Sneaker designer, battery engineer, and Juke lover: meet Morgan
Morgan Kool – Design Engineer, USA
In 2024, Nissan North America launched an employee contest to celebrate the newly redesigned 2025 Nissan Kicks. The task? Design a pair of sneakers inspired by the Kicks.
Morgan Kool, a 24-year-old engineer, was inspired after a design session with Ken Lee, Nissan's Senior Design Director. Her final design—reviewed and selected by a panel of 15 senior executives from Nissan and INFINITI, including the Americas Chairperson—is now in production. The initiative was part of our INSIDERS program activation, which engaged 260 INSIDERS from both NNA and NCI as part of our Brand Ambassadors program.
More than 20 sneaker designs were submitted, and Morgan's stood out for its creativity and bold vision. The sneakers have already been produced and distributed among our executives and INSIDERS, and today, Morgan is often stopped by colleagues in the office asking if she's the person behind the design of the now-iconic Kicks sneakers.
But did an electrical engineer ever think she'd be designing shoes?
"I'm not a designer, but when I found out about the contest, I had to apply," shared Morgan. "I love graphic design and finding opportunities to be creative."
"The Kicks is all about taking on urban roads with style. I used blurred, abstract lines to remind the wearer to break free from traditional 'stay in your lane' attitudes - just like the Kicks does with its unique, exciting personality!"
Life at Nissan with Morgan Kool
In Morgan's day-to-day role as an engineer, she gets a similar buzz from problem-solving, applying her creativity to exciting new projects.
As a member of the Power Architecture design team, every day is different from the next. Being a battery engineer, Morgan takes a fierce interest in new technologies:
"Nissan's advancements in SSBs (solid state batteries) excite me most about our work. These batteries have the potential to offer faster charging times and a longer range. They can also be safer than traditional lithium ion."
Morgan is passionate about many aspects of working at Nissan, from car design and motorsports to in-car tech. But how did her journey at Nissan begin?
The Canadian-born engineer explored several career pathways, from digital marketing to nuclear and civil engineering. With a love for cars and a keen interest in electrical systems. Morgan finally landed in automotive.
"I used to have a Nissan Juke: I absolutely loved that car! Before graduating from university, I attended a student motorsports event, Formula SAE Michigan. I stopped by the Nissan booth and got chatting to the team about my Juke.
The rest is history! Following my interest in cars and driving technology, I joined the team as an engineer in 2023."
Introducing the Nissan Acceleration Team
Nissan's motorsports legacy has been well-documented, from Super GT-R racing to the all-electric Formula E championship. But have you heard of the Nissan Acceleration Team (NAT)? An employee-run motorsports team based at the Farmington Hills Technical Center in Michigan, the NAT empowers Nissan's racing enthusiasts to channel their love of the track.
So: is being a member of the NAT as high-octane as it sounds?
Away from the driving seat, Morgan applies her previous experience in digital marketing to boost the NAT's social media presence.
"Spreading the word about the cool things Nissan North America does after hours helps us reach future talent and a wider community of car lovers. The amount of value NAT brings to Nissan North America is incredible!"
For Morgan, balancing NAT responsibilities with her primary role as a battery engineer can take some juggling. But happily, the two passions sometimes overlap: "I can transfer learnings from the track to production vehicles, and vice-versa."
24 Hours with Morgan Kool
What does a day in the life of a Nissan electrical engineer look like? We asked Morgan to break down her typical workday:
6am: I'm a morning person and like to wake up early, except for days when I drop my dog at doggy daycare before work.
7-9am: I hop in the car and have a quiet commute to work. While the office is quiet, I catch up on emails that came in from my Japan colleagues overnight.
10am-12pm: If you're a battery engineer, every day looks a little bit different. I might spend the morning troubleshooting a module affecting the battery through testing.
1pm-2pm: I either eat lunch with colleagues or take a bit of time to myself. After lunch, I always have plenty of Canadian snacks at my desk to hand around to my co-workers!
3pm-6pm: I might work on design changes with suppliers, or reflash a vehicle to test the latest software design and how it affects the battery.
7pm-bedtime: After work, if I'm not getting involved with NAT activities, I like visiting new local places, taking my dog on hikes, and spending time with friends and family.
Morgan Kool's journey at Nissan is a testament to the power of creativity and seizing opportunities. Her experience designing sneakers for the Nissan Kicks contest taught her that stepping out of her comfort zone can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.