Profile: Dr. Albert M. Green

Meet Dr. Albert M. Green. Founder and CEO of AMG Consulting Group.

Name: Dr. Albert M. Green

Job: Founder and CEO, AMG Consulting Group

City: Kent

Hometown: Englewood, NJ 

Q: What do you do at AMG Consulting Group?
We are experienced technology consultants that help companies and organizations innovate in a competitive marketplace. We focus on the business of research, development and innovation. Our core competencies include technology scouting and commercialization, new product ideation, go-to-market strategies, talent development and executive mentoring.  

Q: What’s a problem that you are working to solve? 
A specific problem we are working to solve is increasing the speed and efficiency of introducing Higher-Ed developed intellectual property into the commercial marketplace. 

Q: What’s a lesson you’ve learned that has helped shaped your work? 
Communication is vitally important. If done properly, it will foster an environment of trust and collaboration, which are the cornerstones of successful enterprises.

Prior to starting my consulting practice, I was the CEO of Kent Displays, Inc.—the makers of the Boogie Board eWriter from 2007-2018. During that time, I was fortunate enough to initiate and then manage a rapidly growing company as we commercialized a brand new technology and created a new product category. You learn a few things taking a technology from the university laboratory to the shelf at Walmart.  

A key lesson learned is the importance of building consensus. Managing a fast growing company has unique challenges as one learns to transition from managing performers to managing managers—and the ability to build consensus among the leadership team is vitally important. 

Q: What’s a trend in technology or innovation that you believe doesn’t get enough attention? 
A recognition of the importance of alternate education pathways, such as apprenticeship and on-the-job training, as a viable mechanism to expand and diversify the workforce. This is particularly true in Northeast Ohio where there is a paucity of STEM talent that the region needs to achieve the aspirational growth that is currently envisioned.    

Q: What’s one moonshot idea that could help make Ohio a world leader in technology and innovation? 
A “moonshot” idea would be to create a state and Industry funded “MANUTECH” Consortium focused on manufacturing technology. The entity would be modeled after the “SEMATECH’ Consortium, which was founded in 1987 as a partnership between the US Government and 14 U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturers to solve common manufacturing problems.  

The goal was to regain competitiveness for the U.S. semiconductor industry that had been surpassed by the Japanese industry in the 1980’s. Some of the SEMATECH lessons learned are found here.  

In many ways, MANUTECH is much more complicated than SEMATCH due to large diversity of manufacturing technologies. The challenge would be to focus on the most impactful next gen technologies and to achieve consensus on those—which is difficult—which is why it’s a moonshot!  

This should not be confused with the Youngstown-based America Makes National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) facility. On the surface, they appear to have a similar mission, however SEMATECH funding dwarfed that of America Makes and SEMATECH had a very focused mission with clear industry buy-in.

Q: What’s a recent book, podcast or news story that you found interesting? 
The article entitled, “Maintaining Professionalism In the Age Of Black Death Is…A lot” really got my attention. The nation is clearly at an inflection point with two major crisis gripping the country at the same time. The national dialog around diversity, equity, and inclusion is real and long overdue. The article addresses a subject that is often-overlooked, but extremely important.   

Q: What's your favorite place in Ohio? 
Holmes County in the fall. As an avid photographer, it’s almost impossible to take a bad picture at that time and place! 

Q: What makes Ohio special to you?  
The people. I am not an Ohio native and have had the luxury of living on both coasts (New Jersey, Washington D.C., Silicon Valley) and another Midwest city (Chicago). What makes Northeast Ohio special is the people and the manageable pace of life.  

Connect with Al on LinkedIn.