Upward Trajectory
around , you ’ re bound to run into someone you know . When I was working down in Connecticut , I missed the small town feel that I had grown up with . I enjoy going to nature spots and going camping with my family , and I also love being able to work with young people who are interested in STEM ( Science , Technology , Engineering , Math ) up here . Vermont Works for Women reached out to me a few years ago , and I went over to the Burlington Tech Center for one of their STEM events . I helped them run a workshop in which we built circuitry for the propellers and LED lights on balsa wood model planes . When the girls that I was working with finally figured out how to do it , the expressions on their faces were unforgettable . Those opportunities are priceless , and it felt great to be able to play a part in helping young women who are interested in STEM follow that path .
THE OPENING IMAGE ON PAGES 4-5 FEATURES LAN VU IN THE AIR !
Matt Cherouny Manufacturing Engineer
Q : How did you end up working at BETA Technologies ?
A : I moved to South Burlington from Baltimore when I was four years old . My dad had a Triumph six-cylinder motorcycle . I got to work with him on it when I was young , and I started working on automotive engines and learning how to fix them while I was attending South Burlington High School . They had some good shop classes there , and their former Principal , Patrick Burke , was great . I applied to UVM after high school and deferred my entry for a year after I got in . During that time , I talked to my grandfather about the possibility of majoring in engineering . My grandfather was an engineer who got his degree in engineering through the GI Bill . He told me that he thought it was a great idea and that I should go for it . I loved
going to school at UVM , so I stuck around Vermont after I graduated . During my time at UVM , a man named Jason King hired me as an Intern at Green Mountain Coffee . I ended up working for Green Mountain Coffee after I got my degree from UVM , and I helped to expand their business significantly . I opened five manufacturing plants for them , one of which I opened as an intern when I was studying at UVM ! I worked with them as a Manufacturing Project Manager and Manufacturing Engineer until 2012 , when I decided to create a startup company , Cast Touring , with my friend Lars Ayers-Chickering . I worked with him on making a manufacturable version of the adaptable ski bindings that he and his brother , Silas , had developed . In 2015 , I left Cast Touring , and I traveled around for a year before I ended up at Tesla in 2016 . I worked at Tesla as a Manufacturing Engineer and helped them to expand their manufacturing plants during the launch phase of the Model X . By the time
Providing the perfect spa solution — whether a stainless steel series or a fitness swim spa .
Call for information or a site visit . 802.683.8877 / inoxgrp . com / rich @ inoxgrp . com
10 VERMONT MAGAZINE