Dr. Scott Kern, co-founder of BLD Lighting in 2016, brings an extensive and diverse background consisting of more that 25 years of experience in the LED industry. He started his career in the R&D Department of Hewlett-Packard’s Optoelectronics Division and, over the succeeding years, he has held management positions at Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies (a spin-off of Hewlett-Packard), Lumileds Lighting (a joint venture between Agilent and Philips Lighting), Philips Lumileds and Soitec Lighting in the areas of R&D, manufacturing, new business creation, product development, strategic marketing, technical marketing, product marketing, sales and general management.

Dr. Kern received his Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Engineering from Clemson University and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Materials Science and Engineering from North Carolina State University. He is the primary author of more than 50 published journal papers and book chapters as well as a contributing author on more than 200 other articles in the field of LEDs and wide-band-gap technologies. He is the primary holder of five patents and a contributor on 25 others.

Experienced Executive Leader with over two decades of global experience in Semiconductor Marketing, Sales, and Operations, driving growth across the silicon IP ecosystem, AI silicon innovation, and contract manufacturing domains. Proven success in building go-to-market strategies, managing marketing initiatives, and forging deep partnerships across the semiconductor value chain. Expert in ecosystem marketing strategy execution, AI-driven silicon design positioning, and strategic partner alignment. Understands the complete ecosystem of semiconductor marketing and has led high-performing global teams across this vertical. Has successfully supported and partnered with leading semiconductor clients including GlobalFoundries, TSMC, Intel, Boeing, Diehl, Airbus, and others. History of generating double-digit revenue growth by integrating marketing efforts with core business outcomes. Adept at developing multi-format content, enabling cross-functional alignment, and executing campaigns that scale. Leads with a strong data-driven approach, supported by Salesforce, Agile methods, and VOC programs.