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Interview
As President and CEO of MAGNET , which is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership ( MEP ) National Network , Dr Ethan Karp has helped hundreds of manufacturing companies grow through technology , innovation and talent . Passionate about driving economic prosperity in Northeast Ohio , Ethan is a committed change-maker and community builder .
Before joining MAGNET in 2013 , Ethan worked with Fortune 500 companies at McKinsey & Co . He attained undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and physics from Miami University and a Ph . D . in Chemical Biology from Harvard University . “ I grew up in rural Pennsylvania ,” he begins , “ but went to Cleveland with an offer to join McKinsey . I did a range of consulting work but really wanted to feel a local impact , and ultimately , helping multibillion dollar companies wasn ’ t where I was going to get that feeling . So , I joined MAGNET , which was the pilot site for the MEP program .”
Founded in 1984 as a nonprofit organization , MAGNET is the Northeast Ohio partner of the Ohio MEP , which is part of a national network of MEPs created through the US Department of Commerce ’ s National Institute of Standards and Technology ’ s MEP . MAGNET and other MEP Centers are dedicated to helping small- and medium-sized manufacturers increase sales , create jobs and generate cost savings through technological innovation , workforce training and improved management practices . This public-private partnership allows MAGNET to offer affordable consulting services to Northeast Ohio manufacturers .
“ Organizations can often lose their way over time ,” Ethan continues , “ and over the last ten years since I joined MAGNET , we have really tried to reinvigorate the sector , focusing on how we can help manufacturers to thrive . I ’ m fortunate to experience that transformation in person . A considerable proportion of what
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