Summary
Circle Optics welcomes Business Administration Intern Evan Macko, whose entrepreneurial mindset, disciplined execution, and passion for learning make him a strong addition to our growing team. Fresh off leading RIT's first place finish in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge, Evan shares how curiosity, focus, and the confidence to navigate uncertainty have shaped his approach to business. Alongside Chief Operating Officer Ian Gauger, Evan is gaining firsthand experience in how operational excellence helps transform breakthrough technology into scalable commercial success.
At Circle Optics, our culture is built on Know How, Synergy, and Innovation. We believe breakthrough technologies are created by people who are curious, disciplined, collaborative, and committed to continuous learning. Building a great company means investing not only in breakthrough technology, but also in the people who will shape its future.
As a company proudly headquartered in Greater Rochester, Circle Optics benefits from one of the nation’s strongest innovation ecosystems. Through partnerships with Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester, we continue to cultivate emerging talent while strengthening the region’s technology workforce. Today, three former student interns have become full- time members of the Circle Optics team, reflecting our long-term commitment to developing the next generation of innovators.
Curiosity, Discipline and an Entrepreneurial Spirit
Circle Optics is pleased to welcome Rochester native and Rochester Institute of Technology graduate Evan Macko as our newest Business Administration Intern. Having recently earned his degree in Finance from RIT, Evan brings an entrepreneurial mindset, strategic discipline, and a genuine curiosity about how innovative companies are built and scaled. As he begins his professional career, Evan is eager to deepen his understanding of business operations and learn how emerging technologies successfully transition from breakthrough innovation to commercial growth.
Chief Operating Officer Ian Gauger immediately recognized qualities that aligned with Circle Optics’ culture, “Upon my first meeting, I was impressed with Evan’s initiative and entrepreneurial spirit and knew he would be a great fit for Circle Optics.”
Evan recently helped lead RIT’s Tigers Trading team to a first place finish in the Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge, outperforming more than 2,400 university teams from around the world. While the team developed a disciplined investment strategy and remained committed to it despite outside pressure, Evan believes several factors contributed to their success.
The championship team brought together students with backgrounds in finance, software development, and international studies, including a teammate pursuing Japanese language and culture through RIT’s Applied Modern Language and Culture program while also maintaining a strong interest in finance and international business. By combining diverse academic perspectives while remaining committed to a shared strategy, the team consistently made stronger decisions together.“We designed a strategy, and although there was a lot of external pressure to change course, we stayed true to our plan. That level of commitment is what it takes to be successful.”
Another lesson from the competition has stayed with Evan. Rather than pulling back during periods of market volatility, the team learned to lean into uncertainty, trusting both their preparation and one another. That willingness to remain disciplined while embracing uncertainty reflects the mindset often required inside high growth technology companies.
Those experiences mirror the culture at Circle Optics, where engineers, software developers, business leaders, researchers, and customers bring different expertise together to solve complex challenges. Diverse perspectives, disciplined execution, and the confidence to navigate uncertainty are qualities that help transform breakthrough ideas into technologies that create real world impact.
One technique Evan credits for his personal success is the Pomodoro Technique, a time management practice that emphasizes focused work sessions followed by intentional breaks. By putting away distractions, including his phone, and dedicating uninterrupted time to deep work, he has developed habits that support consistent learning, productivity, and execution.
Evan’s curiosity extends well beyond the classroom. Through family travel, he developed a love for Japan and an appreciation for experiencing different cultures. Those experiences strengthened both his passion for travel and his curiosity about how people around the world approach innovation, business, and problem solving.
Looking ahead, Evan hopes to become a founder one day. That entrepreneurial ambition is one of the reasons he was excited to join Circle Optics. “I like the idea of understanding every aspect of a business,” said Evan. “I’m especially interested in learning how Ian thinks and how he makes both short term and long term decisions to help a 20 person team continue to thrive.”
As Circle Optics continues its transition from research driven innovation to commercial growth, Evan will work alongside Chief Operating Officer Ian Gauger to gain firsthand experience in how a deep technology company scales. His internship will provide exposure to operational excellence, financial planning, strategic decision making, and the systems that support a growing business.
This experience comes at an exciting time for the company as Circle Optics accelerates the commercialization of its flagship Pegasus panoramic imaging platform. While Pegasus represents breakthrough engineering, successful commercialization requires disciplined execution across every aspect of the business. Evan’s role will contribute to that next chapter by supporting the operational processes that help transform innovative technology into scalable commercial success.
Please join us in welcoming Evan to Circle Optics. We look forward to supporting his professional growth while learning from the energy, curiosity, discipline, and entrepreneurial perspective he brings to our team.
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