Fierce Electronics proudly announces the ninth group of four honorees in the inaugural 40 Under 40 awards program. These awards are timed with the 40th anniversary of Sensors Converge being held June 24-26 in Santa Clara, CA.
The Fierce Electronics 40 Under 40 recognizes individuals under 40 who are driving advancements in technology, pushing boundaries and shaping the future of electronics with their creativity, expertise and impact. Additional honorees will be named weekly in Fierce Electronics in no particular order.
The entire class will honored at Sensors Converge 2025, celebrating its 40th anniversary June 24-26 in Santa Clara, CA.
Audra Thurston
Age 29
Chief R&D Engineer
Calumet Electronics
Audra Thurston has been Chief R&D Engineer for Calumet Electronics for four years after starting as an intern there in 2017 and moving to the Process Engineer position soon after. She finished a BS in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Theological University where she was also active in the Michigan Tech Varsity Women’s Track and Field Team. She is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and Omega Chi Epsilon Chemical Engineering Society. Calumet makes PCBs and substrates in the US, primarily for the defense and satellite industries. In her role, she qualifies new equipment and new processes and helps create novel products.
Renato Giorgini do Nascimento
Age 38
Head of Technology
Articul8
Renato Nascimento built a computer from discarded parts when he was 15 and living in Brazil. He is self-taught in programming and has created and sold dynamic web pages. He now serves as Head of Technology at Articul8 where he leads GenAI development, patenting foundational technology to scale machine learning models on cloud platforms, which enables enterprise-class GenAI’s chat assistant pre-ChatGPT. The breakthrough established Articul8’s GenAI platform to help revolutionize mission-critical industries. When he worked on his PhD, Renato developed a hybrid physics-informed machine learning framework for NASA, advancing lithium-ion battery prognosis. He has fostered innovation through academic partnership and open-source projects to inspire other engineers.
Brandon Marin
Age 39
Staff Technologist
Intel Foundry
Brandon Marin serves as Staff Technologist at Intel Foundry on the Substrate Packaging Technology Development team. He has expertise in organic core process development, material innovations and process transfer, which is instrumental in advancing Intel’s materials roadmap. He has led more than a dozen new material and process building block transfers. He has filed more than 300 patents with the majority in emergent and disruptive packaging technologies. He has published more than 50 works in journals and has garnered more than 1,000 citations, marking him as a champion of knowledge-sharing inside Intel. He chairs the Substrate Materials & Process Core Competency form and has been honored with the Intel Achievement Award and University of California Distinguished Alumni Award.
Thiago Reis
Age 33
Manager, Product Marketing
STMicroelectronics
Thiago Reis serves as Manager of Product Marketing at STMicroelectronics. His leadership in consumer electronics has driven innovation and market growth, particularly in MEMS & Sensors for Personal Electronics & Computing. Thiago’s strategic vision has shaped product roadmaps, pioneering intelligent sensor adoption and generating millions in revenue while enhancing user experiences. Leading cross-functional teams, he fosters collaboration and mentors colleagues, emphasizing data-driven decision-making. His prior roles achieved significant revenue growth and integrated next-gen AI-powered sensors into flagship devices. With a Bachelor of Engineering and certifications in Business and Marketing Management, Thiago combines technical expertise in MEMS sensors, machine learning, and system architecture with strategic acumen.