Hamilton Man Has Invented Tool to Help Runners

Name: Aaron Burke

Street: Harris Avenue

Family: Wife of 17 years Kendra, daughter Lily, 12 and son Koa, 9.

Occupation: Medical Device Engineer

Hobbies/interests: Running, woodworking, and for the last two years starting a business.

What are you passionate about? Solving hard problems. When you are in the thick of the problem, aggravation and doubt arise. But through prayer, counsel, patience and self control, great joy comes when a solution is discovered. I love to solve problems worth solving.

What did you study in school? After my BS in Physics, I started working toward a MS in Physics, but my advisor and I did not see eye-to-eye so he got me a job instead. My resume has always felt incomplete without a MS but what does a 39 year old do? So I applied to an entrepreneurship program at Northeastern University.
 
Are you utilizing this subject now? Yes. The MS degree has reset my career path. For most of my life and career I have created ideas but never any products that people wanted or would buy. The Northeastern degree combined my inventive side and my business desires. Last September my thesis became my secnd job as we started a company to design and sell a sensor, called the mino, to tell runners when their running shoes are worn out. In case you are curious, New England Running Company sells them and our website gives you the full low down.
 
You forget your cell phone at home - are you stressed or relieved? Without my cell phone I would stumble. Because of Northeastern, I am fully integrated with the Google ecosystem. ParaWare, our company, utilizes their system and I am a heavy Nexus 4 user.
 
Best book: Although the Hobbit is one of my favorites because it tells the story of how the least likely of people accomplished the most unlikely, I find greater inspiration from books like Nehemiah from the Bible.
 
Best movie: "Tucker: The Man and his Dream" (a Coppola and Lucas production)

Dream vacation: Caribbean cruise with Kendra

Who is your favorite local resident? So many people have helped to create the dream of ParaWare. Patrick Rich, who lives in the Grove and is head track and field coach at Gordon College, was one of the first believers in what we were doing and has logged hundreds of miles on the prototype minos. Daniel Jansen of Lake Shore Drive saved the day by designing and redesigning the circuit boards. John Cassidento of Park Street wrote the critical C code for the mino. Bergen Daley of Cunningham Drive helped start our soft launch to New England Running Company. Tyler Mulley, senior at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, was our first engineering intern. Kevin Rich of Cunningham Drive has been a strong supporter and advisor from its inception. The list keeps going and I am so grateful for their ongoing support.