Experts in Residence

experts in residence

WPI’s Experts in Residence program connects aspiring entrepreneurs with accomplished and recognized mentors who are committed to offering guidance and sharing their expertise.

 

Experts in Residence program helps students, faculty, and staff just beginning their entrepreneurial path learn from those who have been down a similar road. The mentors are a group of successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and alumni who devote at least two hours a month to help those interested in varied aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Through individual sessions, I&E events and workshops, and informal connections, students and faculty receive tailored and targeted guidance from mentors who have experience in certain career paths or experiences.

The following goals are the foundation for the Experts in Residence program’s mission:

  • Provide advice to students who have an entrepreneurial interest
  • Support students in developing their network
  • Provide career and professional expertise
  • Inspire students to achieve their own success
  • Offer advice on furthering start-up companies

 

Becoming a Mentor

Experienced mentors have a lot to offer and engage with students and faculty members in different situations. Mentors offer their guidance and assistance in varied ways: 

  • Meet with and advising students and faculty interested in innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Participate in the classroom
  • Attend or facilitate a workshop through our innovative programs or student clubs
  • Participate or serve as a competition judge
  • Join us as a guest, guest speaker, or panelist at one of our special events
  • Hold in-person or virtual office hours
  • Join any of WPI’s Tech Advisors Network (TAN) events
  • Participate in the annual Innovation & Entrepreneurship roundtable
  • Facilitate or participate during Embark workshops

 

For questions or to learn more about Experts in Residence program please email us at ie@wpi.edu. Mentors may not be reserved for event speaking opportunities.

 

Connect with our Experts In Residence

Our industry experts are ready and willing to guide our students through their experiential learning and projects. Contact any of our experts listed below applicable to your field of study. Connect with them through the email provided or schedule an appointment through 'Meet with an Expert' link provided above. 

 

PreviewMitra Anand's headshot

Mitra Anand

Advanced Technology and Prototyping Specialist, Makerspace and Prototyping Expert

WPI areas of study related to Mitra’s experience: Biomedical Engineering, Business, Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Physics, and Robotics Engineering

What can I talk to Mitra about today?

  • Product Design
  • 3D Printing
  • Laser Cutting
  • Prototyping
  • PCB Design
  • Design Thinking
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Robotics Engineering
  • Mechatronics Systems
  • Microcontrollers
  • MakerBucks

Learn more about Mitra: 

LinkedIn

Contact Mitra

PreviewHeadshot of Ajbani

CSM | Enhance Revenue/Profitability | Employee Engagement

WPI areas of study related to Hemant’s experience:  

What can I talk to Hemant about today?

  •  

Learn more about Anthony: LinkedIn

Contact Hemant

PreviewHeadshot of Arnold Finn

Finn Arnold

Vice President Research and Emerging Business, Bose Corp (retired)

WPI areas of study related to Finn’s experience: Business, Entrepreneurship, Systems Engineering, Learning Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Acoustics, Management Engineering, Leadership.

What can I talk to Finn about today?

  • Product engineering
  • Career planning
  • Engineering and business leadership
  • Framing problems and prioritizing results
  • Influence
  • Customer discovery
  • People management
  • Innovation
  • Effective Brainstorming

Learn more about Finn:

LinkedIn

Contact Finn

PreviewCoston's headshot

Anthony Coston

President/Consultant- Elise William Ventures (EWV)

WPI areas of study related to Anthony’s experience: Biology, Biology & Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Bioscience Management, Business, Business Analytics, Business Administration, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Supply Chain Management

What can I talk to Anthony about today?

  • Customer Discovery
  • Medical Devices
  • Pharmaceutical Product Development
  • Project Management
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Design Controls/FDA Regulations- Medical Devices & OSD Pharmaceutical

Learn more about Anthony: LinkedIn

Contact Anthony

 

PreviewJim Baun's headshot

Jim Baum

Tech Growth CEO, Board Member, Advisor & Investor 

WPI areas of study related to Jim’s experience:  Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Computer Science, Data Science, Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, and Operations Analytics & Management

What can I talk to Jim about today?

  • Business Strategy & Development
  • Business Scaling
  • Startups
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Product Marketing
  • Go-to-Marketing Strategy
  • Big Data
  • Leadership
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Building High Performing Teams

Learn more about Jim:

LinkedIn  

Contact Jim

PreviewLuis De la Cruz's headshot

Luis De la Cruz

Sales and Business Strategy Expert

What can I talk to Luis about today?

  • Business development
  • Markets assessment,
  • Go-to-market analysis, strategies.
  • International markets.
  • Security (Physical and logical), Identity, Access Control, Authentication)

 

Learn more about Luis: 

LinkedIn

Contact Luis

PreviewHeadshot of Arjun Ghandi

Arjun Gandhi

What can I talk to Arjun about today?

  • Ideation & Validation
  • Robotics
  • Debugging Code
  • Web Automation
  • Websites
  • Software Development & Engineering
  • CAD, 3D Printing, Prototyping/ Rapid Prototyping
  • Networking
  • Interviewing
  • Job Search
  • Schedule Planning
  • Early Stage Startups (Founding to Preseed/Seed)

WPI areas of study related to Arjun's experience: Robotics Engineering, Computer Science, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and UX Design

PreviewHeadshot of Rosanne Garcia

Rosanna Garcia

What can I talk to Rosanna about today?

  • Diversity in Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainable Innovation
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Product Development & Testing
  • Application Development (wireframes)
  • Customer Discovery
  • Social Media Data Mining
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Entrepreneurial Marketing

WPI areas of study related to Rosanna's experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Data Science and Entrepreneurship

 

PreviewGarland's headshot

Charlie Garland

Co-Developer at CubieDx.org & Founder, The Innovation Habit 

WPI areas of study related to Charlie’s experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Entrepreneurship, Humanities & Arts (Professional Writing & English Minor), Industrial Engineering, Operational Analytics & Management, and Psychology

What can I talk to Charlie about today?

  • Stimulating Innovation
  • Design Thinking
  • Creative Problem Solving
  • Product Design
  • Business Development
  • Business Systems
  • Marketing
  • Non-Profit Leadership
  • Strategy & Operations
  • Investing

Learn more about Charlie: LinkedIn

Contact Charlie

PreviewGenon's headshot

Jodi Gernon

Director, Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship at 

Harvard Business School 

WPI areas of study related to Jodi’s experience: Business, Business administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Entrepreneurship

What can I talk to Jodi about today?

  • Customer Discovery
  • Business Scaling
  • MVP Development
  • User Testing & Validation
  • Value Proposition
  • Product Innovation
  • Go-to-Market Strategy
  • Leadership
  • Startups
  • Pitching
  • Fundraising
  • Women Entrepreneurs

Learn more about Jodi: LinkedIn 

Contact Jodi

 

PreviewDanielle Gillespie's headshot

Danielle Gillespie

Technologist | Consultant | Startup Advisor | Entrepreneur
 

    WPI areas of study related to Danielle’s experience:

    Entrepreneurship, Software Design & Development, Start Up, Product/Market fit, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Robotics, UI/UX

    What can I talk to Danielle about:

    • product design
    •  product development
    • product roadmap
    • launching an idea
    • collect + analyze usage data
    • startups (all stages)
    • teams
    • pitch deck
    • early stage financial model
    • growing a business
    • career paths
    • ama

    Learn more about Danielle:
    LinkedIn

    Contact Danielle

    PreviewScott Harris's headshot

    Scott Harris

    Co-Founder - Onshape & Solidworks

    WPI areas of study related to Scott’s experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Computer Science, Entrepreneurship, Innovation with User Experience (IUX), Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering

    What can I talk to Scott about today?

    • UX Testing
    • Product Design
    • Start-ups (All Stages: Prototype to Product, Testing a Market, Finding Potential Customers)
    • Design Thinking
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Career Paths
    • Creating Teams
    • CNC Machining
    • 3d Printing
    • Growing a Business & Company
    • ….and much more!

    Learn more about Scott: LinkedIn

    Contact Scott

     

    Preview

    Jeremy Hitchcock

    Founder - Minim, Dyn, Bookery Manchester

    WPI areas of study related to Jeremy’s experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Entrepreneurship, and Management Information Systems

    What can I talk to Jeremy about today?

    • Team Building
    • Python
    • Startups (IoT)
    • Digital Security
    • Tech Transfer & Commercialization
    • Networking
    • Fundraising
    • Investing

    Learn more about Jeremy: LinkedIn

    Contact Jeremy

    PreviewLiz Hitchcock's headshot

    Liz Hitchcock

    Eclectic Entrepreneur - Minim, Bookery, Factory

    WPI areas of study related to Liz’s experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Computer Science, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation with User Experience (IUX)

    What can I talk to Liz about today?

    • Engineering Women in Startups
    • Why Operational Excellence in the Beginning is best for a Startup (legal, hr, cap tables, and bookkeeping)
    • Funding: Pitching an Angel investor/VC/Syndicate & Bootstrapping
    • People (partners/employees/customers)

    Learn more about Liz: LinkedIn

    Contact Liz

    PreviewJordan's headshot

    Jennifer Jordan

    EIR at Techstars Future of Longevity 

    WPI areas of study related to Jennifer’s experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Financial Mathematics, and International & Global Studies (Latin America)

    What can I talk to Jennifer about today?

    • Investor Relations
    • Investing
    • Financing Strategy
    • Go-to-Market Strategy
    • Business Development
    • Organizational Structuring
    • Strategic Alignment
    • Early-Stage Tech Startups
    • Non-Profits
    • Social Entrepreneurship

    Learn more about Jennifer: LinkedIn 

    Contact Jennifer 

    Previewclaire leurent

    Claire Leurent

    Entrepreneur in Residence at National Institutes of Health

    WPI areas of study related to Claire’s experience:  Biochemistry, Biology, Biology & Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Bioscience Management, Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Chemistry, and Neuroscience

    What can I talk to Claire about today?

    • Project Management
    • Pharmaceutical R&D
    • Pharmaceutical Investments

    Learn more about Claire: LinkedIn 

    Contact Claire 

    PreviewBob Mason's headshot

    Bob Mason

    Managing Partner, Argon Ventures & Managing,  

    Director Project 11 

    WPI areas of study related to Bob’s experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Computer Science, Entrepreneurship, Innovation with User Experience (IUX), and Interactive Media & Game Development

    What can I talk to Bob about today?

    • Strategic Planning
    • Strategic Partnerships
    • Product Design
    • Product Management
    • Enterprise Sales
    • Global Markets
    • Startups (early to late stage)
    • Pitching
    • Raising Capital

    Learn more about Bob: LinkedIn

    Contact Bob

     

    PreviewShapiro's headshot

    Jerrold M. Shapiro 

    WPI areas of study related to Jerrold’s experience:

    Biomedical engineering, Business School - innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, Capstone projects in healthcare, Doctoral dissertations in biomedical engineering and healthcare

    What can I talk to Jerrold about: 

    • Medical instrumentation 
    • Women's health (anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, diseases, treatments, gynecology, urogynecology, SexTech, FemTech) 
    • Medical economics (ICD-10 diagnostic codes, CPT payment codes, what physicians are looking for) 
    • Business (Medical device sales, marketing, negotiation, dealing with physicians) 
    • Clinical Trial design and execution 
    • Regulatory affairs (how to work with the FDA, US and EU regulatory pathways) 
    • How to start, fund and run a medical device business

     

    Learn more about Jerrold: 

    LinkedIn

    Contact Jerrold

    PreviewSteph Speirs's headshot

    Steph Speirs

    Co-Founder & CEO at Solstice 

    WPI areas of study related to Steph’s experience: Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Environmental & Sustainability Studies, International & Global Studies, Science and Technology for Innovation in Global Development, and Social Entrepreneurship

    What can I talk to Steph about today?

    • Social Entrepreneurship
    • Social Justice
    • Renewable Energy
    • Sales & Marketing
    • International Business
    • Startups

    Learn more about Steph: LinkedIn 

    Contact Steph 

    PreviewZimmerman's headshot

    Julianne Zimmerman

    Managing Director, Reinventure Capital

    WPI areas of study related to Julianne’s experience: Aerospace Engineering, Business, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, and Social Entrepreneurship

    What can I talk to Julianne about today?

    • Where do I start?
    • How do I ask the right questions?
    • Strategic Thinking
    • Market Approach
    • Team Building
    • Social Enterprise
    • Non-Traditional Funding & Choosing the Right Funding

    Learn more about Julianne: LinkedIn

    Contact Julianne

    Experts in Residence Interview Series