Being an Engineer

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For more than 40 years, Larry Copponi has been working at the intersection of engineering talent and product innovation. Today, he serves as Vice President of Staffing Solutions at Spanner Product Development, where he helps companies across industries assemble the engineering teams they need to bring complex products to life. 
Larry’s work spans sectors including consumer electronics, robotics, renewable energy, life sciences, and medical devices. His team specializes in placing highly skilled professionals—mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, product designers, industrial designers, and quality engineers—into organizations that are racing to transform ideas into real-world products. By deeply understanding both the technical landscape and the people who power it, Larry plays a critical role in helping companies scale their engineering capabilities. 
Before joining Spanner, Larry spent more than 14 years as Division Manager at Pro Source Inc., supporting companies with contract engineering talent and CAD professionals to keep product development projects on schedule. Earlier in his career, he helped build recruiting and sales teams at TriMech Solutions, where he launched new recruiting initiatives focused on engineering and technical sales professionals. 
Across decades in the recruiting and staffing industry, Larry has built a reputation for understanding the real needs of engineering organizations—matching the right talent to the right challenges and helping companies deliver products to market faster. His career offers a rare vantage point on how engineering teams evolve, how companies compete for talent, and what separates organizations that build strong technical cultures from those that struggle to grow. 
In this conversation, Larry shares lessons from decades of working alongside engineering leaders, insights into the hiring challenges facing technical organizations today, and practical advice for both companies looking to build great teams and engineers navigating their careers. 
 
LINKS: 
Larry Copponi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-copponivpstaffingsolutionsspannerpd/ 
Spanner Website: https://www.spannerpd.com/ 
Aaron Moncur, host 
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The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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Jordan Kapitanoff is a mechanical engineer by training and a transformation leader by practice. A graduate of Kettering University with a BSME and an MBA from Aurora University, Jordan built his career at the intersection of engineering, operations, and culture change. Over the years, he has consistently stepped into roles where systems, teams, and processes needed elevation — and delivered measurable results. 
At Bison Gear & Engineering, Jordan moved from Application Engineer to Innovator, and later to Supervisor of Quality Innovation and Sustainability Engineering Manager. There, he led initiatives grounded in A3 problem solving, DMAIC, and lean thinking — not just to fix problems, but to transform how teams approached quality and continuous improvement. He also launched a new innovation and product development consulting division inside the organization, demonstrating an entrepreneurial drive even within established companies. 
His leadership continued to evolve at G&W Electric and later at tmax Group, where he served in operations excellence and operations management roles. Across these organizations, Jordan focused on production management, lean process improvement, and aligning communication across departments — recognizing that operational excellence is just as much about people as it is about process. 
Today, Jordan is channeling that experience into entrepreneurship. As Co-Founder of CoForge Technologies LLC and Head Coach at Thinking Kap Personal and Career Coaching, he works at the convergence of operational performance and personal leadership development. With a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Villanova University and service as a board member of The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), Jordan continues to advocate for systems thinking, continuous improvement, and empowering professionals to take ownership of their growth. 
 
LINKS: 
Jordan Kapitanoff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-kapitanoff-5b821817/ 
CoForge Website: https://www.coforge.com/ 
Aaron Moncur, host 
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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Amelia Howe is a biomedical engineer and R&D project manager whose career spans startups, research labs, and established medical device companies. She currently leads cross-functional development programs at COLTENE, where she coordinates teams across engineering, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing to bring new medical devices from concept to international launch.
Amelia’s journey into engineering began with a pivotal shift early in her academic career. While studying at The University of Akron, she transitioned from nursing to biomedical engineering after discovering the field through biomechanics research. Working in Dr. Brian Davis’s lab, she contributed to innovative research on shear forces and biomechanics, helping analyze how human movement affects pressure and stress on the body.
After graduating summa cum laude, Amelia joined Neuronoff, Inc. as its first employee. In the fast-moving startup environment, she wore nearly every hat imaginable—conducting research, developing prototypes, establishing quality systems, and contributing to core patents. She played a key role in the early development of the Injectrode neuromodulation technology while helping build the company’s quality management system toward ISO 13485 compliance.
Over time, Amelia gravitated toward project leadership, recognizing that even highly talented engineers need structured coordination to ensure complex products make it through development. She moved into project management roles, overseeing multiple technical programs simultaneously and aligning engineering, regulatory, and business teams around clear timelines and milestones.
Today, in addition to her role at COLTENE, Amelia is launching Chrysalis Business Consulting, where she provides project management and business development support to medical device startups. With both an engineering background and an MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology, she brings a rare perspective that blends technical depth with strategic business insight.
 
LINKS:
Amelia Howe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliaehowe/
Company website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chrysalis-business-consulting-llc/
Aaron Moncur, host
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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Rod Scholl is the Founder and Principal Analyst at Epsilon FEA, an engineering services company he launched in 2008 to specialize in advanced numerical analysis and simulation-driven problem solving. With nearly two decades at the helm, Rod has built Epsilon FEA into a trusted partner for companies tackling challenging structural, thermal, and dynamic performance problems across a wide range of industries.
Before founding Epsilon FEA, Rod spent over a decade at PADT, Inc. as a Specialist Engineer in Analysis. There, he led and executed FEA projects using the ANSYS toolset, supporting everything from early-stage R&D concept exploration to highly regulated FAA and DOT-certified analyses. Rod not only delivered simulations — he helped organizations implement FEA strategically, advising on licensing, training, internal resource development, and competitive advantage through simulation.
Earlier in his career, Rod worked at Honeywell Aerospace, where he analyzed and redesigned turbine engine components using closed-form calculations, ANSYS FEA, and life prediction tools. His work resulted in improved component life, material cost savings, and enhanced manufacturability — grounding his simulation expertise in real-world hardware performance.
Rod holds a BSME in Engineering Mechanics from Arizona State University and has built his career around one central belief: simulation is most powerful when it’s applied with engineering judgment. Through Epsilon FEA, he continues to help engineering teams reduce risk, improve product performance, and make confident, data-backed decisions.
LINKS:
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsilonfea/
Guest website: https://epsilonfea.com/
Aaron Moncur, host
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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Dr. Mahantesh Hiremath has built a rare engineering career at the intersection of deep technical rigor, systems thinking, leadership, and service. Across more than three decades, he has worked in space, energy, transportation, and infrastructure, and is recognized as one of the few engineers to have designed and analyzed complex systems in four very different environments: deep underground, offshore, on-ground, and in space. His academic background includes M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from The Ohio State University, along with a certificate in systems engineering from Stanford University. 
Much of Mahantesh’s industry career has centered on high-consequence engineering, especially in aerospace and structural systems. He held senior roles at organizations including Space Systems Loral and SC Solutions, where his work spanned structural dynamics, verification and validation, mechanical testing, systems engineering, mission assurance, and cross-functional program leadership. Along the way, he developed a reputation for handling technically complex projects where reliability, safety, and execution discipline are non-negotiable. 
He is also widely known for his leadership in the engineering profession. Mahantesh served as the 140th President of ASME for the 2021–2022 term, following earlier service on the Board of Governors and years of volunteer leadership. ASME has noted that he was the first person of Indian and Asian descent nominated for that role, a milestone in the society’s history. During his presidency, he helped shape priorities around strategy, global engagement, and emerging technology areas including space and robotics. 
Beyond industry and professional leadership, Mahantesh has also invested heavily in teaching and mentoring. He serves on the faculty at Santa Clara University, where he teaches topics including dynamics, mechanical vibrations, and systems engineering. His stated focus on helping students not just succeed academically but also find internships and full-time roles speaks to the kind of engineer he is: technically accomplished, yes, but equally committed to building the next generation. 
This conversation is especially relevant for engineers who care about the bigger picture: how deep technical expertise translates into leadership, how systems thinking scales across industries, how policy and engineering influence one another, and how experienced engineers can use their careers to open doors for others. Mahantesh brings a perspective shaped not only by spacecraft, testing, and structural analysis, but also by boardrooms, classrooms, and even Capitol Hill. 
 
LINKS:
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahantesh-s-hiremath/
Guest website
Aaron Moncur, host
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus