WHO WE ARE
Founded in 2010, Motivo was built on the philosophy of race car engineering — where a single team owns the entire machine, end to end, with no handoffs and no excuses. We applied that same vertically integrated mindset to hardware product development and have been executing on it ever since.
Motivo is not a traditional consulting firm or a staffing shop. We are a vertically integrated engineering partner — mechanical, electrical, software, systems, and fabrication working together as one team, inside your program, from first concept through production-ready hardware. We embed into your organization, take ownership of outcomes, and move with the urgency of a team that has skin in the game.
The Motivo Model
Agile for Hardware
We pioneered the application of agile development principles to physical product development. That means faster iteration, tighter feedback loops, and development timelines that run up to 3x faster than conventional engineering firms.
Embedded Partnership
We don't sit on the outside and advise. We operate inside your program, alongside your team, with full accountability for outcomes. Our clients don't manage us like a vendor — they work with us like colleagues.
All Under One Roof
Motivo is vertically integrated by design — every discipline in one facility, one team, one chain of accountability. When the team that designs something is the same team that builds it, problems get solved in hours instead of weeks.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Allen Goad
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Allen’s passion for championing growth in complex, high-performance companies has led to 25 years of experience leading high profile public and private organizations in the aerospace, defense, advanced robotics, service, and industrial markets. That experience across aerospace, defense, and advanced robotics means clients get a leader who has navigated the complexity of their industry before, and knows how to move programs forward when it matters most.
Allen enjoys time with his family, 4x4 off-roading, riding motorcycles, and building, driving, and racing high performance cars.
Michael Konig
Chief Business Officer (CBO)
Michael brings 20 years of diverse
experience, from engineering to race car
development to fine dining management.
His focus is growing the business model
with a vigilant eye on Motivo's North Star:
client success. For clients, that means a business partner who measures success by one thing: whether your program actually gets to market.
Outside of work, you may
find him riding motorcycles, sleuthing car
auctions, or traversing his yard at top
speed in his tractor.
Manny Ochoa
Electrical & Software Engineering Manager
Manny specializes in systems engineering, robotic automation, and software development. With a strong R&D background, he’s passionate about commercializing emerging technologies and has led teams from concept to prototype. For clients, that means an engineering lead who has taken emerging technology from the lab to working hardware and knows every step of that journey.
Outside work, he stays current with tech trends, explores small towns, and enjoys coffee and culinary experimentation.
Nehal Shahin
Director of Operational Excellence
Nehal oversees Admin, IT, and Facilities with a focus on efficiency, collaboration, and team experience. Drawing on 20 years of experience across eight industries, she excels at connecting dots and building consensus within multi-stakeholder environments. For clients, that means a program environment that runs cleanly behind the scenes so the engineering team stays focused on their work.
Nehal’s pleasures include perusing podcasts, experiencing eateries, traversing terrains, harvesting harmonies, and admiring alliteration.
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Patrick Burwell
Chief Finance Officer (CFO)
Patrick brings 30 years of financial leadership experience in the Rental Car and Energy Transition industries. As a seasoned Controller and CFO, he is known for driving operational excellence in complex, high‑growth environments. For clients, that means a financially disciplined partner who manages engagements with the same rigor they bring to their own operations.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and five rescue dogs outdoors, hiking, and enjoying the year-round fabulous weather of Southern California.
Chris Dunham
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Chris fosters Motivo’s diverse engineering culture by drawing on over a decade of people-focused leadership. He specializes in organizational structure, recruiting strategy, and HR best practices to support our managers, PhDs, and tinkerers. For clients, that means a firm that attracts and retains the kind of engineers who are genuinely exceptional at what they do.
An avid learner and dreamer, Chris and his wife hope to pass those same inquisitive qualities on to their three young sons.
Julius Klein
Mechanical Engineering Manager
Julius specializes in Mechanism Design, Robotics, and Control Systems, with a research background in nonlinear control and motor learning. He pairs this theoretical expertise with a mastery of CAD/CAM modeling in SolidWorks and a deep understanding of fabrication processes. For clients, that means mechanical solutions that are not only theoretically sound but designed with a deep understanding of how they will actually be built.
Outside of engineering, Julius is likely surfing, hiking, mountain biking, or skiing.
Damon Pipenberg
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Damon guides Motivo's product development teams as a senior technical advisor. He is passionate about making development of novel products possible by leveraging the latest technologies. For clients, that means access to a technical advisor who has seen the full landscape of what's possible and knows how to apply the right technology to the right problem.
He relishes the outdoors through mountain biking and skiing and personal projects including home audio, CNC machining, and working on an older Subaru.
Christian Dommell
VP, Product & Programs
Christian has spent 15+ years helping companies innovate, from designing giant space-based solar arrays to running large R&D projects to partnering with startups at a corporate Venture Capital fund. He brings all of that experience to Motivo to ensure client success. For clients, that means a program leader who understands both the startup urgency of getting to market and the enterprise rigor of doing it right.
Outside of that, he’s generally sharing his love of STEM, the outdoors, and random pop culture with his kids and the broader community.
Even Garcia
Fabrication Manager
Even started his career in mobility product development, working on everything from custom electric bikes to suspension systems. As Fabrication Manager, he now mentors our team in advanced machining and rapid prototyping, ensuring complex systems are flawlessly integrated and debugged. For clients, that means a fabrication team that catches integration problems on the shop floor before they become program-level delays.
His personal interests derive from his work; in his time off, he’s usually tinkering, working on cars, or fishing.
See What We Build
The best way to understand how Motivo works is to see what we have built. Explore our case studies to see the programs we have led, the problems we have solved, and the products we have brought to market.