Randy will share the history of the journey that has taken him from an undergraduate lab project at University to the President of a world-leading computer input technology company. Originally intended to help a friend with a disability, technology developed by Randy and his Engineering team has found wide-ranging applicability in several fields, including dentistry, healthcare, and manufacturing technology. Randy will demonstrate interesting technology such as a head-tracking mouse replacement, a glass keyboard, a wireless foot switch, and the on-screen keyboard included in Windows that was licensed from Randy's company by Microsoft. Randy will also share some of the interesting turns his business has experienced over its 18 year history.
About Our Speaker:
Randy graduated from the University of Alberta in 1989 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. While attending school, he worked on a project to help a friend who had been left paralyzed in a gymnastics accident. Therein, he found his life’s work and founded his company 6 months before graduating, to pursue alternative computer input solutions for people with disabilities.
Over the years, Randy’s company has found many other potential markets for its technology, including computing interfaces in the fields of dentistry, healthcare, and manufacturing technology.
Randy has received numerous awards, appeared in the media, and served on many industry boards and steering committees, including:
- Advisory Committee member to the US Federal Government’s Access Board
- Vice President of the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA)
- Key disabilities solutions consultant to Apple, Microsoft, and Muhammad Ali
- Recipient of “Cool Companies” Award
- Recipient of CIPS Award (Canadian Information Processing Society)
- Recipient of Canada National IWAY Award
- Recipient of Provincial ASTEC Award (Alberta Science & Technology)
- Recipient of Early Achievement Award – APEGGA (Professional Engineers)
- Recipient of IEEE Life Member Award
Randy currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta with his wife and five children. He actively participates in recreational sports, and coaches baseball, volleyball, and basketball at the community and school levels. He is also active in music and church activities. Randy lived in Japan for 2 years and speaks Japanese fluently.
