HAL RUCKER
EXECUTIVE WITH FOCUS ON USER EXPERIENCE, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN
Eclectic product design pioneer and technology entrepreneur with a legacy of launching successful products and services, leveraging human-centered design, market insight, and cross-functional team leadership.
• Founder of three successful companies: Two self-financed and one backed by venture capital.
• Inventor and owner of multiple patents.
• Designer and fabricator of remote-controlled robots for the popular TV show BattleBots.
PRESIDENT
Neuma Innovations
2010 – Present
Founded incubator with the mission of creating compelling wellness devices and software.
• Neuma Central Line Protection Clamp: Invented, designed, and monetized a simple medical device to deter and detect central line abuse by intravenous drug-using patients. The clamp reduces illicit drug overdoses, central line contamination, and CLABSI events. Brought Neuma Clamp to market, selling 100k units within two years by establishing a strong presence at trade shows and marketing the value proposition online.
• Neuma Central Line Disinfecting Cap: The first disinfecting cap that is truly single-use, thus guaranteeing caregiver compliance. The device is patented and currently in the FDA approval process, staged to be introduced to the $800M central line cap marketplace.
• PeerPressure Mobile App: A social marketing platform that motivates users to achieve personal goals. Funded, hired, and managed the engineering team to develop the mobile app and backend systems, earning 30k users and 4+ stars in the App Store in less than one year.
TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN LEAD
BattleBots
2022 – 2023
Led 12 independent engineering teams to design and fabricate remote-controlled robots for “BattleBots Destruct-A-Thon”, an ongoing live show at the BattleBots Arena in Las Vegas. Fabricated 60 total 250-pound robots optimized for entertainment value and ease of repair. Project was completed under budget, and deliverables arrived on schedule for the premiere.
Researched, tested, and documented a standardized robotics component library for all teams, selecting each item based on resiliency of supply chain, ease of repair, performance, and affordability. Achieved buy-in through consensus building and coaching past obstacles.
BATTLEBOTS COMPETITOR
DUCK!
2012 – 2021
Designer, fabricator, and captain of DUCK!, a 250-pound fan-favorite on the Discovery Channel TV show BattleBots. Incorporated fun animatronics to increase audience appeal. Collaborated with the HexBug toy company engineering team to develop a radio controlled DUCK! toy based on my licensed design; optimizing features, behaviors, and manufacturing costs.
CEO AND FOUNDER
Smalltown
2004 – 2010
Acquired by Cisco Systems
Founded the company, raised a $4M Series A based on a unique local advertising franchise model, guided the team to revenue generation in 11 months, and launched a profitable proof-of-viability franchise region in the Bay Area. Orchestrated the sale of Smalltown to Cisco Systems, working post-acquisition as the Head of User Experience for Cisco Umi telepresence.
Led the 12-person company to invent and deliver a proprietary Google-indexable “No Code” Webcard advertising platform for small businesses, featuring video, social recommendations, sharable reviews, discussion threads, couponing, and scheduling.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Laszlo Systems
2002 – 2004
Managed team of designers and engineers chartered with developing state-of-the-art rich Internet applications for Fortune 500 clients built using Laszlo’s new technology platform. Responsible for client acquisition and business development, including professional services engagements with Yahoo!, eBay, and Travelocity.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Excite@Home
2000 – 2002
Excite@Home purchased Rucker Design Group. As part of the acquisition, I became SVP of Excite Studios, the new product development team at Excite. The large group of designers and engineers I managed created innovative Internet-based applications that showcased Excite’s content delivered via @Home’s broadband connectivity.
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
Rucker Design Group (aka RDG) 1989 – 2000
Acquired by Excite@Home
RDG originated with a focus on branding, packaging, and illustration. The agency then developed expertise in user experience, information architecture, and product design.
RDG was fortunate to play a role in the development of many exciting products, including Final Cut Pro (Apple’s professional video editor), Connectix QuickCam (the first commercially successful webcam), iMovie (Apple’s video editing tool for the rest of us), Hotmail (the world’s first HTML email service), WebTV (Internet service without a computer), Xerox Parc PlaceWare (the first Web-based online meeting website), Fractal Design Painter (natural media software for digital artists), and Ariba (the first JAVA app for corporate procurement).
PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER
IDEO
1984 – 1989
Mechanical engineer working on various consumer and industrial products, including the NeXT Cube for Steve Jobs. Helped develop, refine, and implement human-centric design methodologies that later became foundational principles of modern project management.
FILMMAKER
Manic Denial
1984 – 1989
Wrote and animated Manic Denial - a short film comprised of over 6,000 4 ft x 6 ft hand-painted panels. The film was selected for The Sundance Film Festival, appeared on National Public Television, won a first-place Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and was part of an installation at the New York Museum of Modern Art.
EDUCATION
Stanford University
BS Mechanical Engineering
Stanford University
MS Product Design
PATENTS
Single-Use Cap
Patent number: 10842986
Type: Grant
Filed: July 31, 2017
Date of Patent: November 24, 2020 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Tamper Resistant Clamp
Patent number: 10688297 Type: Grant
Filed: October 11, 2018
Date of Patent: June 23, 2020 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Tamper Resistant Clamp
Patent number: 10173018 Type: Grant
Filed: August 31, 2015
Date of Patent: January 8, 2019 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Airflow Control for Pressurized Air Delivery
Patent number: 9839761
Type: Grant
Filed: June 24, 2014
Date of Patent: December 12, 2017 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Liquid Container
Patent number: 4544077
Type: Grant
Filed: December 17, 1984
Date of Patent: October 1, 1985 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Insulated Drug Supply Pouch
Patent number: 5135144
Type: Grant
Filed: August 29, 1990
Date of Patent: August 4, 1992 Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company Inventors: David C. Blakely, Hal Rucker
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D678307
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D678308
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D678320
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display screen with graphical user interface
Patent number: D678894
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D682294
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D682854
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D682864
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Hal Rucker | (650) 759-1203 | [email protected] | Palo Alto, CA | www.halrucker.com
EXECUTIVE WITH FOCUS ON USER EXPERIENCE, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN
Eclectic product design pioneer and technology entrepreneur with a legacy of launching successful products and services, leveraging human-centered design, market insight, and cross-functional team leadership.
• Founder of three successful companies: Two self-financed and one backed by venture capital.
• Inventor and owner of multiple patents.
• Designer and fabricator of remote-controlled robots for the popular TV show BattleBots.
PRESIDENT
Neuma Innovations
2010 – Present
Founded incubator with the mission of creating compelling wellness devices and software.
• Neuma Central Line Protection Clamp: Invented, designed, and monetized a simple medical device to deter and detect central line abuse by intravenous drug-using patients. The clamp reduces illicit drug overdoses, central line contamination, and CLABSI events. Brought Neuma Clamp to market, selling 100k units within two years by establishing a strong presence at trade shows and marketing the value proposition online.
• Neuma Central Line Disinfecting Cap: The first disinfecting cap that is truly single-use, thus guaranteeing caregiver compliance. The device is patented and currently in the FDA approval process, staged to be introduced to the $800M central line cap marketplace.
• PeerPressure Mobile App: A social marketing platform that motivates users to achieve personal goals. Funded, hired, and managed the engineering team to develop the mobile app and backend systems, earning 30k users and 4+ stars in the App Store in less than one year.
TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN LEAD
BattleBots
2022 – 2023
Led 12 independent engineering teams to design and fabricate remote-controlled robots for “BattleBots Destruct-A-Thon”, an ongoing live show at the BattleBots Arena in Las Vegas. Fabricated 60 total 250-pound robots optimized for entertainment value and ease of repair. Project was completed under budget, and deliverables arrived on schedule for the premiere.
Researched, tested, and documented a standardized robotics component library for all teams, selecting each item based on resiliency of supply chain, ease of repair, performance, and affordability. Achieved buy-in through consensus building and coaching past obstacles.
BATTLEBOTS COMPETITOR
DUCK!
2012 – 2021
Designer, fabricator, and captain of DUCK!, a 250-pound fan-favorite on the Discovery Channel TV show BattleBots. Incorporated fun animatronics to increase audience appeal. Collaborated with the HexBug toy company engineering team to develop a radio controlled DUCK! toy based on my licensed design; optimizing features, behaviors, and manufacturing costs.
CEO AND FOUNDER
Smalltown
2004 – 2010
Acquired by Cisco Systems
Founded the company, raised a $4M Series A based on a unique local advertising franchise model, guided the team to revenue generation in 11 months, and launched a profitable proof-of-viability franchise region in the Bay Area. Orchestrated the sale of Smalltown to Cisco Systems, working post-acquisition as the Head of User Experience for Cisco Umi telepresence.
Led the 12-person company to invent and deliver a proprietary Google-indexable “No Code” Webcard advertising platform for small businesses, featuring video, social recommendations, sharable reviews, discussion threads, couponing, and scheduling.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Laszlo Systems
2002 – 2004
Managed team of designers and engineers chartered with developing state-of-the-art rich Internet applications for Fortune 500 clients built using Laszlo’s new technology platform. Responsible for client acquisition and business development, including professional services engagements with Yahoo!, eBay, and Travelocity.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Excite@Home
2000 – 2002
Excite@Home purchased Rucker Design Group. As part of the acquisition, I became SVP of Excite Studios, the new product development team at Excite. The large group of designers and engineers I managed created innovative Internet-based applications that showcased Excite’s content delivered via @Home’s broadband connectivity.
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
Rucker Design Group (aka RDG) 1989 – 2000
Acquired by Excite@Home
RDG originated with a focus on branding, packaging, and illustration. The agency then developed expertise in user experience, information architecture, and product design.
RDG was fortunate to play a role in the development of many exciting products, including Final Cut Pro (Apple’s professional video editor), Connectix QuickCam (the first commercially successful webcam), iMovie (Apple’s video editing tool for the rest of us), Hotmail (the world’s first HTML email service), WebTV (Internet service without a computer), Xerox Parc PlaceWare (the first Web-based online meeting website), Fractal Design Painter (natural media software for digital artists), and Ariba (the first JAVA app for corporate procurement).
PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER
IDEO
1984 – 1989
Mechanical engineer working on various consumer and industrial products, including the NeXT Cube for Steve Jobs. Helped develop, refine, and implement human-centric design methodologies that later became foundational principles of modern project management.
FILMMAKER
Manic Denial
1984 – 1989
Wrote and animated Manic Denial - a short film comprised of over 6,000 4 ft x 6 ft hand-painted panels. The film was selected for The Sundance Film Festival, appeared on National Public Television, won a first-place Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and was part of an installation at the New York Museum of Modern Art.
EDUCATION
Stanford University
BS Mechanical Engineering
Stanford University
MS Product Design
PATENTS
Single-Use Cap
Patent number: 10842986
Type: Grant
Filed: July 31, 2017
Date of Patent: November 24, 2020 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Tamper Resistant Clamp
Patent number: 10688297 Type: Grant
Filed: October 11, 2018
Date of Patent: June 23, 2020 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Tamper Resistant Clamp
Patent number: 10173018 Type: Grant
Filed: August 31, 2015
Date of Patent: January 8, 2019 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Airflow Control for Pressurized Air Delivery
Patent number: 9839761
Type: Grant
Filed: June 24, 2014
Date of Patent: December 12, 2017 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Liquid Container
Patent number: 4544077
Type: Grant
Filed: December 17, 1984
Date of Patent: October 1, 1985 Inventor: Hal Rucker
Insulated Drug Supply Pouch
Patent number: 5135144
Type: Grant
Filed: August 29, 1990
Date of Patent: August 4, 1992 Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company Inventors: David C. Blakely, Hal Rucker
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D678307
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D678308
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D678320
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display screen with graphical user interface
Patent number: D678894
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D682294
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D682854
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Display Screen with Graphical User Interface
Patent number: D682864
Type: Grant
Filed: December 16, 2010
Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Inventors: John M. Kanalakis, Jr., Beate Fritsch, Hal Rucker, Peter D. Andrea
Hal Rucker | (650) 759-1203 | [email protected] | Palo Alto, CA | www.halrucker.com