The medical journey of Paul Rea ’06 made him an unexpected member of the ostomate community and led him to found his company, Ostoh. Rea’s experience of managing gas in the ostomy pouch affected his quality of life. Drawing on his engineering background, he developed the Ostoh Valve System — for which he recently received a patent — which is designed to allow ostomates to “burp” their bag with more control and less effort. Through Ostoh, Rea will continue to develop this and other products to make ostomy life easier.

Kaylon Paterson M.Eng. ’20 is the CEO of Paterson Aerospace Systems (PAS), which develops environmental solutions for the aerospace industry. In 2023, PAS participated in the HUSTLE Defense Accelerator hosted by the Griffiss Institute in upstate New York. In addition, the company’s Satellite Accountability Blockchain capability, which aims to offer a simpler, more accurate method to track space debris, received a grant from the Air Force Research Lab’s Mid-Atlantic Hub. Paterson credits retired Air Force Lt. Col. and Stevens professor Pam Magee as a mentor; she serves as an adviser for PAS.