ProtoPod

In this episode, Jordan chats with Fred Schenkelberg, an internationally recognized authority in the field of reliability engineering.
Fred is the founder of FMS Reliability, where he works with organizations around the world to reduce product risk and boost reliability through smarter design and testing. He’s also behind Accendo Reliability, an online learning platform for reliability professionals.
Before founding his own firm, Fred was part of Hewlett-Packard’s elite reliability team, helping instill a culture of long-term performance and quality across the company. With a background in physics and statistics, Fred brings both analytical depth and practical know-how to every conversation, including this episode of the ProtoPod!

In today's episode, we're excited to chat with Alastair Trower, Director of Business Development at Enginuity Inc — an engineering and product development firm based in Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada.
With a deep appreciation for both technical and creative problem solving, Alastair – or Alf, as he’s commonly known – plays a pivotal role in helping Enginuity turn bold ideas into functional, manufacturable realities. The company is best known for designing and building custom solutions across marine, defense, aerospace, and industrial sectors, and Alastair has been a driving force in helping scale their impact across Canada and beyond.

In today's episode, we talk with Jacob Schmidt, Engineering Manager at AMP. Since joining in 2020, he’s designed some of AMP’s most advanced robotic hardware, including their newest small robot, built entirely from his design.
We discuss his path from hands-on mechanical engineer to team leader, his passion for mentorship, and how AMP is using AI and robotics to transform recycling worldwide.

In today's episode, we are excited to chat with the powerhouse father-daughter duo from Sigteq: Larry Murphy, who founded the company over two decades ago, and Laura Murphy, who now leads product and user-experience initiatives.
Larry’s background in radio engineering for the London Ambulance Service laid the groundwork for Sigteq’s specialized alerting systems, while Laura brings a fresh, UX-driven perspective to improve usability under pressure. Together, they create custom emergency communications and control solutions for some of the world’s most safety-critical environments.

Today we’re talking with a founding member of the Canadian International Rover Challenge, Justin Gerein — a hands-on, Mars-style robotics competition held each summer in the badlands of Drumheller, Alberta.
He’s an engineering manager at Calian Composites, a mechanical engineer by training, and a leader in designing high-performance composite systems — including one of the first Q/V band carbon fiber ground station antennas.
We’ll chat about how CIRC is building the next generation of space engineers, the role of collaboration and failure in innovation, and how ProtoSpace is helping teams bring their rover designs to life.

In today's episode, we're excited to chat with Tom Mudd, Head of Technical at digiLED, one of the world’s leading makers of enormous, high-definition LED screens.
Tom's journey spans from backstage at major music tours to tackling massive AV installations at stadiums and global venues. He brings to the table a rare blend of hands-on technical know-how and creative solution-building—especially when it comes to reducing power consumption in traditionally wasteful displays.

In today's episode, we’re joined by Heather Smith, a contracted NASA Research Scientist working with The Kiss Institute. With a focus on Mars and its moons, she develops life-detection instruments and strategies to keep space missions clean and science-ready.
Her path includes a PhD in Biological Engineering, a master’s in Space Studies, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Psychology. From Space Camp counselor to NASA Postdoc and AAAS Fellow, she’s built a career exploring the question: Are we alone?

In today's episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Garrett Partridge, the CEO of ARC Technology Solutions, a powerhouse in custom test systems, obsolescence mitigation, and rapid hardware solutions for aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors.
Now leading one of New England’s most agile tech companies, Garrett blends real-world innovation with visionary leadership, tackling complex challenges head-on, from cutting-edge electronics design to workforce development and industry collaboration.