Meet the team.
Dr. Evan Malone is Founder and President of NextFab, a for-profit social enterprise established in 2009 with the mission of strengthening local economies through entrepreneurship and manufacturing. NextFab achieves this by providing entrepreneurs with direct access to advanced manufacturing technology, technical training, product development services, supply chain consulting, and business acceleration and incubation services, including investment capital. In 2016, Dr. Malone founded the NextFab Foundation in order to extend NextFab’s mission to the educational and economic development needs of underserved and conflict-distressed communities around the world. Prior to starting NextFab, Dr. Malone worked on the conceptual design of particle accelerators at the US Department of Energy’s Fermilab high-energy physics laboratory and his research activities have spanned the fields of applied physics, autonomous mobile robotics, and 3D printing of electromechanical devices and biological materials. For more than 15 years, he has played an active role in the development and promotion of the Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing industry through his research, work as a consultant, as a speaker and subject matter expert, work to develop industry standards, and by providing technical training and access to additive manufacturing equipment and services. Dr. Malone holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from the University of Pennsylvania (PA, USA), and Master of Engineering, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in mechanical and systems engineering from Cornell University (NY, USA). Evan and spouse, archaeologist Dr. Jill Weber, are founders and owners of the Sojourn Philly restaurant group in Philadelphia , PA, USA which includes three restaurants. Evan is also a partner in Drive Passion PC Services, a cybercafé and office services company in the developing community of Mahube Valley, Gauteng, South Africa.
Dr. Jill Weber is Co-Founder and Board Member of the NextFab Foundation. She is a professional Archaeologist and Consulting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Her research has focused broadly on the interaction between humans and animals in ancient Near Eastern societies, and she has worked and lived in various countries of the region including Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Oman and Iraq. Having developed strong ties to the cultures and peoples of the region, Dr. Weber developed a passionate commitment to the plight of Syrian refugees which inspired her to co-found NextFab Foundation with her husband Dr. Evan Malone. Dr. Weber is Founder and, with her husband, Evan, co-owner of Sojourn Philly, a restaurant group which comprises Jet Wine Bar, REX 1516, and Cafe Ynez – and the soon-to-open Sor Ynez. She also serves as Board President of the Geographical Society of Philadelphia, whose mission is to foster greater cultural understanding and perspective of the people and places of the world, and was a founding Board member of Philly Wine Week.Dr. Weber holds a BA from Northwestern University (IL, USA) in Anthropology, and a Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania (PA, USA).
Joseph Katter is Executive Director of NextFab Foundation with over 20 years of experience in the fields of international development and public-private financing for technology commercialization. As Asia Representative for PADCO International (now AECOM) he developed and managed a portfolio of 20+ International Donor advisory projects for host-country clients throughout the South-Southeast Asia Region. As Founding Principal of the Capital Group, a US-based Project Finance consultancy, he raised over $200 million in impact and conventional investment in early stage technology commercialization, including incubation/acceleration platforms and seed level venture funds to support digital and biotech start-ups. He was instrumental in procuring strategic development financing for Philadelphia’s uCity SQUARE technology corridor. He holds a BA in Economics from Villanova University (Philadelphia, PA), MA in Applied and Development Economics from American University (Washington, DC) and an Adjunct Professorship at Temple University College of Science & Technology. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
Dave Levin is a Board Member of NextFab Foundation. He specializes in technology for development and social entrepreneurship, with 15+ years of experience in developing social impact initiatives globally. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Refuge Open Ware, an impact investment firm that has catalyzed over $11 million of investment into humanitarian technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Dave also co-founded Hala Systems, a technology startup focused on innovative civilian protection in war zones. Previously, he was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey, a Fulbright Scholar in India and an Advisor at LeapFrog Investments. He holds an MBA from Wharton, an M.Phil. in the philosophy of human rights from Cambridge University and a BA/BS from the Huntsman Program at UPenn/Wharton.
Angie Molnar has over 15 years of professional experience in both private and non-profit sectors. She has worked extensively in the commercial real estate field both as executive staff to corporate leadership and as senior manager for overall administrative and accounting functions on behalf of well-established commercial real estate investors / developers.
Angie has been instrumental in the establishment of several non-profit and private foundation ventures, including the launch of NextFab Foundation, for which she established the corporate finance, accountancy and treasury management systems. She is responsible for financial oversight of all Foundation activities, including home office administrative operations, annual tax reporting and liaison with relevant US, State and local government agencies responsible for maintenance of the Foundation’s charitable designation. Throughout this process, she coordinates the work and work product of various accounting, legal and financial consultants engaged by the Foundation. She oversees all financial and administrative activities associated with the Foundation’s international and domestic projects and consulting assignments such as the Anambra Nigeria FabLab Pilot Study for the World Bank and the Bangladesh Social Innovation Lab Study on behalf of BRAC-USA. She also provides financial oversight and budget support for the Foundation’s international investees including Astrolab Athens (via the NGO Odyssea) and Baytna Baytak Beirut ( via the NGO Field Ready). In addition Ms. Molnar works with the Board of Directors and Senior Foundation Management to develop and implement annual budget and investment targets.
Laate Olukotun is the CEO of Lollygig, an experience design agency based outside of New York City. A designer and innovator, Laate loves leading creative teams through uncharted territories. He has designed and delivered products, services, and experiences for a wide assortment of renowned brands, including Steelcase, Mayo Clinic, and NextFab. From 2015 to 2018, Laate was the Director of Marketing at NextFab where he led the company’s rebranding efforts, the development of the company’s new website, and led the user-centered design & launch of NextFab’s third location – a 10,000 sq. ft. space in Wilmington, Delaware. On behalf of NextFab Foundation, Laate traveled to Nigeria with Jai Mexis (of Odyssea) to develop FabLab Anambra – a project intended to bring a full-fledged digital fabrication facility to Anambra State. Laate holds a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and a Master of Design from the Institute of Design at IIT.
Jai, is an award-winning architect and one of the leading social innovators in Greece. Jai is the Founder of Olon Design Group, a humanitarian architecture company, and Founder and Director of Odyssea, an NGO based in Athens, Greece that focuses on the integration of vulnerable groups through targeted skill development in the labour market. Jai has raised 1,250,000 euros for Odyssea and grew the organisation to 10 full-time staff and 15 part-time tutors. He was also awarded the City of Glasgow Eimear Kelt Medal for Architecture 2014, as well as several other architecture and social design prizes. Jai is also part of NextFab Foundation, with which he maintains a long-term relationship on designing and setting up FabLabs for social innovation in developing countries around the world. Jai specializes in the intersection of social design and tech for the humanitarian sector.
Loay Malahmeh is an accomplished social innovator with a demonstrated history of over 11 years working experience in innovation, entrepreneurship & education leadership in emerging markets. He led the establishment of the School of Advanced Computing (ASAC) at Luminus Education, a social enterprise supporting education throughout the MENA region. Loay spearheaded the “Fab Lab” movement and ecosystem development in Jordan through his previous startup 3Dmena, which was acquired by the Luminus Group. Loay was instrumental in the launch of Jordan’s first Fabrication Lab and Manufacturing Incubator, Shamal Start/FabLab Irbid, with a portfolio of 100+ incubated startups. Loay served as a Shaper at Global Shapers Community with the World Economic Forum and has been internationally featured for his work in Wired Magazine, Popular Science, Techcrunch & BBC. Loay holds a BS in Management Information Systems from Princess Sumaya University for Technology.
Kilian Kleinschmidt believes in the power of connectivity ensuring access for the disadvantaged populations and fragile regions to the wealth of knowhow, technologies and finance we have accumulated collectively. He is the CEO of the Innovation and Planning Agency (IPA Austria) and IPA SWITXBOARD in Tunisia where he is based and implementing a number of projects .
He worked with the United Nations in Africa, Asia and South Eastern Europe and he became globally known through his last assignment in the Zaatari Refugee camp in Jordan and as advisor on refugee issues to a number of governments.
Dr. Simpson has more than 20 years of experience using and teaching students, designers, and engineers about 3D printing and AM. As Co-Director of Penn State’s Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D, www.cimp-3d.org), Tim has been at the leading edge of the recent wave of AM innovation and industry adoption, and he has extensive experience with powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, and non-destructive inspection technologies. He specializes in Design for Additive Manufacturing, and he has helped train and educate more than 600 industry practitioners to realize AM’s unique value proposition in aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, defense, energy, medical, oil and gas, and space industries. Tim was on the founding team of America Makes and spearheads multiple workforce, education, and outreach efforts at all levels across the country. He currently is the Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing at Penn State and is a monthly contributor to an AM column in Modern Machine Shop. Tim also serves as the Educational Advisor for The Barnes Global Advisors, a team of industry experts helping accelerate the adoption and industrialization of AM”. Image credits: TBGA
Jim Allen has been in and around manufacturing for much of his 30+ year career. He started in technical sales and worked his way up to senior positions at both public and private companies ranging in size from early-stage startups to a Fortune 500 chemical firm in diverse roles including operations management, economic development, corporate strategy, business development and project management. He has been a founder or an early employee of numerous manufacturing startups and an independent consultant to technology companies for 3D printing, manufacturing, business development, funding and economic development incentives. His clients have included MLAB, the business incubator of Metalsa, a Tier 1 automotive supplier in Mexico, where he was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence; and Shapeways, the world’s leading 3D printing marketplace and community platform, where he was involved in creating the Shapeways “Factory of the Future” in New York City. Earlier in his career he served as an officer in the US Navy. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia and has industry certifications in Additive Manufacturing and Powder Metallurgy.
Simon Hauger is an engineer turned high school math and science teacher with 25+ years of experience in urban education. Simon developed a passion for experiential, problem-based learning early in his career. He started the West Philly Hybrid X Team where his students designed and built award winning hybrid and electric powered vehicles. In 2010 and again 2014, Simon and his students were honored by President Obama at the White House. In 2011, Simon and a few of his colleagues launched the Workshop School. The Workshop School challenges students to solve real-world problems, and organizes teaching and learning in service of doing so. As principal of the school, Simon collaboratively led a team of educators in the design and implementation of a new school model. The school continues to be a powerful example of what students and adults are capable of when they are trusted, challenged, and equipped to do meaningful work as the basis for the learning experience.