ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rick Williams is the CEO of the nonprofit Cybernetic Design Solutions. Long before he took on the role, he worked for someone else.
“I was a staff Ph.D. for Hitachi for a quarter of a century. Before that I helped build mainframes,” Williams said. “I don’t want to climb the ladder. I just want to be happy.”
Williams said he now uses machines to serve people with disabilities. His connection to amputees is personal.
“I had a relatively bad accident; my hand was severed,” Williams said.
Williams said he cut his hand while repairing a computer. He says serrated edges cut into his hand.
“They sewed it back on,” he said.
Since then, he’s been mending life for folks through his company. Williams said 3D printers help him build prosthetics like hands, arms, and legs.
“Sometimes we don’t do the actual build,” Williams said. “We were shipping devices everywhere.”
That started about 7 years ago. Robots couldn’t replace everything.
“You grow up differently,” Williams said.
Williams said he was an orphan.
“I’ve been homeless. I’ve had times when I didn’t have money for medication that I needed to save my life. I’ve had times when I couldn’t afford medical help. And I think once that happens to you, you look at people differently,” he said.
Tech helped him build everyone that he’s helped into the family he never had. He and his wife run the nonprofit out of St. Petersburg and are completely self-funded. To find out more information, click here.