Meet The Team
Philip O'Connor
Managing Partner
Philip comes to us having previously served Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering as their Corporate Relations Officer. At VCU, Philip worked with faculty, staff, and students to develop new programs for industry to engage on campus. Philip will become essential to our company and it's relationships moving forward and will be hyper-focused on the client experience in working with the SPARK team. Philip and his wife, Sara, live with their dog, Mr. Black, in their old row home in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond.
![Philip O'Connor]()
Shane Diller
Owner | Biomedical Engineer
Shane recently joined the SPARK team as a jack of all trades engineer. He received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014, and then took a stint teaching entrepreneurship, startup operations and design. He returned to VCU and received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2020. When he is not working, he enjoys staying active through rock climbing, hiking, and working out.
![Shane Diller]()
Bruce Ferris
Technical Manager | Engineer
After college, Bruce bounced around in various professional positions, from methods engineer at a precision metal fabricator, to management positions at businesses ranging from start-ups to publicly traded companies. He discovered that he enjoys designing, problem solving, and interacting closely with customers and vendors, so SPARK has been a perfect home. You can find Bruce outside the office exploring Richmond's restaurants and craft beers.
![Bruce Ferris]()
Paul Rockwell
Design Engineer
Paul has been with SPARK since April of 2000. He's enjoyed his time here thanks to the diversity of products our clients bring to the table. He also appreciates working for a small, privately-owned business that does not treat its employees as a number. If you can pull him away from work for a few minutes, ask him about his cars. He's always working on something interesting, and it's typically loud and fast.
![Paul Rockwell]()
Chris Murray
Design Manager | Industrial Designer
Chris is a Richmond native who graduated from Virginia Tech's Industrial Design program in 2009. He has worked on everything from museum exhibits, to children's toys, to power tools and commercial machinery. Chris is a hands-on designer who doesn't mind getting dirty, and he prides himself on having a diverse background and skill set. Outside work you'll find him putting miles on his bike, rock climbing, or exploring the James River.
![Chris Murray]()
Jonathan (Jon) Kyte
Industrial Designer
Originally from the Great Lakes region, Jon’s background blends both artistry and technicality. After graduating from Youngstown State University with a Fine Art degree he followed his childhood passion for car design to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. After graduating from CCS’s Automotive Industrial Design program, he worked for many years in the auto racing industry. Seeking the opportunity to be creative on many different product applications drew Jon to SPARK. Jon appreciates the chance to be a part of the entire design process from ideation to problem solving to hands-on prototyping. Outside of work you will find Jon working on his classic car or exploring new restaurants and coffee shops in the area.
![Jonathan (Jon) Kyte]()
Mike Holt
Mechanical Designer
Mike joined SPARK in 2022 as an Engineering Intern and is currently studying for his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at VCU. Mike was drawn to SPARK by the opportunity to work on multiple different projects and under different engineers. In his off time Mike enjoys working on his car, riding his motorcycle, and complaining about exams.
![Mike Holt]()
Fred Dewees
Senior Mechanical Engineer
A native of Southeast Pennsylvania, Fred graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ) in May of 2000 with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering. He spent 10 years designing custom industrial paper and film converting equipment in New Jersey, and another 15 years designing eyeglass processing machinery (and being SPARK's customer) in Charlottesville, Virginia where he lives with his family and their turtle, Klyde. A serial hobbyist, he's always looking to learn a new skill—sewing, bookbinding, woodworking, and so on. He's also a lifelong console gamer, reader, and tabletop game enthusiast.
![Fred Dewees]()
Kaity Myers
Business Development Associate
Kaity recently joined SPARK as a Business Development Associate, where she supports growth and exploring new opportunities for partnership. Originally from Colorado, she moved to Virginia to attend VCU for Dance and Choreography, an experience that continues to shape her creative problem-solving mindset. Kaity holds an MBA from VCU as well, concentrating in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and enjoys collaborating across teams to turn insight into thoughtful, user-centered solutions. Outside of the office, you’ll find Kaity hiking and exploring Richmond with her fiancé and their puppy, Balto.
![Kaity Myers]()
River
SPARK Pup
Hailing from a mysterious past in the rural outskirts of Richmond, River has settled in to a part time role at SPARK's upstairs ID lab. While he offers minimal technical contributions, he does his best to boost team moral with his boundless love for human interaction. Outside of work, River whiles away his days lounging on the sofa, in the sun, or harassing his greyhound sister with an endless desire to wrestle and chew.
![River]()
Charity Stevens
Bookkeeping | Administrative Assistant
Charity keeps everything balanced - the finances and the people in our office. She's a hardcore fan of Formula 1, and is extremely savvy about all the real estate areas of Richmond. Ask her about her favorite places to live and best new places to eat in town.
![Charity Stevens]()
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Philip comes to us having previously served Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering as their Corporate Relations Officer. At VCU, Philip worked with faculty, staff, and students to develop new programs for industry to engage on campus. Philip will become essential to our company and it's relationships moving forward and will be hyper-focused on the client experience in working with the SPARK team. Philip and his wife, Sara, live with their dog, Mr. Black, in their old row home in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond.
Shane recently joined the SPARK team as a jack of all trades engineer. He received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014, and then took a stint teaching entrepreneurship, startup operations and design. He returned to VCU and received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2020. When he is not working, he enjoys staying active through rock climbing, hiking, and working out.
After college, Bruce bounced around in various professional positions, from methods engineer at a precision metal fabricator, to management positions at businesses ranging from start-ups to publicly traded companies. He discovered that he enjoys designing, problem solving, and interacting closely with customers and vendors, so SPARK has been a perfect home. You can find Bruce outside the office exploring Richmond's restaurants and craft beers.
Paul has been with SPARK since April of 2000. He's enjoyed his time here thanks to the diversity of products our clients bring to the table. He also appreciates working for a small, privately-owned business that does not treat its employees as a number. If you can pull him away from work for a few minutes, ask him about his cars. He's always working on something interesting, and it's typically loud and fast.
Chris is a Richmond native who graduated from Virginia Tech's Industrial Design program in 2009. He has worked on everything from museum exhibits, to children's toys, to power tools and commercial machinery. Chris is a hands-on designer who doesn't mind getting dirty, and he prides himself on having a diverse background and skill set. Outside work you'll find him putting miles on his bike, rock climbing, or exploring the James River.
Originally from the Great Lakes region, Jon’s background blends both artistry and technicality. After graduating from Youngstown State University with a Fine Art degree he followed his childhood passion for car design to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. After graduating from CCS’s Automotive Industrial Design program, he worked for many years in the auto racing industry. Seeking the opportunity to be creative on many different product applications drew Jon to SPARK. Jon appreciates the chance to be a part of the entire design process from ideation to problem solving to hands-on prototyping. Outside of work you will find Jon working on his classic car or exploring new restaurants and coffee shops in the area.
Mike joined SPARK in 2022 as an Engineering Intern and is currently studying for his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at VCU. Mike was drawn to SPARK by the opportunity to work on multiple different projects and under different engineers. In his off time Mike enjoys working on his car, riding his motorcycle, and complaining about exams.
A native of Southeast Pennsylvania, Fred graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ) in May of 2000 with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering. He spent 10 years designing custom industrial paper and film converting equipment in New Jersey, and another 15 years designing eyeglass processing machinery (and being SPARK's customer) in Charlottesville, Virginia where he lives with his family and their turtle, Klyde. A serial hobbyist, he's always looking to learn a new skill—sewing, bookbinding, woodworking, and so on. He's also a lifelong console gamer, reader, and tabletop game enthusiast.
Kaity recently joined SPARK as a Business Development Associate, where she supports growth and exploring new opportunities for partnership. Originally from Colorado, she moved to Virginia to attend VCU for Dance and Choreography, an experience that continues to shape her creative problem-solving mindset. Kaity holds an MBA from VCU as well, concentrating in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and enjoys collaborating across teams to turn insight into thoughtful, user-centered solutions. Outside of the office, you’ll find Kaity hiking and exploring Richmond with her fiancé and their puppy, Balto.
Hailing from a mysterious past in the rural outskirts of Richmond, River has settled in to a part time role at SPARK's upstairs ID lab. While he offers minimal technical contributions, he does his best to boost team moral with his boundless love for human interaction. Outside of work, River whiles away his days lounging on the sofa, in the sun, or harassing his greyhound sister with an endless desire to wrestle and chew.
Charity keeps everything balanced - the finances and the people in our office. She's a hardcore fan of Formula 1, and is extremely savvy about all the real estate areas of Richmond. Ask her about her favorite places to live and best new places to eat in town.
