Name Stephen Lakowske | ||
Stephen D. Lakowske (born December 31, 1956) is an American engineer turned entrepreneur whose work in creating simulation software has expanded the capabilities of aviation training programs in both the U.S. military and private sectors. After an almost 10-year career with NASA, he began establishing and growing a series of high-tech start-up companies. His career is characterized by the ability to translate computer technology developed for the space and aviation fields into easy-to-use applications within the commercial sector, many of which are simulation products that ultimately contribute to human safety.
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Entrepreneurial career
Lakowske is currently president and CEO of Mentor eData, with offices in Boulder, CO and Arroyo Grande, CA. The company was formed in 2008 to leverage expertise in complex aviation safety data analysis tools and techniques to improve teenage driver safety and performance.
From 1997 to 2007, Lakowske was a leader at SimAuthor Inc, a computer software company he founded in Boulder, CO. SimAuthor introduced its FlightViz™ software in 1997 to evaluate human performance in flight systems. United Airlines was its first customer, utilizing the software to improve airline safety. In 2002, during Lakowske’s tenure as president and CEO of the company, SimAuthor Inc. was named a “Graduate of the Year” by the Boulder Technology Incubator. In addition to Flight Viz™, he also designed FlightAnalyst™ which provided analysis of aircraft and simulator data.
Coryphaeus Software Inc. in Los Gatos, CA was founded by Lakowske in 1989. Coryphaeus designed, developed and sold interactive, graphical simulation software that was unique in that it allowed non-programmers to perform work that previously required highly trained programmers and lengthy project schedules.
Lakowske also spent a year (1988–1989) with MultiGen-Paradigm, Inc. in San Jose, CA as Manager of New Business Development. He was the seventh employee of the private start-up. The company developed the first commercial interactive real-time 3D database modeling software (MultiGen) on Silicon Graphic UNIX workstations, used for generating visual databases for flight simulators.
NASA Engineering career
Lakowske spent almost 10 years with NASA as an electrical engineer. He first worked at the NASA/Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA (1979–1984) and then became a Program Manager with Sterling Federal Systems, (also affiliated with NASA/Ames.) His work there was aimed at applying computational models of human behavior and performance to complex aviation systems.
Education
Lakowske holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Oregon State University and an M.S. in human factors from the University of Southern California.
Early life
Stephen D. Lakowske was born Dec. 31, 1956 in Kansas City, Missouri to Darrell and Neola Lakowske.
Family
Lakowske and his wife, Cynthia, have two children, Kelsey and Derek.