Dr. Ted Acworth is a scientist and engineer by trade, as well as an award-winning entrepreneur. He has been developing and commercializing innovative technology for twenty years. With a deep appreciation for design and the art of mosaic he founded Artaic, LLC in 2007. Artaic is developing unique design and production technology that aims to revolutionize the industry.

The core of Dr. Acworth’s technical expertise is ultraprecision metrology systems design. Throughout his career he has also developed expertise in management of the research and development process. Combined, his work in these areas has been sought by companies, universities and governments in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Until recently Ted directed the advanced technology research portfolio at the Cambridge-MIT Institute, which under his management yielded 38 patent disclosures and 4 venture-backed spinout companies.

In 2004 Ted co-founded a spinout company from the MIT, bringing an optical metrology device to market. The company was funded by Charles River Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures and IDG Ventures, and was sold to 3M in 2006.

Adding rocket science to his resume, Ted founded and directed the Stanford Artificial Star 3 Laboratory. In 2001, his team successfully pre-launch tested the NASA Gravity Probe-B Relativity Mission space telescope, producing the most accurate in-situ calibration ever. Identification by he and his team of a major thermomechanical flaw resulted in avoiding launch of the telescope. With the flaw corrected, a successful launch was achieved in 2004.

In the early 90’s Ted led a medical research program at St. Luke's Hospital in New York that successfully developed an image acquisition and digital image processing system for quantitative coronary arteriography. This system enabled doctors to automatically diagnose severity of coronary artery blockages, and contributed to a new standard of care.

Ted holds an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a Sloan Fellow in Innovation and Global Leadership and continues as a Research Affiliate. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, and an MS and BS from Columbia University.

Paul has always been interested in many fields of study, striving to obtain a diverse expanse of knowledge and abilities. He carried that polymathic philosophy with him to Boston College where he took a wide array of courses from music theory, to philosophy, psychology, creative writing, physics, chemistry, biology, and theology.  Paul ended up graduating with a BA in Math and Mixed Media Art.

Spending summers during his college career in the secluded Adirondacks, Paul was able to develop and expand upon his formal training in the arts. The natural environment was a perfect setting for reflection, creative invention, and personal growth. Paul’s creativity grew spanning a wide array of media and artistic expressions, including painting, sculpture, animation, filmmaking, photography, and illustration. He also has an aptitude for the more craft oriented arts such as carpentry/cabinetmaking, knitting, and mosaic.

In 2005 Paul started a company called Homegrown Headwear, which produced and sold hand knit hats. The company emphasized the importance of originality and the arts in everyday existence. He carries that philosophy with him to Artaic, stretching the boundaries between art, design, creativity, and business.

His experience with programs such as Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, and Artaic’s proprietary software, Tessera, coupled with his fine arts knowledge base allows Paul to push the artistic envelope. Currently at Artaic, Paul uses his artistic and design proficiency to build and manage the Artaic brand, through web development, marketing material, strategy, planning, and production.  Paul is also responsible for each of Artaic’s mosaic projects meeting and exceeding the client’s aesthetic and temporal expectations through design and management.

Blake combines an early love of mathematics with a keen design aptitude as an advocate of order and structure in all projects. His attention to detail is a direct result of his varying background experience in math, design, marketing, advertising, publications and even construction. Past projects include designing corporate identities; designing, marketing, and specifying the logistics of a 400+ page publication; and creating a viral YouTube advertisement for an online auction company.

Blake is at home in various stages of a project, from strategically marketing and branding to pricing materials and staying on budget. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Boston University.

George Shaw spent 15 years as a commercial artist, primarily as a web designer/developer and interactive creative director. George honed his online marketing skills at the now infamous Big Gun Project in Santa Monica, CA before launching his own design and development enterprise, One Ten Design. At One Ten, George led a team of up to 20 designers, project managers, and engineers in building over 50 cutting edge, large scale websites and digital applications. One Ten Design was responsible for the overall online presence of the Lord of the Rings films, having established the look and feel for the site and related online materials almost a full year before the first film was released.

As the dotcom boom wound down, George struck out on his own with Divine Penguin. Divine Penguin’s boutique-like approach was well received, garnering praise and awards for projects such as Microsoft’s Imagine Cup and MGM’s Amityville Horror. In addition to work for clients, George was also a founding partner and creative director of successful online retailer Sun Walters.

Shaw was active in the web design community through contributions to How Magazine, Create Online and the Friends of Ed Flash Studio series, and spent over 8 years at Otis College and Cal State Northridge teaching aspiring designers. He also spoke at several conferences about optimizing websites for search engine compatibility.

In 2007, in order to build on a growing interest in technology and science, George returned to school to pursue a PhD in computer science. He was awarded a funded position at Northeastern University, where he will be researching Intelligent Virtual Agents.

Jason’s passion for engineering and robotics was established at a young age as a robotics competitor and an industrial technology enthusiast. Past design projects range from biomedical waste disposal systems for developing nations to modular furniture for college students. His experience in manufacturing ranges from cobalt chrome total knee replacement systems to biotechnology proteins.

Jason spent a year post-Katrina in Louisiana working for Habitat for Humanity as a construction supervisor, leading teams of up to 70 volunteers on up to 9 sites. He carries this dedication and project management skills to Artaic. Jason is a graduate of Tufts University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.