Being an Engineer

Send us Fan Mail PDX offers a dynamic bootcamp-style experience tailored exclusively for engineers engaged in the design and development of hard goods products. Unlike conventional conference presentations, our interactive event fosters direct engagement between the industry’s highest-performing subject matter experts and ambitious engineers, facilitating the transfer of practical skills and knowl...

Send us Fan Mail Joe Moak shares his experience with the podcast working at high-profile companies such as Apple & Sonos, and also gives us a glimpse into “the best place he has ever worked” (Maestro PD). Companies are always looking for those elusive “A” players to join their teams, and it is very clear that Joe qualifies under that definition. Joe Moak earned his mechanical engineering degre...

Send us Fan Mail PDX offers a dynamic bootcamp-style experience tailored exclusively for engineers engaged in the design and development of hard goods products. Unlike conventional conference presentations, our interactive event fosters direct engagement between the industry’s highest-performing subject matter experts and ambitious engineers, facilitating the transfer of practical skills and knowl...

Send us Fan Mail Shobana discusses her remarkable engineering career journey through tech giants like Roku, Netflix, Yahoo and Symantec. She shares insights on engineering leadership, building innovative solutions, and her commitment to diversity in STEM. Main Topics: Shobana's pivotal career moments Lessons on Engineering Leadership Navigating unknowns as lead for Netflix's House of Car...

Send us Fan Mail PDX offers a dynamic bootcamp-style experience tailored exclusively for engineers engaged in the design and development of hard goods products. Unlike conventional conference presentations, our interactive event fosters direct engagement between the industry’s highest-performing subject matter experts and ambitious engineers, facilitating the transfer of practical skills and knowl...

Send us Fan Mail The episode features an interview with James Rogers about his career in R&D engineering. He discusses what drew him to engineering, his experiences working in R&D, the challenges of the field, important mindsets, and advice for others. Main Topics: Defining R&D engineering Challenges in R&D Important tools and skills Key attributes of successful R&D engineers L...

Send us Fan Mail PDX offers a dynamic bootcamp-style experience tailored exclusively for engineers engaged in the design and development of hard goods products. Unlike conventional conference presentations, our interactive event fosters direct engagement between the industry’s highest-performing subject matter experts and ambitious engineers, facilitating the transfer of practical skills and knowl...

Send us Fan Mail Derek Harper shares his experiences in engineering innovation in the medical field, including insights on career development and effective leadership strategies.  Main Topics: Engineering career paths Medical device development Leading engineering teams Leadership styles Emerging trends in biomedical engineering like biologics and brain chips. About the guest: Derek Harper is a se...

Send us Fan Mail PDX offers a dynamic bootcamp-style experience tailored exclusively for engineers engaged in the design and development of hard goods products. Unlike conventional conference presentations, our interactive event fosters direct engagement between the industry’s highest-performing subject matter experts and ambitious engineers, facilitating the transfer of practical skills and knowl...

Send us Fan Mail Ian McEachern returns to discuss his career in R&D engineering, focusing on challenges in medical device development and the importance of persistence. He shares stories about developing artificial heart pumps and mentoring young engineers. Main Topics: Challenges in sourcing components and standards interpretation for medical devices Defining the role of R&D engineers; st...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Moncur interviews Paul Lee about his career in renewable energy engineering and his role in the documentary "Cities of the Future." They discuss emerging sustainable energy technologies and the challenges and opportunities in transitioning to renewable sources Main Topics: Space-based solar power Vertical air taxis Wind and solar farm technology Hydrogen fuel cells...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Moncur interviews Dylann Ceriani about her career in mechanical engineering and medical devices. They discuss prototype injection molding, material selection, 3D printing applications, and advice for young engineers. Main Topics: Career journey from biomechanics to founding ProtoShop Differences between production and prototype molding   Cost considerations and timelines for...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Moncur interviews Roger LaBrecque about his career journey in medical device innovation, focusing on accelerating R&D processes while ensuring compliance. They discuss strategies for effective collaboration, problem-solving, and networking. Main Topics: Strategies for accelerating R&D while following regulations  Techniques for collaboration and problem-solving acros...

Send us Fan Mail Derek Pietz shares his journey from engineering student to co-founding a successful automation startup and his current role leading engineering teams at Intuitive. He discusses the challenges of starting a company, lessons learned, and trends in the automation industry. Main Topics: Engineering career path Founding and growing a startup Challenges and pivots Prioritizing work/life...

Send us Fan Mail Jon Montcrief shares his career path in chemical engineering and process development roles in the medical device industry. He discusses challenges in manufacturing, supply chains, and the regulated medical device industry.  Main Topics: Engineering career paths Chemical engineering background Manufacturing trends Supply chain challenges Technical and soft skills for engineers Chal...

Send us Fan Mail The episode explores Aaron Call's journey from engineer to entrepreneur, and his insights on innovation, market intelligence and the future of Medtech. Main Topics: Medical device development and market fit Market research methods for disruptive innovation Market analysis and decision-making in the medical industry Engineering background and its impact on business decisions M...

Send us Fan Mail Matt discusses his career path in medical device engineering and leadership insights. He shares how he developed a passion for understanding how things work from a young age and pursued biomedical engineering. Matt discusses developing grit and perseverance, managing stress and ambiguity in leadership roles, and balancing sustaining vs. new products. Main Topics: Engineering caree...

Send us Fan Mail Alex and Lilly are engineers at Rivian who recently competed in and won the 2022 Rebelle Rally, the longest off-road navigation rally in the US. They discussed their experience in the rally, engineering behind Rivian vehicles, and women in STEM. Main Topics: Details of the Rebelle Rally competition and challenges Engineering aspects that helped/hindered using an EV in the rally Tr...

Send us Fan Mail Tom Kress discusses his career path in medical device engineering and leadership. He shares insights on developing successful engineers and teams, challenges in the industry, and a vision for the future of medical devices with AI. Main Topics: Career paths and skills for engineers Leadership challenges and politics in the workplace Trends in medical device manufacturing and the fu...

Send us Fan Mail We discuss Mark's career journey and lessons learned from over two decades in leadership roles. He shares insights on problem-solving, industry trends, keys to success, and advice for career progression. Main Topics Problem-solving skills and tools like DMAIC Trends like outsourcing challenges and regulatory burdens Keys to success, such as collaboration and extra responsibil...

Send us Fan Mail Grace Park discusses her career journey in medical device engineering, managing challenges as an engineering leader, and her outlook on the future of the industry. Main Topics: Engineering problem-solving mindset Overcoming imposter syndrome Trends in manufacturing and skills for engineers Strategies for self-care, and industry challenges About the guest: Grace Park holds a bachel...

Send us Fan Mail Tony shares his career journey from plant engineer to leadership roles and offers advice on developing soft skills, gaining diverse experience, and keeping highly skilled engineers motivated. Main Topics: Developing soft skills and emotional intelligence Gaining multi-disciplinary experience through various opportunities Trends in the medical device industry, like single-use devic...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Moncur interviews Dora Boussias about her career journey and leadership approach, with a focus on how she leads with empathy, transparency, and inclusiveness. Main Topics: Data architecture roles and responsibilities Career progression and leadership skills Effective communication for engineers Overcoming imposter syndrome People management challenges Staying competitive thr...

Send us Fan Mail Travis De Jong is Director of Technology development at CQ Medical where they are a global leader in patient radiotherapy positioning and healthcare innovations. Travis’s background includes expertise in Medical Devices, Product Development, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), SolidWorks, and Composites. Aaron Moncur, host PDX 2026 is October 20-21 in Phoenix, AZ. Attendee t...

Send us Fan Mail Derek McKenney is the director of engineering at Puritan Medical Products where they manufacture medical swabs and related products. Derek is responsible for corporate and site level engineering in multiple facilities, including manufacturing support, capacity expansion, process validation, continuous improvement, and project management. Aaron Moncur, host PDX 2026 is October 20-2...