Chinedum ‘Chi’ Okwudire

Founder & CTO

Chi is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he also directs the Smart and Sustainable Automation Lab. His research exploits knowledge at the intersection of machine design, control and computer science to boost the performance of automation systems at low cost. Prior to joining Michigan, he led the Systems Optimization team at DMG Mori USA.

Chi holds a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. He has received several notable awards including the Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.

BRENDA JONES

Chief Executive Officer

Brenda Jones is a serial entrepreneur currently serving as Ulendo’s CEO. Ms. Jones had previously served as the CEO of Kinetica Labs, Inc. which was acquired by VelocityEHS in July 2021. She has also held key executive leadership positions in organizations focused on software, SaaS industry and technology commercialization: VP of Global Services at Arbortext (acquired by PTC), VP of Services MyBuys (acquired by Magnetic), NSF International’s first Chief Information Officer and the inaugural Managing Director of the University of Michigan Medical Innovation Center. Ms. Jones earned a Bachelors at Yale University and an MBA at the University of Michigan.

Samuel ‘Sam’ Thompson

Chief Product Officer

Sam is an experienced software developer leading the development of Ulendo. He has previously supported several early-stage start-ups doing technical product development and managed the implementation of line-of-business applications. He is also an experienced strategy consultant and has over six years of experience managing and executing sales and research-driven business development. He has several years of experience supporting commercialization initiatives in higher education institutions and evaluating the market potential of research-driven intellectual property. Sam also has experience leading strategic business development and market-entry-strategy projects for clients in the technology services industry, including global companies like Accenture and NTT Communications.

Shelly Sowers

Chief Financial Officer

Shelly has been a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan for the last 20 years. She obtained her undergraduate accounting degree from Michigan State University and an MBA from Wayne State University. She performed audit and tax related work with Plante & Moran for 8 years, primarily in the manufacturing and life sciences sectors. After leaving Plante & Moran, she worked for 8 years as Controller and then CFO of Ash Stevens, a contract/development manufacturing organization that worked in small molecule API manufacturing and also research and development contracts with the US government and life science companies. In addition to experience in accounting and finance, Shelly brings to the team Ulendo team experience in human resources issues such as employee benefits, 401(k) and pension plans.

alex versin

Sr. Software and Controls Engineer

DILIP RAJ RAMESH BABU

Sr. Embedded Software / Firmware Engineer

Dilip Raj joins Ulendo with four years of experience in Firmware and SoC validation, making notable contributions to multiple semiconductor based companies. He was part of a team that developed tools for Pre and Post Silicon validation as a part of the Intel workforce. Dilip holds a Master of Science in Embedded Electrical and Computer Systems from San Francisco State University and Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Sri Sai Ram Engineering College, India.

Sicong Guo

Software and Controls Engineer

Sicong (Steven) Guo's is a talented controls engineer who focuses on performance and reliability testing at Ulendo. His research interests include utilizing and incorporating advanced control schemes into robotic applications and improving their functionality on manufacturing machines. He has earned a MS and BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Don Manfredi

Mentor-in-Residence, University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships

Don has over twenty-five years of experience in a broad range of professional assignments including global business unit leadership, operations management, marketing, sales and application engineering, product development, project management, business development, education and customer training and support. Don has provided executive leadership of a global business unit, managed the accelerated growth of a startup technology business, led the global marketing team within a high-tech NASDAQ firm, re-launched a North American business unit, and provided global sales account management to Fortune 500 clients. 

Oumar Barry

Technical Advisor and Board Member

Dr. Oumar Barry is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. He brings specialist knowledge in machine vibration and robotics. He is also the co-founder/CEO of BNB Transfer Corp., where he manages operations, partner integrations, and new product launches.

Dr. Barry holds a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto. He is a member of Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO). He has held numerous engineering positions at Hydro One Inc. (formerly Ontario Hydro). Dr. Barry is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2020 NSF CAREER award.