Founder and CEO, Alkemy Innovation Inc., Bend, Oregon
Lisa Graham is a business leader who speaks science. The technical foundation Graham established at Oregon State gave her the skill set necessary to adapt research and development methodologies to diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemical processing, wafer manufacturing, and agriculture.
As her career progressed, she supplemented her technical expertise with business development, technology development, strategic planning, financial planning, operations management, and other leadership skills. After working as a senior engineer at Union Carbide, she moved into the pharmaceutical sector at Bend Research in 2002, eventually becoming a senior vice president.
In 2014, she moved to Paradigm as chief scientist, where she was responsible for the growth of technology areas focused on data/systems analysis, sensor technology, software development, and unmanned aerial vehicles in agriculture.Most recently, Graham founded Alkemy Innovation, a company that will enable rapid data analytics and model development for scientists in numerous industries.
“Here’s a challenge right now with big data, and an emphasis on being able to access that data and gain useful knowledge from it,” she said.
“My company will develop science-based software solutions that provide specific technical guidance relevant to each industry. ”Graham has a strong passion for STEM education. “I didn’t get here on my own,” she said. “People have taken time they didn’t have to open doors for me.”In that spirit, she serves as chair of Oregon Tech University’s governing board, a director on the Oregon governor’s STEM Investment Council, and member of the College of Engineering’s School of Chemical, Biological, and Environ- mental Engineering’s advisory board.
Degrees
- B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1995
- Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, 1999