Fastener Fair USA 2027 Exhibitor List

Mrunal Deshmukh holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University and is currently working as an R&D Mechanical Design Engineer Intern at Itron Inc. She has experience in mechanical systems design, fastener reliability, GD&T, manufacturability, and simulation-driven product validation across industrial electromechanical systems. Her work focuses on applying digital twin and predictive simulation methods to improve fastener performance, preload retention, and quality assurance processes.

Carmen is a degreed manufacturing engineer, a U.S. Air Force Veteran and one of the original Certified Fastener Specialists. He established Fastener Testing Laboratories, Fastener Test Methods and sits on Fastener Technical Committees at ASTM, ASME, ISO and RCSC. He is a recipient of three Fastener Industry Awards: NFDA 2023 Fastener Professional of the Year, IFE 2024 Fastener Hall of Fame, and IFI 2025 Soaring Eagle Service.

Joe Morales is Co-Founder and CTO of Quickcode.ai, an AI-powered trade compliance platform that transforms how organizations interpret and act on complex, text-heavy data. He leads the company’s technical vision and architecture, building systems that bring speed, accuracy, and clarity to global trade compliance. Under his leadership, Quickcode has deployed advanced large language model (LLM) techniques to dramatically accelerate classification workflows, enabling manufacturers, importers, brokers, and trade professionals to move faster without sacrificing precision. His approach emphasizes human-in-the-loop validation and auditability, ensuring that automation enhances, not replaces, expert decision-making.

Austin is the Senior Business Development Manager specializing in Asset Intelligence for Würth Industry USA. Würth and Dot Ai work at the intersection of technology, data, and strategy to help organizations get the most out of their assets.

Würth Industry USA's partnership with Dot Ai allows them to collect and turn complex data into smart, actionable decisions. For this session, Austin Rovers, Sr. Business Development Manager for Würth Industry, will be accompanied by Joseph Martin, Enterprise Account Executive for Dot Ai. Together they will discuss how the partnership was formed and their vision for the future.

Shannon Hynds is the Co-Founder and CEO of Quickcode.ai, an AI-powered trade compliance platform that transforms how organizations interpret and act on complex, text-heavy data. With a background in software engineering and product leadership, Shannon brings deep technical expertise to solving real-world problems. She is passionate about capturing the knowledge of SMEs, giving teams access to the best information available.

Chris Martens serves as the Vice President of Manufacturing at Optimas Solutions, bringing more than 30 years of expertise in fastener manufacturing and procurement—including bolts, nuts, and complex engineered components. Chris’s experience leading production facilities is complemented by partnerships with manufacturing operations in Europe, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan, giving him a global perspective on operational excellence and supply chain performance. Throughout his career, Chris has built and led high performing teams and established a consistent track record of driving growth in revenue and EBITDA. His leadership centers on developing and executing strategies that create sustainable competitive advantage. Chris previously held leadership positions with MacLean Fogg Company, Semblex Corporation, and Medalist Incorporated. He holds a BA from Kenyon College, ARC teaching certification through Wesleyan University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Management.

My father was an aerospace quality director, and my mother was in education. I am a husband, a father of an amazing six-year-old boy and four-year-old girl. I am an uncle, a brother and a cousin. Being from a big family helps me work with diverse groups of clients. I’ve spent my career in the certification business. Because I was raised adjacent to the industry, I feel like I’ve known about quality my whole life without having the formal education quality. I am an Army veteran, and I attended Illinois State University on the GI Bill where I studied social work. While social work didn’t work out, a friend helped me into our business. The attention to detail from social work and soldiering helped me learn our business and always keeping an open mind has helped me flourish.

Penny Chen is the CEO of Pax, the first AI-powered tariff refund solution. She holds a PhD from MIT and previously a research scientist at Amazon and Flexport, where she built algorithms for large scale optimization problems. At Pax, Penny leads efforts to modernize duty drawback through algorithms and automation. She also advises organizations on how to adopt AI thoughtfully and responsibly in regulated environments. This seminar reflects Penny’s practical approach to helping trade compliance professionals gain clarity, confidence, and skills they can apply immediately.

Jeremy LaDuque has been working with manufacturers and distributors on digital strategies for 15 years, around AI and onsite search as well as extensive background in CMS/DXP, eCommerce and digital presence.