Alumni Entrepreneurs

Emily Dickens (CWR ’19, MGT ’20, GRS ’20, engineering) has built her career around a central question: how can engineering innovation accelerate the transition to a more sustainable energy system—and reach the market at scale? As chief commercial officer of Octet Scientific, a Cleveland-based…

Halle Tecco (CWR ’06) is the co-founder of Cofertility, a startup working to make egg freezing and fertility care more accessible. Earlier in her career, Tecco launched Natalist, a women’s health products company that was acquired in 2021, broadening the availability of at-home fertility and…

How hands-on learning shaped a founder’s approach

Michael LaFramboise (CWR ’18) is the CEO and co-founder of Aurelius Systems, a San Francisco-based defense startup developing autonomous laser systems to shoot down drones. Their flagship product, Archimedes, is a cost-effective, scalable robotic turret that combines advanced sensors, AI, and high…

Ya-Ting Liao Associate Professor, Faculty Director of the UL Fire and Combustion Laboratories, Case Western Reserve University 2023-2024 Veale Faculty Fellow Area of Focus: Studying fire dynamics and combustion phenomena through numerical modeling and experimentation, with applications…

Anna Cristina Samia’s scientific journey is driven by a simple, powerful question: How can chemistry directly improve lives? As chair of the Department of Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University, Samia leads a team working on a breakthrough that could help joint replacement patients avoid…

GelSana Therapeutics aims to launch of Cleragel for clinical human for chronic wound care in 2025

Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Case School of Engineering Member, Cancer Imaging Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Area of Focus: Developing advanced materials and processes to separate f-elements (lanthanides and actinides) with applications…

Melissa Krebs, PhD (GRS '10, biomedical engineering), founder and CEO of GelSana Therapeutics, is driving transformative innovation in the $78 billion wound care market. Her company, based in Aurora, Colorado, is developing novel hydrogel materials that promote faster healing for chronic wounds by…

Artur Grabowski (CWR '07) is the founder of Extendify, a company focused on simplifying website creation within the WordPress ecosystem. He transitioned into the WordPress space after gaining valuable experience at Adobe and Automattic. Artur's entrepreneurial journey with Extendify has provided…