About the Presentation

Soon after a business plan is hatched and long before manufacturing ramps up, start-ups begin to apply systems design principles to create their breakthrough products. It turns out that systems engineering, an art developed and perfected in large organizations, applies just as well to small entrepreneurial ventures. What can start-ups learn from the likes of Ford and Boeing? Sorin Grama and Sam White, who launched Promethean Power Systems just after Grama graduated from SDM, will discuss how systems thinking shaped their start-up journey and helped them address social challenges while developing their first product.

About the Speakers

Sorin Grama, SDM '06, is the co-founder and CEO of Promethean Power Systems. He previously worked for National Instruments. He has a BS in electrical engineering from Ohio State University and an MS in engineering and management from MIT.

Sam White is the co-founder of Promethean Power, where he lines up partners, customers, and funding. His experience in business development includes five years with the Institute of Management Resources in Madrid. He has a BA from Union College and recently graduated from the Global Social Benefit Incubator at Santa Clara University.

About the Series

The MIT System Design and Management Program Systems Thinking Webinar Series features research conducted by SDM faculty, alumni, students, and industry partners. The series is designed to disseminate information on how to employ systems thinking to address engineering, management, and socio-political components of complex challenges.