Employee Spotlight: Casey Peters

Name: Casey Peters

Position: Senior Data Scientist

Translation: I extract as much value out of sensor data as possible.

Fun Fact: I was once a professional ultimate frisbee player.

Hometown: Midland Park, NJ

Current city: Caldwell, NJ

Passions: Rock climbing, microbrewing, hiking

What brought you to Elemental Machines, and why did you choose EM over all of your other options? 

I had plans to leave AgaMatrix and return to New Jersey. [Elemental Machines CEO and AgaMatrix founder] Sridhar Iyengar took me to dinner and invited me to join Elemental Machines. At the time, the “company” was a couple of people in Sridhar’s apartment. I jumped at the opportunity, and officially became employee #3 at Elemental Machines.

How would you describe the team you work with?

The nature of the product is end-to-end hardware and software. As a result, we cover a broad range of disciplines. Hardware, software, DevOps, and data science, all working together to accomplish a shared goal. This team is technically savvy, motivated, and authentically passionate about the same thing.

What about your skill set has set you up for success at EM?

I like challenges and enjoy solving problems. I also have the luck of being familiar with the benefits that our customers are positioned to experience. I understand the scientific process and the headaches felt by scientists everyday. Previously in charge of quality control and production support at AgaMatrix, I was responsible for troubleshooting manufacturing across the world. I worked directly with our manufacturer and our own scientists to optimize our processes and increase yield. While in that position, I saw firsthand how data can elicit incredibly useful insights that can directly impact research and manufacturing.

What’s been your most exciting challenge to solve?

The concept of a “universal solution” is much easier said than done. Much. Every single new piece of equipment that we connect to the cloud via a sensor brings a new challenge. Building solutions that simultaneously work on our customers’ existing assets, and those we’ve yet to connect with is a massive challenge - and a motivating vision to be a part of.

What has surprised you about working for EM?

I’ve been surprised at how little the industry was thinking about the problem. As a result, a lot of education has been necessary. But that also means we’ve been ahead of the curve. Most of our former competitors have abandoned the core principle -- measuring that which isn’t currently measured. That is vital. After all, it’s what you don’t know that has the most value. 

How have you grown personally or professionally as a result of your current role?

I went from being a data analyst to being a data scientist. Those were big shoes to fill, and I’ve been afforded ample learning opportunities. The number of things I’ve learned since I started is crazy to think about. Now, I manage a team and get to learn about each stage of a company’s growth. 

What is your picture of the future of EM?

Every year I say, “we are now in the best place we’ve ever been.” We know where we’re going. We have a great culture and a thoughtful leader. From a technical perspective, being involved in the entire solution presents technical challenges and opportunities that are truly interesting to solve. It’s a fantastic time to be a part of a groundbreaking company.

Interested in joining Casey and the rest of the Elemental Machines team? View our open positions at elementalmachines.com/careers.