When Will Knutson arrived at SPARK at the beginning of the summer, he already knew how he would approach his internship:

Intentionally.

We are hands-on problem solvers who know that big successes rely on the work done out of the spotlight. We might not be athletes, but we know how to do some heavy lifting. At SPARK, tackling the behind-the-scenes details isn't just a step in our engineering process—it’s where we believe the most meaningful impact is made. 

Will Knutson did not first encounter SPARK as a college student looking for an internship.

He found SPARK as a high school student when he was trying to get a better sense of what a future in engineering might look like. At the time, his interests leaned more toward physics and pure math, and his picture of engineering was fairly narrow: hard hats, spreadsheets, and factory floors.

Kaity Myers did not come to SPARK through a typical product development path.

Her background includes dance, yoga, teaching, operations, entrepreneurship, and relationship-building. But the more you hear her talk about her work, the more that path makes sense. The common thread has always been there: curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and a genuine interest in helping ideas move from possibility to action.

Earlier this spring, the SPARK team returned to The Doorways for a second volunteer day, this time participating in what the team calls a “Windex Party.”

The name is lighthearted, but the work matters.

For many families, putting food on the table is a challenge without an easy solution. Rising costs, unexpected hardships, and busy schedules can make accessing healthy groceries difficult.. That’s where the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s Mobile Food Distribution program steps in.
In early March, the SPARK team had the opportunity to volunteer at one of these distributions in Ashland, helping support an effort that serves hundreds of families every month.

When industrial designer Jon Kyte talks about his work, he’s quick to downplay it. He’ll tell you he’s “just doing his small part,” whether that part involves designing consumer products at SPARK or creating the graphics for the U.S. Olympic bobsled team.

After more than 25 years at the helm of SPARK Product Development, Bill Riley will be retiring at the end of this year. (Although anyone who knows Bill also knows that his ability to traditionally “retire” is dubious, at best.)

Earlier this fall, the SPARK team spent a day volunteering with Start 1 Spark, a Richmond-based nonprofit that helps ignite student potential by connecting schools with the resources and hands-on support they need to thrive.

We’re excited to welcome Fred Dewees to the SPARK team as our newest Senior Mechanical Engineer!

When Claudia Smith applied to intern at SPARK, she wasn’t your typical mechanical engineering student. In fact, she wasn’t a mechanical engineering student at all.