Christopher J. Brown, PhD
Senior Associate

Chris is a scientist and entrepreneur with diverse business and technical backgrounds.  His past experiences have spanned multiple verticals, including electronics, textiles, and telecommunications. His background and experience position him at the crossroads of business and technology. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a PhD in Physics from North Carolina State University.

Chris’ technical background includes a pioneering accomplishment in the field of MEMS cryotribology, the study of surface friction on the micro and nano length scales at cryogenic temperatures.  He has worked with colleagues from UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Sandia National Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and Irvine based start-up wiSpry on DARPA and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) funded MEMS initiatives.  Chris’ results are part of a larger body of work recognized in 2010 by the National Science Foundation’s American Competitiveness and Innovation (ACI) Fellow Award.  Results achieved in this work will lead to effective methods for controlling friction and associated energy losses equivalent to 1-2% of annual GDP for US industries.

In addition, Chris was a project engineer with Corning in the world’s largest volume fiber optic production facility.  He also co-founded a textile dye company based on technology developed jointly with Procter and Gamble, Leeds University, and North Carolina State University.  Earlier in his career, Chris worked as an intern with venture-backed solar panel manufacturer Stion, where he was part of the team that initiated a joint venture with Taiwan Semiconductor.

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