LEDs & SSL Design

LEDs Magazine 40 Under 40 Profile: Christopher Hartswick

July 24, 2020

Christ Hartwick's career interests began with the interplay of light and architecture, and led to him co-founding Ideoli Group.

Carrie Meadows,

Maury Wright

CHRISTOPHER HARTSWICK. (Photo credit: Image courtesy of Ideoli Group.)

Chris Hartswick has said that he first grasped the importance of light while studying undergraduate architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He stated, “I began to appreciate the vast ways that light can interact with architecture and transform how one sees and experiences spaces. Soon after, lighting went from an interest to an obsession.” That obsession would later lead to a master’s degree from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at RPI.

After stints in lighting design and then product development, Hartswick took the leap as an entrepreneur, co-founding the Ideoli Group. The mission of the business is to virtually merge the product development and lighting design practices.

The company calls itself a custom interiors specialist. Hartswick and his team will find or design and manufacture the precise lighting and furnishings required to deliver on the vision of their customers.

Hartswick matriculated coincident with the transition to LED sources in lighting and his concepts and vision aren’t explicitly influenced by legacy form and function, although the company’s products evoke a legacy experience when needed in a project. The move toward entrepreneurship by Hartswick and a partner has been a success with the company having achieved wins especially in hospitality, retail, and office settings. The enterprise now has a global presence both in terms of customers and supply chain.

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About the Author

Carrie Meadows | Editor-in-Chief, LEDs Magazine

Carrie Meadows has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing and media industry. She worked with the PennWell Technology Group for more than 17 years, having been part of the editorial staff at Solid State Technology, Microlithography World, Lightwave, Portable Design, CleanRooms, Laser Focus World, and Vision Systems Design before the group was acquired by current parent company Endeavor Business Media.

Meadows has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards, and has volunteered as a judge on several B2B editorial awards committees. She received a BA in English literature from Saint Anselm College, and earned thesis honors in the college's Geisel Library. Without the patience to sit down and write a book of her own, she has gladly undertaken the role of editor for the writings of friends and family.

Meadows enjoys living in the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable four seasons of the New England region, volunteering with an animal shelter, reading (of course), and walking with friends and extended "dog family" in her spare time.

About the Author

Maury Wright | Editor in Chief

Maury Wright is an electronics engineer turned technology journalist, who has focused specifically on the LED & Lighting industry for the past decade. Wright first wrote for LEDs Magazine as a contractor in 2010, and took over as Editor-in-Chief in 2012. He has broad experience in technology areas ranging from microprocessors to digital media to wireless networks that he gained over 30 years in the trade press. Wright has experience running global editorial operations, such as during his tenure as worldwide editorial director of EDN Magazine, and has been instrumental in launching publication websites going back to the earliest days of the Internet. Wright has won numerous industry awards, including multiple ASBPE national awards for B2B journalism excellence, and has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards. He received a BS in electrical engineering from Auburn University.