John Schneiter is an experienced high technology entrepreneur. He co-founded GlobalSpec, a “vertical search engine” for engineers, in 1996 and served as President for ten years, helping to grow the company from a four person startup to a 225 person leader in the engineering information market. Under his leadership GlobalSpec was twice granted the “Model of Excellence Award” by InfoCommerce and was named in the “25 Companies to Watch” list by Cahners. Prior to GlobalSpec he spent a dozen years at the GE Corporate Research and Development Center where he was acting manager of the Control Systems Program.

Dr. Schneiter is a director of Free Form Fibers, Veratag, and the Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium. In 2008 he received the Tech Valley Entrepreneur of the Year award for his work in GlobalSpec, Veratag, and the many early stage companies he has helped with guidance and advice. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a minor in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds sixteen patents.

Joe Pegna, the lead cofounder of Free Form Fibers, has 20 years of research experience pursuing advanced computer-driven manufacturing processes known as free form fabrication. In the early 1990′s he settled on laser-induced chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) as the most promising means to achieve his goal. Out of the subsequent research came the patents, know-how, and trade secrets that are the foundation for Free Form Fibers’ unique expertise.

Joe’s undergraduate training in mathematics and physics led to various graduate degrees in mechanical design, automated manufacturing, and computer automation, capped with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 1988.

His research has been recognized by professional societies (Society of Manufacturing Engineers Foundation Award), non-profit organizations (ATT foundation award), federal agencies (National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award) and the National Academy of Engineers (NAE Frontier Fellow). In 2001, he was awarded the Canada Research Chair professorship in Free Form Fabrication at the University of Montreal where he perfected LCVD fiber growth processes. His work has been featured in many trade publications, the WALL STREET JOURNAL, various area newspapers, and by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

During his academic tenure, he has held professorships, administrative, advisory, and fund raising positions, and has acted as industry consultant and expert witness. He was a founding board member of Francogenie, a non-profit organization that successfully lobbied the Quebec provincial government for the promotion of the engineering profession.

Kirk has 12 years experience in the field of laser-induced chemical vapor deposition. In 2006 he was the first to commercialize three-dimensional structures made by this process for Nanospace AB (a Swedish company backed by the European and Swedish space agencies). In 2000 he worked at the Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie under the supervision of one of the top two leaders in the field. In March 2006 he earned his doctorate in Microsystems Technology with a specialty in laser-CVD from the Ångström Labortoriet, Uppsala Universitet, Sweden.

Ram has 10 years experience in the field of laser-induced chemical vapor deposition. In 2006 he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Montreal with a specialty in the subject. He has been instrumental in Free Form Fibers’ recent advances which make possible continuous filament growth. He is currently in charge of process development and refinement.