Elad was just going about his research business, working on his Phd in Materials Science and Chemistry when his advisor happened to suggest that he check out the new on-campus entrepreneurship accelerator. Little did Elad know then that this innocent idea would change the course of his life, evolving his career from researcher to entrepreneur, transforming him into a wonderful research-preneur.
Elad and his team at DriftSense are tackling the challenge faced by so very many farmers worldwide: 75% of the pesticides being sprayed to verify food security through ample yields are lost into our air and soil, leading to the need for larger amounts and more lethal substances. And how is DriftSense seeking to optimize spraying and minimize drift? Through accurately predicting the best time to spray, taking into consideration four crucial variables: local meteorological conditions, chemistry of the materials in question, instrumentation of distribution and regional regulations.
Along his journey from academia into entrepreneurship, Elad learned so much about the necessity of clearly communicating his messages and tailoring them to his audiences: from the importance of listening carefully and asking lots of questions in order to ascertain his future customers’ true needs, to the need for finding the right everyday examples in order to explain scientific principles concretely to lay audiences. Elad has found that for him, it’s been all about starting out simply and establishing common grounds, then adding on the next layer of complexity and depth as per the listener’s interest.
Join us for episode 20 of Let’s Clarify It in which Elad shares:
What is the central implication of not being the customer of one’s own platform;
Which aspects of research and entrepreneurship are actually very much alike;
And why he loves to explain what he does to his wife’s grandmother;
Curious? Let’s Clarify It!
Elad Segal, is the Co-Founder and CEO of DriftSense. Elad holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Materials Science, from Bar-Ilan University, Israel. He is an expert in nano-optics, with hands-on experience in sensors for environmental hazards, chemo-optics, and surface chemistry.
Elad believes that it`s time to exploit science in our favor and keep aside our hunches, especially when it comes to feeding our planet.
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