By: Em Jankauski
Meet Joseph Eriqat, the director of engineering at EcoSnap, a startup tech company making mini split heat pumps to help keep heating and cooling solutions affordable for all. Eriqat is also an alumnus and former project manager of the Colorado School of Mines & Arapahoe Community College’s Battery Workforce Challenge team, which took home First Place Overall at the Year One BattChallenge Competition.
Let’s catch up with the alumnus to see what he’s been up to post-competition.
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Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your work for EcoSnap and how it makes an impact in our everyday lives?
A: “Our company is a startup bringing technology out of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. that makes mini split heat pumps cheaper and easier to install. We hope to bring affordable heating and cooling to everyone and increase home electrification in the process, making people comfortable and reducing climate change.”
Q: You’re an alumnus of the Colorado School of Mines & Arapahoe Community College’s BattChallenge team. What were some of your main contributions you made while a member of the team?
A: “My job was to oversee all the project management deliverables as well as manage overall project timelines and goals while also serving as the team’s primary spokesman. I had an excellent team of project management leads that helped me to achieve those goals. We’re extremely proud of our win last year, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish this year.”
Q: How did your time in the BattChallenge help prepare you for your current role in industry?
A: “Serving as the project manager for such a large team doing engineering development work gave me exactly the tools I needed to be effective in my current position. I even still use many of the programs that I learned to use in the BattChallenge including Monday.com, a project management application.
Q: What advice do you have for current BattChallengers?
A: “Treat this program like it’s your real job and learn as much as you can. The skills you practice in a program like the BattChallenge are the very same ones you’ll be asked to use once you reach industry.”
