Emilio has devoted his professional, civic and philanthropic life to technological and educational innovation. His entrepreneurial spirit has led to the founding of several technology companies focused on transportation, medical devices, residential energy-efficiency systems, and other areas. He holds dozens of patents across diverse fields. One in IT defining e-reading devices such as the Kindle became the most cited U.S. patent.

While still an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, Emilio started his career by co-founding his first company, Pulse Electronics. The business was later acquired by a Fortune 500 company, and he became its vice chairman. The group evolved into the largest global provider of train safety and productivity solutions.

Belief in the enduring value of education drove Emilio to establish the  E. A. Fernandez IDEA Factory, a cutting-edge five-story building designed to promote innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship across many fields from Quantum to Rotorcraft Technology. Situated at the University of Maryland, the iconic IDEA Factory is a hub for advanced research and education in engineering, science, arts, and business.

In addition, Emilio supports innovative talent at the Stevens Institute of Technology. His passion led to the development and endowment of  iSTEM, a program at the university that supports creative students with academic challenges due to physical or social conditions. The success over the last five years, of what started as an experiment, inspired him to significantly grow the program and take it to other universities, with Stevens serving as the hub of the expanding network.

Emilio also supported higher education for many years as trustee on the boards of George Washington, University of Maryland and Stevens. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from UMD and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Administration from GWU. In addition, he has served on corporate, philanthropic and cultural boards, ranging from the Smithsonian Institution to the George Washington Medical Center where he was chairman.

He is the recipient of countless civic and academic awards. His most recent recognition, an Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree, was just announced by the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Emilio A. Fernandez continues to pave the way for future innovators through his iSTEM program and IDEA Factory, and encourages them to be fearless dreamers by reminding them of one of his sayings “ Dreams and Mistakes are integral to Innovation”.