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M. Hakan Kostepen
Emerging Technologies & Product Development | Automotive-Mobility-Connectivity-Autonomous Vehicles L2-L5 | Start-Ups | AI/ML | Previously Strategy & Innovation Executive Director at Panasonic Silicon Valley Center
M. Hakan Kostepen is a prominent figure in the fields of technology and innovation, particularly within the automotive and mobility sectors. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of h&k ventures LLC, a company he established in February 2019, focusing on global strategy and innovation in Mobility 4.0, which encompasses aspects like IoT and connected vehicles.12
Educational Background
Kostepen has an impressive educational background:
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (1982)
- Master of Science in Electrical Engineering specializing in AI and Neural Networks from the University of North Dakota (1991)
- Master of Science in Administration with a focus on IT Management from Central Michigan University (1988), obtained during his service in the U.S. Air Force
- Completed the Executive Program in Strategy & Innovation at MIT Sloan School of Management (2017) .14
Professional Experience
Before founding h&k ventures, Kostepen held significant roles at Panasonic, including:
- Executive Director for Product Strategy & Innovation at Panasonic North America, where he was responsible for advanced technologies and innovation strategies related to automotive systems.13
- He also worked at Ford Motor Company as an Advanced Product Development Manager, where he contributed to pioneering projects such as the first speech recognition system for Jaguar vehicles.4
Kostepen's career spans over 25 years, during which he has accumulated extensive experience in systems engineering, advanced product development, and strategic planning across various domains including automotive, healthcare, and defense. He has numerous patents and published works to his name.124
Contributions and Vision
Kostepen is recognized for his ability to bridge technology with education to foster innovation. He has developed strategic partnerships valued at approximately $8.5 billion throughout his career and aims to create platforms that facilitate technological advancements and address challenges in data privacy and collective intelligence in mobility.45 His work emphasizes the integration of emerging technologies and cross-domain collaborations to drive forward-thinking solutions in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.2

