Kevin Nolan

President & Chief Executive Officer

Kevin Nolan is a seasoned engineer and passionate maker with more than 30 patent awards and a 35-year career at GE and GE Appliances today, including ten years as GE Appliances’ Chief Technology Officer.

He took innovation to a new level when he conceived and co-founded FirstBuild, the first corporate makerspace in the world and a global co-creation community that harnesses the power of the maker movement to change the way home appliances are conceived, designed, and manufactured.

Originally from Stamford, Connecticut, Kevin opened CoCreate in 2023. Part manufacturing facility, makerspace, and design and experience center, CoCreate is an innovative, creative playground for the community, where doors are open for people to make, connect, and be inspired.

Kevin’s leadership and commitment to the communities across the U.S. where GE Appliances does business has been broadly recognized, including being named one of the “Most Admired CEOs” in GE Appliances’ hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. He works directly and through several organizations to attract new businesses to the area, promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programs in public schools and community centers, and mobilize resources to close the digital and educational gap. In 2020, he was recognized by Louisville Business First for exemplary leadership with a focus on employees and the community during the COVID-19 response.

Kevin was inducted into the University of Connecticut Academy of Distinguished Engineers in 2019 and has earned the Kentucky Board of Education’s Kelly Award for outstanding business and public education partnership. In 2022, the University of Louisville presented him with an honorary doctoral Degree of Science.

Kevin is a frequent speaker at international conferences and business schools, where he shares his thoughts and experiences on his passion areas: lean enterprises, entrepreneurship, innovation, and change.

In his spare time, Kevin’s an avid clockmaker, which he builds in his home garage.