I graduated from Skoltech in 2015 with a Master's degree in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (now: Advanced Manufacturing Technologies). I came to Skoltech with a specific goal: to expand on my entrepreneurship and innovation skills to start my company, Karfidov Lab. It turned out to be an invaluable experience. Today Karfidov Lab is one of the most successful engineering consultancy and product design companies in Russia with a vast portfolio of projects, including the Olympic Torch for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, a variety of industrial and consumer 3D printers, medical devices and more.

I was set on starting Karfidov Lab strategically right. I saw that Skoltech offers strong training and support in entrepreneurship for the engineering industry, so I took the leap and joined Skoltech to earn a Master's degree in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials program in 2012.

I was always afraid in my life of ending up as a shop assistant or something like that, so I worked hard and dreamed of building a strong national engineering company and actually built a little one. I will keep going, but one has to keep in mind that the aim should be intagible and more philosophical. To keep it simple, I just want to be happy and I feel happy at this moment in my life. Happinness is a combination of what you want and what you get, I think I am balancing quite well.

Skoltech is not a regular university. It's a tech accelerator in some sense. It's a place where you can find an easy-access assistance whether you need to conduct a research or to find an investment for the startup - that makes it special. I would say that mixture of people with right attitude, great background and bright vision made my experience.

During my studies, I had a chance to learn the necessary skills in engineering and industrial design, build a major network of clients and investors, study abroad at MIT and learn how to run a business from the world's top experts. Specifically, my academic mobility experience gave me an opportunity to examine the industrial design market in the US and apply it to the development of Karfidov Lab.

Karfidov Lab specializes in engineering consultancy and product design services. The company's clients are medium size technological companies in sectors such as medical devices, personal electronics, industrial and lab equipment.

Since its creation, Karifdov Lab has produced more than 100 consumer-oriented, industrial and exclusive projects never seen by the world. For instance, take a look at the ExoChair - a prototype of an industrial exoskeleton for the lower body, which increases individual labor productivity by reducing fatigue among workers. Or sneakers with portable chargers, a cordless coffee machine. We even had the honor to design the Olympic Torch carried in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Today Karfidov Lab is Russia's leading company in Product Design and Development. They have three offices: in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Ekaterinburg, with more than 30 employees. Now my fearless co-leader and I are taking the company on an international level, establishing relations with European partners and clients. I serve as the Director of Development, applying the entrepreneurship and innovation skills I learned over the years to my work every day.

Last year in September, Karfidov Lab made a generous gift in the amount of 1 000 000 Rubles to the Skoltech Endowment Foundation, aimed to support Skolkovo ecosystem and Skoltech students.

- Understand Skoltech and its structure;
- Discover Skoltech management;
- Meet Skoltech faculty and talk to them;
- Find an appropriate advisor asap;
- Make new friends;
- Start your extracurricular project or activity asap;
- Always make something tangible;
- Practice to present;
- Conduct industrial intelligence;
- Research the clusters, technopark, residents,etc.;
- Be appreciative, contribute.