About Us

Steve was born and raised a Kentuckian. He’s served in Safety and Health leadership roles in both general industry and the heavy construction industry. Steve also continues to work in academia in the University of Kentucky’s College of Engineering’s prestigious True Lean Systems program. Steve founded Cocoon System in 2024 in response to the enormous gulf between safe housing for seniors and the current availability of Aging In Place appropriate homes. 

Dr. Stephen Stockhausen, PT, DPT is a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and holds an Executive Certificate in Home Modification from the University of Southern California. He has extensive experience in fall prevention and home care as a clinician. He brings a diverse and varied skillset to the Cocoon System™ team. 

Initially working in education, he soon transitioned to Physical Therapy, achieving his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Kentucky in 2011. As a therapist he has extensive experience in orthopedics as well as home care. Aside from helping patients, he has held a variety of leadership positions and serves as an advocate for small business as well as clinical and professional excellence amongst his peers. 

Logan serves on the leadership team of Cocoon System as our Chief Strategy Officer, implementing our “two moves” strategy.

 Logan earned his Certification in Lean Ergonomics from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, True Lean Systems program. Logan is also a successful entrepreneur in the structural design and renovation industry. Another of Logan’s passions is the "Second Chance" industry. He’s actively involved in giving others the chance to become enfranchised members of our society again. 

Raymond Onan was born and raised and is proud to be a Kentuckian. His 4 decades of boots on the ground leadership in the new, renovation, and heavy construction industry is second to none. Raymond has been directly involved in well over a billion dollars’ worth of actual work in this industry and is recognized for his day to day management of the renovation of some of the United States most historical architectural treasures. Raymond has served as a subject matter expert in solving many ADA issues in both new and renovation design and builds. Recently he earned his certification for “Design Concepts for Livable Homes and Aging-in-Place” from the National Association of Home Builders. Raymond is leading the organization into a national technology strategy.

Melissa brings a wealth of expertise in public health, sports medicine, occupational health, and safety to her role as Chief Balance Officer at Cocoon System. Armed with a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s in Health Sciences and Public Health, she has built a strong academic foundation, complemented by diverse professional experiences. These include serving as a Physical Therapy Technician, Certified Athletic Trainer, and Safety and Health Specialist. Melissa's proficiency is further underscored by her attainment of several certifications, including Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Lean Ergonomist, Certified Associate Ergonomist, and Certified Ergonomic Evaluation Specialist.

Her extensive background, characterized by conducting over 1,200 ergonomic workstation evaluations, uniquely positions her to address the pressing issue of falls among the elderly. As our Chief Balance Officer, Melissa plays a pivotal role in guiding our initiatives aimed at improving the safety and well-being of seniors. We are thrilled to have her onboard in this vital capacity, as her leadership is essential in advancing our mission and making a tangible difference in community health

Zach is originally born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He then attended the University of Dayton in Ohio where he studied Industrial Engineering. Zach now works as a Process Engineer for Cummins in Lakewood, NY. He is responsible for developing better Quality and Manufacturing Processes as well as upgrading and maintaining critical assembly equipment. In Zach's capacity as a Board Member, he is integral in Engineering Research & Development.

Dr. Sergio Sgro was an associate professor in Applied Engineering and Technology at Eastern Kentucky University for over 12 years where he currently teaches courses in quality systems, Six Sigma, Lean Enterprises, ISO 9001, and advanced material processing. He began his early career as a steel worker and certified welder before returning to school to complete his Masters and PhD at Iowa State University in small business development and industrial technology training. He has been an industrial consultant in the area of Six Sigma, industrial training, 3-D solid modeling design, and more recently in business development.

Dr. Pitts, OTD, MS OTR/L CHT, is recognized as one of the top Hand Therapist on the planet. In his career, which has spanned over three decades, Greg’s been a practitioner, an academic and researcher. Greg regularly speaks/trains both domestically and internationally and serves as a professor at Spalding University. Greg is a successful entrepreneur and serves as the CEO of Commonwealth Hand and Physical Therapy, Bluegrass Properties and Commonwealth Hand Technologies. He’s also the Chair of the AHTF Advisory Board. As a Board Member at Cocoon System, Greg’s cutting-edge approach as a technological solution to the magnitude of illnesses due to poor ergonomics is driving our future tech development.

A graduate of the Air Force Academy and decorated member of the United States Air Force, Rey Lira-Gonzalez brings the Cocoon System board fresh perspectives and an entrepreneurial spirit. A literal “all-American” success story, Rey has a distinct perspective on the potential for the Cocoon System to be a tool for financial success for individuals ready to drive their own futures forward. When Rey isn’t flying, he is pursuing his entrepreneurial endeavors in real estate. He is constantly on the lookout for good properties to add to his portfolio of investment properties in Colorado and New Mexico. Rey holds a Bachelors of Science in Systems Engineering degree from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). He credits USAFA for instilling a strong commitment to service and others in him - which also makes him a great addition to our team.He is excited to make a positive impact on Millions of lives.

Earl-Ray Neal, J.D. is a native of Madison County, Kentucky and a 1987 graduate of Model Laboratory a school. Neal received his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Eastern Kentucky University in 1993 and his Juris Doctorate in 1996 from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. He serves  as a Professor of Law in the College of Justice, Public Safety Engineering and Technology Department at Eastern Kentucky University. 

Keith Faulconer, MBA is a proud graduate of the University of Kentucky, holding a Bachelors in Accounting and an MBA in Finance. He has over 25 years of experience in accounting/finance for a major defense contractor in areas ranging from program planning to cash management and currently manages a team of 6 in cash management area. He also has been instrumental in fixing processes in our ERP software implementation. He has participated in Lean Six Sigma training and assisted in several projects. He has a passion for streamlining processes to make them as efficient as possible. He has served on the finance committee and also is serving as treasurer for the deacon body at his local church. It’s an honor to serve on the Executive Advisory Board with such a great and accomplished group of people.

Col. Joe Hoffert (retired) brings a wealth of health information technology, information assurance, and just good old-fashioned common sense to the Cocoon team.  Joe recently wrapped up a 20+ year military career that included leadership roles across the Army and the Defense Health Agency (DHA) where he was responsible for the systems and software that held the medical information for more than 9 million service-members and their families.  Joe's final role at the DHA had him managing a team of more than 1200 staff members with a budget of over $1.2B, including a 500 person IT Security team that delivered network protection, cybersecurity policy, cyber operations, and assessment and authorization for more than 300K endpoints and 1300 systems.  Prior to entering the exciting and challenging realm of health information technology, Joe served as a clinical staff nurse, and he retains his original passion to provide services and systems that promote the health and well-being of others. 

Designer, educator, visioneer, and tech wizard, Jon-Luke West has a profound passion for developing technology that works synergistically with the human experience. He is the CTO of HomeSeer, a smart home company based out of Bedford, NH, a published course author for LinkedIn Learning, an online education platform, and has appeared on PBS talking about how smart technology can be used for smarter living. He strives to create technology that helps people connect with their homes, their environment, and themselves on a deeper level.

Leandris Weeden is a native of St. Louis, MO and a 2005 graduate of SIU Edwardsville in Illinois where he received is B.S. in Construction Management. He currently works in the design and construction industry for a CM at risk contractor in field operations. He looks to be a life long learner and continue to look for ways to help move the design and construction industry forward through mindsets around lean, production management and leadership development. 

Dr. Elizabeth Bien is an Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati. Her research experience and interest includes evaluating the home healthcare environment, focusing on the environmental exposures that have the potential to impact the health of the home healthcare worker, patient, and caregivers. Environmental exposures of interest include indoor air quality, infectious/communicable diseases, ergonomic challenges of providing care to adults and pediatrics in the home healthcare environment. Elizabeth’s long term goal is to empower persons to age, recover, heal, and grow in their home that is a safe and healthy environment for all who enter. Dr. Bien holds an Affiliate Role at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, is an active member of the NIOSH Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector, and is an outgoing chair of the Population Health Research Interest and Implementation Group within the Midwest Nursing Research Society.

Hope Jones is a dynamic and results-driven Project Manager at Pivot Onsite Innovations, where she excels in the implementation of corporate strategic initiatives and process improvement. Her extensive experience in healthcare operations and management is underpinned by a solid educational foundation—a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management with a minor in Project Management—which has equipped her with the knowledge and skills to navigate and optimize complex systems.

Her professional journey includes significant contributions to prestigious organizations such as Johns Hopkins, Maryland Department of Transportation, and the University of Maryland. At each turn, Hope has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to enhancing operational efficiencies, leading high-impact projects, and driving innovation within healthcare settings.

Hope's passion for fostering worker autonomy and organizational leadership is at the core of her work ethic. She is a strong advocate for empowering teams, believing that a collaborative and autonomous workforce is essential for achieving excellence. A proponent of continuous improvement and lean methodology, Hope integrates these principles into her daily practice, striving for operational excellence and setting new benchmarks in patient care and service delivery. With her forward-thinking approach and commitment to excellence, Hope Jones continues to make significant strides in advancing healthcare operations, proving herself to be an invaluable asset to Pivot Onsite Innovations and the broader healthcare community.

Rich has been in the tech industry since the mid 80's and has over 35 years of software development experience. His start was writing firmware for computer terminals and networking systems. In 1998 he founded HomeSeer Technologies LLC and entered into the SmartHome market by writing Home Control software. The HomeSeer software was the first of its kind garnishing rave reviews and awards. He was one of the first developers of the Z-Wave technology in 2003. Rich has grown HomeSeer into a company that now develops and manufactures a wide range of Smart offerings including software, hubs, and end devices.  Rich has an Associates degree in Electronic Technology and attended the University of Lowell for Electrical Engineering.

Albert Moore provides strategic and tactical ergonomics expertise that reduces injury risks, enhances usability, and boosts productivity.  He has worked across the manufacturing, academic, and automotive sectors using lean principles to drive continuous improvement.  He is completing his PhD in Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics from Virginia Tech.  His research interests include exoskeletons and fostering technology adoption with gender equity.