Finding My Place in Photonics - Day of Photonics 2026

By Brittany Ryan, Director of Global Marketing, Photonics Division, G&H

My first interview with Dr. Stratos Kehayas came with an impromptu lesson in photonics.

I was trying to explain my very high-level understanding of photonics to the person who would become my boss. Instead of moving on to the next interview question, we spent an hour of our time going over the foundations of photonics. I didn't have the job yet, but Stratos was already helping me learn and pulling me into the photonics community.

I remember being interested in what he was explaining. But I remember his enthusiasm even more. His passion was contagious, and I left wanting to work with him and his team.

Almost four years later, I understand why.

From unfamiliar terminology to everyday relevance

I hadn't arrived completely unfamiliar with optics. As a marketing manager at TT Electronics, working at its Texas operation, formerly known as OPTEK Technology, I had learned about optoelectronics. But joining G&H showed me how much more there was to discover.

One of the first things that impressed me was the reach of our work: from the bottom of the sea to outer space. G&H's fiber optic components operate in submarine telecommunications networks and space applications. Technologies that I was learning to market were helping support connections between continents and communication beyond Earth.

Then I learned more about our contribution to semiconductor manufacturing: photonic components and subsystems supporting the processes used to make chips. Suddenly, work that had sounded abstract felt connected to the phones and devices we use every day.

Learning enough to tell the story well

The challenge of marketing photonics is that I am neither a scientist nor an engineer. I can keep learning, but I’ll never understand the science at the depth of the specialists I work with.

I love working alongside them, though. I enjoy interacting with people who understand something deeply and asking questions that help reveal why it matters. What makes this possible? What problem does it solve? Why is this accomplishment significant?

My responsibility is to make that significance understandable while preserving the substance. Explaining something clearly should give people a better appreciation of the work behind it. That takes patience, careful questions, and a willingness to say when I don't understand.

It also helps that, while I work in a creative profession, I am logical and process oriented. I like orderly steps, direct conversations, and understanding how things fit together. I find common ground with engineers in that approach, even when our expertise is very different.

Becoming a connector

I can see how much I've learned when I'm at Photonics West each year.

Managing trade shows is a part of my job that I love. At the reception desk, visitors arrive with questions about wavelengths, drivers for their acousto-optic modulators, and applications across our portfolio. At my first shows, I was still learning what we even offered and who could help.

Now, those conversations are much more enjoyable. I know the team, the product families, and the specialists to introduce. I even recognize some part numbers. I can connect a visitor with someone in sales, product management, or engineering who can take the conversation further.

That is a satisfying place to be: knowing enough to recognize the need and knowing the people who can help address it.

More than colleagues

At my very first G&H trade show, I met two colleagues who made an immediate impression. They were smart, generous with their knowledge, and genuinely fun to be around. I couldn't have asked for a warmer introduction to the company.

That experience has stayed with me. I work remotely, but many of the people I work with have become actual friends. We've gone to theater shows and dinners together. When I'm in town, I call to see if we can meet up.

It's also why I value events like Photonics West and Laser World of Photonics. Seeing familiar people again and spending time together matters to me. There is something about being in the same place, sharing conversations, and getting to know people beyond a scheduled call that I appreciate enormously.

For Day of Photonics, that is what I want to celebrate: the significance of the work and the people who make it possible.

I entered this industry with a limited understanding of it. Today, I'm proud to be part of it, and motivated by the people whose accomplishments I get to help communicate. Whatever your role in photonics, I hope you take a moment on October 21 to appreciate what you contribute. There is a great deal here to be proud of.