Erik Ryde

My dad worked in the semi-conductor industry in Silicon Valley when I was young, so I guess you could say that I have been around science and technology my entire life. I came to Boston to study mechanical engineering at Northeastern and met Tyler at a start-up job fair. Back then, Lyndra was only five months old, but even so, it seemed clear that the company was doing the kind of work I wanted to be a part of.

I ended up finishing two six-month co-ops with Lyndra, as well as a capstone project, and ultimately a full-time job. Interestingly, I’m Swedish-American by heritage and citizenship, and shortly after my initial interview, a family member pointed out to me that the Swedish word “lindra” means to “relieve, soothe or ease.” And that’s exactly what we at Lyndra are trying to do—to relieve suffering by making it easier for people to take their medications.

For me, it’s that humanitarian aspect that’s so important. The work itself is engaging, and it’s incredibly motivating to have a job that strikes the delicate balance between advanced chemistry, mechanical design and materials science to create the Lyndra dosage form. But what makes Lyndra such a great company is that everyone here is so committed to improving patient care. I know that what I do today is an incremental step toward potentially changing the lives of people everywhere—it could be someone who lives down the street from me, or someone who lives a world away, or a family member, or… me!

When I was in college, I tried a few industries. But those experiences weren’t the same. What we’re doing here is bringing a fresh perspective to patient care, and that requires truly creative solutions to what many would consider trivial questions. Every day, I’m engaged in that kind of inventive problem-solving, and I feel privileged to be working with such smart, compassionate teammates, all of whom are dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives.