Interview with iButtonLink's Newest Member--Caleb Kimball

Our company is fortunate enough to hire students from the local university, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Recently, our team has included a new addition to our Marketing & Sales Team. We've asked Mr. Caleb Kimball to sit down with us and speak about his experiences and time with iButtonLink so far.

Introduction to Caleb Kimball

A Busy Man and a Busy Mind.

Mr. Kimball is a soon to graduate senior at the UW-Whitewater campus.

As a student of the College of Arts and Communications Caleb majors in Advertising, which he says inspired him to become and independent student of neurology. As a proclaimed futurist, it’s no wonder that he has an autograph from his favorite inventor, futurist, technologist, etc. Ray Kurzweil.

Caleb's interest and extensive knowledge of the future is a key point in understanding the man and how his mind works. Speaking with Caleb you can tell he has great ambition along with a inspiring outlook into the future.

Caleb’s minor is in Multimedia Arts and Game Development (MAGD). Caleb has put his intellect and skills from MAGD to work as the Graphic Designer for UW-Whitewater Dining Services. He maintains two internships for both UWW Dining Services and here at iButtonLink. All while remaining a full-time student.

From High School to Rock Star (manager)

After high school graduation from Warsaw Community High School Caleb moved back to Wisconsin. He then became the manager for the Christian rock band, Pierced. After gaining national attention, securing multiple large record offers, nearly being cast into an MTV contract television show, and obtaining enough profit to increase the value of the band to around $150,000 Pierced was at a turning point. After debating a national tour Pierced broke up as the members pursued more stable opportunities.

Finding His Own Way

Sustaining a debilitating left arm nerve palsy in 2011 Caleb was in a rough spot. He took his travels to Raleigh, NC. Partly for the culture of the city and partly because he viewed it as one of the safest places to be during the recent solar maximum. As the results show us, Caleb was not simply a crazy doomsday prepare!

However, even escaping the horror of a solar maximum wasn’t enough to keep Caleb safe. After several difficult events, and the tragic loss of his best friend, lead singer of Pierced, Caleb moved back to Wisconsin in 2012.

Deciding to pick up where his left arm fell off, Caleb went back to school at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

Here Caleb has been working incredibly hard and will finish his degree this December!

Future Prospects

Caleb sees himself staying with iButtonLink after college graduation and is ecstatic about the offer that the president has given him. With a straight faced, comforting smile Caleb states that the future, “Will depend on my own actions and how they impact those around me.”

An Interview with Caleb Kimball

PJ: What has been your favorite part of working with iButtonLink so far? 

CK: I’ve enjoyed the ability to make my own challenges for myself daily. To take on the task that I’ve been given at this company is nothing short from a dream for a graduate. I mean this literally too even, as just the other day I was dreaming about different ways to fabricate new sensors with iButtonLink’s MakerBot.

PJ: Are there any projects or new products you're excited to be working on? 

CK: Absolutely! Our new Data logger we’re working on has the ability to withstand loss of data from even a solar maximum impact. As the IoT vamps up, the sensor industry will become vital for both us and our planet. It feels good to work for a company that you know can, has, and will make a real true positive change in the world!

PJ: How do you think the work you have done here thus far will benefit you into the future?

CK: Well I’ve learned a lot and I’ve become Analytics and Adwords certified. I’ve gained a great deal of intelligence about different sensors and how they work, what their capabilities and flexibilities are, which has really blown my mind. No matter if it’s working for iButtonLink well on into the future or pursuing another position down the road; I know that the things I’ve learned and will continue to learn here with help build my critical thinking skills and enhance myself as a leader.

PJ: What is currently on your reading list?

CK: Though I don’t like to admit it, I still have to finish the final third of Kurzweil’s How to Create a Mind. I’m also looking forward to starting my latest library Thinkaddition Like a Freak along with keeping up to date with all my favorite podcasts:

RadioLab

On The Media

Six Pixels of Separation

Marketing Over Coffee

Science Friday

Freakonomics Radio

and Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me

PJ: What is your dream job? (Other than working for iButtonLink of course....)

CK: That’s easy. If the Higgs Boson could grant me my one greatest wish it would be getting into Singularity University’s Graduate Program. There I would be able to begin a career path that would definitely have a great impact on this world.

PJ: Any words of wisdom to give any future students who may join our internship program? 

CK: Well I can’t nail it down to advice for only iButtonLink interns, as hopefully they’ll be getting it from me in the future anyways. I’d like to give some advice for anyone facing graduation or looking for an internship.

Don’t look into or expect a job as something that you’ll be doing. Look at a job as something that you’ll be (re)creating. If you want to simply get hired to work somewhere, then why did you waste all that time at college? Never back down from your personal commitments and create new challenges for yourself each day. Be accountable to yourself and your coworkers. If you’ve noticed something that needs to be fixed, don’t attack it, but reflect on it to make sure you fully understand it and can present opportunities to others accurately and correctly. I’ve always viewed college as a time to learn, not simply to learn things though, but to learn how to learn. If you take this advice it’s difficult for me to see how you could ever fail. That’s the basic premise that has gotten me to where I am today.

We want to thank Mr. Kimball for his service with us so far, and we are excited to continue having him around for many projects to come. For more information on Caleb Kimball, please visit his website, and for more information on iButtonLink news & announcements keep an eye out for our Sensor Blog!