DEAN KAMEN - Inventor, Entrepreneur

Dean Kamen is President of DEKA Research and Development Corporation and Chairman of Segway LLC. As an inventor and physicist, Dean has dedicated his life to developing technologies that help people lead better lives. His inventions include a portable dialysis machine, the Independence ™ iBOT ™ 3000 Mobility System, a sophisticated mobility aid capable of climbing stairs, navigating rough terrain, raising the user to eye-level with a standing person, and the Segway ™ Human Transporter (HT), a self-balancing, personal transportation device that's designed to operate in the pedestrian environment helping to improve the way people work and live.

One of Dean's proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989, a non-profit organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and enjoy science and technology. Kamen remains the driving force behind FIRST, recruiting titans of American business, government and education to invest time and resources into the initiative.

Dean is the recipient of the 2000 National Medal of Technology and the 2002 Lemelson-MIT Prize for invention and innovation.