Luke Michas — CEO

I'm an industrial designer by training who spent 20+ years building and leading hardware development teams across the full product lifecycle. I've managed mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, industrial designers, and product managers while working with EE and firmware teams to ship products from concept through production and sustaining support. I've shipped consumer electronics at Griffin Technology (grew category from $120M to $280M), industrial IoT products for Amazon, medical devices, and payment hardware for restaurants. I've managed contract manufacturers in Asia through evening calls and quarterly factory visits, led mechanical engineering teams through EVT/DVT/PVT, and built NPD processes that guide cross-functional teams from customer research through launch. I'm strongest when bringing design, engineering, and manufacturing together to solve problems without wasting time or money. I understand how each discipline thinks, what they need to be successful, and how to make tradeoffs when requirements conflict. I can step into specialized leadership roles—manufacturing operations, mechanical engineering, industrial design, product management—or lead the entire new product development function. What I bring to hardware development: • Direct management experience with ME teams (3 people), manufacturing engineers (5-7 people), and CM operations in China • Industrial design background (RISD) with hands-on CAD skills (SolidWorks Advanced certified, Onshape) • Product management discipline: writing PRDs, managing roadmaps, tracking post-launch KPIs, using field data to drive next-generation requirements • Manufacturing partnership experience: DFM/DFA, production readiness, quality systems, vendor negotiations • Cross-functional coordination across ID, ME, EE, firmware, manufacturing, and quality I've built products that shipped millions of units (FrostGuard windshield cover: 1M+ units, QVC sales record), launched the first MIL-STD certified phone cases (Griffin Survivor series), and managed hardware for Fortune 500 clients who demand flawless execution. Currently at Ovyl leading hardware development for clients including Amazon, Tesla, and medical device companies. Based in Nashville. RISD Industrial Design '96.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Hardware Development Leader specializing in Consumer Electronics and Product Management.

Location: Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Experience: 24 yrs 8 mos

Skills

New Product Development (npd)
Product Management
Product Development
Vendor Management

Career Highlights

Led hardware development for Amazon and Tesla.
Grew consumer electronics revenue from $120M to $280M.
Designed award-winning products with millions of units sold.

Work Experience

Ovyl

Head of Product Development & Manufacturing (6 yrs 8 mos)

DELK

VP of Product Development (2 yrs)

Director Of Product Development (3 yrs)

Test Rite 特力集團

Sr Product Development Manager (3 yrs 2 mos)

Griffin Technology

Director Product Design & Development (2 yrs 7 mos)

Forefront Golf Inc

Director Of Product Design (9 yrs)

Education

BFA-ID at Rhode Island School of Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts at Rhode Island School of Design

Luke Michas

CEO

Nashville, Tennessee, United States24 yrs 8 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

Led hardware development for Amazon and Tesla.
Grew consumer electronics revenue from $120M to $280M.
Designed award-winning products with millions of units sold.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Hardware Development Leader specializing in Consumer Electronics and Product Management.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

New Product Development (npd)Product ManagementProduct DevelopmentVendor Management

Other Skills

Consumer ProductsProduct Lifecycle ManagementSupply Chain ManagementP&L ManagementMechanical Engineering ManagementManufacturing & SourcingProduct MarketingMarketingAdvertisingManagementNew Business DevelopmentStrategyProduct DesignLeadershipSales

About

Experience

24 yrs 8 mos

Total Experience

5 yrs 1 mo

Average Tenure

6 yrs 8 mos

Current Experience

Ovyl

Head of Product Development & Manufacturing

Aug 2019 – Present · 6 yrs 8 mos · Nashville, Tennessee, United States · On-site

Ovyl designs and manufacturers tech-enabled physical products that merge elegant design with precision engineering. As a strategic product development studio, we tackle complex challenges—crafting scalable, manufacturable solutions that are holistic by design.
Our multidisciplinary team integrates strategy, design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise from day one, ensuring every product is functional, high-performing, and built for impact. We partner with visionary founders, fast-growing startups, and industry leaders to create products that don't just look great—they work flawlessly and scale seamlessly.
Trusted by Amazon, DeRoyal, Tesla, and Smile Direct Club, we're redefining what's possible in product development. Follow us to see how we bring world-class products to life.
Lead end-to-end hardware product development for Amazon, AllyGPO, FiveStars, and FDA-regulated medical device clients from customer research through production launch and sustaining support
Manage manufacturing engineers and quality assurance specialists coordinating production with 10+ contract manufacturers across China through evening calls and quarterly on-site visits
Lead mechanical engineering team through design, prototyping, and EVT/DVT/PVT validation phases
Direct industrial design strategy and execution for Amazon warehouse hardware, medical device cabinets, and payment kiosk projects
Built Ovyl's NPD process framework covering voice-of-customer research through EVT/DVT/PVT, production ramp, and sustaining support
Develop customer research plans for Amazon warehouse projects, translating field observations and user interviews into prioritized product requirements
Track post-launch KPIs including failure rates, customer complaints, warranty issues, and field data to inform Gen 2 product requirements
Build AI automations for PRD capture and regulatory compliance using agentic workflows to extract requirements from meeting transcripts

New Product Development (NPD)Product Management

Delk

2 roles

VP of Product Development

Promoted

Jan 2016 – Jan 2018 · 2 yrs · Greater Nashville Area, TN

Led all product planning, design, development, and sourcing for MYCHANIC® and FrostGuard® brands, managing end-to-end NPD from concept through production launch
Built direct-to-consumer sales channels and digital presence, growing online sales and establishing MYCHANIC® brand with automotive DIY enthusiasts
Won DIY Network's Best Product Award for MYCHANIC® POD Light and represented brand on "I Want That" television show
Secured product placements at leading club stores (Costco, Sam's Club) through direct account management and sales support
Led rebranding of Delk corporate identity across digital and print platforms to attract talent and elevate market positioning

Director Of Product Development

Jan 2014 – Jan 2017 · 3 yrs · Greater Nashville Area, TN

Created and launched MYCHANIC® brand as DIY lifestyle brand for at-home auto enthusiasts, securing placement at leading US and international retailers
Designed and developed FrostGuard® wintertime windshield cover, selling over 1,000,000 units and setting QVC sales record with 525,000 units sold in 24 hours (Product Concept of the Year)
Sourced and developed 15+ products in 8 months to support MYCHANIC® brand launch at AAPEX 2014
Recruited and managed team of 5 product and packaging designers supporting brand development, consumer products, packaging, POP, and digital assets

Consumer ProductsProduct Lifecycle ManagementProduct DevelopmentProduct Management

Test rite 特力集團

Sr Product Development Manager

Feb 2011 – Apr 2014 · 3 yrs 2 mos · Greater Nashville Area, TN

Led product development for Tractor Supply's private-label hardware and automotive categories, translating buyer requirements into product specs and launching 10-12 products annually
Exceeded company sales plan at Tractor Supply by 35%, representing an additional 10% in private-label brand business
Reduced time-to-market by 26 weeks (from 78 to 52 weeks) through improved coordination between buyers, design, engineering, and overseas factories in China and Taiwan
Managed two regional sourcing agents and three product developers supporting Test Rite's largest retail customers
Redesigned and rebranded Tractor Supply's cleaning category, driving $13M in incremental sales with 1-week rollout to over 1,200 stores
Developed patentable backpack sprayer as exclusive product offering, resulting in 45% YoY sales increase

Product ManagementVendor Management

Griffin technology

Director Product Design & Development

Feb 2009 – Sep 2011 · 2 yrs 7 mos · On-site

Owned product roadmap and P&L for consumer electronics accessories category, growing revenue from $120M to $280M through portfolio expansion across cases, charging docks, cables, and mounts
Created Survivor series, the first MIL-STD-810 certified mobile device cases, managing product definition through retail positioning with Apple Stores, Best Buy, AT&T, Verizon, and Target
Managed battery case product line, defining concepts in-house and partnering with Chinese ODM for electrical engineering and PCBA development through production launch
Led team of 5 category managers and project managers in the US and 5 product developers at Griffin's south China headquarters
Planned and executed product roadmaps for entire accessory category including molded cases, cut & sew folios, charging accessories, and accessory bags
Gained $7M in incremental sales by expanding into carrier store market (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile)

Product DevelopmentProduct Management

Forefront golf inc

Director Of Product Design

Jan 2000 – Jan 2009 · 9 yrs · Greater Nashville Area, TN

Managed product design and development for licensed brands including NFL®, PGA Tour®, and Collegiate Licensed programs, growing category revenue from $40M to $62M
Led innovation process across internal design teams, Asian vendors, and domestic product designers to develop patentable intellectual property
Grew Burton golf bag brand annual sales from $10M to $14M through innovative patented product development, positioning company for profitable acquisition