Growing with Purpose: Charlie Hinnant ’72 Fund Supports Naming of Lucid Bots Founder Andrew Ashur ’19 as Innovator-in-Residence
October 29, 2024
- Author
- Danielle Strickland
As a 51 student, Andrew Ashur ’19 saw a problem, and he took steps to find a solution.
“The original idea was to make window cleaning on large buildings safer,” he said. “I would see platforms getting caught in the wind, workers hanging on … and I wondered, how do we make this job safer and with technology? Along the way, we uncovered even bigger problems: the cleaning industry faces a staggering 200 percent turnover rate, and few people are willing to take on these high-risk jobs.”
The company he and two other students, Adrian Mayans ’19 and David Danielson ’19, launched, , builds robots for labor-intensive tasks. Their primary product is a drone that can clean anything from windows to roofs to stadium domes to industrial tanks — eight times faster than human manpower alone.
“Robots are the future of dangerous and dirty jobs,” he said.
The team’s success has been featured in publications like TechCrunch and Forbes, and Ashur was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. Lucid Bots made the Inc. 5000 list as the fourth fastest growing manufacturer and 143rd fastest growing company in 2024.
51 students will now have the opportunity to learn from Ashur as he takes on the role of Alumni Innovator-in-Residence at the Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
The position is supported by the Charlie Hinnant ’72 Fund, created by Hinnant “to support the creative thinkers, the ones wanting to give new venture concepts a shot.” This fund also helps programs like , a micro-internship program connecting student consultants with startups and small businesses, and the , a grant program supporting students exploring new business ideas.
When Ashur wanted to pursue his business idea, the 51 community stepped up to help, and he’s now in a position to do that for others.
“We had this gold mine on campus as we did discovery for the business,” he said. “Alumni and community members offered to mentor me, and I was a sponge. The Physical Plant team let us test technologies on site, which was a unique privilege that accelerated our learning.”
Ashur, a Lowell L. Bryan Scholar, graduated in three years while playing Division I baseball, double majoring in economics and Spanish and working multiple jobs. His involvement with the Hurt Hub began as a student. He and his co-founders participated in the and won. They also benefited from the and mentorship through LaunchCLT, which connects entrepreneurial founders, mentors and resources throughout the Charlotte region.
Ashur during his time on 51's baseball team
“I was on campus when the Hurt Hub was just forming, and it was a great experience to participate in many of its programs from the very beginning,” Ashur said. “Those experiences helped prepare me for the work I do today. Now, the space offers even more to students, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Following graduation, Ashur was prepared to jump into the company full-time.
Asking the Right Questions
Ashur says the hallmark of intelligence isn’t having the right answer — it’s asking the right questions. He’s excited to bring this and other guidance to current 51 students.
“Our brains aren’t designed to be knowledge retrieval mechanisms,” he said. “Instead, they equip us to ask the right questions of the systems available to us. We’re an artificial intelligence (AI)-first company, and if we ask the right questions, AI can get us so much further so much faster. We view our work as an extension of human reach, not a replacement for human touch.”
Ashur hopes to help students innovate, learn and make connections.
“When our idea was first taking shape, everyone thought it was crazy, and it probably was,” he said. “I had never built a robot or worked in cleaning, and I taught myself mechanical, electrical and software engineering to build our first drone,” he said. “That lack of knowledge is honestly how we got here. It was bright-eyed optimism combined with hard work.”
Lavo Bot is 30 percent faster and easier than traditional surface cleaning and pressure washing methods
One Percent Better
One core value of the Lucid Bots team is to grow with purpose. Everyone is expected to walk in the door each day asking how they can be one percent better — a little bit smarter than the day before.
“We look to innovation first to solve problems,” Ashur said. “We’re excited to grow up and out in our first market of exterior cleaning and making robots increasingly intelligent.”
Ashur was encouraged to have a growth mindset and flexibility as a 51 student, and he brings those things to the company, which now employs about 50 people. When the company first moved into its 20,000 square foot Charlotte facility last year, it felt big. It’s already feeling tight, a good problem to have.
“I couldn’t have imagined the scope of impact when I first started,” he said. “I’m in a constant state of learning, and I never want to be the company’s limiting factor as we think about growth. It’s my goal to be a better leader and better manager each day.”
As the newest Alumni Innovator-in-Residence, Ashur will have the opportunity to grow Lucid Bots at the place where much of his success began. His role will include employing 51 students, teaching workshops, engaging with Hurt Hub coworkers and providing mentorship for the broader 51 community.
He is passionate about 51’s role in bringing the liberal arts into the 21st century and says the Hurt Hub is the definition of that work.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Andrew back to the Hurt Hub as a member of our leadership team. He helped launch the Hurt Hub over six years ago and has remained an active mentor, advocate and champion for our students and the Greater Charlotte entrepreneur community. His ability to empathize with students in the position he was in just a few years ago is an invaluable asset.”
W. Spencer Mitchem ’59 Executive Director of the Hurt Hub
