National Council

After graduating in 1975, Blacksberg designed and built two recording studios, moving to D.C. to become one of the first interpreters at Georgetown University Law School. In 1979, he moved to Silicon Valley, where he helped develop the first computer graphic systems for artists. Blacksberg says, "Pixels are in my DNA." In the late 1980s, he worked at Broderbund Software at the beginning of the multimedia CD revolution.

In 1990, he moved to New Jersey to manage a family‐run cemetery, obtaining his MBA from Columbia University in 1993. He retired in 2018. Throughout his career, Blacksberg remained current with photography, making the transition to digital in 2003. In 2016, he began a working relationship with NASA astronaut Donald Pettit to develop an algorithm for repairing images taken on ISS in conjunction with professors and students in the College of Science.

In 2018, working with fellow RIT alumni Wendy Marks and Bill Springer, Blacksberg produced "Portraits of a Planet: Photographer in Space" — an inspiring large‐scale exhibition held at University Gallery on the RIT campus. 

Blacksberg is also an avid woodturner, producing artistic and reproduction pieces in his workshop. He and his wife Michele live in Wayne, New Jersey, and Woodland Hills, California. His ASL Manutype products are currently selling at Shop One at Global Village and online.      

He works for most of the top advertising agencies for brands like Pepsi, Hershey's, Starbucks, Dunkin', Kroger, Tim Hortons and more.

As part of his image-making process, he incorporates tools like robotics, 3D motion capture, pneumatics, Arduino, Phantom slow motion cameras and lots of other technologies and engineering. Although he didn’t study engineering, he wishes he did.

After graduating from RIT, he moved to New York City to assist other photographers and break into the industry. A few years later, he started his own photography studio shooting editorial, catalog and advertising photos for a range of clients.

Although he had left school, he never stopped learning. His love for information and creating with his hands brought him to start taking continuing education courses in the evenings all over NYC. He took courses in woodworking, welding, plastics, Arduino, Maya, filmmaking and more. It was this passion that led him to transition out of photography into doing work as a visual engineer.

The company offers a risk-monitoring device that uses machine learning to capture and analyze physiological and environmental risk and FUSE Risk Management Platform, a cloud‐based IoT-enabled software informed by an array of motion‐interpreting sensors that allow organizations to monitor, assess and intervene.

As the world's leading safety science company, StrongArm can effectively develop, manufacture and deploy the next generation of industrial safety equipment. Ensuring the backbone of our economy — the Industrial Athlete™ — is proud, protected and productive. The company was founded in 2011 and is based in Brooklyn, N.Y.

He is also co-founder and president of ATL/WYO Productions LLC., a media production company focused on family animation, scripted television and feature film concepts. Additionally, Wright is co-founder (with fellow RIT alumni and students) and vice president of the Shore Foundation, a Rochester, N.Y.-based nonprofit organization which accepts donations of used computers, wipes their memories, refurbishes them and then gives them to students and families in need. In addition, Wright is founder and COO of venture capital firm Skull, Diamond and Heart Capital, focusing on companies in the food and agricultural markets, and based in an office space in Sibley Square above RIT City Art Space.

Wright has also worked as a staff photographer and digital asset manager for Arsenic, Inc., an online, youth culture media company, and as a wildlife and travel photographer through his own company, Chance Wright Photography. During his studies, Wright was involved with the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.