Episode 42: The Neuroscience of Being Fooled - Eric Gradman

Throughout his 20+ years as a professional inventor, Eric’s passion has been to develop products at the intersection of the physical world and the web. He builds prototypes and turn ideas into businesses. As a long-time entrepreneur, Eric takes a practical approach to finding, adapting, or building solutions to problems fast. He has applied my skills as a roboticist, software developer, and fabricator to such diverse projects as launching the traveling STEAM Carnival, building one of the first self-driving cars, developing immersive Story Rooms, and building home inventions for families in need as a designer on Extreme Makeover Home Edition. With her experience working for the US Government in Washington DC, Mary has led the Alliance on college and career programs through the annual Teen Summit. In 2019, she developed an Alliance Kollab workforce development program to get the Boys & Girls Clubs youth meaningful employment through a comprehensive public/private investment partnership program. The platform integrates college-focused academics, technical skills training from different pathways in the high-demand industries, and intensive support for optimal long term success. Among many talents, Mary is an award winning driven expert in media, marketing, and communications. She has been a director of communications for several national and international companies, as well as a press secretary and public affairs specialist for the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Treasury, respectively. Mary previously served as Director of Communications for the American Diabetes Association in Los Angeles and as the Senior Public Information Officer for PMC World, a planning, environmental, and municipal services company to public agencies, special districts, and public-oriented organizations. Mary serves as a board member for the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition as well as being a member of the National Diversity Coalition. She graduated from Central Washington University in Mass Communications in Broadcast Journalism and obtained a Master’s Degree from Georgetown University in International Affairs.