Jeff Harper’s journey towards a successful engineering career began for him in the Principal’s office at Shaker Heights High School. It was at that time, Mr. Harper a Junior, was being reprimanded for fighting in class when he met a guidance counselor as he left the office for class. She asked him, “Do you have a summer job?” He answered “no.” She then went on to ask, “How about a job making minimum wage where you can have McDonalds free for lunch every day?” The answer was abundantly clear: Yes! It was the McDonalds offer that sealed the deal for the 17-year-old Harper. The job actually turned out to be a summer engineering orientation camp for minority students called the “Minority Engineering Industrial Opportunity Program” (MEIOP) which was hosted by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio. The rest was history. MEIOP opened Harper’s eyes and resulted in a challenging and rewarding career in Metallurgical Engineering and Material Science.

Harper, Harvard educated, is currently a global energy executive focused on North American, European, Southeast Asian and African markets. His 30+ year career has been dedicated to leading and creating value for entrepreneurial ventures with primary emphasis on technology companies.