Early Beginnings in Geospatial and the Creation of ENVI

After graduating from UCSD in 1990 with a BS in Computer Science, Adam began his journey into the world of geospatial analytics at the Center for the Study of Earth from Space (CSES) at the University of Colorado. His initial work focused on developing the Spectral Image Processing System (SIPS), a software tool to visualize and process hyperspectral data from NASA's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS).

“Most image processing systems at that time struggled with the large amounts of data associated with hyperspectral cubes. We saw an opportunity to develop a tool that could handle this data effectively,” recalls Adam. This led to the formation of Better Solutions Consulting (BSC) and the development of the Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) in 1994.

ENVI, written in IDL®, provided scientifically validated analytics to interpret remotely sensed images, transforming the way information is derived from such data. Adam, who has worked on ENVI for over 30 years, expresses the dynamic journey of ENVI, "While I’ve worked on ENVI non-stop, the ownership has changed several times. From BSC, it went to RSI, then Kodak, ITT VIS, Exelis VIS, L3Harris, and now NV5."

Adam Lefkoff (right) and his son, Escher (left.)

Parallels of Problem-Solving

Adam draws a compelling parallel between his work in software development and the game of pinball. "To effectively solve tough engineering problems, you need to break the problem down into smaller parts and then elegantly put all the pieces back together," he says. "Similarly, to be successful in pinball, you have to understand the ruleset, plan your strategy, and execute it properly."

This perspective is reflected in Adam's professional contribution to NV5 Geospatial and his approach to pinball. In both, he seeks out challenges, hones his strategies, and thrives on the thrill of problem-solving. “Often, it’s best to get the hard stuff done first and not leave it until the end.