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Courtney Gras    

Co-Founder at Design Flux Technologies, Speaker, Adovcate

I am an entrepreneur with a passion for working with people, and an inability to sit still. After leaving my job as a power systems engineer at NASA to follow my passion for entrepreneurship with my own startup company, I have focused my career on supporting and empowering young entrepreneurs through public speaking, coaching, and consulting.

For those that know me, you know that I grew-up homeschooled, and am a cheerleader of non-traditional education. I had the wonderful privilege of starting my college career in 9th grade as a post-secondary student, whereafter I continued to attend the University of Akron to study electrical engineering. I co-founded the Akron-based clean energy startup, Design Flux Technologies while an undergraduate at Akron. While serving as Chief Operations Officer, I had the honor of being awarded the “Forbes 30 Under 30” for my contributions within the organization in 2016.

Shortly following my graduation in 2013, I began a full-time career at NASA Glenn Research Center in parallel with my startup company role, and left that position in 2014 to launch a new career path at a small engineering consulting company, USA Firmware. During my time there, I quickly transitioned to a role aligned with my strongest skills and talents, and served as Sales Manager for the organization.

I recently decided it was just about time to “make the jump” to full-time entrepreneur, and have been focusing the majority of my time on my startup while spending my free time helping other prospective-entrepreneurs, startups, and startup support organizations achieve their goals.

Now, I am working to establish myself as a leading a female voice in male-dominated industries with the goal of encouraging other young entrepreneurs (especially women) to pursue non-traditional career paths. Aligned with these interests, I am pursuing a career in public speaking and career-coaching services. I frequently address students and early-career professionals on topics related to entrepreneurship, women in STEM and leadership, and non-traditional career paths. Finally, as a passionate member of the NE Ohio startup community, I serve as Board Member for the Akron-based Launch League startup community, and am a consultant for the EX[L] Center at the University of Akron.

Speech Topics


Developing Intentional Women Leaders in STEM and Entrepreneurship

  • What are the key barriers women face when considering careers in STEM and entrepreneurship (S&E) today
  • The importance of creating an educational pipeline to train and maintain women in S&E fields.
  • How to shift the paradigm from women leaders in S&E being “accidental” to “intentional”. What systems can be put into place for this to happen?

The Dynamics of the Team Environment (for Students)

  • How to find your role within a team by focusing on your natural strengths
  • How to effectively lead a team of peers or more experienced individuals by focusing on building trust and respect
  • How to create a system for success when working with friends & close peers

Educating for Entrepreneurship (for Educators & Organizations)

  • What are factors in our education system that are limiting a students ability to develop creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial (CIE) skillsets
  • What are the key environmental factors that encourage and train a student to develop an attraction to CIE
  • How a diverse and well-balanced education plays into the development of the CIE mindset
  • The importance of developing a pipeline for to not only train, but also maintain CIT in students as they transition out of school into the workforce

Entrepreneur is a Verb (customized for students or professionals)

  • Common misconceptions with entrepreneurship
  • What the entrepreneurial mindset is
  • What makes a successful entrepreneur
  • General concepts of building the right team, problem-solving, and resilience

Navigating Career Transitions for Success and Fulfillment (for professionals)

  • If you are unhappy with your job, you might not have the wrong degree or work in the wrong field, you just could just be in the wrong role within your organization
  • How to identify their natural leadership strengths and find the perfect role to match those strengths
  • How to use networking and take calculated risks to transition to the perfect role/job.

Leadership in Your Career: it’s more than a degree (for Students)

  • Their college degree, school, and GPA are less related to their career success then thy might think
  • How to use their degree as a ticket to a fulfilling and exciting career
  • College is perfect time to take calculated risks and find your true talents, leadership skills, and passions
  • How to differentiate themselves from their peer by focusing on “how” they do what they do vs “what” their job title or degree title is.

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Topics

  • Leadership & Team Building
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Teaching & Educating for Entrepreneurship
  • Women in STEM & Entrepreneurship
  • Career & Job Transitions

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