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Keynote Speaker, Day #2 -
Gad Shaanan, Worrell Design:
"How Expensive Composites Can Bring the Cost and Weight Down, When Applied in Creative Ways."

Some of the key challenges facing us in the electric vehicle industry today include; weight, cost and styling. We seem to gravitate towards the tried and proven processes of the past, after 'dabbling' in alternate solutions because of a key error that happens all too often; applying an old mindset to new materials and processes. It is critical to the success of this type of a project to approach it from the ground up with a set of different values and parameters and yet maintain the same end goal. I will show you today a different type of vehicle, a flight simulator and how the end goal stayed the same but the playing field changed forever.

About Gad Shaanan:

Gad Shaanan embodies entrepreneurial spirit. As the visionary leader of Gad Shaanan Design, Inc., Gad’s work touches the lives of people worldwide every day. His commitment to professionalism and business success is mirrored by his dedication to supporting San Diego arts and culture.

Born in Israel, the son of a diplomat, Gad spent his youth immersed in a variety of cultures. Having lived in several European countries, Gad moved to Canada at the age of 13. Called to active duty by the Israeli Army, he returned to Israel when he was 18. After his discharge, he studied engineering at Concordia University in Montreal before continuing his education at the Scuola Politecnica di Disegno in Milan, where he received a degree in industrial design.

Commissioned to a number of design projects, Gad incorporated his business in 1981. Built upon the foundation of service to his clients, Gad Shaanan Design has flourished to become one of the leading product development firms in North America. The holder of more than 30 patents, his success is based upon a tight integration of strategic marketing, innovative design and revolutionary engineering. His firm is dedicated to helping companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, meet and exceed their business goals through new product innovation. “We create products that continuously advance our clients’ position in the marketplace by helping them make a positive connection with consumers,” says Mr. Shaanan. It is in this way that his work has become so globally pervasive.

After landing a number of San Diego-based clients, Gad fell in love with the climate of San Diego. His love for the city, in tandem with a desire to better serve his clients, inspired his move to San Diego with his wife and two daughters. In notoriety of Gad’s impact upon the San Diego business community, San Diego Magazine heralded him as one of the “50 People to Watch in 2003.” More recently, Gad Shaanan has sold GadShaananDesign and launched a new company GadLight, dedicated to market research and inventing new products that fill unmet needs in the market place.

In addition to his business savvy, Gad is also committed to involving himself in the San Diego community. As a supporter of the arts and culture institutions, he presently serves on the board of the La Jolla Playhouse and is an international member of the Salk Institute. He is also a board member of the Shenkar College in Israel and serves on the board of CommNexus as well as for profit organizations. He is a member of the Industrial Design Society of America, Association of Professional Design Firms and ADIQ in Canada. GadShaanan is a regular guest lecturer in design schools and MBA programs. Along with his philanthropic affiliations, Gad also served on the Board of Directors of the La Jolla Music Society, was VP of the Association of Professional Design Firms (APDF) and a founding member of the Institute of Industrial Design of Montreal.