Jan Espelien

- Led redesign and system integration of battery management system with PCB layout (Altium) and embedded firmware development for TI C2000 MCU, including SPI to CAN bus communication interfacing. - Managed design, assembly, hardware bring-up, and rigorous measurement validation for high-performance application. - Oversaw electronics procurement and budget ($250K annual), collaborating with sponsors and university administration to ensure timely hardware acquisition.

- Selected from a highly competitive applicant pool through multiple interview rounds to join Columbia Venture Partners. - Participating in CVP’s year-long Analyst Academy program covering venture capital fundamentals, market research, and startup evaluation. - Engage in fireside conversations, site visits, and industry deep-dives with leading VC professionals.

- Authored comprehensive investment memo on the 2026 AI distributed compute landscape - Created interactive and dynamic Pitchbook market map of 100+ companies in the space to analyze market trends and growth opportunities - Wrote substack article based on internal memo (https://substack.com/home/post/p-186619668) (https://open.substack.com/pub/gc1ventures/p/the-era-of-distributed-compute-part-f3d?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web)

- Led hardware system integration and board bring-up efforts in developing an automated test fixture for multi-winding transformers, including concept, part selection, design, schematic capture, programming, and prototyping. - Executed SPICE simulations and signal/power integrity analysis to optimize a low-noise PCB, minimizing parasitic capacitance and inductance for high-precision measurements. - Developed and deployed Python, C, and NI VISA software for full automation and integration, reducing transformer test time from 2+ hours to under 5 minutes, achieving 0.5 µH precision critical for power supply validation. - Integrated test components (reed relays, multiplexers, relay drivers, TI MSP430 MCU) supporting system validation and rapid prototyping.

Team Lead at SEAL at the University of Washington, working in power electronics design and academic writing under Prof. Mamishev. Worked on technical writing and led team of 6 undergrads designing, tuning, and manufacturing the HV power supply design for a ESP-driven facemask. I optimized electrode design and the high voltage power supply of an ESP-driven respirator, improving filtration efficiency by 25% by implementing flyback topology combined with a MOSFET and microcontroller used for switching, and a 6-stage Cockroft-Walton voltage rectifier and multiplier. I assisted in grant-writing, including NSF proposals. This work led to my manuscript "Miniaturization of High Voltage Power Supply for Portable Electrostatic Filtration" published at IEEE's IECON 2024 in Chicago.

Teaching assistant for programming (Python, Java) and competition math classes for elementary and middle schoolers. Graded homework and taught lessons to small groups.