Dan Sims ( VENTURE PARTNER)
Dan Sims brings over 35 years of global automotive and product design and leadership experience to his role as Chief Creative Officer at Hydra Design Labs. Widely recognized throughout the industry as an experienced creative strategist and designer, Dan offers an innovative approach to the development of a broad range of consumer products and automotive vehicles. As a champion of human-centered design, Dan leverages ‘Design Thinking’ to uncover deep consumer insights and translates these findings into boundary-pushing solutions for Hydra Design Labs. This innovative approach helps Hydra deliver functional design solutions that are created with the end-user in mind, improving the development process for Hydra’s clients and producing better vehicles that perfectly blend form and function. Prior to joining Hydra Design Labs in 2018, Dan held senior design roles IN several automotive OEMs including Chrysler, where he worked on high-profile concept designs including the 1989 Chrysler Millennium, 1987 Lamborghini Portofino (IDEA Gold Award), 1991 Dodge Stealth and many others. Dan’s distinguished career also includes more than 15 years as the General Manager of Mitsubishi Research and Design of America (MRDA), where he led and directed the comprehensive design activities for all Mitsubishi concept and production vehicles during his tenure, including the IDEA GOLD award winning Eclipse E-Boost, and the Concept SST and many other award-winning designs. Dan also spent more than a decade in Design Leadership roles for Procter & Gamble, where he extended his desigN expertise through his work building the design organization for Asia, while based in Singapore. His team provided the design capability for 8 core business units, fueling Asia as the growth engine for P&G. He also led the brand design work for The Art of Shaving, MACH 3, global shave prep and disposables while working at Gillette in Boston. Dan serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for Design Thinking Department at the University of California, Riverside, where he plays a role in fostering the growth of the next generation of creative product designers. He holds a Master of Project Management degree from Keller/DeVry Graduate school of management and a BS ID from the University of Cincinnati.
Jon Hull ( VENTURE PARTNER)
For over 25 years, Jon Hull has shaped the automotive landscape with award-winning vehicle designs that push the creativeboundary of what’s possible. As the founder and CEO of Hydra Design Labs, Jon leads a team of experienced designers,engineers, fabricators and automotive visionaries focused on shaping the future through functional design – solving major challenges and delivering groundbreaking designs for some of the world’s top OEMs. Leveraging decades of in-house OEM design experience prior to founding Hydra Design Labs in 2010, Jon served as a key member of the design team a Mitsubishi Motors, where he worked on many award-winning vehicles, including the MMR25, SSS, and SSU concept cars as well as the Eclipse, Endeavor, and Galant. At Mitsubishi, Jon worked extensively on the exterior and interior designs for both production and concept cars – and used his expertise as a CAD specialist to take projects from the ideation phase through design to final surface data. In addition to his expertise in automotive design, Jon has an extensive background in plastics engineering, which helps lead vehicle development products from the design phase through to final manufacturing. Under Jon’s leadership, Hydra Design Labs introduced an innovative approach to vehicle development that incorporates engineering and technology early in the design process. This unique concept allows for greater efficiency in the development of new models and improves the translation of design intent into the final production vehicle. Hydra Design Labs has developed vehicles for many of the biggest names in the automotive industry, including Nissan, Infiniti, Lordstown Motors, Saleen Automotive, Monarch Tractors, Autocar and Northrop Grumman.
Pranta Sen Gupta ( Portfolio Analyst)
Pranta Sen Gupta, an equity analyst at KPG Capital & CO, is distinguished by his academic achievements and professional pursuits in the realm of finance and investment. Graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics and Industrial Engineering in May 2022, Pranta embarked on a transformative journey from engineering to finance driven by a profound passion for the latter. Herecently achieved an exceptional feat by passing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level-1 August 2023, ranking within the top 10 percentile.Continuing his quest for knowledge, Pranta is concurrently pursuing a part-time Master's degree in Financial Economics while actively contributing as an equity analyst. Complementing his financial acumen, he holds a certification in data analytics from Google, showcasing his adeptness in leveraging programming and data analytics for financial and investment analysis. Additionally, he is certified in capital market and securities analysis, further bolstering his expertise in the field. Pranta's scholarly endeavors extend beyond the realm of finance, as evidenced by his research publication titled "Development of a readiness model for Industry 4.0 using Analytical Hierarchy Process and Fuzzy Inference System: Bangladesh Perspective" in Heliyon 2024, demonstrating his interdisciplinary approach and intellectual curiosity. With a keen interest in equity analysis, valuation, portfolio management, and emerging artificial intelligence technologies, Pranta remains committed to continuous learning and professional growth.
