DAVE SIMON:
President of ilumisys Inc. in Troy, a firm focused on next-generation solid-state lighting technology in the areas of direct replacement of fluorescent light tubes with light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and direct replacement of incandescent lamps. In 2009, the company partnered with the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences in conjunction with a $590,000 Department of Energy grant for product life-cycle design for solid-state lighting. ilumisys received a $4 million tax credit from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority to expand research and development of LED technology as well as create jobs and ramp up manufacturing operations in Michigan. It also was granted a $1.3 million federal tax credit for advanced energy manufacturing. Simon has more than 24 years of design and development experience, including 10 years of managing manufacturing operations. Prior to ilumisys being spun off from Altair Engineering in 2007, he served as Altair’s principal for product innovation, and led product development consulting in a cross section of industries, including automotive, Marine, commercial vehicles, consumer goods, industrial products, construction, mechanical systems, and packaging. Simon oversaw the formation of Altair’s Design Studio, a facility focused on merging elements of user-centered design, aesthetics, and engineering functionality to create successful products. He also served as Altair’s vice president and was responsible for enterprise process management and improving product development cycle times through process automation and product data management. Simon is a founding member and president of the Michigan Solid-State Lighting Association, dedicated to ensuring that Michigan is a global leader in solid-state lighting manufacturing, research, and development through knowledge sharing, education, and public policy advocacy. He received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and his master’s in management from Walsh College.
