AVID LABS® - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- New Product Project Manager
The view from 10,000 feet is a well-worn phrase denoting a high-level perspective. Many people claim to have a birds-eye view of the competitive landscape; Joel proves it, literally and figuratively as a private pilot and entrepreneur.
Joel and his wife Keersten started Apollo Design Technology®, Inc. in the basement of their home in 1992. It was a modest beginning that has grown into a triad of thriving start-ups. In addition to Apollo Design®, Joel owns Blue Pony, and AVID Labs®, LLC. All three companies boast first-rate talents.
Exercising his knack for change and looking at things differently, Joel's endeavors have won multiple awards for product innovation and customer service, as well as 5 patents.
Joel attended Purdue University and is an active member of his church community. He is a devoted husband and proud father of three sons and three grandchildren.
Joel shares, "Truly exceptional products balance on a knife's edge of design and functionality." A believer in the Golden Ratio and an admirer of Dieter Rams, he believes design and innovation are what drives success.
Job Titles:
- Mechanical Engineer
- Technologist
- Mechanical Engineering Technologist With AVID Labs
Busy in his role as a Mechanical Engineering Technologist with AVID Labs, Nicholas Burchell also has been an Army National Guardsman since 2013 and this year rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Guard's Aviation Branch. That's why Nick describes the perfect weekend as being "at home, enjoying some peace and quiet." Away from work, "I'm passionate about the Guard," he says. "I love learning all I can about the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and becoming a better leader in the process."
Holder of a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology from Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), Nick joined AVID Labs in 2016, and is both a team player and a natural leader. "I'm known for helping others," he says, "and I have a knack for planning. I like brainstorming an idea and seeing it through until it's a working prototype." Accomplishments in the Guard and IPFW have prepared him for his role at AVID Labs. He's earned he IPFW Top 50 Award, IPFW Mastodon Award of Excellence Cavalry Saber, German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency, and was awarded the title of Distinguished Military Science Cadet by the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).
As a boy, he wanted to be a fighter pilot, and to this day he believes the perfect melding of design and functionality is the United States Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt II jet aircraft. Also called the "Warthog" or "Hog" by USAF personnel, the A-10 was designed to provide quick-action support for ground troops. "I just love how they had to develop a plane around its 30 millimeter cannon," says the young man who, if he could have any super power, would choose "super speed, like the Flash." Adept as he is at taking orders and following the chain of command, Nick also has an engineer's innate curiosity. That's why he feels the best advice he ever received was: "Never hesitate to ask questions."
Although a successful wrestler though high school and college, Nick's secret athletic ambition was to star on the gridiron. Indeed, his childhood dream was to play in the National Football League. However, the numbers he so expertly manages today worked against him then. "I stopped growing at 5 feet 6 inches," he explains, "so I decided to take up accounting." Or, better put, he picked up the ball and ran with it in a field better suited to his talents. In a career spanning over three decades, he led finance and information technology teams at five leading firms before joining Apollo Design in 2014.
A passion for continuous improvement and problem solving for profitability marks his professional life, balanced by a devotion to his family and community service in his personal life. He would rather spend a weekend playing outdoors with his grandson Dominic - "quite possibly the cutest child in the Midwest" - than watch football or hockey, which he also enjoys. Proud of his family, Nick says his wife is "the best second grade teacher in the midwest" while his children are building successful careers. His oldest daughter is a marketing professional, his son is a glass artist pursuing a fine arts degree, and his youngest daughter shows great promise as a photographer and film maker.
Holder of a master's degree in business administration (MBA) and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Bowling Green State University, Nick serves on the board of directors of one nonprofit organization and the finance committees of four others. He supports the Brighton Center in Newport, Kentucky, which helps provide food, shelter, housing, childcare, job training and addiction recovery to more than 80,000 women. He feels the product that best combines design and functionality is "the original iPad®," which wedded "sleek, attractive design" with "disruptive technology."
Following his father's sage advice - "Live your life; don't let it live you" - Will Linnemeier artfully balances a successful career in sales with a fulfilling family life. That's not surprising, since balance comes naturally to a man who was a professional water skier at SeaWorld and Cypress Gardens. He transitioned to a sales role with a nationally known plastic fabrication company, staying for over 20 years and rising to the rank of Vice President before joining Apollo Design in 2015 as Sales Director. Skilled in networking, relationship building and resolving issues, Will seeks results that benefit both Apollo and its customers.
Away from work, Will says he and his wife Becky can be found "around the water" in the summer and "snow skiing or reading in front of the fire" during the winter. "I have been blessed with a great wife and 3 amazing kids," he adds. "The kids all got her looks and brains. They all enjoy surfing, boating, water and snow skiing."
Holder of a bachelor's degree in marketing and management from Ball State University, Will recalls cutting lawns as his first job - a good fit for someone who enjoys the outdoors - then working as a busboy at an upscale restaurant overlooking the skyline of Fort Wayne and a popular spot for business meals - a good fit for someone who would ultimately excel in sales. He also recalls his childhood dream was to be a professional water skier, a goal he achieved early.