Travis Conrad
Mechanical Engineer in Seattle, Washington
B.S., Plastics Engineering Technology/Vehicle Design, Western Washington University.
Engineering professional with a wide range of experience from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations. Passionate about product development and developing meaningful solutions to product problems.
My education focused on plastics engineering technology (production methods, materials, processes) as well as composite structures with a focus on vehicular applications as well as overall vehicle design. I was part of several project teams including the Automotive X-Prize as well as a team dedicated to developing a thermoplastic chassis transit bus.
Following graduation, I ended up co-founding a start-up company that developed commercial lighting and control systems. Due to financial hurdles typical of a start-up, I was forced to shift directions, and spent near 3 years working with Ultrasound systems and Automatic External Defibrillators. Given some challenges with Philips in terms of regulatory issues, the projects I was working on were put on hold, and I returned to my former start-up due to a timely opening. The company pivoted entirely into imaging and platform as a service for greenhouse management, so I was able to work with robotics and imaging hardware which was very exciting!
Unfortunately, the R&D budget for the robotics business was not enough to sustain the team, which made it impossible to continue in a meaningful way. Mentors I had in the company began to exit, and reluctantly I knew it was time to say goodbye once again.
I have been working with Microsoft for the past 3+ years, first as a contractor and then as a converted FTE. While the latest layoffs are a hard pill to swallow, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get experience in consumer electronics. I look forward to the next chapter!