Michael Ekbundit

Director, Engineering Development, GE Appliances, a Haier Company

Mike joined GE Appliances in 2010 as a design engineer and is now the Director of Engineering Development, focusing on the engineering talent pipeline. Prior to joining GE, Mike began his career in 1997 working on the International Space Station program at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. In 2000, Mike moved to the optical industry where he helped design a new type of lens manufacturing equipment. He moved to the heavy trucking industry in 2007 where he helped design a new off-road suspension concept for armored ground vehicles.

Mike holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville, where he was also part of a national championship cheerleading team. For fun, Mike enjoys endurance sports, playing guitar, creating graphic art, building things, volunteering in local schools, and spending time with his wife and three children. He is a 3-time Ironman finisher, 2-time 100-miler, Boston Marathon finisher, and 3-time finisher of World’s Toughest Mudder.

Session Track: WORK METHODS CHANGING THE WORKPLACE

Thursday, March 25 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Changing The World

How do you connect industry, education, and community in an impactful way? There are lots of success stories where two of those three groups connected, but what could happen if all three groups genuinely collaborated? After ten years of leading STEM activities in local schools, Mike Ekbundit realized that a win-win-win scenario was needed to make it possible. Learn how Mike helped high school students leverage today's most disruptive technologies to create an enhanced visitor experience for mobility-challenged sightseers of a local park.

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