Joseph Ambrosio (B.S. ’93) and Konstantinos “Gus” Sfakianos (B.S. ’93)
Positions: Co-founders of Odyne Corporation, one of the nation’s top teams in developing hybrid power for eco-friendly cars, buses and trucks that run on electric motors.
It All Began at NYIT: Ambrosio and Sfakianos became fast friends while participating in a Society of Automotive Engineers hybrid electric vehicle challenge as students at NYIT. They immediately formed a partnership and, after graduation, created Neocon Technologies, a company dedicated to servicing electric and hybrid-electric vehicles of utility companies throughout the country. Seven years later, they began developing their own systems and created Odyne Corporation, where Joseph and Gus today act as chief technical officer and chief operating officer/CFO, respectively.
NYIT’s Impact: Both men credit much of their success to their alma mater. “NYIT gave me the engineering and project management experience that I use on a daily basis,” says Ambrosio. “I chose NYIT because I liked the idea of going to school on Long Island,” says Sfakianos. “My professors were good teachers and great people. NYIT also put me in touch with people from different cultures all over the world—people I’m still friends with.”
Claims to Fame: Odyne was awarded a contract by the Town of North Hempstead to develop a hybrid bus to replace the fleet of vehicles used to transport seniors. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority showed their faith in Odyne's products by picking up a large percentage of the price tag for the prototype.
Hope for the Future: “I believe that every type of vehicle sold, from passenger to heavy truck, will be available in some type of electrically driven format in the next 10 years,” says Ambrosio. “With gasoline prices over $3 a gallon, people are starting to understand that we need to go in another direction. Knowing that our work is important and will preserve the environment makes all the hours we put in worth it.”