Bridging Coasts: A Bay Area Alumni Tour
In late June, the MRSD Program staff – director John Dolan and manager Sarah Conte – embarked on a dynamic three-day journey through the San Francisco Bay Area, reconnecting with alumni and exploring the cutting edge of innovation. From the bustling city to the heart of Silicon Valley, the trip was a celebration of community, creativity, and the enduring impact of our MRSD Family.
Day 1: San Francisco
The tour kicked off on Sunday, June 22 with a visit to Focal Heat. Alumnus Rohan Pandya shared his journey since graduation and all his insights from founding this company. His team recently moved into a new office space, and they are ramping up for a big push with their next-generation product.
The afternoon continued with a stop at Mach9, a company founded by two MSR alum: Alex Baikovitz and Haowen Shi. They use AI and computer vision to automate the conversion of massive-scale LiDAR and image data into 2D and 3D engineering maps—up to 30 times faster than traditional methods. We were welcomed by MRSD alumni Abhinav Gupta and Praveen Venkatesh, who provided a very exciting simulation demo of their technology.
The day concluded with an alumni mixer at Mach9, bringing together over 30 local alumni. We had a nice spread of sandwiches and sides, and we did a raffle for some MRSD swag. Four alum also delivered some brief remarks, sharing thoughts about their start-ups, the ups and downs of life after MRSD, and exciting opportunities for the future. The energy in the room was electric for the entire event! Stories were exchanged, connections rekindled, and new collaborations sparked. Thank you so much to Abhinav, Praveen, and the Mach9 founders and staff who opened their doors to welcome our community into their space for the evening.
Day 2: From the City to the Valley
Monday began with a visit to AutoDesk Technology Center at Pier 9, hosted by Shruti Balaji. This location is a hub for exploring the future of manufacturing – where startups, researchers, and industry leaders collaborate using advanced equipment, like hybrid metal additive tools, to push the boundaries of design and fabrication. Shruti lead us on a tour, where we met some of her colleagues, saw some very cool 3D-printed models, and learned a lot about what she gets to work on each week.
Next, we headed south to Under Control Robotics in Sunnyvale. The team at UCR is developing rugged, AI-enabled humanoid robots designed to perform dangerous tasks in heavy industries like construction, mining, and energy—turning hazardous work into a choice rather than a necessity. Wenda Wang, co-founder of UCR and MRSD alum, introduced us to the company’s latest innovations. It was a pleasure to meet both versions of Moby in person!
Later that afternoon, we went to Wayve, a pioneer in AI-driven autonomous driving software. They are developing an end-to-end, mapless system that learns from data to drive any vehicle in any city—now expanding its testing from the UK to the U.S. with a new office in Sunnyvale. MRSD has a strong foothold there, and we were welcomed by Jaskaran Singh Sodhi, Saurabh Nair, Flavian Pegado, and Ronit Hire. Their work was both inspiring and future-focused.
The evening’s alumni mixer at Wayve drew a crowd of over 80, making it the largest gathering of the trip. The event was a vibrant reminder of the strength and diversity of our alumni network in the Bay Area. There were so many fantastic conversations happening the whole evening that, at the end of the night, John & Sarah had to ask guests three times to leave the building. Too much fun was being had!
Day 3: South Bay
Tuesday’s itinerary took us deeper into Silicon Valley, starting with a visit to Nissan’s Advanced Technology Center, where alumni Dhanesh Pamnani, Jash Shah, and Atharv Pulapaka shared their work in automotive innovation. Their involvement with Nissan began during MRSD, when Nissan sponsored their capstone project in 2023. They also completed their summer internships with Nissan (as did their two other team mates, Ronit Hire & Shreyas Jha). Nissan gave job offers to all five students upon graduation; four accepted, and three of them are still working there.
At Aeva in Mountain View, Shreyas Jha and Heethesh Vhavle walked us through their workplace. Aeva Technologies designs and manufactures 4D LiDAR sensing systems using Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technology, enabling advanced perception for autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics, industrial automation, and security applications. We were graciously provided a demo ride in their decked out van, and it was a joy to see all the great work that Heethesh, and now Jash who just started, will continue to contribute to the field!
The final stop was Zoox in Foster City, where a group of five alumni welcomed us with a discussion about the future of autonomous vehicles. Zoox designs and manufactures purpose-built, fully autonomous robotaxis for ride-hailing services, with no steering wheel or pedals. Their distinctive autonomous vehicle is simply referred to as the Zoox robotaxi, often described as a “toaster-shaped” shuttle pod due to its symmetrical, bidirectional design. Sohil Savla and Sid Raina showed us around Zoox’s impressive campus, including a ride in the robotaxi – and they even let us choose the music and lighting. It was a fitting end to a trip centered on the future of technology and the people shaping it.
Reflections: A Community in Motion
This trip was more than a series of site visits. It was a powerful reminder of the impact our alumni are making in robotics adjacent industries across the world. Whether launching startups, leading teams at major tech firms, or pioneering new technologies, our graduates are driving change and innovation.
We’re deeply grateful to all the alumni who hosted us, attended the mixers, and shared their stories. Your passion and generosity continue to inspire the next generation.
As we reflect on this journey, we’re excited to continue building bridges between our campus and alumni communities around the world. Stay tuned for future events and opportunities to connect—because no matter where you are, you’re always part of the MRSD Family.