Tech CEOs combine business, engineering

Lunar Design CEO Jeff Smith and Dresselhaus Design Group, Inc. founder and President Bill Dresselhaus, whose prowess in engineering and technological development have made them successful entrepreneurs, spoke with a group of around 30 students over a fully catered dinner last night at the Weiss Tech House.

The dinner, planned by members of Tech House's mentoring program and Tech House Staff Director Anne Stamer, was the sixth talk this semester under the theme of innovation and technology.

Smith, the founder and current CEO of the Silicon Valley, Calif.-based product design company Lunar Design, began by modestly describing the prestige of his company's clients a list that includes Apple, Sony, Samsung and Dell which he said allows him to be "part of a really dynamic community."

Introduced by Engineeringprofessor Karl Ulrich as an "innovation management consultant," Dresselhaus also authored a book titled ROI: Return on Innovation.

However, his most unique credential may have been his past role as Apple's 316th employee, where he worked directly with Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

"What Ilove doing is helping people be innovative,"Dresselhaus noted when explaining his current multifaceted role as a speaker, professor, consultant and innovator.

The discussion went down many paths, as the students were excited to probe the various issues each innovator has faced in attaining and holding his current position.

With Engineering and Wharton students dominating the room, it seemed natural that the dialogue began with a discussion of how to synthesize the engineering aspect of creating new technology with the business facet of marketing it.

Dresselhaus admitted there is an "animosity [between the two groups] that comes from a misunderstanding of the way things are done."

Yet Smith noted a current "cultural predisposition"for engineers to work with and meet the requests of those trying to improve their products for the customers.

Reactions to the speakers became more opinionated as the two spoke of Students Inc., a project designed to employ college students part time in technology companies at half the rate of foreign workers. Designed to "keep things local" -- or keep businesses from moving overseas -- Smith noted that both the students and companies are pleased in the end.

Some students, however, questioned the responsibility these companies have to allow students to focus on their school work.

Though Smith agreed he "can see how it would be very disruptive" to concentrate solely on a job while in school, the companies work with their student employees to make sure this does not happen.

Above all else, the speakers granted the students a tremendous opportunity to understand and gain advice on how to break into the field. Students were left with some weighty advice.

"If you want to [start your own business], just do it -- but it's challenging," Smith warned.

Dresselhaus stressed gains to be made from on-the-job experience, saying that dealing with "failure" is the "biggest thing you learn from experience."

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