This year at SEMICON West in San Francisco, I had the opportunity to attend SEMI’s 20 Under 30 award ceremony on July 10 at the Moscone Center. As the name suggests, this award recognizes and celebrates young semiconductor industry professionals who display excellence in leadership, collaboration, and innovation.
First of all, it was wonderful to see so many of our member companies represented during the awards! With winners from Indium Corporation, Lam Research, and IBM, this year was one to remember. To help celebrate our incredible group of up-and-coming industry talent, I met with Evan Griffith, a senior product specialist at Indium and 20 Under 30 winner; and Jessica Albright, a content marketer at Brewer Science and 20 Under 30 nominee, during SEMICON West to learn about their experiences and share their stories. For both Griffith and Albright, this was their first time attending the conference.
To be considered for the 20 Under 30 Award, the nominee must show a strong record of innovation, collaboration, community engagement, and/or outstanding performance. Upon learning about the criteria, Albright was honored to be thought of, as she feels everyone at Brewer Science exemplifies these standards.
“Each person I’ve worked with has a great sense of inspiration to make the company better,” she said. “They’re eager to teach new people and create a great work environment.”
Griffith first learned about his 20 Under 30 nomination in January of this year and discovered he was selected around the April/May timeframe. He and his fellow awardees joined Joe Stockunas, President of SEMI Americas, for a celebratory breakfast on Friday, July 12 as the conference wrapped up. Like Albright, Griffith was also thrilled to be nominated.
“I was happy to hear it because it’s good to see that somebody is able to recognize the work that you put in,” he said.
Just as it’s rewarding to see so much young talent within our member companies, it was also lovely to speak with Griffith and Albright about the event itself. With the show’s exhibitor hall selling out a full six months before the event, Griffith and Albright witnessed SEMICON West’s most attended event to date. SEMICON West 2024 featured hundreds of sessions, dozens of networking events, and a multitude of specialized programs.
Albright loved learning about the other parts of the industry’s supply chain beyond what Brewer Science handles, and how the pieces of the semiconductor puzzle fit together. For Griffith, his area of interest was workforce development.
“It’s good to see that companies are taking a big interest in workforce development,” he said. “I’ve been seeing this first hand at my company, the talent gap is very much approaching. So, being able to meet and network with other young folks is encouraging.”
As a senior product specialist at Indium Corporation, Griffith analyzes market trends and decides how Indium should approach new opportunities and target potential customers. He’s a materials engineer by degree, earning his bachelor’s in engineering, as well as his Master of Engineering Management, from Dartmouth College.
“It’s exciting to be on the cutting edge of how technology is developing,” he said. “As these chips continue to get smaller and smaller, and as technology advances, it’s interesting to work on.”
Albright has been in her role as a content marketer since July 2020. With extensive experience working in marketing, public relations, and creating content for a variety of industries, Brewer Science captured her attention due to its deep commitment to sustainability.
“Brewer Science truly walks the walk and not just talks the talk,” she said. In addition, she also shared her sound advice for anyone new to the industry.
“We have the opportunity to be a part of an industry that is truly life-changing,” she explained. “It’s an exciting place to be, knowing that there’s only growth and innovation ahead of you, so it’s important that you learn as much as you can. In an industry as intimidating as semiconductors and manufacturing, you feel like you never truly know enough. Just persevere, keep asking questions, and be curious.”
