Giving Back – The Story of One Silicon Valley Veteran’s Journey

The concept of giving back is something many of us have contemplated. Giving back to the community or to support a particular cause. How to respond to those inquiries from our alma mater is another example. These conversations typically focus on giving money to provide needed support. As engineers, we are surrounded by a massive problem that needs attention and money by itself won’t fix it. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, economic projections point to a need for approximately 1 million more STEM professionals than the U.S. will produce at the current rate over the next decade if the country is to retain its historical preeminence in science and technology. That should get your attention; it’s a big problem that money alone can’t fix. This post is about someone who is helping to address this crisis in a personal way. Read on to learn the story of one Silicon Valley veteran’s journey to giving back.

The Changing Landscape

We have all witnessed the shift in innovation that has occurred over the past decade or so. Software is now the central focus for innovation. It defines new products, new user experiences, expanded deployment of AI and essentially sets the stage for what’s next. It’s been said that all companies are software companies. I tend to agree. Underpinning this shift is the fact that custom chips are required to bring new software ideas to life.

The demand for custom silicon is at an all-time high. Growing up in the ASIC business, this shift brings a smile for me. Software and silicon now take center stage around the world. Governments are getting involved as well. The Chips Act is fueling some big demands for growth. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, “robust federal incentives for domestic chip manufacturing would create an average of nearly 200,000 American jobs annually as fabs are built and add nearly $25 billion annually to U.S. economy.”

Filling all these jobs is a critical part of success, and that means encouraging more enrollment in STEM curricula to increase the flow of new engineering graduates. A well-known Silicon Valley veteran has decided to work with his alma mater to help address this challenge. This is his story.

Rick Carlson Teams Up with Illinois Tech

Rick Carlson is vice president of sales, Verific Design Automation. He’s been there for 20 years after joining Verific from AccelChip. Prior to AccelChip, he held positions as vice president of sales for Averant, Synplicity (now Synopsys), Escalade (now Siemens), and EDA Systems. He is also a co-founder of the EDA Consortium (now the ESD Alliance) in 1987 and is currently a Lanza techVentures Investment Partner. To say that Rick is well connected in the technology community is an understatement.

What can a person with all that experience and all those connections do, beyond making companies like Verific successful? Rick discovered an opportunity to give back using those skills. It all began with the traditional email from the Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) in Chicago, asking for a donation. Rick called the alumni office and asked how he could give back to the school that helped launch his career in high tech so many years ago.

The person speaking to Rick was, I believe, a truly creative thinker. After learning about Rick’s background, the Alumni Giving’s Office Director suggested that instead of writing a check Rick should volunteer using his 40+ years’ experience in EDA and business development to help the school. Not knowing what that would lead to, Rick said yes.

So, he started doing what he does best, networking and making connections. This led to an introduction to the Dean of the College of Computing, Dr. Lance Fortnow, who authored “The Golden Ticket: P, NP and the Pursuit of the Impossible.”  As a math major, this book re-ignited Rick’s interest in mathematics and that led to additional introductions to other colleges including the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

Rick’s angel investment in a Colorado-based company called Mountain Flow that makes a plant-based ski wax led to an introduction to the chemical engineering department now doing paid research project on a next-generation ski wax. His interest in learning about technology transfers led him to the Executive Director of Illinois Tech’s Kaplan Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship. Kaplan teaches students about what it takes to start a company.

That led to a deep connection of networking, volunteering, and mentoring at Illinois Tech. Rick is now on three boards with a fourth board seat imminent at Illinois Tech. He is also producing a tech documentary series about a Chicago company called Influit Energy that developed a new form of energy that uses nano electric particles. The three founders are all affiliated with Illinois Tech as researchers and professors.

The school’s leadership is delighted with Rick’s involvement and impact. Rick takes pride in highlighting the significance of alumni giving back to their schools. In the case of Illinois Tech, he is following in the footsteps and inspired by Illinois Tech alumni including Chris Gladwin, founder of CleverSafe, Ed Kaplan, inventor of the bar code, Rohit Prasad, creator of Amazon’s Alexa, Marty Cooper, who led the team that built the first mobile phone and Victor Tsao who founded Linksys and enabled high-speed home internet.

Work/Life Balance

Verific is the leading provider of SystemVerilog, VHDL, and UPF front-ends. Its software is used worldwide in synthesis, simulation, formal verification, emulation, debugging, virtual prototyping and design-for-test applications, which combined have shipped over 60,000 copies. The company has a well-deserved reputation for excellent customer support and flexibility, and this culture is what help its 20-year veteran to focus on giving back.

Rob Dekker, Verific’s founder, and Michiel Ligthart, its president, have been supportive and they are embracing Rick’s efforts. Naturally, Illinois Tech has Verific tools for use in the ECE department.

What’s Next – It’s Up to You

Rick hopes to inspire individuals to get involved with alumni groups at their colleges and universities through monetary donations but also by becoming active participants in student activities. It’s a great way for students to get a feel for our industry and look more closely at semiconductor careers. It’s also a great way for us to give back to the place that gave us a start.

And that’s the story of one Silicon Valley veteran’s journey to giving back.

Also Read:

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Verific Sharpening the Saw

COO Interview: Michiel Ligthart of Verific