Tom Andrellos, Director of Growth and Innovation, MassMEP

Tom joined MassMEP October of 2014 after 32 years in senior level positions in the high tech manufacturing, global supply chain and business operations. Tom’s work at MassMEP is focused on development of strategic industry initiatives, new product growth services, and building a sustainable supply chain eco-system that provides clients with a competitive edge.

Prior to joining MassMEP, Tom spent 14 years at EMC Corporation. At EMC, Tom held the position of Vice President of manufacturing leading the flagship storage solution product lines. In this leadership role Tom was accountable to deliver $2+ billion of annual revenue, direct a workforce of 550 employees, management of a 700,000 sq ft high-tech facility and control of a $95 million annual operating budget.

Tom received several recognition awards from State Representatives for his engagement and support of small manufacturers in Massachusetts. In addition Tom received awards from local community leaders for his dedication and commitment to fund raising activities for local charities and non-profit organizations.

Ben Armstrong, Interim Executive Director, MIT Industrial Performance Center

Ben Armstrong is interim executive director of MIT’s Industrial Performance Center. His research and teaching examine how workers, firms, and regions adapt to technological change. His current projects include a national plan for the U.S. manufacturing workforce, as well as a policy playbook developing lessons for struggling regional economies in the United States. In his work, Ben has collaborated with governments, non-profit organizations, and firms to understand how research and education can be useful to practitioners and policymakers.

Brian Kononchik, Director of Innovative Digital Technologies, Boston Engineering

With more than 10 years’ experience, Mr. Kononchik has focused his career around developing and implementing advanced technologies to help organizations optimize workforce productivity and deliver operational efficiency. He has a deep expertise in advanced technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR), all within industrial environments. He has designed and developed numerous solutions, from proof-of-concept to production, for leading enterprise organizations within the automotive and manufacturing industries, as well as in classified environments for the Department of Defense. Among his many contributions, his key experience includes designing and developing a real-time mixed reality collaboration tool for a DoD shipbuilder and a plant-wide augmented reality insights and diagnostic tool for a multi-national manufacturing company. Mr. Kononchik is highly skilled in designing and delivering new, non-existing solutions and products at the enterprise level with a dedication to finding the best solution for each unique business challenge.

Mark Roth, Partner, Spinnaker Venture Partners

Mark is a Partner with Spinnaker Venture Partners, a strategic growth and innovation management advisory firm based in Boston, MA, helping companies to create and capture value in the globally connected economy. He has over 20-years experience as a corporate executive, entrepreneur, and consultant, providing leadership on new product development, innovation management, and business origination.

John Joseph, CEO and Co-Founder, Datanomix

John Joseph, a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University, is the CEO and co-founder of Datanomix, a software company empowering precision manufacturers to transform their business through data. John has an established track record of commercializing technology, having held leadership roles at several startups and their acquirers, including the successful acquisition of Equallogic by Dell. At Datanomix, John is helping build an agile team that is using machine learning and advanced analytics to automate the delivery of deep insights directly from CNC machine data, all without any operator input.

Nathan Desrochers, Automation Engineer, Motion AI

Nathan Desrochers is an Automation Engineer for Motion AI. Whether he is walking a plant floor looking for automation opportunities or crunching numbers to help a startup select the right linear actuator to enable their new technology, Nathan lives to solve engineering challenges. In his five years at Motion AI Nathan has deployed hundreds of robots in Massachusetts. Outside of work Nathan enjoys outdoor sports like skiing, biking, and golf.

Andrew Garchik, 3DP Application Engineer, Hawk Ridge Systems

Andrew works with manufacturers to reduce lead times, cut part costs, and bring outsourced parts in-house using new additive manufacturing technology that prints metals, carbon fiber, and other high-strength materials. He helps prospects evaluate the technology, identify applications, train operators and designers, and support customers post-investment.

Peter Morin, CISO, Synagex

Pete is the Chief Information Security Officer at Synagex. He is committed to assisting clients with their IT governance and cyber risk programs. He has been an innovator in Information Technology for over 20 years. His career has been in service to multiple regulated industries overseeing systems development, infrastructure, and information security. As a CMMC Registered Practitioner he has honed his cyber security skills conducting NIST 800-171 and CMMC cybersecurity assessments for dozens of manufacturers within the defense industrial base nationwide.

Mark Schmit, Division Chief for Regional and State Partnerships

Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), since 1988, has been committed to strengthening U.S. manufacturing, continually evolving to meet the changing needs of manufacturers. As division chief for regional and state partnerships, Mark is the lead for division policy and has assisted in the development of programs supporting manufacturing and industrial extension technology-based economic development, and entrepreneurship practices with state elected officials and policy makers, including the MEP policy academies, which were designed by MEP and partners to help states build upon existing strategies, leverage available resources, and spur creative new ideas about how to address major challenges or leverage opportunities around the manufacturing sector. Mark is responsible for developing partnerships with both the public and private sector entities. He was an MEP co-lead for the creation of MFG Day, an outreach program held on the first Friday in October to show students, parents, and the public what modern manufacturing is all about, with growing annual participation across the United States. Mark was a 2001, 2005, 2014, and 2020 recipient of NIST’s George Uriano Award. The George Uriano Award recognizes outstanding achievements by NIST staff in building and strengthening NIST extramural programs and partnerships.

George D. Mitchell, Jr., Vice President, Production Operations – Rotary Systems, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company

George Mitchell is the Vice President of Production Operations for Rotary Systems, at Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company. George is responsible for over 6,500 personnel along with the strategy and execution of all Production and Development Manufacturing, Assembly and Flight Operations, and Overhaul and Repair at all U.S. sites including Connecticut, Florida, Alabama, Texas, as well as international sites in Poland, Turkey, and India.

Mr. Mitchell joined Sikorsky Aircraft in 1983 and has held many positions with increasing responsibility throughout the corporation. Prior to this role, George was the Vice President of Operations for Product Centers, where he was responsible for leading the manufacturing of Aerostructures, Avionics, Blades, Dynamic Components, and Overhaul and Repair centers for Sikorsky’s military and commercial products. He also served as the Vice President of Military Aircraft and Support, and the Vice President of the $1.3B Military Customer Support sustainment group. In this role, he and his team supported over 5,000 field aircraft serving the U.S. Government and Foreign Military. Other roles included General Manager of Military Aircraft Assembly Center, General Manager of Repair & Overhaul (MRO), Production Operations Manager for Transmission Manufacturing, and Chief Manufacturing Engineer on the S92 and Comanche programs.

George has four U.S. patents related to the manufacture and tooling of aerospace transmission components. He has been published by the American Helicopter Society, and has received several customer, company, and community service awards. He is on the Board of Directors for Griffin Hospital, is the former Chairman of the Board for the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, and a Corporator for the Valley United Way and Lower Naugatuck Boy and Girls Club.

He holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology, Manufacturing and an M.S. in Organizational Management from Central Connecticut State University.