Program
16 - 20 February 2025
Optica Global Headquarters
Washington, District of Columbia USA
We have an engaging and informative program featuring thought leaders in optics and photonics. The Career Accelerator begins on Sunday 16 February 2025 and concludes on Thursday 20 February 2025. To learn more about the topics and speakers featured each day, please click on the tabs below.
Speakers and timing are subject to change.
Arrival Day
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15:00 – 18:00 |
Hotel Check-In |
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17:30 – 20:00 |
Opening Reception and Icebreaker, Optica HQ 6th Floor |
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08:00 – 09:00 |
Breakfast, Optica HQ |
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Programming |
Eberly Hall |
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09:00 – 09:15 |
Welcome Remarks John Taylor Deputy Senior Director, Development and Fundraising, Optica Foundation, USA
Tom Hausken Senior Industry Advisor, Optica, USA |
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09:15 – 10:45 |
Sustainable Networking for Scientists and Engineers Christina Willis Director of Government Affairs & Senior Optical Scientist, Infleqtion, USA Sustainability applied to networking is about treating professional support and assistance like a resource and creating more of it than you take. This workshop introduces how to use sustainable networking to create mutually beneficial professional relationships and to set and accomplish career goals. Through individual and group activities, participants will come away with personalized goals and a practical action plan for how to incorporate sustainable networking into their professional lives. |
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10:45 – 11:15 |
Break |
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11:15 – 12:15
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Where are the Jobs?: Finding a Role in a Company Ashley Sapone Sr Manager, Americas Talent Acquisition & Global Emerging Talent MKS Instruments, Inc., USA Uncover the many roles and growth prospects for scientists and engineers in the corporate sector. Learn about positions suitable for early-career professionals, ranging from R&D and sales to marketing, product management, and engineering. This session will help you navigate the corporate landscape while learning how MKS is structured. |
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12:15 - 14:15 |
Lunch, Optica HQ |
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12:45 - 14:15 |
Resume Review & Optimization: Stand Out in the Job Market Small Conference Room Ashley Sapone Sr Manager, Americas Talent Acquisition & Global Emerging Talent MKS Instruments, Inc., USA Based off sign-up sheet in What to Know Before You Go Email. Must bring a printed-out copy of your Resume/CV. |
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14:15 – 15:15 |
Negotiation Skills Amy Sullivan Technical Marketing Manager, Thorlabs, USA We will discuss a balanced approach to negotiation so you can feel confident navigating the workplace, from initial salary discussions to everyday workplace conversations. |
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15:15 – 16:15
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Innovation and Product Development Matthew Weed Senior Director of Product Strategy, Luminar Technologies, USA Understanding "value proposition" may seem simple, but continual focus on this empathetic idea is essential to successful research and products alike. From fundamental research through customer deployment, join in this exploration of how to identify pain points, enablers, and disruptors, as well as how to position each to generate market pull. |
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16:15 - 16:45 |
Break |
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16:45 – 17:45 |
Cultivating High-Performing Teams and Dynamic Group Collaboration Chris Maloney Managing Director of US Operations and Director of Business Development, VPIphotonics, USA Strategic leadership involves guiding a team with a clear vision, making informed decisions that align with long-term goals, and fostering an environment where innovation and collaboration can thrive. Building cohesive teams and ensuring positive group dynamics is essential for the organization's success. Effective leaders help each team member understand their role, feel valued, and feel empowered to contribute to the shared vision. This approach drives performance, builds resilience, and creates adaptive teams ready to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities. |
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17:45 – 18:00 |
Daily Wrap-Up and Announcements |
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17:45 – 19:30 |
Dinner, Optica HQ |
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18:00 – 21:00 |
Metro cards will be distributed during dinner. |
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08:00 - 09:00 |
Breakfast, Optica HQ |
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Programming |
Eberly Hall |
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09:00 - 09:15 |
Introduction of the Day Tom Hausken Senior Industry Advisor, Optica, USA |
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09:15 – 10:15 |
The Role of the Sales Professional Dan Christensen Global Sales Manager - Life Science OEM, Lumencor, USA Every company relies on sales to survive. Each of us plays a part in the sales process regardless of our titles and responsibilities. Like every discipline, success in sales depends on a combination of behaviors, attitudes, and techniques. In this session, learn what technical sales fundamentally is, what a day in the life of a salesperson looks like, what behaviors, attitudes, and techniques set apart exceptionally successful salespeople, and how to best support the sales efforts of your company no matter your role. |
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10:15 – 11:15 |
What is Corporate Strategy and Why is it Important? Lisa Belodoff Founder and CEO, Bell Collaborative, USA Explore the essence of corporate strategy and its pivotal role in business success. Discover how technology companies formulate and implement their tech development strategies and gain insights into the diverse range of job opportunities and sought-after skills within this dynamic field. |
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11:15 – 11:45 |
Break |
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11:45 – 12:45 |
The Language of Business: Managerial Reporting and Accounting for Decision Making Part #1 George Bayz Retired Vice President & General Manager, Synopsys, USA The art of accounting. We will discuss budgeting, explore the art of accounting, visit the stock market and dive into why this is something all scientists in industry should understand. |
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12:45 – 14:15 |
Lunch, Optica HQ |
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14:15 – 15:15 |
The Language of Business: Managerial Reporting and Accounting for Decision Making Part #2 George Bayz Retired Vice President & General Manager, Synopsys, USA More fun with accounting! |
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15:15 – 16:15
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Patents and Intellectual Property 101 Payal Patel Senior Division IP Counsel, Corning Incorporated, USA Technology companies and institutions at all stages face a variety of intellectual property issues. Addressing these issues well can significantly increase value for the intellectual property owner, while missteps can have the opposite result. We will introduce important forms of intellectual property, including patents, trade secrets, and trademarks, and discuss the role each plays in an intellectual property portfolio. |
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16:15 – 16:45 |
Break |
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16:45 – 17:45
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The Entrepreneur’s Experience: Thriving in the Startup Ecosystem Adam Wax Founder and President, Lumedica, Inc., USA "The Entrepreneur’s Experience: Thriving in the Startup Ecosystem" explores the unique challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs in the fast-paced startup world. This talk delves into the key strategies for navigating uncertainty, building a strong network, and fostering innovation to achieve sustainable growth. Learn how to turn ideas into successful ventures while thriving in the dynamic startup environment. |
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17:45 – 18:00 |
Daily Wrap-Up and Announcements |
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17:45 – 19:30 |
Dinner, Optica HQ |
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08:00 – 09:00 |
Breakfast, Optica HQ |
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Programming |
Eberly Hall |
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09:00 – 09:15 |
Introduction of the Day Tom Hausken Senior Industry Advisor, Optica, USA |
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09:15 – 10:15
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Project Management for Engineering, R&D and Technology Teams Kenneth Barber Sr. Director of Engineering, Edmund Optics, USA Discover what it really means to be a Project management for Engineering, R&D and Technology Teams. Learn how to apply fundamental Project Management tools to any project in a practical way. Understand how you can leverage your technical know-how into a career in project management and beyond. Learn about key concepts like the triple constraints with fun examples. |
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10:15 – 11:15 |
The Role of the Product Manager Olga Sachkouskaya Product Manager, Semiconductor Robots, Brooks Automation, USA Dive into the multifaceted role of a Product Manager within the corporate structure. Explore the essential skills and attributes required, uncover exciting career prospects, and understand the pivotal role Product Managers play in driving innovation, collaborating with R&D, and bridging the gap between sales/marketing and customer needs. |
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11:15 – 11:45 |
Break |
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11:45 – 12:45
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Marketing in Photonics Kelly Radziski Strategic Marketing Manager, Ocean Optics, USA Marketing plays a critical role in the success of businesses. In high-tech industries, such as ours, marketing varies widely across companies and often, roles in marketing are opaque to job seekers. In this session, I hope to demystify what marketing is, how it relates to sales and R&D, and how the role of marketing fits within high-tech companies’ objectives. Upon the conclusion of this session, I hope you will have a better understanding of the marketing function in the high-tech industry, which will subsequently help you determine your future career direction. |
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12:45 – 14:15 |
Lunch, Optica HQ |
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14:15 – 15:15 |
Beyond Equations: The Roadmap to Business Success for STEM Professionals Simin Cai President and CEO, Go!Foton, USA Transitioning from an academic background to business management requires more than technical expertise—it demands a mastery of problem-solving, leadership, and communication. This session explores how STEM professionals can leverage their analytical mindset to excel in management roles while developing essential business skills. Even for those STEM professionals who choose to remain within the academic environment, the ability to bridge the gap between technical expertise and business acumen is still essential for success in any career when they must navigate through grant proposals, funding opportunities, team management and cross-disciplinary collaborations. |
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15:15 – 16:15
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Career Reflections: Insights for Early Career Success in Industry Arlene Smith Program Manager, Molex, USA In this talk, I will share my own winding journey from a physics student to my current career focus on leading and managing successful engineering projects. I'll discuss the unexpected twists and turns I encountered along the way, the valuable lessons learned, and how I navigated the transition from academia to industry. We'll delve into practical advice on building a strong professional network, developing essential skills for success in industry, and finding your own unique path to fulfillment. Join me for an open and honest conversation about career exploration and building a rewarding career in the exciting field of optics and photonics. |
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16:15 – 16:45 |
Break |
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16:45 -17:45
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Navigating a Half-Century in Photonics and Electronics: Insights and Guidance for Emerging Scientists and Engineers: What Happened? What's Next? Vincent "Chuck" Mattera Retired Chair and CEO Coherent Corp, USA Drawing from a 50-year career that started with 10 years of studying Chemistry, and which evolved through successive leadership roles in advanced materials, semiconductor lasers, power electronics, photonics, networking and laser systems, I will discuss a personal perspective on some of the transformations that I participated in. My informal remarks will recount experiences from my "First Act" over two decades at AT&T Bell Labs and its successors, followed by my "Second Act" also over two decades of executive leadership that helped propel II-VI Inc, now Coherent Corp from a small company with little over $100M in FY 04 Sales to over $5B in sales 20 years later, after which I retired from Coherent in June of 2024. AT&T Bell Labs underpinned a vertically integrated pioneer in Communications Networks. Coherent is a market leading innovator in materials, networking and lasers with a substantial endowment of technology and talent. Coherent, a great company, is underpinning most of the mega-trends that are driving global growth in the industrial, communications, electronics and instrumentation markets. These include those technologies vital to the mobile, intelligent and electric market transformations. These include AI and machine learning, communications and computing infrastructure, industrial materials processing, displays, life sciences and power electronics to name some. I will briefly describe my path, including the arc of my preparation and trajectory. I hope to impart a valuable understanding of the widespread global investments that have been made over the last 50 years in lasers, optics and photonics, the importance of innovation, perseverance and patience. I will briefly discuss my current view as to the technologies which are likely to be among those that emerge from a compound semiconductor foundation underpinning the landscape of optics and photonics, perhaps for the next 25-50 years. In addition, I will reflect on some guiding principles to accelerate a career at any stage. This talk aims to equip those in the Accelerator with the insights and tips to navigate the shoals of an ever evolving and super-exciting fields of optics, lasers, and photonics. And, most of all, to inspire those in the Accelerator to stay with problems longer. |
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17:45 – 18:00
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Closing Remarks John Taylor Deputy Senior Director, Development and Fundraising, Optica Foundation, USA |
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17:45 – 20:00 |
Closing Reception, Optica HQ |
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08:00 – 11:00 |
Hotel Check-Out Generator Hotel Washington DC |
