Frank Mong
Chief Operating Officer, Nova Labs | LinkedIn
B.S. Electrical Engineering, '97
Frank Mong graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1997. Currently, Frank is the Chief Operation Officer of Helium Inc, now known as Nova Labs, a position he has held since 2017. Founded in 2013, Helium is building the world’s peer-to-peer decentralized wireless network by offering cryptocurrency incentives to owners. Mong attributes the lessons he learned from UC Davis to his success. The study and project management skills he developed while in the ECE program were transferable to his COO position. Frank is the recipient of the 2021 ECE Distinguished Alumni award.
We recently caught up with Frank to learn more about what technology excites him, and also to reflect on his biggest influences when he was a UC Davis undergraduate.
What research or technology are you most excited about right now, and why?
Out of all the exciting innovation and disruption happening right now, I am incredibly bullish on blockchain and crypto as a mainstream technology that decentralizes ownership of infrastructure, and secondly, gives control of internet privacy and existence back to individuals. Nova Labs and the Helium economic model seeks to achieve this.
How did your time at UC Davis impact you and/or prepare you for your career?
UC Davis has impacted me personally and has prepared me for a long challenging career. I married my college sweetheart and I'm still madly in love with her. The challenge and rigor of the electrical engineering program at UCD has taught me to persevere through chaos and develop tremendous grit to fight barriers no matter how formidable. In addition to making lifelong friends, I really enjoyed playing on the UCD Men's Volleyball team Freshman year. I continued to play recreationally after a short career collegiate run. I had an opportunity to join clubs and meet people from all walks of life.
What advice would you give to young people who are currently seeking a degree in electrical and computer engineering?
Don't give up just because you got a bad grade. I started my freshman year with a 1.8 GPA after the first quarter and ended my time with a 3.2 GPA. If I can do it, so can you. Keep grinding. I would also suggest taking classes in other areas like English, Social Studies, and arts to give yourself some variety and reprieve from the pressures of engineering courses. Best class everyone should take is public speaking. It will help you for the rest of your life.