From Innovation to the Marketplace: The Role of a Physicist

Science has and continues to change the world. The process through which this happens is varied, complex, and fascinating. I believe that a physics education equips one to navigate and expedite this process, from innovation, to technology maturation, and ultimately to production and commercialization. Furthermore, I feel that this is especially true in an entrepreneurial, small business setting. As a physics Ph.D., then co-founder and now CEO of Vescent Photonics, I have been a part of each step. I will share examples from my personal professional journey that illustrate this progression. Examples will include non-mechanical laser beamsteerers, first invented in my garage and then sold to a large public company for automotive markets, laser systems for quantum systems such as clocks and computers, and a variety of electronic and electro-optic technologies. I will highlight examples where my physics training proved invaluable in both obvious but also less obvious ways. Participating in the journey from the spark of an idea to a manufacturing line could not be more meaningful. I continue to rely on the physics training of both myself and my employees to play and profit in this process.