High-Level Summary
In this episode of Rise Urban Nation, host Taryell Simmons sits down with Bassanio Peters, founder of Assist to Develop, to examine how open innovation is transforming mechanical engineering and corporate problem-solving. Peters shares his journey from collegiate athletics and corporate sales to pioneering a platform that enables anyone, anywhere, to solve complex engineering challenges regardless of their pedigree. The conversation underscores how resilience, inclusive problem-solving, and community collaboration can disrupt legacy monopolies and create sustainable upward mobility for underrepresented talent.
Key Takeaways
Open innovation bridges corporate R&D gaps by inviting cross-disciplinary thinkers worldwide to solve engineering challenges that legacy corporate structures cannot resolve internally.
Overcoming HiPPO syndrome requires leadership to deconstruct hierarchical decision-making and embrace diversity of thought across organizational divisions.
Struggle becomes a superpower when founders transform adversity, layoffs, and resource scarcity into grit, adaptability, and high-performance execution.
Hands-on challenge platforms democratize workforce development by allowing talent to prove their capabilities through project portfolios rather than conventional credentials.
Web3 and decentralized models offer an alternative to monopolistic tech acquisitions by enabling community members to earn sweat equity and fractional ownership.
Detailed Outline & Topic Breakdown
From Athletics to Engineering Software Sales
Bassanio Peters details his background as a former collegiate basketball player whose athletic aspirations ended after college injuries. Transitioning into sales through a management program at Best Buy and mortgage broking, he entered mechanical engineering design software sales during an economic downturn, developing a passion for product development and striving to excel as a young minority professional in a specialized industry.
The Inception and Evolution of Assist to Develop
While selling software, Peters recognized an opportunity connecting skilled engineers with freelance contracts. After operating a freelance marketplace where price competition degraded quality, he pivoted to open innovation, inspired by an industrial challenge where a violinist solved a mechanical vibration issue. This insight cemented his mission to democratize engineering innovation for creators worldwide.
Securing Enterprise Pilots and Proving Traction
Peters recounts persistent outreach to NASA that secured a high-stakes pilot project, demonstrating a 90 percent savings in time and cost. Despite platform testing delays right before the final presentation, rapid iteration enabled Assist to Develop to validate its model with global participants from Madrid, France, and MIT.
Dismantling Corporate Stagnation and HiPPO Culture
The discussion turns to corporate innovation failures, where corporations spend hundreds of billions annually while failing to satisfy executives. Peters highlights how the highest-paid-person opinion (HiPPO) and siloed divisions stifle internal experimentation, pointing to Google 10 to 15 percent free-time policy as a model for sustained disruption.
Fostering Equity, Inclusion, and Community Impact
Peters describes his work running engineering training through the LACI incubator in South Central Los Angeles, which led to 15 corporate internships and a career placement for an undocumented student at LADWP. He advocates using public challenges to bypass pedigree bias and expand career mobility for underrepresented communities.
Future Outlook: Decentralization, DAOs, and Data Ownership
Looking forward, Peters and Simmons explore how Web3, decentralized autonomous organizations, and user data monetization platforms like Streamlytics will disrupt predatory tech buyouts. Peters emphasizes that collaborative ecosystems and sweat-equity tokenization will level the economic playing field.
Memorable Quotes
"Struggle becomes a superpower. Don't be afraid of hard times, because those hard times teach you how to be resilient and fight your way through." — Bassanio Peters
"If you have the best idea to solve a problem, you have the best idea. It doesn't matter your pedigree, it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from." — Bassanio Peters
"Take action. It doesn't matter what space you're trying to get into. Take action. You know what the right thing to do is? Strike." — Bassanio Peters
Resources, Tools, & Recommendations Mentioned
Assist to Develop — Open innovation engineering platform: https://a2d.app
NASA Open Innovation Program — Enterprise pilot led by Steve Rader
LACI (Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator) — Clean technology incubator supporting South Central LA programs
LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power) — Municipal utility providing engineering employment
Streamlytics — Data monetization company founded by Angela Benton
Prismir — Manufacturing and on-demand parts sourcing partner
Deloitte Corporate Innovation Report — Study examining executive satisfaction and tech talent shortages
Community Leaders — Luis (We The Plug), Mike Roberts (San Diego Code School), and Claude Jones (San Diego Tech Hub)
Thrifty Ice Cream at Rite Aid — Nostalgic local favorite mentioned as Bassanio first job
