Summary
Circle Optics is proud to recognize three members of our team in celebration of International Women’s Day: Jennifer Sertl, Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships; Grace Annese, Software Engineer; and Dr. Anjali Jogeshwar, Senior Computer Vision Engineer. Each brings a unique path into the fields of imaging science, computer vision, and advanced technology, strengthening the collaboration between engineering, software development, and industry partnerships that drives innovation at Circle Optics. Their work reflects the interdisciplinary nature of modern perception systems and the growing role of imaging technology in autonomy, situational awareness, and immersive experiences. The article also acknowledges the broader ecosystem of organizations and programs that support innovation in optics and computer vision. Together, these contributions highlight how diverse perspectives continue to expand the field of vision for the future.
Recognizing the Women Helping Shape the Future of Imaging and AI
At its core, the work of Circle Optics is about perception. The company develops technologies that allow machines and humans to see complex environments more clearly, capturing information across wide fields of view to support situational awareness, autonomy, and immersive experiences.
But perception is not only a technical challenge. It is also shaped by the people designing the systems.
Across the global optics and imaging community, women are contributing as engineers, researchers, educators, founders, and ecosystem leaders. Their perspectives help expand how problems are approached and how solutions are designed.
Rochester, New York has long been one of the world’s most important centers for optics and imaging science. Universities, research institutions, startups, and established companies work together to advance technologies that influence fields ranging from cinematography and virtual production to aerospace sensing and machine vision.
International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to recognize the individuals contributing to this evolving landscape.
At Circle Optics, three members of the team reflect the diverse pathways that lead into imaging science and advanced technology: Jennifer Sertl, Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships; Grace Annese, Software Engineer; and Dr. Anjali Jogeshwar, Senior Computer Vision Engineer. Together their work spans engineering, perception systems, ecosystem partnerships, and the translation of complex technology into real world impact.
Jennifer Sertl, VP of MarketinG & Partnerships
Jennifer Sertl joined Circle Optics four years ago after more than two decades working in leadership development and advising startups navigating growth, complexity, and transformation. Throughout her career she focused on helping leaders articulate vision, align teams, and make values based decisions in moments of uncertainty. That background continues to shape how she approaches her work at Circle Optics, where credibility, clarity, and trust are essential when communicating advanced technology.
Sertl was drawn to Circle Optics by founder Zak Niazi’s vision for what wide field of view imaging could make possible. She recognized early that the company was not simply building cameras, but developing new ways for machines and humans to perceive complex environments. Helping translate that vision into language that customers, partners, and industry ecosystems could understand became central to her role.
At Circle Optics, Sertl works at the intersection of engineering, partnerships, and storytelling. She collaborates closely with technical teams to ensure that marketing reflects how products are actually designed, built, and deployed in real world environments. Her approach emphasizes accuracy over amplification and respects the engineering discipline behind the technology.
Partnership development is also a core focus of her work. Sertl builds relationships across industry, academia, government aligned organizations, and regional innovation networks. These partnerships support workforce development, research collaboration, and customer discovery while strengthening the broader ecosystem surrounding advanced imaging and autonomy.
Beyond Circle Optics, Sertl serves as Vice President of the AUVSI Empire State Chapter and teaches innovation at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Through these roles she supports the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs entering the technology sector.
She also leads Circle Optics’ 360 Pulse Podcast and 360 Pulse Magazine, platforms that highlight the individuals, partnerships, and technical breakthroughs shaping the company’s progress.
For Sertl, celebrating the people behind innovation remains one of the most meaningful parts of her work.
Grace Annese, software Engineer
Grace Annese has been part of the Circle Optics team for three years, contributing to the company’s growing software capabilities in imaging and computer vision. As a Software Engineer, she works at the intersection of imaging science and software development, helping translate complex visual data into systems that support real world applications.
Annese began her academic journey at the University of Pittsburgh, where she initially pursued astrophysics alongside film studies. The combination reflected two early interests: understanding the physical universe and exploring visual storytelling. Personal circumstances later brought her back to Rochester, New York, where she discovered the Motion Picture Science program at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The program’s unique blend of optics, imaging science, engineering, and filmmaking helped shape her career direction.
While the creative side of filmmaking initially drew her in, Annese soon found herself increasingly interested in the engineering behind imaging systems. As she explored imaging science more deeply, she realized that the technical side of image capture and processing was where she wanted to focus her work.
During her time at RIT, Annese attended a guest lecture delivered by Circle Optics Chief Research Officer Andy Kurtz. The discussion provided insight into advanced optical systems and reinforced her growing interest in the field.
After completing her studies, Annese began her professional career at Portrait Displays, where she worked in color science and imaging research. She later joined the startup Scanwell Health, where she applied imaging technology to smartphone based diagnostic tools designed to make medical testing more accessible.
Through these experiences Annese discovered that she thrives in startup environments. She values collaborative teams where individuals can contribute across disciplines and where ideas move quickly from concept to implementation. That collaborative culture and sense of shared purpose drew her to Circle Optics.
At Circle Optics, Annese contributes to the development of imaging software that supports panoramic capture and perception systems. As immersive technologies and machine vision platforms continue to evolve, she sees significant potential for optics and imaging science to shape how humans and machines understand complex environments.
For Annese, the most rewarding part of the work is knowing that imaging technology can help people see and interpret the world in new ways.
Dr. Anjali Jogeshwar, seNIOR COMputer Vision Engineeer
Circle Optics expanded its computer vision capabilities with the addition of Dr. Anjali Jogeshwar, who joined the company two years ago as a Senior Computer Vision Engineer. She brings strong expertise in imaging science, artificial intelligence, and applied research that strengthens the company’s work in advanced perception systems.
Jogeshwar earned her Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from Mumbai University before continuing her studies in the United States. She completed both her Master of Science and PhD in Imaging Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Her doctoral research, titled Look at the Bigger Picture: Analyzing Eye Tracking Data with Multi Dimensional Visualization, explored how humans interpret complex visual environments and how eye tracking data can reveal patterns in perception and attention.
At Circle Optics, Jogeshwar contributes to the development of photogrammetry and perception systems designed to support real time situational awareness. Her work helps bridge optical hardware and software systems so machines can interpret visual information more effectively.
Before joining Circle Optics, Jogeshwar worked at Motorola developing next generation camera systems with artificial intelligence driven image quality optimization. While the scale of aerospace and satellite imaging differs from consumer electronics, the core challenge remains the same: integrating hardware and software to create systems that interpret the world in real time.
Beyond the technical dimensions of her work, Jogeshwar is motivated by the human impact of computer vision. She is particularly interested in how intelligent systems can improve accessibility and remove barriers for individuals who have historically been overlooked, including people living with disabilities.
Her work reflects a broader vision for AI and imaging technology: systems that expand human capability while remaining grounded in real world needs.
Recognizing the Broader Ecosystem
Innovation in fields such as computer vision, photonics, and autonomous systems rarely happens in isolation. It emerges from collaboration across universities, startups, research organizations, and government supported innovation programs that help translate new ideas into working technologies.
Organizations such as the Rochester Institute of Technology, SBIR Advisors, GENIUS NY, the Luminate Accelerator, and the Griffiss Institute play an important role in supporting this innovation pipeline. These programs connect entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers, and investors, helping early stage companies access mentorship, capital, and commercialization pathways.
They also create environments where diverse perspectives are welcomed and where emerging leaders have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful technological progress.
International Women’s Day offers an opportunity not only to celebrate individual achievements, but also to recognize the broader ecosystem that makes innovation possible. Across universities, accelerators, advisory groups, and engineering teams, women continue to expand the boundaries of what technology can accomplish.
