Operations, Urban Air Mobility, Venture Capital, Workforce/by Metz JoshuaMonterey Bay Drone Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) held a symposium at the University Center of California State University’s Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus, Nov 30 – Dec 1, 2022. Nearly 200 attendees enjoyed two days of compelling panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities. This year’s event was rich with collaboration, connections, and vision for a more robust and inclusive future.
Attendees heard from industry leaders, legislators, educators, and philanthropists on topics like:
“The Monterey Bay DART team is so grateful to our speakers, sponsors, and attendees,” said Joshua Metz, Executive Director and Co-founder of Monterey Bay DART. “These events are key to bringing the right people together to build the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive economy that leverages these budding technologies.”
Event videos and copies of presentations are available HERE. To sign up for the DART mailing list for occasional updates on drones, automation, and robotics technology, please click HERE.
Our Sponsors and Partners
Central Coast Flight Information Xchange
/in CC-FIX, Innovation, UAS Operations/by Metz JoshuaThe CITRIS Institute for Drone education and Research (CIDER) at the University of California at Santa Cruz, in partnership with Monterey Bay Drone Automation and Robotics Technologies (DART), Airspace Integration, and ATA LLC, is developing the Central Coast Flight Information Exchange (CC-FIX). CC-FIX is a risk-based, federated approach to creating an “aeronautical information service-like” capability for the integration of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) into the airspace with the continued commitment to keep the airspace open, secure, and safe. This coalition believes that a functional CC-FIX will accelerate UAS and AAM related R&D, providing significant economic development opportunities for Central California and communities across the state.
The Central Coast Flight Information Exchange (CC-FIX) integrates federal laws and regulations, state and local advisories, public safety advisories, environmental sensors, weather sensors, data feeds, operations platforms, surveillance technologies and ground hazards (i.e. towers, buildings, population centers, etc.) through a public platform. Rather than needing to go to multiple places to access this important data, every person using a flight planning application that has a relationship with one of the participating approved UAS Service Suppliers will see CC-FIX data in their flight planning or control software or through the CC-FIX public website. That brings all this critical information together making it available in one place. If you ask any operator, especially in the public safety community, this is a huge leap forward in the communications and coordination needed to ensure that we take full advantage of the opportunities created by AAM and to integrate with the national airspace system safely.
The speed with which the UAS and AAM industry is developing continues to surprise and is putting pressure on needed changes to the fundamentals of aviation management. The FAA recognizes this in both its UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Concept of Operations (ConOps) and through the UAS Data Exchange Low Altitude Approval Notification Capability (LAANC) program; both of which acknowledge that existing air traffic management models alone do not adequately address the challenge of integrating UAS and other AAM transportation modalities into the national airspace. We’ve discovered through our current work that the best way to realize the infrastructure needed is to do it in a collaborative manner, working public-private partnerships across the industry and encouraging the creation of new relationships. This way we can actually get to UAS and AAM operations at scale much more quickly in a more cost-effective and resilient manner.
CC-FIX allows for multiple ways to connect and share information, including web-based and programmatic alternatives. The system is intentionally designed to leverage current standards, open-source technologies, and existing background intellectual property to keep costs low. As a robust, cloud-based service, the technology underlying CC-FIX can quickly meet growing statewide and national demand. The intuitive user interface requires only a brief orientation during new user onboarding. CC-FIX is consistent with the FAA’s vision of a “community-based” system of industry, federal, and state and local governments cooperating to manage the anticipated heavy volumes of UAS traffic at low altitudes. CC-FIX sits at the center of this ecosystem enabling USS and commercial UTM providers to consume and share authoritative state data as a public service.
URL for the Central Coast Flight Information Exchange (CC-FIX): http://cc-fix.com/
Coalition Partner Contacts:
University of California – Santa Cruz
Michael Matkin
Assistant Director
CITRIS and the Banatao Institute
Baskin School of Engineering
(831) 459-4464
mmatkin@ucsc.edu
Monterey Bay DART
Josh Metz, Executive Director
(831) 264-8299
josh@montereybaydart.org
Airspace Integration
Chris Bley, CEO
(831) 428-6655
bley@airspaceint.com
ATA, LLC
Scott Drew, UAS Project Manager
(804) 814-8148
sdrew@ata-llc.com
Event: 2022 Monterey Bay Drone Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) Symposium: “Innovation Workforce: Ready to Fly!”
/in Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, James Irvine Foundation, Mobility, Transportation, Uncategorized, Urban Air Mobility, Workforce/by Sarah Vickers-WebbEngage with public, private and philanthropic leaders to explore exciting economic and workforce developments in drone, aviation and robotics technologies at the 3rd Annual Monterey DART Symposium.
Monterey Bay Drone Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) will hold a symposium at the University Center of California State University’s Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus, Nov 30 – Dec 1, 2022. Attendees will enjoy two days of compelling panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities.
This year’s theme, “Innovation Workforce: Ready to Fly!”, focuses on the economic development opportunities and challenges of expanding the DART innovation ecosystem with lessons learned from the Central Coast. Speakers will discuss advanced air mobility innovations, university connected innovation ecosystems, workforce opportunities, and inclusive economic development, with an emphasis on workforce upskilling and high-road jobs.
Keynotes for the 2-day symposium include: Dean Donovan, Managing Director, Diamond Stream Partners, a leading aviation investment firm; Tony Tavares, Director, California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), the agency responsible for transportation system management and oversight in California; Bonny Simi, Head of Air Operations and People, Joby Aviation, a cutting edge electric aircraft company; and Don Howard, CEO, James Irvine Foundation, a foundation making catalytic economic empowerment investments supporting growth in this sector.
While networking with these industry, agency and philanthropic leaders, attendees will participate in panel sessions and discussions with experts, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers regarding the latest developments in mobility, airspace management, carbon-neutral power, and other current sustainable infrastructure topics.
Space is limited so RSVP now to attend the 2022 DART Symposium. Attendees receive access to Early Bird discounted tickets by purchasing tickets by Oct 30. Attendees can also join our DART community as a member at a discounted rate with symposium registration.
“We’re on the cusp of a workforce transformation – and Monterey Bay, industry, governments and academia have joined forces to chart a path for drones and robotics to automate work while strengthening community.”, said Monterey DART Executive Director and Cofounder Josh Metz. “This symposium is a great opportunity for anyone interested in the industry, in economic or workforce development and for those looking for truly collaborative partnership models.”
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The Monterey Bay Drone Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) initiative is a regional coordination and advancement forum, founded in 2018, bringing together industry, government and, academia, to align resources and benefit economic and workforce development. Monterey Bay DART seeks to inspire entrepreneurial minds, increase employment opportunities and stimulate economic growth to develop a diverse and inclusive tech community in the Monterey Bay area.
For more information, please visit the Monterey Bay DART website at https://montereybaydart.org/.
Event
2022 Monterey Bay Drone Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) Symposium: “Innovation Workforce: Ready to Fly!”
Contact Information:
Jen Simon
info@montereybaydart.org
Shari Tavaf joins Monterey Bay DART as Project Manager
/in Innovation, James Irvine Foundation, Transportation, Workforce/by Metz JoshuaFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marina, CA. CA. Shari Tavaf, a seasoned project manager in the transportation infrastructure industry joins Monterey Bay Drone, Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative to support the Executive Director Josh Metz in delivering the scope of work under the James Irvine Foundation Grant received last month. As part of the Foundation’s on-going Priority Communities Initiative, the $1.5M research and development grant will be used to increase technical capabilities in the Monterey Bay Region.
Shari will be focused on advancing workforce development initiatives in the region while partnering with the community-based organizations, supporting the current partnership with Joby Aviation and CSU Monterey Bay, and leading the feasibility study to identify optimal locations for the training facilities that will meet the upcoming demand for advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies in the area.
“We are thrilled to welcome Shari the DART team. She brings a wealth of experience with transportation system-related project management, workforce development and inter-governmental relations. Shari adds a strong engineering and organizational development component to our team and will be instrumental in helping us accomplish our goals,” said Monterey Bay DART Executive Director Josh Metz.
“I am very excited to join the DART team. The Irvine Foundation’s focus on increasing high-road opportunities and inclusive economic development in the Salinas Valley and the Monterey Bay region is perfectly aligned with my personal and professional values of transferring knowledge for meaningful growth. As I relocate to Monterey, I look forward to serving my new community, work closely with our local partners to develop and implement a robust technical training program and associated facilities,” said Shari Tavaf, Monterey Bay DART Project Manager.
Our expanding regional economic development initiative focused on innovation, job creation, and new venture formation, supported by the Irvine Foundation and through regional coordination, will leverage existing opportunities to expand new quality jobs and increase inclusive economic benefits.
Monterey Bay Drone, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative. Monterey Bay DART is a 501 c3 organization working to align industry, academia, and governments towards these growth sectors for new venture formation, jobs growth and community vitality. More information can be found online at www.MontereyBayDART.org
Joby Aviation. Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
CSUMB Institute for Innovation & Economic Development (iiED). The iiED supports the founding, funding, and growth of new ventures in the Monterey Bay Region. iiED is an institute of the College of Business at CSU Monterey Bay.
James Irvine Foundation. The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s grantmaking is committed to a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided more than $1.98 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout California. With about $2.5 billion in assets, the Foundation made grants of $105 million in 2019.
James Irvine Foundation Grant Funding
/in Higher Education, Innovation, Mobility, Workforce/by Metz JoshuaFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2022
Media Contact: Josh Metz, Executive Director
Email: josh@montereybaydart.org
Phone: (831) 264-8299
Monterey Bay Drone, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative Receives $1.5M Research & Development Grant from James Irvine Foundation to support on-going work advancing new pathways to high road jobs in the Monterey Bay/Salinas Valley region.
Marina, CA. The Monterey Bay Drone, Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative, working in partnership with the CSUMB Institute for Innovation and Economic Development (iiED) and Joby Aviation, was awarded a $1.5M Research and Development Grant from the James Irvine Foundation to support the Foundation’s on-going Priority Communities Initiative in the Salinas Valley. The grant will provide for increased capacity curating an emerging technologies cluster in the Monterey Bay region orienting industry, academia and governments towards these future growth sectors; fund a workforce training cohort program focused on advanced manufacturing and aircraft mechanics; and support completion of an advanced manufacturing workforce training facility feasibility study.
“We are grateful for the support of the James Irvine Foundation enabling Monterey Bay DART to expand our programs supporting this exciting emerging technology sector, and for the active partnership of CSU Monterey Bay and Joby Aviation. Not only is Joby pioneering an entirely new air transportation system with zero operating emissions, they continue to expand their footprint here in the Monterey region, providing an incredible opportunity for our communities. We hope this work can yield broad industry and community benefit,” said Monterey Bay DART Executive Director Josh Metz.
As part of the $1.5M commitment, Joby Aviation will receive $400,000 to develop training and apprentice programs focused on manufacturing and quality.
“The Central Coast of California is Joby’s home, and we are committed to making meaningful career opportunities available here,” said Bonny Simi, Head of Air Operations and People at Joby. “This grant from the James Irvine Foundation is a tremendous vote of confidence in the local workforce, allowing us to develop and offer meaningful training and apprentice opportunities that provide career onramps to the diverse population of our region.”
“This partnership is a perfect example of CSU Monterey Bay supporting continued economic development in our region. Working with Monterey Bay DART and Joby Aviation is inspirational for our students and faculty, and contributes to our goal of supporting Joby’s and the DART emerging technology cluster success in our region. We are grateful for the support of the James Irvine Foundation” said University Corporation Executive Director, Lawrence Samuels.
“To achieve our vision of an economy that works for all residents, the Priority Communities initiative supports local efforts to create good jobs and more equitable economies. We are excited to support this growing regional partnership focused on innovation, job creation, and equitable access to opportunity in the region. The deepening partnership between Monterey Bay DART, Joby Aviation and California State University Monterey Bay represents the robust regional coordination, alignment, and partnership across academia, industry, and government needed to leverage existing opportunities create new quality jobs in the region,” said The James Irvine Foundation Priority Communities Initiative Director, Jessica Kaczmarek.
Monterey Bay Drone, Automation & Robotics Technology (DART) Initiative. Monterey Bay DART is a 501 c3 organization working to align industry, academia, and governments towards these growth sectors for new venture formation, jobs growth and community vitality. More information can be found online at www.MontereyBayDART.org
Joby Aviation. Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.
CSUMB Institute for Innovation & Economic Development (iiED). The iiED supports the founding, funding, and growth of new ventures in the Monterey Bay Region. iiED is an institute of the College of Business at CSU Monterey Bay. To learn more, visit www.csumb.edu/iied/.
James Irvine Foundation. The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s grantmaking is committed to a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided more than $1.98 billion in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout California. With about $2.5 billion in assets, the Foundation made grants of $105 million in 2019. To learn more, visit www.irvine.org.
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UAS Workforce Opportunities in Forestry
/in Natural Resources, UAS Operations, Workforce/by Metz JoshuaThe fields of drones (Uncrewed Aerial Systems, UAS), automated systems, and robotics technologies (DART) have rapidly advanced over the past decade yielding new tools for environmental management and a broad array of other applications. These technological innovations are the result of both public and private research & development investment, and represent emerging markets for future workforce engagement. Over this same time period we have experienced increasingly frequent occurrences of climate driven catastrophes such as wildfire, drought and floods. As a result, there is real urgency to conceive of novel solutions to these environmental challenges. The hope is that drones and related technologies of remote sensing and spatial analysis can be part of those solutions, while providing value through generating future workforce opportunities.
Data collected by drones can be applied to a variety of environmental management fields including agriculture, environmental conservation, timber management, watershed management, climate change monitoring, disturbance mitigation, wildland management, fire management, and urban-wildland interface management among many others. Imagery data captured by drones for the purposes of land management and ecosystem monitoring can be used to evaluate ecosystem health under stress (Daly 2019), track and monitor wildlife (Prosekov et al 2020), pest outbreaks and disease spread (Filho et al 2020), ecosystem regeneration after disturbance, shifts in ecosystem after disturbance (Jiménez et al 2019), and monitor fires (Aydin et al 2019, Afghah et al 2019) among many other applications.
As drones become indispensable tools for land management, with the capabilities of drones to collect high frequency, high resolution data on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. We recognize that a critical priority for California is to have a workforce ready and able to support the innovation, manufacturing, and application of drones across a wide variety of industries.
With an eye towards informing workforce developers, educators and policy-makers focused on meeting the urgent need for a future focused forest management workforce, this paper provides:
Recognizing the inherent limitations of projecting emerging technology skill demands based on backward looking datasets, this paper also highlights innovative companies pushing the envelope towards next generation drone-based forest land management applications. Finally, we characterize the current state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the STEM workforce, and present the case for explicit action to ensure the emerging drone and forestry related hiring makes room for a workforce reflective of the rich, cultural diversity of the State of California.
Joshua Resnick @ Parallel Flight
/in Entrepreneurship/by Metz JoshuaOriginal Post by Santa Cruz Works 9/23/2020.
Parallel Flight Technologies, Inc. is reaching new heights with Parallel Hybrid UAS. The new model can lift and deliver 100 lb loads and has a fly-time of 1 hour. Parallel Hybrid UAS is ideal for delivery of equipment to fire fighters, for industrial logistics, and for medical delivery applications. This is a huge step forward from the first prototype. Heavy-lift coupled with long endurance.
Parallel Flight Technologies’ Heavy Lift Platform is a radical UAS combining extreme heavy lifting and long duration. New (patent pending) Parallel Hybrid technology gives the platform the capability of lifting its own mass in payload, not including fuel, for over an hour. It is also fully redundant and can continue flying in the event of an engine failure. This opens new possibilities for unmanned logistics, search-and-rescue, firefighting, and heavy sensor applications.
With the recent wildfires, manned-aircraft was grounded due to smoke-inversion wherein a layer of smoke causes visibility issues. But not for drones. View below the video interview by Matthew Swinnerton.
Parallel Flight recently raised over $1.6M from Equity Crowdfunding. Let Santa Cruz Works introduce your startup to Equity Crowdfunding.
Parallel Flight is competing in Startup Investment & Community Expo on September 28-30, 2020.
Learn more at: https://www.parallelflight.com/product
#drones #UAS #wildfires
Laura Oliphant | Serendibite Partners
/in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Venture Capital/by Metz JoshuaJoin Andrea Pesce of UCSC and Laura Oliphant of Serendibite Partners talking about Investor Topics for October 19-23 DART Symposium.
Dr. Laura Oliphant is an accomplished technology executive, venture investor, and board member. She spent 25 years with Intel, 15 of which was in Intel Capital, where she received Intel’s highest award in recognition of the strategic impact of her investments. Immediately after leaving Intel, Laura served as the CEO of Translarity, an investor backed semiconductor test startup that focused on RF test applications. Laura currently serves on the Board of Directors for Novelda AS and Numascale AS, both based in Oslo, Norway. Numascale is a maker of chips that enable high performance, scale up computing, and Novelda enables presence sensing with their ultra-high-resolution radar technology. Laura is also on the boards of Aehr Test Systems (NASDAQ: AEHR), a maker of burn in systems, and Feasible, a pioneer in battery intelligence systems. In addition to her boards, she is very active in the startup community. Laura received her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where her thesis research was centered on candidate batteries for electric cars.