Guest Lecture: Jay Harmon
Written by: Benjamin Jones
Jay Harmon is an award-winning entrepreneur and biomimetic inventor. President and CEO of PAX Scientific a research and design firm.
Jay along with his team visited our class on the 12th of October 2018 to give a presentation about biomimicry, his work with PAX and other ventures along his tenured road, and even brought colleague Francesca Bertone from PAX to share her experience as well.
What is Biomimicry? biomimicry - (bīōˈmiməkrē) - noun the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.
In other words, taking inspiration for design and development from nature itself. The key word is inspiration in my opinion. We are always inspired by what nature is capable of, whether it be evolution or incredible resilience, it never ceases to amaze. Nature survives for a reason; they have come up with solutions for the natural world and day to day struggles with years of evolution. Reverse engineering these solutions is also something biomimicry is focusing on just as much as coming up with new ideas based on nature.
Entrepreneurial Key Takeaways
Francesca Bertone, Chief Operating Officer of PAX Scientific shared with us some key insights on marketing, strategy and other areas of our current studies within the Entrepreneurial Arts Program. Below I have highlighted some of the main points to take from her lecture.
The three main sectors that can make the most difference in presenting different ideas are team, technology and market. Market surprisingly is the most significant of the sectors to understand and be on the same page in order to funnel into the 2nd and 3rd sector of team and technology.
Demonstrating value is the biggest aspect of successful product presentation. Education matters. Testing, research and comparison is extremely important when trying to present a new idea or product to an existing market
When presenting an idea to a firm or company, always try to provide a prototype, something physical so they can see, touch and start to believe that this product is real and is not just words.
“It was a very informational hour shared with our guests, and although most of us have had courses with biomimicry aspects, or currently taking them now, it will only help us further understand this field and how we can apply it to our future endeavors after we graduate from MCAD.” -Benjamin Jones (Entrepreneurial Studies, Undergraduate)
