Ken Ritsher

Ken Ritsher has a diverse work experience spanning over two decades. Ken started their career in 1992 as a Product Development Engineer at Boston Advanced Technologies. Ken then worked as a Mechanical Design Engineer at Honeywell Consumer Products in 1995, where they were responsible for developing and engineering small home appliance products.

In 1996, Ken became an Engineering Manager at Boston Advanced Technologies, leading a cross-disciplinary team in designing spectroscopy-based analytical products for the petrochemical industry. Ken also collaborated with research and development teams in designing, prototyping, and testing laboratory optical systems.

From 1999 to 1999, Ken worked as a Natural Capitalism Consultant at Rocky Mountain Institute, developing consulting and marketing collateral for the organization's sustainable management consulting business. Ken also edited the manuscript of the best-selling book "Natural Capitalism."

In 2000, Ken joined Ford Motor Company as a Technology Strategist, where they developed financial and strategic frameworks for Ford's hybrid-electric vehicle team. Ken presented their findings to senior management for inclusion in Ford's corporate technology strategy.

Ken then worked at IDEO, a leading design and innovation consulting firm, from 2001 to 2010. As a Sr. Mechanical Engineer and Program/Project Manager, they led cross-disciplinary teams in conceptualizing, developing, and engineering various products and services. Ken also consulted with clients on innovation, design, brand, and technology issues, developed project proposals, and managed budgets and teams.

At Eli Lilly and Company, Ken held multiple roles from 2010 to 2013. Ken started as a Senior Consulting Engineer - Systems Integrator, responsible for managing the commercialization of an innovative insulin delivery device. Ken then became a Project Manager, overseeing system-level technical risks and coordinating the activities of sub-system engineering teams. In this role, they also managed a development budget and served as a liaison between technical teams and senior management.

Ken joined Cooper Perkins, Inc. in 2013 as an Engineer, where they provided technical leadership in medical device and consumer products projects. Ken managed consulting services, from technology development to commercial launch, and supported project managers and teams in all phases of medical device and life science projects.

From 2018 to 2022, Ken worked at Nix Biosensors as the Chief Technology Officer. Ken led the development of a single-use hydration sensor for athletes, leveraging proprietary technology developed at the Harvard School of Engineering.

Currently, Ken is the Director of Cell Systems Products at Re:Build Manufacturing, leading an intra-preneurial effort to develop and launch novel products for the BioTech, MedTech, and related industries. Ken is actively seeking collaborations in cell culture for research and co-development opportunities.

Ken Ritsher began their education at LSRHS, where they attended from 1983 to 1987. Ken then went on to Stanford University, where they obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Product Design from 1987 to 1992. Ken later pursued further education at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, earning an MBA from 1998 to 2000. Additionally, during the same period, they also studied at Stanford University School of Engineering, earning a Master of Science degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering.