JOE HEELAN

Joseph Heelan, MS

Chief Executive Officer of Powders on Demand

Joe is motivated by growth; he is addicted to the excitement and sense of accomplishment that comes with starting something from nothing and turning it into a solution that can help not only himself, but others. This enthusiasm for cultivation applies to all facets of Joe’s life including an eagerness to learn a new skill at home, motivation for where he works, and choosing what hobbies to explore next. Naturally, Solvus Global was the perfect fit for Joe; it supplies the optimal environment for incubating impactful ideas that can make a difference in critical markets when matured to their full potential.

Co-Founder, CEO of POD

Joe is a co-founder and CEO of one of Solvus Global’s first business enterprises, Powders on Demand (POD). He has been working closely with the Solvus Global family of companies since its early inception in 2017. One of the key value propositions for POD is that all feedstock materials offered for sale are specifically engineered and validated in the designed process for use. As one of the core leaders within POD, Joe’s primary goal is to continue to breach new industries and applications where POD powders can be leveraged specifically geared towards augmenting the growth and expansion of key additive manufacturing markets like cold spray.

Like many innate problem solvers, Joe is an engineer at heart. His background and expertise is in engineering powders at the particle-level to enhance key characteristics critical to applications. Prior to joining POD, Joe was a team lead and materials engineer in the aerospace industry. Joe has both a M.Sc. in Materials Science and Eng. from WPI and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Eng. from Northeastern University. He is a member of the Heat Treat Today 40 under 40 and is both patented and published for his work in powder development. Among his other accomplishments, Joe has received the Editor’s Choice Award from the Journal of Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (JOM) where only 5% of all the articles accepted by JOM receive this designation. Joe is additionally certified in lean manufacturing and is an alumni and participator of MassChallenge, an accelerator for the regions most innovative startups.

Outside of work, you’ll find Joe exploring the outdoors. Joe is an avid fishermen, hiker, and snowboarder. He is currently in the process of hiking all of New Hampshire's 4000-footer peaks with his wife Shanleigh and Australian Shepherd Sampson. Joe is also very much a family man. He has a son Wilson and daughter Nora, both of which are becoming explorers of their own – Wilson has already summitted 7 of the 48 4000-footer mountains on Dad and Mom’s back. Both kids are experienced [and more important happy while doing it] campers before the age of three.