# Nicholas Conn

> Nicholas Conn is a Rochester-area engineer, scientist, and entrepreneur who developed the invention behind Casana during his doctorate at RIT. He founded Casana in 2018, served as its founding CEO and later chief scientific officer, and now serves on its board. His current work includes algorithm development, productization, consulting, and founder mentoring.

- **Role:** Founder and Board Member at Casana; Principal at Happy Sleep; Owner at Conn Castle Consulting
- **Organizations:** Casana, Rochester Institute of Technology, Conn Castle Consulting, Happy Sleep, Upstate Venture Connect
- **Education:** BS in Electrical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, MS in Electrical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, PhD in Microsystems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Founded Casana in 2018 around an invention developed during his doctorate., Earned three engineering degrees at RIT., RIT Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.

## Career timeline

- **2011** — Earned BS in Electrical Engineering at RIT.
- **2013** — Earned MS in Electrical Engineering at RIT.
- **2016** — Completed doctoral work in microsystems engineering; developed the technology behind Casana during the doctorate.
- **2018** — Founded Casana, initially known as Heart Health Intelligence; met Austin McChord during an RIT visit.
- **2021** — Publicly identified as founder and chief scientific officer after McChord joined as CEO.
- **2026** — Identified as a Casana founder and board member in July launch coverage; current UVC profile also lists Principal at Happy Sleep.

## Achievements

- Founded Casana in 2018 around an invention developed during his doctorate.
- Earned three engineering degrees at RIT.
- RIT Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.
- Work includes issued and pending patents and peer-reviewed publications, as documented by Upstate Venture Connect.
- Helped develop an invention that reached the market as Casana’s Smart Seat in July 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Casana brought its Smart Seat to market; RIT and Rochester Business Journal identified Conn as a board member.

## Links

- Website: https://nicholasjconn.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasjconn/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/nicholasjconn
- GitHub: https://github.com/nicholasjconn

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nicholas-conn
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-16