Dean Kamen is an inventor, an entrepreneur, and a tireless advocate for science and technology. His  passion for innovation has driven groundbreaking advancements in healthcare, mobility, and education,  shaping industries and inspiring future generations. 

Kamen is the founder of DEKA Research & Development Corporation, FIRST® (For Inspiration and  Recognition of Science and Technology), FIRST Global, and the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing  Institute (ARMI) | BioFabUSA. 

Supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, ARMI is a national Manufacturing Innovation Institute and nonprofit organization focused on building a competitive, capable, and innovative domestic ecosystem  for cell, tissue, and organ manufacturing. Under Kamen’s leadership, ARMI and its nearly 200 members  nationwide are integrating expertise in biomanufacturing, medicine, and engineering to de-risk and  accelerate the development of regenerative therapies that will revolutionize healthcare for chronic illness and traumatic injury. 

As president of DEKA, he has developed category-defining, transformational innovations to include:  revolutionary drug delivery systems – as with the twiist™ Automated Insulin Delivery System and the  Remunity® pump which safely delivers stable doses of Remodulin; mobility systems that restore health  and quality of life – as with the iBOT™ Mobility System, and the LUKE robotic arm; devices that change  the healthcare paradigm – as with cardiac stents, the HomeChoice™ portable dialysis machine; and  innovations that change what the world believes is possible – as with a new and improved Stirling engine.

In addition to DEKA, one of Kamen’s proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST®, an organization  dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and enjoy science and technology –and  to apply it for societal contribution. Founded in 1989, FIRST® serves more than 2,500,000 young people  ages 6 to 18 annually. He expanded this initiative to create FIRST Global, which last year united teams  from over 190 countries to its annual competition in Athens, Greece. 

Kamen’s contributions have earned him numerous honors, including the National Medal of Technology in 2000, presented by President Bill Clinton. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in  1997, awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005. He is also a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. 

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