Being an Engineer

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Nate Post and Antonio “Tony” Valadez bring decades of combined experience leading engineering, manufacturing, continuous improvement, and new product introduction efforts within the medical-device industry. Nate currently serves as Director of New Product Introduction at Edwards Lifesciences, where his career has progressed through manufacturing leadership and NPI roles. Outside of medical devices, he is the founder of Blue Collar Blades, where he handcrafts knives and other tools—a side of his career that combines engineering curiosity, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship.  
Tony has spent roughly 30 years in manufacturing, with extensive experience in manufacturing engineering, process improvement, design transfer, validation, lean manufacturing, and engineering leadership. After holding senior engineering leadership roles across the medical-device industry, he recently founded Nexcellence Engineering Solutions, where he provides consulting and training services to regulated manufacturers.  
But the connection between Nate and Tony goes deeper than a shared industry. Earlier in their careers, Tony managed Nate during his time in R&D pilot manufacturing. Nate remembers Tony telling him that his job as a leader wasn't to change Nate's leadership style to resemble his own, but to help refine it and bring out the best version of the leader Nate already was. That philosophy left a lasting impression and became part of the reason Nate wanted to introduce Tony to the Being An Engineer community. 
In this conversation, Nate, Tony, and Aaron explore engineering leadership through the lens of an actual mentor-mentee relationship: how leaders recognize potential, give people meaningful opportunities, build trust, provide difficult feedback, and develop the capabilities their organizations will need in the future. They also discuss why technical organizations can’t separate people development from business performance—and how engineers can become leaders without losing the qualities that made them effective engineers in the first place. 
LINKS: 
 Nate Post LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-post/ 
 Antonio “Tony” Valadez  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-valadez-946621356/ 
Guest website: https://nexcellence-engineering--91l1gak.gamma.site/ 
Aaron Moncur, host 
PDX 2026 is October 20-21 in Phoenix, AZ.  Learn more and register at https://pdexpo.engineer/ 
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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Jacob Evink is a mechanical engineering student at Western Michigan University with interests in mechanical design, robotics, manufacturing, and product development. Rather than waiting until graduation to begin practicing engineering, Jacob is actively developing projects that allow him to apply CAD, prototyping, electronics, and mechanical problem-solving to real-world challenges. 
His industry experience has already exposed him to several sides of the product-development process. During an engineering design internship, Jacob created and modified CAD models, prepared manufacturing drawings, supported prototype development and testing, participated in design reviews, and collaborated with cross-functional engineering teams. He now works in a high-volume injection-molding environment, where he operates production machinery, performs quality inspections, and troubleshoots problems that can affect production. 
Outside of work and school, Jacob is building an online engineering community by sharing his projects and lessons publicly. His content includes not only successful results, but also the mistakes, failed ideas, and repeated iterations that are often responsible for the greatest amount of learning. 
Jacob also serves in a leadership role as a founding member of a fraternity chapter at Western Michigan University. As he continues through his engineering education, he is developing a perspective that combines technical curiosity, hands-on manufacturing experience, leadership, and a willingness to learn in public. 
LINKS: 
Jacob Evink LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-evink-b67b12353/ 
Jacob Evink Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gruff.makes?utm_source=qr 
Aaron Moncur, host 
PDX 2026 is October 20-21 in Phoenix, AZ.  Learn more and register at https://pdexpo.engineer/ 
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

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Robert States is Vice President of Technical Services at Cormica Medical Device & Pharmaceutical Testing, where he supports clients across medical device, pharmaceutical, and combination product testing. His work spans development strategy, risk management, testing strategy, process development, supply chain optimization, and regulatory-minded technical problem solving. Cormica’s announcement of his appointment highlighted his role in strengthening global technical services across UK, US, and EU laboratories.  
Before joining Cormica, Rob spent more than 20 years at Stress Engineering Services, where he held leadership roles across medical device and pharma, consumer products, strategic client engagement, and consulting. Stress Engineering’s medical and pharmaceutical practice focuses on product design, analysis, testing, failure analysis, material science, packaging, manufacturing support, reliability, and regulatory-grade engineering solutions—areas that align closely with Rob’s career-long focus on helping organizations solve difficult technical and business problems.  
Rob’s technical foundation is in plastics engineering, supported by an MBA from Ashland University and a BS in Plastics Engineering from Penn State. Over his career, he has worked across companies including Procter & Gamble, Newell Brands, Stress Engineering Services, Accelitek, and now Cormica. His experience gives him a rare perspective that bridges hands-on engineering, product development, failure remediation, consulting, business strategy, and executive-level technical leadership. 
A central theme of this conversation is how engineers can thrive in corporate R&D environments. Rob wants to explore the intersection of budgeting, project success, layoffs, and business performance—and how engineers can use that understanding to make better decisions, protect their careers, and create more value for their organizations. Rather than treating corporate realities as distractions from engineering, Rob sees them as forces engineers can learn to understand and navigate. 
 
LINKS: 
Robert States LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/plasticpro/ 
Cormica Website: https://www.cormica.com/
Aaron Moncur, host 
PDX 2026 is October 20-21 in Phoenix, AZ.  Learn more and register at https://pdexpo.engineer/ 
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us Fan Mail
Michael Brooks is the founder and CEO of BayCath Medical, a Silicon Valley medical-device company specializing in the design, development, and contract manufacturing of catheter-based products. BayCath was created to give startups and fast-moving R&D teams a more collaborative manufacturing partner—one capable of supporting rapid prototyping, iterative development, pilot production, and smoother transfers into manufacturing. 
Michael launched BayCath after seeing catheter development lead times grow and watching delays interfere with customer timelines. His vision is to create an environment where engineers, physicians, and manufacturing specialists can work closely together, explore multiple solutions, and make informed design decisions without wasting valuable time or capital. 
Before becoming a founder, Michael held program management, engineering, and manufacturing roles throughout the medical-device industry. Across those positions, he gained experience in braided and coiled catheters, material selection, process development, design for manufacturing, validation, manufacturing transfers, fixture development, supplier management, and regulatory support. He also led high-priority customer programs, helped establish project-management processes, and coordinated complex work across technical, operational, and customer-facing teams. 
Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of California, Davis, along with a minor in technology management. His career has placed him at the intersection of hands-on engineering, customer communication, program leadership, and entrepreneurship—giving him a valuable perspective on what it takes to move medical-device ideas from early prototypes toward production and, ultimately, patient care. 
 
LINKS: 
Michael Brooks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micbrooks10/ 
BayCath Website: https://www.baycath.com/ 

Innovation Week: https://www.baycath.com/workshops 

MedTech Bay Area Networking LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/medtech-bay-area/ 

 Aaron Moncur, host 

PDX 2026 is October 20-21 in Phoenix, AZ.  Learn more and register at https://pdexpo.engineer/ 
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus

Send us Fan Mail
Tony Kelbert is a mechanical engineer, manufacturing strategist, and Chief Burrito Officer at AeroGrowth, an organization focused on helping precision manufacturers pursue and win the right aerospace and defense work. Drawing on experience from both the OEM and supplier sides of the industry, Tony helps manufacturers better understand positioning, quoting, customer relationships, and the realities of selling into complex aerospace supply chains. 
Tony began his engineering career at a defense vehicle manufacturer, where he designed lightweight, durable components for severe-duty military vehicles, managed mass properties for a weight-sensitive program, and led a team of designers. He later spent several years at a major aerospace company, designing medical oxygen systems for transport aircraft and lightweight structural components for VIP aircraft interiors while serving as a liaison between engineering and manufacturing. 
His career eventually expanded beyond traditional product design. Tony moved into manufacturing business development, worked as a senior mechanical engineer at a product development firm, and became a venture advisor focused on manufacturing. These experiences gave him a broader view of how technical capabilities, customer selection, pricing, sales, and company culture affect the long-term health of a manufacturing business. 
Tony is also the managing partner of goodthink labs, where he uses engineering analysis, experiments, storytelling, and occasional unnecessary inventions to make technical subjects more engaging. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota and now brings together engineering experience, business strategy, curiosity, and humor to help manufacturers build businesses worth owning. 
LINKS: 
Tony Kelbert LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonykelbert 
Tony Kelbert website: https://aerogrowthllc.com/ 
Aaron Moncur, host 
PDX 2026 is October 20-21 in Phoenix, AZ.  Learn more and register at https://pdexpo.engineer/ 
Subscribe to the show to get notified so you don't miss new episodes every Friday.
The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment like cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us at www.teampipeline.us
Watch the show on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TeamPipelineus