Congrats to ECE alumnus and serial entrepreneur Augi Lye, one of seven recipients of Gainesville Magazine’s Spirit of Gainesville Awards. Augi won in the Entrepreneurship category, and it’s easy to see why:
Via the Gainesville Sun:

Lye, who plays the violin and cello, originally attended the University of Florida on a music scholarship. After dropping out to record an album and tour the country, Lye returned to finish degrees in computer and electrical engineering.

After graduation, he worked for Prioria Robotics, where he designed the vision processing algorithms for cameras used on the company’s drone airplanes. Lye then turned his attentions and talents back to music when he designed a device that breaks in stringed instruments. The ToneRite produces vibrations designed to take the place of many years of playing, after which the instrument produces a better sound. As owner of ToneRite, which has offices in the Duckpond neighborhood, Lye and his staff have sold thousands of devices to musicians around the world.
Music also led Lye to Jeremy Stieglitz, a pianist who wrote music for video games. As friends and networks merged, Trendy Entertainment was born, with Lye and Stieglitz at the helm. The video game development studio created Dungeon Defenders, a high-selling app that led to an $18.2 million investment from a New York venture capital firm.

Clearly, this serial entrepreneur is bringing big things to Gainesville. Congratulations!