Curriculum Vitae
Eric Anton Cavazos-Smith
I’m extremely proud of my career, my body of work, and what has been accomplished during all these cycles around the sun..
People are often defined by how they contribute to society and the legacy they leave behind. I still believe in humanity, and that we accomplish more together rather than apart. I’m a scientist, engineer, designer, philanthropist, educator, athlete, adventurer, and entrepreneur. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with amazing people from all over the world, from people that have put robots on Mars to people that educate the next generation of thinkers. I value hard work, good ethics, transparency, diligence, and perseverance.
Please enjoy!
Body Centered Cubic, LLC
Founder, CEO, & Lead Designer (Photography, Video), Athlete
January 2020 - Current Date
I have been developing and managing creative digital assets my entire professional life. From the early start-up days of managing DJ performances for top-tier fashion and clothing brands like Armani Exchange, to the outdoor photography I have captured for many years now, Body Centered Cubic is a lifelong passion project that houses all those efforts under one professional brand. Body Centered Cubic specializes in digital photography, videography, sound, marketing, web design, and social media for your organization or personal brand. Under the Simple Cubic brand, we offer outdoor lifestyle products and experiences. Face Centered Cubic focuses more on high fashion, high concept, and fast-paced lifestyles. Altogether this trilogy aims to bring the best of the best for digital marketing solutions.
Photographer & Filmmaker:
Body Centered Cubic Photography and Filmmaking is centered around nature, culture, and the scientific. I'm always traveling with a camera in hand and I'm always ready to shoot. I'm also ready to photograph and film in challenging spaces including environments that require a rope and harness. I move quickly to solve problems in extremely dynamic environments and maintain the fitness level required to access these environments. I also specialize in camera rigging and placement for dynamic coverage of complex situations.
Currently working with:
- Sony Alpha FX3 Cinema Line Full-frame Camera - (COMIN SOON)
- SONY Alpha 7R V Full-frame - (COMING SOON)
- Nikon Z9 - (COMING SOON)
- Nikon Z7II
- Nikon D850 (FX)
- Nikon D500 (DX) - (RETIRED)
- GoPro HERO11, 360MAX
- DJI OSMO Pocket - (RETIRED)
- Hover Camera Passport
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
Post Production:
- Adobe (Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere, Premiere Rush)
Nature + Action/Adventure + Sport + Editorial + Lifestyle PhotographyBrand Projects:
Brands:
Arc’teryx
Enterprise Projects, Inc:
Verdant Robotics, Inc. (photography & video)
Cobalt Robotics (photography & video)
Community Projects:
*Under the Simple Cubic (Sub-Brand), Community Projects Program:
$5,000 grant award from Arc'teryx for a climbing or snow-sport brand ambassador experience involving Bay Area Mexican Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans with Native American Ancestry, or mixed Mexican American Ancestry (for those Half-Mexican American's out there who still identify and embrace their Native and Mexican American culture).Athlete Profile: Bouldering, Sport Climbing, Trad, Mountaineering & Skiing.
STEAM Engine Academics
Founder, CEO
June 2016 - Present (Sabbatical) | San Francisco, Sunnyvale CA
I started STEAM Engine Academics, when I exited Microsoft, as an effort to get the next generation interested in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) education.
STEAM Engine Academics (AKA: STEAM_EA, STEAMEA) is an innovative media and technology company based in Silicon Valley, CA, that focuses on the advancement of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics), STEM (without a focus on Art, more High School and College level focus), and enterprise-level education technologies (this was an effort to develop workplace education for rising industries). We currently work with industry-leading Fortune 500 enterprise-level science and technology companies (Amazon Lab 126), government institutions, local school systems (private and public), and non-profit organizations (501(c)(3)). Through extensive R&D, the leveraging of Ph.D.'s and industry professionals, and working closely with the community, we are leading the advancement of STEAM education technology and changing the way people learn every day.
Sabbatical
As a result of the lingering effects of COVID-19 on the Education Technology Market and the ability to run classroom experiences, I have stepped away from STEAM & STEM education at the moment in order to develop a new plan for a better online experience and product line. We will return soon!
STEAM Engine Academics 2.0
Into the future! STEAM Engine Academics 2.0 will be established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity to better serve the STEAM education movement.
Amazon Lab 126 + Maker Nexus: These enterprise-funded STEM education programs are priced in the 6-figure range and are designed to get students interested in STEM careers. We even leverage peers as interns to run these programs and help students perform along the way. The 501(c)(3) non-profit Sunnyvale Maker Space, Maker Nexus, was the host for these programs. STEAM Engine Academics was the project manager who developed the program and curated all materials and assets needed to run the program.
Flying Drones
A-B Delivery Robots (LiDAR)
Eric Cavazos-Smith: Professional: Science + Engineering + Design
Eric Cavazos-Smith: Professional (EricACS_Pro):
Science, Engineering, & Design:
Contracting, Consulting, Networking
The MxSystem [Metric-X-System]: Inventor & Designer
Founder of the Mx-System. The Mx-System is a scalable, multi-material, R&D tool for robotics, mechatronics, and other electronic systems.
Á-La-Carte: Mobile Validation & Test Units on a Cart: Inventor & Designer
Cobalt Robotics, Inc.
August, 24th, 2022 - February, 2024
Robotics QAE (Quality Assurance Engineering) & Testing for EE, ME, & Mechatronics Systems:
During my time at Cobalt Robotics, I became obsessed with offering the most secure, stable, and safe RaaS system to our customers. My mission was to develop the discipline and infrastructure that led Cobalt Robotics to overall market success in security robotics.
Hardware Engineering (ME, EE, Robotics)
Successful development, deployment, and management of a full fleet, companywide and global mechanical engineering solution that solved a legacy vibrational issue while also protecting thousands of dollars in assets per unit across a multi-million-dollar robotics fleet.
Eliminating ground loops in a future fleet sub-system.
Worked on the future fleet of robots for Cobalt Robotics (LiDAR - non-repetitive scanning & 3D space point cloud generation, FLIR)
Verdant Robotics, Inc.
I started working with the Verdant Robotics team when the company was nothing more than an industrial garage in Hayward, CA, and a literal bucket of bolts. I mostly reported to the CEO, Gabe Sibley, and Principal EE, Patrick Schindler during my time there. I worked with the company during the entire COVID-19 pandemic because farming is an essential industry. Throughout history, a civilization’s well-being was based on the ability to produce food to match the needs of the population. The ability to increase crop yield and minimize the use of harsh chemicals increases the overall farmer’s output.
Robotics Engineering: EE, ME, QAE & Testing for EE, ME, & Mechatronics Systems:
February 2021 - June 2022 | Hayward, CA
Working with one of the best and most talented hardware and software teams in the entire San Francisco, Bay Area (NASA Mars Rover Mission, Google X: The Moonshot Factory, Cruise, Zoox, Nvidia), we put 3 revenue-generating, full-sized, industrial-grade, agricultural robots in the commercial farm fields of California’s Central Valley equipped with high quality 4K cameras, the worlds only low chemical volume mechatronic weed sprayer, and Nvidia powered machine learning AI.
Notable Contributions to the Project:
Researched, tested, sourced, and validated a fluro-polymer chemical spray delivery tube to combat the negative effects of plasticizer migration in flexible PVC tubing and the resulting pressure loss causing the overall failure of the chemical spray targeting system.
Spun PCB’s
Designed, developed, and built a multitude of testing systems for mission-critical hardware systems.
managed the entire building and manufacturing of mission-critical mechatronic systems. Every single unit passed through my validation and burn-in process before entering the field.
EE & Mechatronics Lab Management & Design:
I managed the entire lab space for the hardware team. I took two desks in a corner with a single Radio Shack style soldering iron and built a fully functional room-sized lab space with industry-standard tools and a highly effective inventory system. At no point was Verdant Robotics ever negatively affected by the supply chain shortage created by COVID-19 because I had done supply chain forecasting months in advance on key hardware items and took proactive measures to land necessary items in-house for production.
Lab Safety Officer
PR: Photography, Videography, & Design:
The first true industrial iteration of the mechatronic computer-vision-targeting spray system included a red laser for target confirmation. This was also part of the robot’s charm and communicated to non-technical parties the capabilities of the machine which is to successfully deploy the appropriate amount of chemical spray to a desired location. I did R&D and found an imaging optical solution for photographing and filming stray laser light for a desired waveguide effect (the Star Wars Laser) for mission-critical PR campaigns and executive pitch decks to secure critical funding rounds. Everything seen in photographs and video is real optical magic. I’m not a fan of trying to create CGI “vaporware” solutions to problems. Verdant Robotics successfully raised a series A funding round as of November 29, 2022, for $46.5M
Cavazos & Smith: Woodworking & Industrial Design
Cavazos & Smith: Woodworking & Industrial Design
October 2017 - December 2020 | Sunnyvale, CA
Original woodworking and industrial design for the enterprise workspace or the entrepreneurial mind.
I was fortunate enough, early on in my education, because of an outdated school system left over from the Reagan Administration, to be exposed to vocational skills that involved woodworking, industrial design, and craftsmanship. My great-grandfather, in Mexico, was a well-respected blacksmith and carpenter (according to family records). From the New Zealand side of the family, woodworking was also a well-respected craft that can be traced back to the English. Most of my high-end tools are from either the UK, Switzerland, or other European territories. This is why my brand is named Cavazos & Smith: Woodworking & Industrial Design, to help celebrate over a century of family tradition, craftsmanship, and ingenuity.
Sabbatical: Post COVID-19 I have decided to put woodworking on hold with no real plan to continue moving forward with any new design efforts and retire the brand while selling my remaining inventory. You will still find my work present in other business and entrepreneurial efforts, but I feel that my effort and talent is needed elsewhere…
Maker Nexus, 501(c)(3)
Maker Nexus, 501(c)(3)
January 2018 - December 2022 | Sunnyvale, CA
I was a major contributor and a founding partner of the Maker Nexus, 501(c)(3) organization. I managed the entire development of the STEAM/STEM education and industrial design programs at the organization that currently stands in my absence.
For a period of 3 years, I provided Maker Nexus with essential equipment, resources, and guidance to help launch their organization and establish a sustainable B&M facility in Silicon Valley (assets provided on my end ≤ $25,000 in value). This included industrial machinery, tools, electronics, labware, education and office supplies, photography and filming equipment, computers, consumables, IP, storage, transportation, and donations (in the form of material supplies).
COVID-19: Steering Committee Member:
As a result of COVID-19 and the government shutdown of normal business operations in the state of California (as well as the entire country), our organization had temporarily shifted our focus to organizing and leading the manufacturing and distribution of essential medical PPE to various medical organizations affected by supply chain shortages. This involved the development and building of face shields, surgical masks, and scrubs. Our efforts had been heavily documented by the local media and were well supported by Larry Klein, the current mayor of Sunnyvale.
Numbers:
● 38,248 medical face shields delivered
● 2000 medical face masks delivered
Media: Forbes, KQED, Times-Herald, Reuters, KRON 4, ABC, Mercury News, CBS, KPIX, NPR
General Scope of Work & Operations:
Maker Nexus is the next chapter in the non-profit 501(c)(3) Bay Area "maker space" and STEAM education movement. Founded by a group of ex-TechShop, Inc. employees, members, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, the organization aims to reinvent the community-driven maker space with a more inclusive work environment with also the feel and authenticity of a Silicon Valley tech startup. I was a contracted partner, consultant, educator, and outside founder member who supported the development of STEAM/STEM education and Industrial Design programs. My programs contributed major customer/client conversion and income to the space.
Instructor of Automated Systems Engineering, Robotics Engineering, & UAV Technologies
Feb 2019 - Dec 2020
Students must apply and be accepted into my STEAM/STEM education development programs:
The College Story: UAV (hybrid, multi-rotor helicopter, multi-rotor airplane) - (Winter 2019 - Spring 2020):
My student and I worked towards developing a hybrid multi-rotor helicopter/multi-rotor aerodynamic lift-based UAV (VTOL) in order to test the power efficiency of multi-rotor hover modes of flight versus the efficiency of leveraging multi-rotor aerodynamic lift-generated flight.
(Lockheed Martin EE internship in 2020, The University of Texas Austin (Aerospace Engineering))
Amazon Lab 126 (1st Robotics Comunity Education Program) - (Pilot Program):
Amazon Lab 126 Proposal Author
Lead Engineer for developing the 2018 Amazon Lab 126 "Drone Delivery Challenge" Content & Curriculum.
Electronic Supplier
Tool Supplier
Consumables Supplier
Media, PR, Social Media
Amazon Lab 126 (2nd Robotics Comunity Education Program):
Engineering:
Quickly re-engineered EE systems.
Education:Summer STEAM/STEM education camps.
Quickly develop industry and university-accurate STEAM/STEM education programs (NGSS).
PR, Marketing, and Media Efforts:Maker Faire 2018 (organizer, exhibitor, and media coverage)
Furnished the MN brand ambassador booth with exclusive Cavazos & Smith: Woodworking & Industrial Design products.
Provided a 3-day live demonstration of Cavazos & Smith: Woodworking & Industrial Design traditional woodworking and lathe turning practices.
Provided a 3-day live demonstration of the STEAM_EA air rocket system and air rocket science curriculum.
Provided an example of the STEAM_EA: R&D: Raspberry Pi, 4-Node Computing Cluster.
Provided an example of the STEAM_EA: EE: OP-Amp, Make Your Own Speaker Curriculum.
Provided an example of the STEAM_EA: Physics: Magnetism Curriculum.
Provided an example of the STEAM_EA: ME/EE/CS: Arduino Robotics Curriculum.
Provided an example of the STEAM_EA: Physics: Fluid Dynamics Curriculum.
Provided examples of the STEAM_EA: "This is Not a Toy" product line.
Provided 4K editorial quality video & photography (post: Photoshop/Premier)
Maker Nexus is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization | Federal EIN: 82-3925333 | California Corporation Number: C4104356
Amazon Lab 126, (Amazon)
February 2019 - August 2019, June 2018 - July 2018 | Sunnyvale, CA
A to B robotic navigation systems (Dynamic LiDAR, SLAM Robotics, ROS):
Project Proposal: formally present 3 well established hardware-based engineering projects to the Amazon Lab 126 engineering team and evaluate the pros and cons of each project so that we may continue the development cycle with the strongest option.
R&D Phase: exploring the current developments in A to B robotic navigation systems that are centered around a dynamic LiDAR system, SLAM robotics, and ROS. This process involves experimentation, fabrication, material purchase orders, and regular reporting to the Amazon Lab 126 team.
Development Cycle: develop the curriculum needed to teach a 3-week hardware engineering program to high school level students.
Preparation, Training, & Hiring Period:
Program Execution:
Project Conclusion, Analytics, and Documentation:
STEAM Engine Academics in partnership with the Bay Area 501c3, Maker Nexus, and the Amazon subsidiary, Amazon Lab 126, developed, curated, and executed a two-week extensive hardware development STEAM/STEM education program where high school level students were to negotiate the challenges involved with developing a UAV (Unmanned Areal Vehicle) system that would deliver a package from point A to point B while negotiating obstacles along the way. They were also involved in the development of the capturing system that would secure the package during delivery.
The program was offered on behalf of Amazon Lab 126, through an application process, to serve underrepresented minorities as well as women in STEM and entrepreneurship.
I contributed by writing the initial proposal on behalf of Maker Nexus, to help secure a contract between our groups and greenlight the project for July. I also served as the lead content developer, engineer, instructor, and curated media of the entire interaction.
The normal timeline for developing a full-time two-week program is one month per week of instruction. We did it in only three weeks.
Arc’teryx (Amer Sports)
October 2018 - October 2019
Editorial & Sport Photography:
My role as an editorial and sports photographer served the marketing needs of Arc'teryx as they provided community-based experiences in the Silicon Valley, Bay Area. Utilizing a two-camera system, I was able to capture images that presented the subject matter in a way that was empowering, respectful, intimate, and filled with diversity. After capturing images, I would then move over to a 5-star editing process, select the best images that communicated what Arc'teryx stands for as a company, and then run them through my personal Adobe Photoshop editing process. Images would then be uploaded into a deliverables package that contained various edits of images that could be quickly and efficiently implemented in marketing efforts by the company. My work involved capturing images of:
Athletes in the middle of lead climbing competitions.
Palo Alto store events
Outdoor climbing experiences
Outreach (Mountain/Rock Climbing/Gore-Tex (PTFE membrane fabrics))Outreach (Mountain/Rock Climbing/Gore-Tex (PTFE membrane fabrics))
Robotics Engineering: EE, ME, QAE & Testing for EE, ME Systems
*Robby Technologies was a robotics entry in the space of last-mile delivery robotic services (RaaS).
Robby Technologies was a Palo Alto based robotics company that was founded by two MIT Ph.D.'s (Rui Li 李瑞: CS, AI), (Dheera Venkatraman: EE, CS, Quantum-Mimetic Imaging), in the field of computer vision and robotics. They were backed by the Y Combinator startup incubation process in 2016. The Robby team developed an autonomous food delivery robot that serviced multiple companies in the Bay Area.
Built a flock of Pepsi Co. branded robots that attended the 2019 Super Bowl (well covered in the media as well as photographed with American Rapper Lil Jon).
Built a multitude of electronic PCB's: power supply (different DC rail voltages), IMU, LED array, embedded hardware systems, and other essential connection modules for different classes of connectors.Built the drive train, as well as other essential mechanical components.
Managed the development, procurement, testing, and validation of a multitude of cable harnesses.
The Cyber Garage
November 2017 - March 2018
Originally Located At: 14 Ross Avenue, San Anselmo, CA 94960
The CyberGarage was a STEAM/STEM education center and maker space in Marin County with a multitude of advanced educational services, on-site and off-site (afterschool programs).
https://www.thecybergarage.com/
Leadership:
I worked directly with the founder to help restructure and redevelop the overall 501(c)(3) maker space to help it perform better.
Worked directly with the founder to help improve the website.
Managed off-site activities at various schools and rec-centers.
Purchased and financed the cost of materials, supplies, tools, and other necessities to maintain the functionality of the space.
First one in, last one out.
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, ENGINEERING, & TECHNOLOGY:
- Designed and engineered, in-house, apparatuses to help demonstrate science, technology, and engineering concepts to our members.
- Managed, repaired, and ran a wide variety of tools such as a CO_2 CNC laser, an X-carve CNC router, a Carvey (closed system) CNC mill, a variety of surface deposition (PLA, ABS) 3D printers.
STEAM/STEM EDUCATION:
- Developed curriculum for our classes.
- Leader of STEAM/STEM academic content development and implementation processes.
Cyber Garage: Design Lab (Co-Founder)
The Cyber Garage: Design Lab was an after-hours effort to produce industrial design based signage for small businesses in Marin County using the same machining tools we used for our STEAM education programs. I led design R&D along the way and built a small efficient woodshop.
Techshop, Inc
August 2017 - November 2017
Independent Contractor/Consultant/Partnership (STEAM Engine Academics)
The TechShop, Inc. was one of Silicon Valley's (San Jose, Redwood City, San Francisco) most advanced maker spaces that serviced the needs of technology professionals, enterprise corporations, inventors, hobbyists, artists, students, and makers of all types, of all ages, from all over the Bay Area. They also served makers in other states across the US as well. TechShop, Inc. had resources to support the STEAM & STEM education community with after-school activities, camps, and homeschooling solutions.
I partnered with the TechShop's education team to help implement new STEAM/STEM education solutions and technologies as well as help drive STEAM/STEM education in Silicon Valley and connect with the local community.
INDUSTRIAL SKILLS:
Woodworking & Carpentry
Metalworking (machining, angular, organic, milling, lathe)
3D Printing (surface deposition, PLA, ABS, resin)
CO2 CNC laser vector/raster
CNC Plasma Cutting
Injection Molding
Sandblasting & Powdercoating
MIG Welding
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
Adobe Creative Cloud: PhotoShop, Illustrator
Corel Draw
Fusion 360
G-code
ENGINEERING:
Electronics
Design Process
Product Development
STEAM/STEM EDUCATION:
Content Development
Workshop Development
Instruction
The Techshop, Inc., Chapter-7 Bankruptcy, and ultimate closure was a huge hit to my overall business strategy as an early-stage startup and is what ultimately led me to quickly pivot and work with Cybergarage and help start Maker Nexus 501(c)(3). I had no visibility from leadership (Dan Woods, Jim Newton, or Mark Hatch) or management, no warning, and was led to believe that the partnership we had formed was to be a major driver of business for the company. In the short time I worked for the company, my impact was immediately seen throughout the organization and if we had continued, there is no doubt that TechShop, Inc. would have had one of the best STEAM, STEM, and Industrial Design programs in Silicon Valley. Along the way, I was able to acquire a large number of new Industrial design and manufacturing skills. This also added a new mission to STEAM Engine Academics where quality control management of STEAM, STEM, and Industrial Design education programs would come into play. It’s important to make sure that the quality of programs aligns with the needs of industry, academic standards, and the community. If your education space and community disappear overnight, that is not good for anyone involved.
*I also had absolutely no involvement with Techshop 2.0 (The Shop.Build) or any other iteration of that movement. I was contacted in private by Dan Rasure, but respectfully declined any efforts to connect…
TechyKids, Inc.:
STEM education consulting and development.
Microsoft STEAM Education experience (Robotic, IoT, Electronics, Programming)
Maker Fair: 2017, 2018, 2019
Microsoft, Inc.
October 2014 - June 2016
B2B & B2C Sales, Technology, IT, Community, & Education:
Surface 2 Pro & Surface Book Marketing Video
I was part of an essential team that facilitated a multi-million dollar deal with MUSD (Manteca Unified School District) to establish our ecosystem as an essential part of the learning process (K-12) as well as part of the district infrastructure in partnership with Intel and Panasonic. We also played an important role in IT support for the district, teachers, students, and parents.
Maverick Musik & Entertainment
December 2003 - 2018
Founder & CEO
For over 15+ years I spent time working in the electronic music and entertainment business as a DJ, Producer, Recording Engineer, Event Promoter, Talent Manager, Photographer, and Marketing Specialist. This small business experience helped fund my college education and helped me develop business skills early on in my career. I started right out of high school and hit the ground running talking to any brick-and-mortar space I could find.
Even though I technically still DJ for the fun of it, I have retired the Maverick name in favor of more important and meaningful pursuits. All music, equipment, and IP have been transferred to Body Centered Cubic, LLC.
Clients and Notable Projects:
Giorgio Armani: Armani Exchange (10-year long contract, had the pleasure of meeting Armin van Buuren onsight in San Francisco)
Neiman Marcus
Bebe
Energie & Miss Sixty USA
Diesel
Puma
Blowfish Sushi
Straights
Academia:
SFSU (San Francisco State University)
Area of Study:
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): Cinema/Media, Production, Studies, and Theory
I chose SFSU because it had one of the top film programs in Northern California.
Area of Study:
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Electrical Engineering/Physics
I also studied CS and nanoscience (characterization)
Awards & Accomplishments:
Best (Short) Drama: The Proceedings (2012), directed by Jason Zavaleta
Issued by CMF, Jan 2012
Our cast and crew won best picture.
