‘Blaze new trails’: Gabriel Hoehl, aerospace project student engineer

Flexing your entrepreneurship/innovation muscles

As a student engineer for project ARES (Affordable Rocket Engineering Services), a part of Iowa State Make to Innovate (M:2:I), I spearhead the business operations of the team — joining the realms of business and engineering to bring affordable rocketry solutions to our customers. Last semester, I participated in the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship Pitch-Off, where I did a 90-second pitch and raised $750 in funding. I also worked with the Iowa Space Grant Consortium to write a project proposal to acquire another $5,000 in funding. I participated in the pitch-off again this semester and continue to look for opportunities to grow.

Do you have a startup or business?

At ARES, our mission is to provide affordable rocketry solutions to meet our customers’ needs. Our team is based out of the Department of Aerospace Engineering M:2:I program, a class offered to any engineering student for professional, multi-disciplinary, project-based learning. ARES specifically focuses on building rockets with purpose. ARES has 18 members who work together to reach a common goal: the rocket team, development team, and the operations team.

Our primary customers are research groups looking to affordably test hardware and software such as CubeSats and other small electronics. Last semester, we had our first official customer launch for AerE 3610, a class in Aerospace Engineering, where we launched student final projects on our rocket platform named Scylla. ARES and M:2:I is a great program that gives students the opportunity to work on innovative projects and develop engineering and professional skills. This project has been a great opportunity to work with many great minds; our team has worked very hard for our success and I am excited to see where we go in the future.

Value of Iowa State’s innovation/entrepreneurial resources

I have found great value in the Pappajohn Center. Their semesterly pitch-off has been a great opportunity to not only grow our marketing and outreach but also fundraise and develop professional business skills. It has also become a fantastic networking opportunity as the event attracts many ambitious and like-minded students together to share ideas. As we continue to grow, we will be utilizing Iowa State’s vast network of advisors and resources to help us navigate the business world.

Taking this mindset into your career

I hope to get into sales or test engineering. I think there are many aspects of entrepreneurship that are valued in any industry. The most important I believe, is persistence. Starting a business is hard. It requires you to step out of your comfort zone and get your hands dirty doing things that you have probably never done before. Being an entrepreneur requires a commitment to follow through and the desire to blaze new trails, both of which I will apply in my future endeavors in my career.

How do you hope to change the world?

As entrepreneurs, we see problems in the world and have a desire to solve them. In the future, I would like to take this mindset to benefit the world by bringing innovations to our greatest problems. As an aerospace engineer, I hope to make aviation and spaceflight safer and more sustainable than it is now, by developing solutions to increase the efficiency in both industries.

The moment you saw yourself as an innovator/entrepreneur

When I was in high school, I participated in DECA, a club and competition that promotes business and entrepreneurship skills development for students. In my first year, I developed a marketing plan for a local ice cream shop, and I worked all year on my business plan and presentation. When I went to the Colorado State competition in my final round, I realized I had forgotten critical handouts for my presentation. I left thinking I had failed because of a silly mistake. When the awards were being handed out, others felt anticipation; I felt dread. Then they announced my name. I had won first place. I asked my judges after the competition to see what made them overlook my mistakes. They said I had persevered through and rolled with the punches. That is when I started to think of myself as an entrepreneur. In entrepreneurship, life will throw you curveballs. You must be able to adapt, and persevere through.