Formula SAE LaunchPad Live is underway! Over the next two days, teams can connect with industry professionals, hear practical guidance for navigating the season, and meet students from other Formula SAE teams working through many of the same challenges.
Whether you’re looking for technical insight, advice on running your team, or an opportunity to connect with students working on the same subsystem, here’s what’s ahead.
Start with the 2027 Season Overview
Kick off the season with Xometry and SAE and get the need-to-know information for the year ahead, including registration and the lottery process, team resources, opportunities to stay connected and ways to make the most of your Formula SAE season.
- Welcome to the 2027 Season, Powered by Xometry
September 9 | 10:30–11:00 AM ET
Discussion Rooms
Our live discussion rooms are designed to be conversational and student-driven. There are no formal presentations or agendas. Bring your questions, share what your team is working through, and hear perspectives from professionals across industry.
WED - SEPT 9 | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM ET
Testing, Validation & Engineering Readiness
Talk testing strategies, validation, engineering readiness and how the work you’re doing on your Formula SAE car connects to practices used in industry.
- Ujwal Chopra | Toyota Material Handling North America | Test Engineering Supervisor
- Thangam Arumugam | Robert Bosch LLC | Senior Functional Safety Calibration Engineer
WED - SEPT 9 | 12:15–1:15 PM ET
Team Operations, Manufacturing & Systems Integration
Explore how team operations, manufacturing and systems integration come together to move a Formula SAE car from design to reality, and what those connections look like in the workplace.
- Alba Colon | Hendrick Motorsports | Director Technical Partnerships | FSAE Alumni
- Logan Huwe | Relativity Space | Structures Manufacturing Engineer | FSAE Alumni
- Chris Bergsneider | Bosch Motorsport | Motorsport Hardware Engineer | FSAE Alumni
WED - SEPT 9 | 4:00–5:00 PM ET
Vehicle Systems: Powertrain, Electrification, Controls & Chassis
Bring your technical questions for a cross-functional conversation with professionals spanning powertrain, electrification, controls and vehicle dynamics. Talk through subsystem challenges, integration and how engineers approach those same connections in industry.
- David Kieke | Taylor Race Engineering | Chief Engineer | FSAE Alumni
- Michael Bambula | Simr | Technical Account Manager | FSAE Alumni
- Rebecca Vollmann | Alpitronic | Key Account Manager | FSAE Alumni
- Jason Schwanke | Robert Bosch LLC | Director, Engineering | FSAE Alumni
- Rae Smith | EV / FCEV Vehicle Controls Engineer
- Claude Rouelle | OptimumG | President
Presentations: Practical Guidance for SAE Team Management
Both today and tomorrow teams can also drop into a series of presentations focused on the practical systems, processes and resources that help SAE teams operate effectively throughout the season.
- TODAY 9/9 - 12:00–12:30 PM ET | SAE Team Organization, Management & Sustainment
- TODAY 9/9 - 1:00–1:30 PM ET | Project Definition and Specification
- TODAY 9/9 - 2:00–2:30 PM ET | Organization of Engineering Data
- TODAY 9/9 - 3:00–3:30 PM ET | Resource Management for SAE Teams
- THUR, SEPT 10 - 10:15–11:15 AM ET | Design Guidance and Reference
- THUR, SEPT 10 - 11:30 AM–12:30 PM ET | Shop Organization and Management
- THUR - SEPT 10 - 9:00–10:00 AM ET | Subsystem Open Office Hours
Thursday morning, we’re turning the discussion rooms over to you. Choose a subsystem room and connect with students from other Formula SAE teams working in the same area. Bring a question, a challenge, an idea you want to compare, or simply come meet your counterparts at other schools. No presentation. No formal agenda. Just an opportunity to talk shop, exchange ideas and build connections across the Formula SAE community.
Register now for LaunchPad Live and head on over to the event schedule to find the session you want to attend and join when it begins!
