Team
Innovation-Driven
Constantly pushing boundaries in robotics and AI
Design-Centric Approach
Customized solutions tailored to the design needs
Interdisciplinary Expertise
A blend of engineering, design, and problem-solving
FOUNDER / CEO
Christopher Auger-Dominguez
Christopher Auger-Dominguez brings cutting-edge experience in product design within the drone and robotics industry. His background spans photography, remote sensing, and geography, creating a seamless evolution from cartography and mapping at Texas A&M University to a New York City photography studio, product marketing in Los Angeles, and tech innovation in Silicon Valley. Inspired by the Maker spirit and entrepreneurial mindset, Christopher founded Maschinenmensch to bridge the gap between machine and human through innovative robotic design.
Project Teaming
AquaFrontier Technologies CO-CEO / CRO
Josh Javier
Josh Javier as Co-CEO and CRO for AquaFrontier Technologies, brings over a decade of experience scaling deep-tech ventures and securing multimillion-dollar partnerships. He’s built and led go-to-market strategies as Chief Revenue Officer at fast-growing startups, consistently exceeding ARR targets and expanding into new verticals. Josh excels at translating complex robotics capabilities into compelling value propositions, negotiating strategic alliances, and aligning product roadmaps with customer needs—driving purpose-driven automation from pilot to production.
AquaFrontier Head of Projects
Ajey Nadhadhur Jagannathan
Ajey Jagannathan leverages his background in robotics and product development to lead the creation of AquaFrontier’s flagship autonomous underwater vehicle. At NYU, he played a key leadership role on the RoboSub program, guiding a sub-team in selecting and integrating components for AUV systems to optimize performance and meet project milestones. He also worked at Bosch, where he planned requirements and features for an automotive machine-learning emission-prediction project. Ajey combines hands-on technical expertise with strategic vision to bring complex robotics initiatives from concept to reality.
Advisors
Mechanical Engineering and Design
Dr. Ali Shtarbanov
Ali Shtarbanov currently finishing his PhD at the MIT Media Lab’s Responsive Environments Group—specialises in building open, modular platforms that let anyone prototype soft-robotic systems. He created FlowIO, the first wearable pneumatics development kit, deployed it in 15 countries under a Creative-Commons hardware model, and grew the SoftRobotics.IO community to 600+ members. At Meta Reality Labs he invented SleeveIO, a fully modular haptics sleeve, co-authoring the UIST-accepted paper detailing its design. Having raised $60 k+ in grants and captured multiple Hackaday, iF Design and CHI awards, Ali combines deep electronics/hardware design with ecosystem-building know-how—making him a strong advisor on rapid-platform development and community-driven commercialization for Maschinenmensch.
Business Scaling and Financing
Alex Seleny
Alex Seleny is a digital-product and go-to-market veteran who has shipped data-driven platforms in finance, healthcare and retail over a 25-year career. He currently leads Digital Direct Lending at GM Financial as Senior Vice President, steering end-to-end product strategy for auto-finance channels. Earlier, he launched new remarketing services as VP of Product Development at GM Financial, and before that ran physician and patient facing portals and data services at McKesson Specialty Health, bringing consumer-grade UX to oncology practices nationwide. Previous stops include consumer-marketing systems at AmeriCredit and a six-year stint as founder of digital-agency Virtually There. Alex’s blend of fintech scale, healthcare compliance and start-up scrappiness makes him a sharp advisor on digital customer journeys, product monetisation and market entry for Maschinenmensch’s emerging robotics and STEM platforms.
People and Inclusion
Daisy Auger-Dominguez
Daisy Auger-Domínguez is a former Chief People Officer at VICE Media and long-time Google and Disney talent leader who now serves companies as a fractional CPO through her firm, Auger-Domínguez Ventures. She specialises in rapid culture turnarounds, inclusive hiring systems, and board-level people strategy, drawing on two decades of global HR and DEI execution. Her experience guiding teams of 150 – 15,000 employees makes her the ideal advisor on talent architecture and inclusive culture for Maschinenmensch’s growth.
Energy and Space Technologist
Albert Miller
Albert Miller is a mechanical engineer turned manufacturing-operations specialist who now runs Miller 0, advising hardware startups on scaling from prototype to production. Earlier, as an Inside Applications Engineer at Swiss connectivity leader Huber+Suhner, he supported RF, fiber-optic and low-frequency product lines—implementing PLM/BOM systems and designing lean work-cells that cut logistics time. At Corning he served on the core process-engineering team, using modeling and experimentation to boost throughput, reliability and cost efficiency in advanced-glass manufacturing. Add in stints teaching CAD and embedded controls at Columbia University, and Albert brings the rare mix of hands-on factory know-how and product-line analytics that makes him a practical advisor on commercializing mechanical and electro-optic systems for energy, space and industrial markets.
Engineer and Educator
Dan Geery
Dan Geery brings over 30 years of hydrodynamic design and STEM leadership to our robotics platforms. He’s been a Utah U.S. Senatorial Candidate since 2011 with the Justice Party, and as President of Hyperblimp LLC (1995–present) he developed next-gen airships under USTAR grants and a Lindbergh Award; concurrently, he’s led Aquaglider (1995–present) in creating high-glide underwater toys. Earlier, Daniel spent nearly a decade teaching grades 3–6 in the Salt Lake City School District—specializing in science, reading, and writing and supporting students from more than 20 native languages.
Data processing, Technology Commercialization and STEM programs
Dr. Jay Smallwood
Dr. Jay Smallwood is a chemist-turned-builder who has moved fluidly between R-and-D leadership and hands-on engineering. Most recently he served as Chief of Engineering & Product at Viranex Diagnostics, where he designed the fluidics, firmware and PCB stack for a pocket-sized, multi-assay disease-testing device and guided it toward scalable manufacturing . Before that, as Director of Research & Development at the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE), he scouted emerging technologies, forged industry–academia partnerships and translated them into classroom and commercial pilots . In parallel he has taught physics, chemistry and engineering—including his current post as Science Faculty at Bay Ridge Prep in Brooklyn—giving him a rare talent for turning complex data workflows into clear, actionable products and curricula . Earlier stints as a data-architect and full-stack developer round out a profile that combines algorithmic rigour with product-market pragmatism, making Jay an ideal advisor on data processing and technology commercialization for Maschinenmensch’s expanding robotics portfolio.
Join us
Join A Team of Visionaries & Innovators
With each project, we build effective, innovative teams of skilled and innovative engineers, programmers and entrepreneurs. Maschinenmensch brings together specialized technicians dedicated to solving challenges with creativity and precision. Our team is committed to designing unique solutions tailored to critical need. If you believe you have an idea that you’d like to develop, see a project you can contribute to, want to solve a problem that make a positive difference in how we live and create in this world- Let us know.