2022 CRIDC Panelists
Sandeep Ahuja
Position: CEO and Co-Founder of cove.tool
Job Description: Sandeep Ahuja is the CEO and Co-Founder of cove.tool, the end-to-end building performance and data app. Most recently, Sandeep presented at the UN environment assembly, with 1500 global delegates, on the impact of buildings on climate change, showcased at the TEDx Atlanta and won the Forbes 30 under 30. With her desire to bring automation into the AEC world, she is pioneering the integration of data driven thinking into the design and construction process by developing and intelligent software.
Degrees: Georgia Institute of Technology - Masters of Science in High Performance Buildings Architecture; School of Planning and Architecture - Bachelors of Architecture; International School of Tanganyika International - Baccalaureate
John Avery
Position: Director, Advanced Technology Development Center
Job Description: John is a serial entrepreneur who was part of four startups. A tech startup veteran with broad experience in data and wireless voice technologies, John was co-founder and chief technology officer of Convergence Corp., a maker of software that connects wireless devices to the Internet. Amazon acquired the company in 1999. Following that acquisition, he joined Amazon as engineering manager.
Degrees: Georgia Tech graduate with a bachelor’s degree in engineering
Sean Joyce
Position: VP, Engineering for Payment Products at Waystar. Most recently before the August 2021 acquisition of Patientco by Waystar, I was the CTO of Patientco, a Healthcare Fintech based in Atlanta, with responsibility for Engineering, Product and Customer Implementation.
Job Description: Waystar is a software company focused on simplifying and automating the complex healthcare payments process for both health systems and patients. At Waystar, I lead the software engineering teams for several products improving the complex challenges making and collecting payments for providers and patients.
Degrees: Bachelors in Computer Science from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA from Emory's Goizueta School of Business.
Raghupathy Sivakumar
Position: Wayne J. Holman Chair Professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Vice President of Commercialization and Chief Commercialization Officer - Georgia Tech
Job Description: Wayne J. Holman Chair Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech. He leads the Georgia Tech Networking and Mobile Computing (GNAN) Research Group, where he and his students do research in the areas of wireless networking and mobile computing. He is the Founding Director of CREATE-X, a Georgia Tech initiative to instill entrepreneurial confidence in its students. He also serves as the Interim Chief Commercialization Officer of Georgia Tech.
Degrees: Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2000 and 1998 respectively, and his B.E. degree in Computer Science from Anna University (Chennai) in 1996.
Lydia Turkié
Position: Director, Creative Destruction Lab, Georgia Tech
Job Description: I empower deep tech entrepreneurs in the Southeast and unleash their latent innovation potential for the betterment of humankind.
Degrees: BS and an MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as a Doctorate of Pharmacy from Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, and an MSc in Management (Programme Grande Ecole) from Emlyon Business School.
Michael E. Chang
Position: Deputy-Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at Georgia Tech
Job Description: Dr. Michael E. Chang is the Deputy Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on the complexity of the urban and regional environment, and how nature, technology, economics, and culture lead to both environmental problems and solutions. In the past, Dr. Chang served as the founding Editor-in Chief (2013-2018) of the Sustainable Engineering domain of Elementa, an open-access scientific journal that publishes original research reporting on the “science of the Anthropocene;” and worked as an engineer/scientist in the School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech (1993-2009), the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (1992-1998), and the McDonnell Douglas Corporation (1988-1990).
Degrees: He holds degrees in atmospheric chemistry (MS, PhD), environmental policy (MS), and aerospace engineering (BAE) all from Georgia Tech.
Patrick Chopson
Position: AIA, Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Co-founder of cove.tool
Job Description: Focusing on the crossover between architecture and technology, Patrick Chopson leads cove.tool, a web-based design software for buildings using machine learning and automation to drive decision making. As Co-Founder, he oversees product development and research. A graduate of Georgia Tech with a Master's in High Performance Buildings, he is a licensed architect with over 17 years of experience in architecture, research, and mechanical engineering firms. Prior to cove.tool, he co-founded a successful building performance consulting firm Pattern r+d. He is featured in multiple publications include Architect Magazine, Tech Crunch, Site Selection, ArchDaily, and more.
Degrees: Georgia Tech with a Master's in High Performance Buildings; Southern Polytechnic State University - Bachelor's Degree Architecture; Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis - Mechanical Engineering
Shira Colsky
Position: Project Engineer - Geosyntec Consultants
Job Description: At Geosyntec, Ms. Colsky serves as the technical design lead for numerous industrial water/wastewater and groundwater remediation design projects across the US. Recent project experience includes design of a water conveyance and treatment system at a power plant, a wastewater treatment feasibility study for a chemical manufacturer, and a bioremediation remedial design for a multi-contaminant groundwater plume a former air force base. Her specialties include preparation of conceptual to construction-ready design packages for water distribution and treatment systems, hydraulic modeling, wastewater treatment evaluations, and remedial design and implementation for hazardous waste sites.
Degrees: She is a licensed professional environmental engineer in Georgia, Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. Ms. Colsky earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Florida and a master's degree in environmental engineering from Georgia Tech.
Dan Raudebaugh
Position: Executive Director - Center for Transportation & the Environment
Job Description: As Executive Director for the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), Dan Raudebaugh has dedicated the last 27 years to fostering environmental and energy sustainability and creating jobs within US emerging technology sectors. He has developed, secured funding for, and managed a varied portfolio of cost-shared research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects exceeding $800 million. Mr. Raudebaugh leads a staff of experienced engineers and project managers who are committed to improving the efficiency and sustainability of US energy and transportation systems. Under his guidance, CTE has successfully partnered with the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Interior, Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and Federal Railroad Administration, among others.
Degrees: BME Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Akissi Y. Stokes
Position: CEO & Cofounder Wundergrubs
Job Description: Responsible for setting company vision, and define overall business strategy; managing financial structure, capital strategy, and strategic objectives; cultivating a high-performing and agile team culture; overseeing daily operations; aligning resources to achieve business goals; establishing credibility throughout the customer and partner network; and building strategic partnerships and relationships to drive growth.
Degrees: B.A., Economics & Finance