When someone falls overboard, every second matters—but searching a vast, unpredictable ocean is extraordinarily difficult. In an MIT class, my co-founder Michael Autery and I began asking a simple question: What if the first responder in the water could be autonomous?

Michael, a Navy veteran, and I, an Army officer, connected through our shared commitment to service and our belief that emerging technology should protect the people who protect our country. That conviction became Gander Robotics: an autonomous underwater drone designed to use sonar to locate victims during maritime search-and-rescue missions.

What began as a class project quickly gained momentum. In December 2025, we won both the Grand Prize and Audience Choice Award at the MIT 100K Pitch Competition. The victory validated our mission, attracted investors, and helped propel Gander toward a $1.1 million pre-seed round.

As co-founder and technical lead, I analyzed man-overboard incident data to identify operational needs and translate them into business and product plans. I also designed and prototyped the vehicle’s nosecone, helping move Gander from an early concept toward a physical system and establishing the technical credibility that supported our fundraising. After helping build Gander into a venture-backed robotics startup, I stepped away to pursue my master’s in robotics at Georgia Tech and continue developing autonomous systems that address consequential, real-world problems.