UC students engineer possibilities at Kaleidoscope

Koenig graduated in 2022 UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. Her mom is a physics professor. Her older sister studied mechanical engineering at UC. And her younger sister is studying psychology.

“We’re definitely a UC family,” she said.

And Kaleidoscope is bullish on UC co-op.

“UC has been a huge part of who we are at Kaleidoscope,” said Rob Kurtzner, the company’s head of business development.

“Our co-op program is laden with UC students. It’s a valuable asset for Kaleidoscope,” he said. “If we can find good talent, especially locally, it just makes sense.”

Kaleidoscope has much of its design, rapid prototyping, engineering, manufacturing and sales under one roof with three satellite facilities in Boston, Dallas and Seattle.

Each year, Kaleidoscope hires UC students majoring in design and engineering to help improve products for Fortune 500 companies and small startups alike. And it starts at the top.

CEO Benjamin Ko graduated from UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. He is a product of UC’s co-op program as well, working for medical device manufacturer AtriCure.

“My co-op experience there was truly formative,” Ko said. “The R&D team trusted me with meaningful engineering work, liaising with surgeons around the world. My mentors showed me that engineering is much more than physics, math and computer-aided design. That real-world exposure gave me clarity and confidence that product development was the path I wanted to pursue.”

Now Ko said he sees the benefits of co-op from an employer’s perspective.

“We’ve worked hard to build a co-op program at Kaleidoscope Innovation that is just as impactful for these students,” he said.

In a sprawling high-ceiling studio, students work side by side with researchers, designers and engineers, contributing to critical parts of our projects, Ko said.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see them grow into confident, capable professionals,” Ko said. “I’m proud that so many of our co-op students have been hired into full-time Kaleidoscope team members after their graduation.”

Kaleidoscope’s Kurtzner shared a few examples of the company’s projects, which run the gamut from industrial design to engineering for medical, consumer and industrial products.

The company improved the ergonomics and performance of the Microsoft Xbox One controller.

Kurtzner held up an ophthalmology device that allows a gene therapy injection procedure to be completed quickly by just one surgeon instead of two.

The company creates computer vision systems for retailers to improve the shopping experience. It works with commercial aviation to engineer better structural integrity of aircraft fuselages. And it redesigns consumer goods to boost the value of their brands.

That kind of breadth and diversity is a major draw for team members, Kurtzner said.

“Speed plus quality is the name of the game with our clients,” he said.

The company has a mock surgical and treatment room where they can put medical devices to the test for ergonomics and function in simulations that are recorded with a suite of cameras. And there are fabrication labs and workshops where engineers and designers can let their imaginations run free using high-tech equipment like wire electrical discharge machining and 3D printing.

“Having shared lab space is imperative, but each designer also has their own dedicated space so they can focus on prototyping,“ Kurtnzer said.

Andrew Levite works as the co-op manager at Kaleidoscope. He was introduced to the company through co-op at UC while earning a master's degree in biomedical engineering. Now he hires co-op students.

“You’re getting someone with an applied skillset. That’s why we target UC,” he said. “We treat them as if they’re full members of the engineering and design team. We need them to hit the ground running.”

And co-op students like Connor Carlson of Mentor, Ohio, said that responsibility is a big reason they like working there. He is finishing his sixth co-op rotation as a mechanical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

“In most places you’ll specialize in one thing. But at Kaleidoscope you get to touch every aspect of product development in many industries,” he said.

Carlson said he feels prepared for whatever comes next after graduation this spring.

“My portfolio has grown so much. I’ve gotten manufacturing and engineering design experience. That will let me get into the field I want to,” he said.

Daniella Tuesca’s professors in mechanical engineering told her that co-op would show her how to apply what she learned to the real world.

“Three co-ops in, I can believe it,” Tuesca said. “The co-op program has set me up for success because I learned very early how to apply what I learn to my work. And now five years later, I’m really good at applying design work onto real projects.”

Tuesca comes from a long line of engineers in her family in Indiana. It’s what she’s always wanted to do.

“We have the privilege of using our brain for creative solutions. And that’s always been cool to me,” she said.

“I think UC has shown me there’s a place for me in engineering,” she said. “Your effort and hard work will get you the results you want.”

Featured image at top: Titus Koesters is studying design at UC while working co-op at Cincinnati product-development company Kaleidoscope Innovation. Photo/Connor Boyle/UC Marketing + Brand