Eric J. Wilhelm is the founder of Instructables. He has a Ph.D. from MIT in Mechanical Engineering. Eric believes in making technology accessible through understanding, and strives to inspire others to learn as much as they can and share it with those around them. Read about Instructables' history: http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_Start_a_Business_1/ and meet the others on the Instructables team [http://www.instructables.com/about/ .

In addition to his doctorate, Eric earned his SB, and SM degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT, where he developed methods to print electronics and micro-electromechanical systems using nanoparticles. He co-founded Squid Labs http://www.squid-labs.com, an innovation and design partnership, and a number of Squid Labs spin-off companies including Potenco http://www.potenco.com, producing a human-powered generator for cell phones and laptops; Makani http://www.makanipower.com, an energy company seeking to harness high-altitude wind; and OptiOpia http://www.optiopia.com, developing low-cost portable vision-testing and lens-fabricating devices.

Eric has been recognized as one of the top innovators under 35 years old by Technology Review :http://www.instructables.com/community/Eric_wins_TR35_Innovation_Award/, and was awarded the National Inventors Hall of Fame Collegiate Inventors Award for the development of a printing technique used to create patterns in films of nanoparticles or polymers with resolutions reaching into the 10's of nanometers.

Contact him at his Instructables profile by clicking the "Private Message Me" button, or by guessing his email address @instructables.com (it's easy).

You can also follow his work here by clicking the "subscribe" button, or on Twitter http://twitter.com/ericwilhelm or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ewilhelm