Karlis grew up in an old log cabin in the swampy, often frozen woods of rural Wisconsin. His Latvian family came to the United States as refugees after World War II. With both parents working as silversmiths, he grew up learning their craft and the satisfaction of making things by hand.

 

His path to engineering included a few detours. After high school, he explored architecture, business, wilderness law enforcement, and biochemical engineering. Along the way, he volunteered as a park ranger at Isle Royale National Park and managed apartments near the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He eventually found his fit studying Automated Systems and Robotics at Dunwoody College of Technology.

 

After years of exploring and working across the automation industry, Karlis found his calling in a childhood dream: being an inventor. Today, he puts that curiosity and experience to work turning ideas into practical solutions.