About

North Design Labs takes on projects out of the spectrum of normal everyday engineering, and sometimes reality.  By being able to tap into the brightest minds across engineering, science, fabrication, and art we are able to conceive and realize projects in impossible time frames.

To stay at the front of the wave of innovation requires being on top of the latest technology and in touch with the people making it happen.  Here we crack the door and give you a unusual peak into the people, the tech, and even the process of innovation.

That is all.

Partners

Mike North, PhD 

Dr. North is involved in all aspects of our technological charge from inventing new materials and technologies in a cleanroom, to creating cutting edge prototypes on Discovery Channel’s  Prototype This! Brimming with enthusiasm, Mike’s engaging personality makes him an energetic and charismatic science and technology advocate inspiring grade-schoolers to CTOs.

A master of the “nano” world Mike earned a Ph.D. and Masters in Materials Science and Engineering, as well as graduating summa cum laude in Mechanical Engineering, from U.C. Santa Barbara. During his graduate work, he designed and fabricated the world’s first adhesive that can be turned on and off electronically. It was inspired by biological adhesives systems, such as the one used by geckos.  Mike’s scientific interests delve into specialties such as biomimetics, micro/nanofabrication, nanoscale microscopy and micro/nanomechanical characterization. His investigations in these areas have been published in leading scientific journals, including Advanced Materials and Nature.

On the nano-artistic side, Mike uses cutting-edge nanofabrication techniques to create innovative micro- and nano-sculptures. Expanding on techniques used to make computer chips, he photolithographically patterns surfaces, carves out material using biased plasmas, deposits other materials such as titanium or platinum, and even grows nanostructures using a self-developed cleanroom technique. The entire final structure ends up being smaller than the width of a human hair (and Mike concedes that it probably requires a Ph.D. to understand what all this means!).  Mike also has a knack for building large-scale avant-garde art, such as fire-breathing 90-mph dragon ships or classic BMWs loaded with computer-controlled fire-blasting cannons.

Dr. North’s unique mix of engineering and artistic skills combined with his charismatic personality led him to masterminding builds on Discovery Channel’s Prototype This! Responsible for co-developing the concept of the show and developing concepts for new inventions, Mike would then lead teams of crack inventors, builders and engineers to create never before seen spectacles of engineering.  To accomplish these projects at breakneck speeds Mike pulls from all areas of science, technology and manufacturing.  The inventions range from 6 legged all terrain vehicles to 30 foot tall waterslide simulators to lifesaving fire fighting equipment.  Go to www.discovery.com/prototypethis for more info.

Currently Mike is bringing innovation to the toy industry as the Chief Technology Officer at Nukotoys, a company that is redefining the toy category by blurring the line between online and offline.

ReAllocate is the project Mike is most passionate about. As Founder and CEO Mike is uniting the engineering and design communities to provide design and engineering support to those at the base of the economic pyramid. “By ReAllocating just a little bit of our expertise and time we are able to have a huge impact on the lives of those that need it most,” said North during his keynote at the recent Global Humanitarian Technology Conference.

Mike commonly speaks on the status and future of science and technology, and is a stand out motivational speaker.  He is involved in several start-ups, educational programs, ongoing research, and is a technical advisor to several non-profits.

Timothy Lipton

Timothy Lipton has 20 years of experience as an Executive and Finance Expert working with early-stage companies and on Wall Street as an equity analyst and investment banker for public and private companies.  He is the CFO of ReAllocate (www.reallocate.org) and Nuko Toys, Inc. (www.nukotoys.com).  Previously, Tim was the Managing Director of SwitchingGears, a firm supporting early-stage greentech companies.  He has provided strategic, operational, and financial guidance to companies seeking critical mass and seed funding from angel investors.  Prior, he was Managing Partner of LVP, a boutique consultancy firm focused on technology startups.  Additionally, he was the Co-Founder, CFO, and COO of ECCOgen, a prepaid cashless campus solution provider for the K-12 ed market (www.eccogen.net).