Distinguished Engineer Citations

Raphael Akinsipe 

Young Distinguished Engineer

2025

Degree

2016 Civil Engineering - Texas Tech

Citation

At time of Nomination in 2025

Raphael Akinsipe graduated from Texas Tech University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

During his freshman year at Texas Tech, Raphael founded his first company, which developed proprietary electronic sportswear for universities. These shirts, featuring illuminated school logos, would light up as students cheered at university night games. Operating from his dorm room, he secured venture capital funding, placed products in retail stores across the U.S., assembled a diverse team of engineers, designers, retail staff, and marketers, and established international manufacturing in China. Following graduation, Raphael began his career as a product manager and strategy consultant for various companies, including Expedia, Southwest Airlines, Caesars Palace, Marvel, Allstate, and Google.

After leaving Google, Raphael became the Chief Growth Officer of Casetabs, a health-tech company that provides surgery coordination and patient tracking software for hospitals and surgery centers. He led the company's growth and national expansion, which culminated in its acquisition by Bain Capital at the end of 2020. Following the acquisition, Casetabs merged with HST Pathways, a leading practice management and electronic health record company in the ambulatory surgery center industry. Raphael became the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for HST Pathways. He played a key role in the acquisition of two additional health-tech companies: SimpleAdmit, which provides patient assessment and engagement software, and Clariti, a leading provider of patient payment estimation software. Through these efforts, HST Pathways now serves over 1,400 hospitals and surgery centers, 40,000 surgeons, and millions of patients each year. Additionally, under his leadership, HST Pathways was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies.

In 2022, Raphael founded his third company, SocialCrowd. SocialCrowd is a real-time employee incentive and performance platform that helps brands like Sonic Drive-in, Motorola, and The Milwaukee Bucks increase sales and improve staff retention. SocialCrowd has now raised over $4.1 million and is used by nearly 5,000 employees across the United States.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Raphael, a proud first-generation American, is dedicated to using his success to support the next generation. In 2021, he launched the Akinsipe Family Endowed Scholarship at the Texas Tech University Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, providing opportunities for underprivileged students pursuing careers in science and engineering. Raphael resides in Orange County, California, with his fiancée, Victoria Banuelas, and their dog, Thor. Additionally, Raphael serves as a board member for the Aspire Charter Schools Foundation in California.