Gavi Begtrup

Gavi Begtrup (born February 6, 1984) is an American entrepreneur, policy advisor, scientist, and a democratic candidate in the Cincinnati 2021 mayoral primary election.

Begtrup grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. As a child, he had an accelerated education, starting college at Western Kentucky University at the age of 14, studying physics, mathematics, and computer science. Begtrup went on to receive a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, in the laboratory of Alex Zettl. His graduate research was in the area of nanotechnology, involving work from synthesis and characterization, to micro-fabrication and analysis of devices. His discoveries have applications in electronics heat management and future data storage.

During graduate school, Begtrup served as the vice president of external affairs for the UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly as well as the chair of the American Physical Society's Forum on Graduate Student Affairs.

After completing his Ph.D. in 2008, Begtrup moved to Washington, DC to start as a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellow at the National Academies of Science. He worked with the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy on a project related to the efficacy and utility of large-scale science projects, such as the proposed "Manhattan Project for Energy." After his Mirzayan Fellowship he worked at Analytic Services on Homeland Security and Defense acquisition policy issues. In 2009 he was awarded a Congressional Fellowship, where he met Gabby Giffords, Democratic House Representative from Arizona, who brought Begtrup on as a policy advisor on science, technology, energy, and space.

In 2012 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and did consulting work with the University of Cincinnati 1819 Innovation Hub. As an entrepreneur, he founded several companies: in 2013, WaveTech, a company that focused on harnessing sunlight to optimize growing plants and algae ; and in 2014, Eccrine Systems, a company that uses sweat (instead of blood) for medical diagnostics. Eccrine has over 70 patents, and received support from an Air Force Office of Scientific Research small business grant. Begtrup also helped launch a Cincinnati public school called the Spencer Center for the Gifted and Exceptional, in Walnut Hills, and served on its board. He also served on the Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati from 2013 to 2017.

Begtrup is a published author with over forty peer-reviewed scientific publications on the topics of nanotechnology, bio-sensor technology, and biofluid sensors. He is also a contributing author to Inc.com where he writes about leading startup companies. He has filed dozens of patents for the sweat-sensing technology he developed for his company Eccrine Systems.

On January 27, 2021, Begtrup announced his candidacy for Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. He will be on the ballot for the May 4 primary for mayor.