Interview

This interview examines Dr. Capener’s remarkable career, highlighting his pioneering spirit in education, deep industry expertise, and unwavering commitment to shaping future business leaders.

“Using AI and our experienced teammates as trainers, we aim to develop expertise in cutting-edge engineering technologies, intellectual property development while fostering a culture of continuous learning.”

Q: You’ve had vast experience as the Dean of Business for three universities and led multiple companies. Now you’re joining the fast-growing team at Chang Robotics as the company’s newest senior hire. Why, and why now?

Dr. Don Capener: Chang Robotics is at the forefront of developing transformative solutions through human-centric robotics and AI.  With headquarters in Jacksonville Beach, many of us started as “fractional contributors” while maintaining our full-time positions in remote locations. Despite living in Huntington, West Virginia, and with my leadership responsibilities as the dean of business at Marshall University, I contributed virtually. Matt’s genius lies not only in his vision but also in his ability to attract an all-star team. I wanted to work with these talented people, and Matt gave me that opportunity without requiring me to quit my “day job.” As a baby boomer, I loved working alongside Gen Z and other teammates from every demographic – Chang Robotics is the shape of business to come.

This team includes experts in utilizing human potential and robot “cobotics” that make work in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors more hospitable and significantly more productive. Automation initiatives such as wastewater to biodiesel fuel, hospital cobots, and Kodiak hybrid and EV industrial snowblowers exemplify Matthew Chang’s vision. I am honored to be part of the team leading this change. 

As a business dean at Marshall and Jacksonville, I’ve collaborated with faculty and industry leaders to launch doctoral, master’s, and certificate programs across business analytics, tech management, international management, financial engineering, and healthcare informatics. Helping thousands of young people qualify and succeed in various roles has been my “why” for the last 20 years, so it isn’t easy to step down as dean.

Q: You’ve mentioned your excitement about the newest advances in practical AI – and you’ve already been involved in several AI-inspired automation as a senior advisor to Chang. Why are these advances so significant? 

Dr. Don Capener: Chang Robotics’ approach goes beyond just automation. We prioritize human-robot collaboration to achieve optimal results. Their AI-powered solutions are designed to:

1. Augment Human Capabilities: By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees up our team to focus on higher-level cognitive functions such as analysis and synthesizing multiple data points.
2. Boost Productivity: Seamless collaboration between the Chang Robotics team and the deployed robots is leading to significant efficiency gains.

Chang Robotics is constantly innovating, and developing greater AI integration to further improve productivity and expand our capabilities. Our commitment to research through our IP Studio allows us to stay ahead of the curve and deliver commercially viable solutions. You can expect to see us explore advancements in areas like:

• Deeper Learning for Enhanced Decision-Making: AI will continuously learn and adapt to optimize processes to automate and simplify data analysis for our clients in real time.
• Improved Human-Robot Interaction: AI will facilitate more intuitive and natural communication between humans and robots in healthcare and manufacturing sites where we can best leverage our expertise and experience.
• Lean Innovation: Our team is positioned to find the most efficient and effective means of improving engineering processes and filing patents.

Q: You’ve mentioned your excitement about the newest advances in practical AI – and you’ve already been involved in several AI-inspired automation as a senior advisor to Chang. Why are these advances so significant? 

Dr. Don Capener: Beyond my role at Marshall as dean, I co-founded Chang Industrial’s IP Studio with Dr. Tim Wei. Dr. Wei and I are managing pilots for PFAS-free, recyclable food packaging using graphene oxide and OXOS visioning technology for applications such as foreign object detection and automated meat butchering. We prioritize solutions that deliver both societal benefit and a positive return on investment.

I also oversee Chang’s strategy consulting and marketing, along with university collaborations focused on developing these sustainable solutions. Notably, the graphene oxide for food and beverage packaging is produced in conjunction with Northwestern University’s INVO Lab and industry partners.

Q: On a personal level, what is it that makes your partnership with Matthew Chang and his extended team work so well? 

Dr. Don Capener: Matt Chang is an inspiration to me. He was my strategy student nearly 10 years ago while earning his MBA at Jacksonville University. Even back then, I could see Matt’s energy, enthusiasm, and brilliance. I’ve followed Matt’s career closely ever since. In 2022, I was thrilled to join Chang Robotics as Matt’s lead strategist. Starting this August, I will be doubling my commitment to Chang Robotics while maintaining a faculty position at the Brad D. Smith Schools of Business at Marshall University.

Q: What do you foresee happening in the coming year and the next 3-5 years? What are the parts that get you most excited?

Dr. Don Capener: My top focus is Revenue Prediction. I predict an annual revenue above $53 million by 2027. My research on growth rates of similar engineering technology firms demonstrates this likelihood.

Becoming the largest engineering technology company in North Florida is a great goal. However, achieving this requires securing partnerships with 3 of the top 40 national manufacturing and healthcare providers. Chang Robotics will target specific industry verticals within these sectors, aiming to become a recognized international leader.

My next forecast is Growth and Talent Prediction. Chang Robotics will need to deploy more talent in the next two years. I predict an increase in the employee headcount by 100%.  This growth will involve recruiting top engineering talent across four locations: Jacksonville, Denver, North Chicago, and remote positions throughout North America. Investments in employee development will increase significantly.

As a Christian-based organization, Chang Industrial seeks highly skilled and motivated teammates who are willing to donate time and energy to service projects and philanthropic organizations. Using AI and our experienced teammates as trainers, we aim to develop expertise in cutting-edge engineering technologies, intellectual property development while fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Finally, my prediction on Impact. As North Florida’s leader in sustainable engineering solutions, Chang Robotics will infuse sustainability into all aspects of our business and engineering projects. As we are doing with Kodiak Tech and Roush, we will develop energy-efficient technologies or partner with clients on eco-friendly initiatives to change the world for the better. This focus helps me to “whistle to work in the morning, and sleep well at night”.

With the significant investment in IP Studio, we will cultivate an even stronger research and development (R&D) program which has produced three patents with many more in the pipeline. Our investment in R&D will help us stay ahead of the curve in engineering technologies. This work includes partnering with some of the best universities on research projects.

Both Tim Wei and I earned PhDs in engineering and business. We learned how to manage university resources from the inside out as deans. Every day, we demonstrate our commitment to commercializing inventions by seeking opportunities for collaboration between industry and academia. This collaborative approach aims to break down barriers and expedite the commercialization of valuable technologies and processes.