Peppertree Engineering

Commercialization expert.  Global executive.  Dedicated mentor. 

As CEO of Peppertree Engineering, Laura Smoliar ensures that customers find Peppertree easy to work with, quick to deliver quality results, and – most important of all – able to translate abstract needs into concrete solutions. 

Laura specializes in the commercialization of technology – beginning with helping customers identify specific market needs and opportunities and continuing through the design, development, production and packaging of specialized products.  Her professional experience spans 15 years in bringing products from R&D to market in data storage, semiconductor/MEMS, display, and solid-state lasers.  Program management of complex development initiatives across engineering disciplines, companies and cultures is a specific area of expertise.

Laura also brings strong technical expertise to Peppertree customers, particularly in the areas of photochemistry and understanding the impact of surface chemical reactions and choices of materials in devices. Her work experience in Asia, Europe, and Silicon Valley gives Laura a decidedly international perspective, a distinct asset in this global economy.  She has lived in Taiwan, and has worked with a number of large Japanese companies including NTT, Sony, and Hitachi, as well as raised investment funds from several Tier 1 Japanese companies.

Laura’s employment history includes tenure with Seagate Technology’s Media Division, Silicon Light Machines (acquired by Cypress Semiconductor), Lightwave Electronics Corp. (acquired by JDSU), and Mobius Photonics, Inc.
 
An experienced leader of three start-up companies, Laura currently writes a weekly column for Inc. magazine (http://www.inc.com/author/laura-smoliar) called “Entrepreneurship for the Rest of Us.” A dedicated mentor to science graduates since 1997, Laura also serves as a trusted expert adviser to venture capital and equity investment firms, and technology start-ups.    

Laura earned a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley where her thesis advisor was the 1986 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Professor Yuan T. Lee. She also worked in Taiwan at the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences as an Academia Sinica Fellow.  Laura earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude, from Columbia University and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society.  A former Executive Board and Council member of the American Physical Society, Laura is also a member of the American Chemical Society and the Association for Women in Science.