Speakers
Lecturer, Entrepreneurship, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Managing Partner, SP8CEVC
Co-founder & CEO, Bluefield Technologies
Small Business Innovation Research & Rapid Innovation Fund Program Manager, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR)
Chief Executive Officer, Capella Space
Director, Space Engineering Research Center; Research Professor, USC, University of Southern California
Founder & CEO, Rocket Lab
Chief Business Officer, Axiom Space
Operating Partner, DCVC
Senior Space Technology Technical Advisor, SP8CEVC
President & CEO, United Launch Alliance
Director, Space Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Associate Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT
Executive Producer & Host, Emily's Wonder Lab
VP & GM, Commercial Civil Space, Lockheed Martin Space
Co-founder & CEO, Skyroot Aerospace
Director, Spectrum Warfare Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, USAF
Founder & Managing Partner, Promus Ventures
General Manager, Robotics, Maxar Technologies
Managing Partner, SpaceFund
Professor of Planetary Science, Caltech, Caltech – Lunar Trailblazer Mission
Co-founder & CEO, Firehawk Aerospace
Co-founder & CEO, Relativity Space
Co-founder & Managing Partner, Starburst Aerospace
Graduate Intern, Center for Space Policy & Strategy, The Aerospace Corporation
Co-founder & CEO, Orbit Fab
VP of Product & Business Development, Momentus
CEO & Cofounder, Astranis
Managing Partner, IQT
Chief Science Officer, SENS Foundation
Early Stage Innovations and Partnerships Program Director,, NASA HQ Space Technology Mission Directorate
Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners
President & CEO, The Aerospace Corporation
Executive Vice President, Space Systems Group (SSG), Sierra Nevada Corporation
Founder, Chairman and CEO, Astra
Regional Lead, DEVCOM, ARL West
Global Partnerships, The Aerospace Corporation
Innovation Advisor, Innovation & Small Business Partnerships, AFWERX
Senior Vice President, Devices & Services, Amazon
Co-founder & CTO, Swarm Technologies
President & Managing Director, Astroscale
Associate Administrator, Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate, NASA
Chief of the Exploration Mission Planning Office, Johnson Space Center – NASA
Managing Partner, SP8CEVC
Co Founder & CEO, Kepler Communications
Co-founder & CEO, ICEYE
Executive Director & General Manager, Lockheed Martin Ventures
Director, Space Force Accelerators, Air Force Research Laboratory
Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT
Co-founder & CEO, Spire Global
Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force
Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, United States Air Force
Head of Partnerships, ABL Space Systems
CEO & Co-founder, Slingshot Aerospace
Founding Director, New Horizons Studio, Hyundai Motor Company
Commander, Space & Missile Systems Center, United States Space Force
Global Partnerships, The Aerospace Corporation
CEO and Founder, GXO, Inc.
General Manager & Executive Director of Innovation, The Aerospace Corporation
Design-Architect & Researcher, SEArch+ Space Exploration Architecture
Dean, USC Viterbi School of Engineering; Zohrab Kaprielian Chair in Engineering, University of Southern California
Principal, The Engine
Acceleration Program Director, Starburst Aerospace
Co-Director, Space Systems Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT
Space Physicist, Department of Earth, Planetary, & Space Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Kambiz Aghili
Lecturer, Entrepreneurship, UCLA Anderson School of ManagementKambiz is an operating executive with over 15 years of value creation experience in building SaaS, geospatial and big data analytics, satellite communication, IoT, asset tracking, and industrial telematics systems as well as clothing and streetwear supply chain analytics, especially around the Nike ecosystem.
His expertise includes operationalizing channel profitability, growth discipline, hardware to service OpEx pricing/bundling, recurring revenue business model, operational KPIs, product/market fit, M&A in technology, and consumer marketing analytics.
Kambiz has been teaching business plan development, entrepreneurship and venture initiation at UCLA Anderson School of Management in various quarters since 2014. He earlier started as a lead fellow for the Management Development for Entrepreneurs (MDE) program in 2009 through which he worked with over 100 companies on business improvement plans and strategy formation.
He serves as an advisor to TechStars and Starburst Aerospace & defense accelerators and a growing number of startups. Most recently, he architected the SaaS strategy leading to the connectivity as-a-service platform for Kymeta Corporation. He served as the CEO of Blue Sky Network (leader in satellite-based geospatial/GPS and IoT) through 2018, which he acquired through a private equity search fund along with Applied Satellite Engineering as an add-on acquisition. Prior to that, he co-founded Kerwood Capital Partners where he remains an investor, served as director of product strategy at Teradata/NCR Corporation as well as operating partner/investor at two key family offices in Los Angeles.
Kambiz earned an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, Ph.D. and MS degrees in computer science from the University of California at Santa Barbara and his B.S. in computer engineering from Bilkent University in Turkey with high honors.
He is a proud husband and father, and enjoys traveling around the world while droning his experiences from a bird’s-eye view.
General Partner & Space Lead at SP8CEVC | Angel Investor | LP | Former: Pilot on @Airbus @Embraer | Founder @HUGY | Learnt @HBS/HBX
Yotam Ariel, Co-founder and CEO of Bluefield (a startup providing satellite-based emissions data), is a former naval squad leader specializing in remote sensors analytics, and previously founded an energy company which operated in 15 countries and received tech innovation recognition from Obama. He speaks several languages and was a national champion in sailing.
Shadi Azoum
Small Business Innovation Research & Rapid Innovation Fund Program Manager, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR)Mr. Shadi Azoum is the current Program Manager for the NAVWAR Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) Program Management Offices. He has served in this position since June 2016. Prior to this position, Mr. Azoum led the Science and Technology (S&T) portfolio for PEO C4I, PMW 130 (Information Assurance and Cyber Security Program Office) as the Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Science and Technology (S&T) since May 2011.
Mr. Azoum has Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science and Master of Science (MS) in Information Security from Florida State University.
Payam Banazadeh is CEO and founder of Capella Space, a Silicon Valley company building the largest constellation of commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites in order to provide hourly monitoring services of anywhere in the globe. Prior to starting Capella Space Payam was a project manager and flight systems engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and has been awarded NASA Mariner Award, NASA Discovery Award, and NASA Formulation Award. Most recently Payam was selected to be on the prestigious “Forbes 30 under 30” list in 2017 and Capella has been recognized by The New York Times, Bloomberg, and recently Inc magazine as one of the top 25 disruptive companies in the world.
Outside of Capella, Payam spends his time thinking about the impact of technology on society, economy, politics, and human behavior. He is an advocate of raising awareness around the volatility of life on earth and the responsibilities of technologists to think proactively about their work and its intended and unintended consequences. Payam holds a business/management degree from Stanford University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Texas.
David A Barnhart
Director, Space Engineering Research Center; Research Professor, USC, University of Southern CaliforniaDavid Barnhart is an active Research Professor in the Department of Astronautical Engineering at USC, the Director/Co- Founder of the USC Space Engineering Research Center at the Information Sciences Institute (ISI), and co-founder/CEO of Arkisys Inc.
David specializes in developing innovative technologies and architectures for 2nd generation space morphologies, RPO technologies/techniques, and hands-on projects with students, faculty and staff through an “engineering teaching hospital” construct. Over 250 students have graduated through the SERC’s laboratories to-date.
David was a senior space Project Manager at DARPA, pioneering cellular spacecraft morphologies, satbotics, space robotics and low cost high volume manufacturing on the Phoenix and SeeMe projects. Prior to USC and DARPA David helped initiate two commercial space companies; co-founding and serving as VP and CFO for Millennium Space Systems in Los Angeles CA; and elected member of a startup in Bremen, Vanguard Space, one of the first companies working commercial spacecraft servicing.
Peter Beck
Founder & CEO, Rocket LabPeter Beck is the founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Engineer of Rocket Lab, a Nasdaq-listed leading launch and space systems company opening access to space to improve life on Earth. Rocket Lab’s capabilities span the space economy, including satellite design and manufacture, industry-leading spacecraft software and components, and reliable launch services. Under Mr. Beck’s leadership, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the most successful small launch vehicle globally and Rocket Lab satellite subsystems have featured on more than 1,700 missions. Rocket Lab technology enables some of humanity’s most ambitious space missions, including complex interplanetary science missions, national security programs, and vast commercial constellations.
Since founding the company in 2006, Mr. Beck has grown Rocket Lab into a global organization of 1,800 people across the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Today, Rocket Lab’s launch vehicles, satellites and space systems are relied upon by a range of global mission partners including NASA, the United States Space Force, DARPA, the National Reconnaissance Office, and a broad range of commercial satellite and constellation operators.
Amir Blachman spent most of his career investing in and leading early stage companies. Before joining Axiom as the company’s first employee, he managed a syndicate of 120 space investors in 11 countries. Through this syndicate, he funded lunar landers, communication networks, Earth imaging satellites, antennae and exploration technologies.
Prior to merging his investment focus with on his lifelong passion for aerospace, Amir worked in real estate development, investment and lending as acquisitions manager and principal. He served as the operations director at BPO PeopleSupport and at WeddingChannel, helping both companies grow towards their ultimate acquisition. Amir’s core capabilities as a practical, mission-focused operator, were developed during his service as an Air Force instructor.
At Axiom, he serves as Chief Business Officer and is responsible for the company’s financial planning, and fundraising, and he plays integral roles in sales and marketing. He holds a BA in Psychology from U.C. Santa Barbara and an MBA from UCLA Anderson. He is an instrument-rated private pilot and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.
Dr. Chris Boshuizen is an Operating Partner at DCVC (Data Collective) leading investment in space (Capella Space, Rocket Lab) and other deep tech companies. Chris was co-founder of Planet Labs, a DCVC company providing unprecedented daily, global mapping of our changing planet from space. As the company’s CTO for 5 years, he took the company from the drawing board to having launched more satellites into space than any other company in history, completely transforming the space industry along the way. Chris was previously a Space Mission Architect at NASA Ames Research Center. After working on a number of traditional spacecraft programs at NASA, Chris co-created Phonesat, a spacecraft built solely out of a regular smartphone. Chris received his Ph.D. in Physics (with honors) and a BSc. in Physics and Mathematics, both from the University of Sydney.
MIT-educated “rocket scientist” (Astronautics), experienced in government (NASA), the private sector, and academia.
International Space University (ISU) Vice President for No. American Operations (ret. Jan. 2020); current ISU Faculty Member — Topics: Lessons-Learned from NASA missions, the Role of Space for K-12 Education, and more.
Oversight of NASA advanced technology investments and space science missions (Lunar Prospector, Deep Impact, Kepler, SOFIA Airborne Observatory); Intl Space Station technical project management and overseas liaison. Participant in the first NASA-sponsored Space Settlements summer study with Prof. G.K.O’Neill. Princeton Professor Gerard K. O’Neill (now deceased) was a leading force for this and participated in this study. His name is quite well-known amongst ‘new space’ pioneers (e.g., Jeff Bezos, Peter Diamandis, Gregg Maryniak, the founders of Planet (Labs), Spire Global, etc.). Fellow, American Astronautical Society; Associate Fellow, AIAA; Member, Space & Satellite Professionals International, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington Space Business Roundtable, and more
Salvatore T. “Tory” Bruno is the president and chief executive officer for United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, Bruno serves as the principal strategic leader of the organization and oversees all business management and operations. In addition, he is leading the development of ULA’s new, innovative rocket called Vulcan Centaur, which will deliver higher performance and lower cost while maintaining industry leading reliability.
Prior to joining ULA, he served as the vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Strategic and Missile Defense Systems. The business is a leading provider of ballistic missile and ballistic missile defense systems, supporting U.S. Department of Defense customers, as well as the U.K. Royal Navy and Ministry of Defense. Programs included the Navy’s Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM), the Air Force’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Reentry Systems, and the Missile Defense Agency’s Terminal High Area Altitude Defense (THAAD), Targets and Countermeasures and Common Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) Concept Definition. He also managed the corporation’s responsibilities in Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Management Limited, a joint venture that produces and safely maintains the U.K.’s nuclear weapons.
Bruno is a member of the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group chaired by Vice President Pence. He is an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow, a companion of the Naval Order of the United States, a member of the Navy League and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He served on the National Blue Ribbon Panel for Bettering Engineering &
Science Education and as Chairman of the Diversity Council of Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
Brigadier General Steve "Bucky" Butow
Director, Space Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)Brigadier General Steven J. Butow is former Commander of the 129th Rescue Wing, Air Combat Command, with 3,500 flying hours in H/MC-130P, T-38 and T-37 aircraft. As a researcher with the SETI Institute, he worked on instrument concepts for Mars surface soil analysis at NASA Ames Research Center, and was Co-PI on two NASA/USAF airborne science campaigns. He was recognized for outstanding achievement by the Space Science Division in 1999, and received an Ames Honor Award as a member of the first astrobiology mission in 2000. He holds a B.A. in Physics & Astronomy from San Jose State University, M.S. in Air & Space Strategic Studies from the University of Maryland, and is an invited member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Kerri Cahoy
Associate Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MITProf. Kerri Cahoy is an Associate Professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She leads the Space Telecommunications, Astronomy, and Radiation (STAR) Laboratory, and design, builds, launches, and operates CubeSats.
Prof. Cahoy has a Ph.D. and Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.
Before joining MIT, she worked as a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at NASA Ames Research Center, and on geostationary communications satellites at Space Systems Loral (now Maxar).
Emily Calandrelli is a producer and the host of FOX’s Xploration Outer Space.
Lisa B. Callahan is Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin Space and has one of the coolest jobs in and out of this world! In this role, she leads the team building Orion, the spacecraft which will return humans to the Moon and eventually take them to Mars and beyond. Her team also develops and operates robotic spacecraft that are exploring and unlocking secrets of the solar system including asteroids, Mars, the Moon and our planet, Earth. If you check the weather, your forecast likely includes inputs from the GOES weather satellites which Lisa also oversees. These satellites work to protect life and property by predicting storms and tornadic activity and increasing public safety warnings. Her team is connecting people across the globe with satellite communication systems benefitting all humanity.
Pawan is the Co-Founder & CEO of Skyroot Aerospace- India’s National Award winning Space startup. He is a Rocket Engineer turned Space Entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of working for the Indian Space program. At Skyroot, he is leading efforts in building one of the world’s most affordable Space Launch vehicles from India. He believes rockets are the most fascinating machines ever built by humans, and are in need of a techo-economic makeover to open up windows for human expansion to space.
He is an Alumni of Indian Institute of Technology – Kharagpur, and was named in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2020.
Col Ryan M. Colburn
Director, Spectrum Warfare Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, USAFCol Ryan M. Colburn is the Director of the Spectrum Warfare Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, California. In this role, he leads a team charged with designing and integrating the United States Space Force’s current and future integrated Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) enterprise architectures. He works with military, commercial, allied and government partners to ensure SMC is able to design, acquire, integrate and field the space systems needed to support today’s warfighters on the battlefield of tomorrow.
Col Colburn was raised near Sacramento, California and entered the Air Force in 1998 after graduating from Seattle Pacific University and commissioning through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the
University of Washington. He has served in various levels of program management, staff and command positions for AFRL, ACC, DCMA, AFMC, SMC and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
Prior to this position, Col Colburn served as the Support Cell Chief for the Space Development Agency, responsible for the strategy, architecting and acquisition of all space launch services, ground based command and control systems, operational planning and training, and user equipment for the Agency.
Mike Collett is Founder and Managing Partner of Promus Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Chicago, San Francisco and Luxembourg investing in deep-technology software and hardware companies in the U.S., Europe and New Zealand. Mike has been a venture capital investor in software and hardware for over 15 years. He has invested in more than 70 private technology companies, including areas such as artificial intelligence/machine learning, space, fintech, robotics, synthetic biology, computer vision, connected car, blockchain, healthcare, insurance, agriculture, nanotechnology and others. Mike currently serves on numerous Boards of Directors of private technology companies, including Spire, Gauss Surgical, ICEYE, CrossLend, Rhombus and others.
Mike previously was Founder and Managing Partner of Masters Capital Nanotechnology Fund, a venture capital firm. Investments included companies in quantum cascade lasers, quantum dots, photonic integrated optoelectronic devices, nano-engineered fabrics and others. While at Masters Capital, a hedge fund, Mike invested in private technology software and hardware companies. Prior to venture capital, Mike was a Vice President at Merrill Lynch in their Mergers & Acquisitions group as well as an Associate at Duff & Phelps.
Mike holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Math and Bachelor’s of Arts in English from Vanderbilt University. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis.
Mike and his wife Paige have four children and live in Chicago.
Lucy Condakchian
General Manager, Robotics, Maxar TechnologiesLucy Condakchian is the general manager of robotics at Maxar. The company provides robotic systems for autonomous operations, as well as mechanisms and services for a range of missions including in-orbit satellite servicing, and exploration on the moon and Mars. Condakchian has worked at Maxar in increasingly responsible roles since 2002. With a degree in Aerospace Engineering from UCLA, Condakchian began her career as a mechanical design engineer working on the Instrument Deployment Device for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL’s) Mars Exploratory Rover. Condakchian advanced to become a project manager for advanced subsystems on several NASA and DARPA projects including several innovative and advanced robotic arms with multiple joints enabling highly dexterous movement. Condakchian has worked on six robotic arms used on the surface of Mars, including arms for NASA’s Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers and InSight and Phoenix landers. Over the course of her career, Condakchian has grown Maxar’s robotics business and established its reputation as the top supplier of sophisticated robotic systems for autonomous operations in space. Under her leadership, Maxar is currently developing cutting-edge robotics for on-orbit satellite servicing and assembly for NASA’s OSAM-1 (formerly Restore-L) program.
Meagan Crawford
Managing Partner, SpaceFundMeagan is one of the leading female voices in the space industry and an experienced space startup executive and founder. She is the host of the Mission Eve podcast that aims to increase the number of women in the space industry and is frequently featured as a thought leader on the industry’s development and investment potential.
Meagan is a strong believer in the power of free enterprise as the driving force that will lift humanity permanently off-world. She is managing partner of SpaceFund, a venture capital firm investing in space startups and Chair of the board of the non-profit Center for Space Commerce and Finance. She holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Rice University.
In 2009, Meagan began running the NewSpace Business Plan Competition, a program focused on educating both entrepreneurs and investors, and catalyzing deal flow. As a manager, coach, and judge for the last decade, she has read over 1,000 space business executive summaries, has coached hundreds of selected teams, and helped award cash prizes to dozens of NewSpace startups.
Bethany Ehlmann
Professor of Planetary Science, Caltech, Caltech – Lunar Trailblazer MissionBethany Ehlmann is a professor of planetary science at Caltech and Associate Director of the Keck Institute for Space Studies. Her research focuses on the mineralogy and chemistry of planetary surfaces, remote sensing techniques and instruments, astrobiology, and science policy and outreach. She is PI of Lunar Trailblazer and part of the science teams of the Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Dawn mission during its Ceres phase, and the Earth-orbiting EMIT imaging spectrometer.
Prof. Ehlmann servers as a member of the National Academies Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science and on the Planetary Society Board of Directors. Her National Geographic Kids book, Dr. E’s Super Stellar Solar System, teaches kids about solar system exploration.
Prof. Ehlmann is a 2013 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, a former Mineralogical Society of America Distinguished Lecturer, and recipient of the American Geophysical Union’s Macelwane medal, the American Astronomical Society Planetary Science Division Urey prize, and COSPAR’s Zeldovich medal.
Will Edwards is the co-founder and CEO of Firehawk Aerospace, a hybrid rocket engine design and manufacturing firm. Firehawk’s rocket engines are powered by their patented 3D printed rocket fuel. By 3D printing their fuel Firehawk can build rocket engines for space and defense applications that are lower cost, far safer, and can significantly outperform traditional solid rocket motors in terms of both fuel performance and with its ability to throttle. Will Edwards is from Tulsa, Oklahoma and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas. Prior to Firehawk he founded MetKnow, an HR software solution, in Santa Monica, California. Will was name Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021.
Tim Ellis
Co-founder & CEO, Relativity SpaceTim is the Co-founder and CEO of Relativity Space, the first autonomous rocket factory and launch services leader for satellite constellations. Disrupting 60 years of global aerospace manufacturing, Relativity is developing the first and only aerospace platform to integrate machine learning, software, and robotics with metal 3D printing technology to build and launch rockets and other aerospace products in days instead of years, with the long-term goal of building the future of humanity in space.
Since cofounding Relativity, Tim has helped change the future of space exploration by expanding the possibilities of additive metal manufacturing. Under his leadership, Relativity developed the largest robotic metal 3D printer in the world and tested its entirely 3D printed Aeon rocket engine over 190 times, on track to launching Relativity’s Terran 1, the world’s first 3D printed launch vehicle. Terran 1 has won publicly announced launch contracts to support Iridium, Telesat, Spaceflight Industries, Momentus, Mu Space.
Tim played a leading role in closing hundreds of millions of dollars in partnership with the U.S. Government, including securing the first-ever US Air Force launch site award to a venture backed company at Cape Canaveral, and exclusive 20-year agreements for multiple test sites and a 220,000-square-foot factory at NASA Stennis Space Center.
Prior to Relativity, Tim was responsible for bringing metal 3D printing in-house at Blue Origin and served as a Propulsion Development Engineer on Crew Capsule RCS thrusters, BE-4, and New Glenn. He holds an MS and a BS in Aerospace Engineering from USC, where he played a leadership role in launching the first student-designed and built rocket into space.
Tim has testified to the U.S. Senate on commercial space policy and is the youngest member on the National Space Council Users Advisory Group by nearly two decades, directly advising the United States White House on all space policy. He also serves on the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer, and has been honored as an MIT 35 Innovators Under 35 and “30 Under 30” from Business Insider, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine. Relativity is backed by Playground Global, Social Capital, Y Combinator, Mark Cuban, USC, and Stanford.
Van Espahbodi is championing today’s aerospace renaissance, uniting early-stage technology innovators with private investment to modernize infrastructure in mobility, communications, and intelligence. Van launched Starburst’s first US office in Los Angeles in 2015. He has 16+ years of experience in aerospace, identifying future trends, shaping product strategy and investment trade policies.
Having worked in Government and Corporate strategy positions in both defense and commercial aviation markets, Van started his career as a congressional aide before joining Raytheon and later UK NATS, the British air navigation service provider.
Following graduate studies at George Mason University, Van participated in executive programs at Thunderbird School of Management in AZ and Cranfield School of Management in the UK. He currently serves as a member of the Economic Development Advisory Council for the City of El Segundo and the Advisory Board of the MIT Enterprise Forum.
Lydia Etters
Graduate Intern, Center for Space Policy & Strategy, The Aerospace CorporationLydia Etters is a Graduate Intern within The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy, where she serves part-time supporting customer reports and independent research while pursuing her law degree in Southern California.
Prior to starting law school, Etters negotiated financial agreements as a Buyer at SpaceX and also spent time working as a Subcontracts Manager for fabrication at JPL. She launched her career in the aerospace industry at Starburst Accelerator in 2016 after obtaining her undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.
Daniel Faber is the Founder and CEO at Orbit Fab. He has over 20 years of space technology leadership, building and launching a dozen satellites for asteroid searches, environmental monitoring, telecommunications and human habitation. As a serial entrepreneur, his first company developed a unique mining instrumentation technology utilizing gamma ray spectroscopy, following which he worked on nuclear fusion reactors and then Antarctic communications.
Familiar with the economics of deep sea mining, Mr. Faber became CEO of Deep Space Industries where he secured millions in financing from VC and governments and grew sales from zero to nearly $10 million. With DSI he successfully changed global perceptions and regulations around space resources and positioned the company to systematically create and commercialize technology for asteroid mining.
Daniel has an engineering background and MBA’s from both UCLA Anderson and National University of Singapore. He now leads Orbit Fab, a two-year-old venture backed start-up in Silicon Valley that has already deployed its first two propellant tanker test-bed in Earth orbit for propellant transfer trials and recently became the first private company to resupply the International Space Station with water.
Negar Feher
VP of Product & Business Development, MomentusNegar Feher is the VP of Business Development at Momentus responsible for sales and marketing . Prior to joining Momentus she was the Director of Business development for Smallsats at Maxar (Previously SSL) where she was responsible for diversification strategy and sales to new market segments. At Maxar she introduced new products and services through establishing a new division offering test services that supported newspace space startups. Mrs. Feher holds a MS in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University.
Araz Feyzi
Araz is the Co-Founder and CTO of Kayhan Space. He has a Master’s in Information Systems and has been a part of two successful startups – He joined Duetto, a B2B SaaS startup as an early employee, and left to Co-Found Syfer, a cybersecurity startup. He has over 10 years of experience in technology and analytics, working for startups, as well as Fortune 500 companies. One of his strengths is leveraging technology to solve real problems. Araz is an engineer by training, and a data scientist.
John Gedmark
CEO & Cofounder, AstranisAstranis is building small, low-cost telecommunications satellites with a mission to bring the world online.
Prior to starting Astranis, John co-founded and served as Executive Director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, the industry association for commercial space companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. As Executive Director, John reported to a CEO-level board of directors and led the commercial space industry’s efforts to privatize flights of NASA’s astronauts to low Earth orbit — in February 2010 President Obama announced the historic decision to use commercial space transportation, a landmark change worth more than $10 billion to the commercial spaceflight industry. Prior to that, John served as the Director of Rocket Flight Operations for the X Prize Foundation, responsible for operations of a variety of rocket launches, including the first-ever public flight of a Vertical Take-off Vertical Landing (VTVL) rocket vehicle in front of a crowd of 20,000 people.
John holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University and a Master of Science degree from Stanford University, both in Aerospace Engineering.
Tom Gillespie
Managing Partner, IQTTom Gillespie serves as a Managing Partner on In-Q-Tel’s Investment Team and as Investment Lead for In-Q-Tel’s Field Technologies Practice, where he is responsible for identifying technologies that address challenges faced by the Intelligence Community. He has led a significant number of IQT’s investments in commercial space ventures, including launch vehicles, small satellite constellations, space situational awareness, and satellite componentry. In addition to space deals, he has led IQT investments in the areas of robotics, materials, power sources, and autonomous systems, as well as several analytics investments.
Prior to IQT, Tom was a Strategy Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, serving clients in the aerospace, financial services, and government (national security and defense) sectors. Previously, he co-founded LaunchFuel, a venture commercialization firm that created, developed, and advised early-stage technology businesses; Tom also directed numerous business and technology strategy projects with Global 2000 clients for AT&T Solutions. Earlier experience includes positions in international privatization and the United States Congress, where he focused on telecommunications, space, financial services, and foreign affairs issue areas.
Tom earned a B.A. from Stanford University, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. de Grey is the biomedical gerontologist who devised the SENS platform and established the SENS Research Foundation to implement it. He received his BA in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Cambridge in 1985 and 2000, respectively. Dr. de Grey is Editor-in-Chief of Rejuvenation Research, is a Fellow of both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Aging Association, and sits on the editorial and scientific advisory boards of numerous journals and organizations.
Jenn Gustetic
Early Stage Innovations and Partnerships Program Director,, NASA HQ Space Technology Mission DirectorateMs. Gustetic is an experienced innovation leader in the Federal government and a policy entrepreneur, having served as the Program Executive for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR/STTR) at NASA Headquarters (2016-2020), the Assistant Director for Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (2014-2016), the Program Executive for prizes and challenges at NASA (2012-2014), co-chair of the Partnership for Public Service’s Innovation Council (2018-today), co-chair of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Interagency Maker working group (2016-2018), future of work research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School (2017-2019), co-founder of Design Thinking DC (2011-2014), board of trustees member of the Van Alen Institute (2016-today), and board of advisors member of the National Science Policy Network (2018-today). She has also previously worked at the Transportation Security Administration on their transportation grants programs as well as in the private sector as a management consultant for Phase One Consulting Group.
Ms. Gustetic holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in technology policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has also received an executive education certificate from Stanford University in Venture Capital investing. She has published numerous writings on innovation including in the MIT Press, Space Policy Journal, New Space Journal, and Issues in Science and Technology.
Craig Hardgrove
Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State UniversityDr. Craig Hardgrove is an Assistant Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU. He earned his Doctoral degree in Geology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Dr. Hardgrove is the Principal Investigator for the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) cubesat mission and a Participating Scientist on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument team. His research is focused on the characterization of hydrated rocks and their constituent phases on rocky planets as well as on small spacecraft development for interplanetary exploration. He is active in several NASA instrument development projects and has over a decade of experience working on spacecraft missions.
In addition to serving as the Principal Investigator for LunaH-Map, Dr. Hardgrove is currently a member of the science team on the BepiColombo mission to Mercury.
Tess Hatch hopes to travel to space. In the meantime, she is a venture investor at Bessemer Venture Partners who invests in frontier tech.
Steve Isakowitz is a recognized leader across the government, commercial, space and technology sectors, who has worked tirelessly throughout his career on behalf of the public good in space. He currently serves as President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, a leading architect for the nation’s space programs, where he heads up efforts to outpace threats to the country’s national security while nurturing innovative technologies to further a new era of space commercialization and exploration. With his guidance, Aerospace’s national workforce of more than 4,600 employees provides objective technical expertise and thought leadership to solve the hardest problems in space and assure mission success for space systems and space vehicles. Over the course of his more than 30-year career, Isakowitz has made impactful contributions across a number of prominent roles, including at Virgin Galactic, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the White House Office of Management and Budget.
Janet Kavandi
Executive Vice President, Space Systems Group (SSG), Sierra Nevada CorporationJanet is Executive Vice President of Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems Group, where she is responsible for all aspects of SNC’s space business including the Dream Chaser spaceplane, LIFE habitat, Astro Garden system and advanced propulsion systems, all of which are critical to support the exploration and colonization of space. SNC has been a leader in national security and space for more than 55 years and today is creating the first sustainable and scalable platform for safe, efficient and continual government and commercial activity in space. Janet retired from NASA in 2019 after 25 years of service, including three space flights in which she supported space station payload integration, capsule communications and robotics.
Chris is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Astra where he leads the overall company strategy and direction.
Previously, Chris founded several tech start-ups and served as the Chief Technology Officer of NASA, where he introduced new technologies into America’s space program and founded OpenStack, the largest and fastest growing open source project in history. While at NASA, Chris worked at the White House to develop the cloud strategy for the United States.
Chris has been recognized in the Silicon Valley Business Journal “40 under 40,” the CNBC Disruptor 50 list, and received the prestigious “Federal 100” award for his service at NASA.
Peter Khooshabeh
Regional Lead, DEVCOM, ARL WestPeter Khooshabeh is the regional lead for ARL West, which is the California hub for the United State Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s corporate research laboratory. As the first Open Campus hub for the Army in the West Coast region started in 2016, ARL West focuses on human and information interaction research that will provide fundamental knowledge for new warfighter capabilities, such as augmented and virtual reality interfaces and visualizations. Dr. Khooshabeh oversees the daily operation of a combination of 37 government civilians and contractors, including students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting researchers. Prior to leading ARL West, he was a team leader and research psychologist in the ARL Human Research and Engineering Directorate, embedded as a field office within the Army’s Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) at the University of Southern California since 2010.
Dr. Khooshabeh has been a principle investigator on recent projects that leverage wearable physiological sensors for improved human autonomy teaming; as well as fundamental and applied research on training effectiveness for simulations. He has over 50 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of cognitive science and human-computer interaction. Dr. Khooshabeh has also contributed to research projects across a multitude of government and defense research labs such as the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Lab, NASA Ames Research Center and Air Force Research Lab, in addition to private industry at IBM Research.
Dr. Khooshabeh graduated with high honors with a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and earned his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara, all in the field of cognitive science with emphasis in computational modeling.
As a Project Engineer in The Aerospace Corporation Global Partnerships Department, Ashley represents the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) in developing collaboration opportunities, creating strategic alliances, deepening interoperability, and attracting new partners for current and future capabilities with international, industry, and interagency partners to assist with and provide advice on space systems and program architecture development. Ashley’s role includes recognizing partner assets that augment or fill U.S. space architecture capability gaps and recommending technical solutions.
Her previous roles at Aerospace include being an International Space Systems Analyst within the Strategic and Global Awareness Directorate and a Member of the Technical Staff within the Engineering and Technology Group, Space Architecture Department. Ashley has lived and worked abroad through various exchange programs in Russia, Germany, and China.
She received her B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from The George Washington University in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Craig “Yogi” Leavitt
Innovation Advisor, Innovation & Small Business Partnerships, AFWERXCraig Leavitt, a retired USAF Colonel, is an advisor to AFWERX for innovation and small business partnerships.
Mr. Leavitt has extensive experience developing operational military capabilities on the Pentagon Joint Staff, has led rapid acquisition teams within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and served as a requirements officer responsible for a large portfolio of advanced technology programs. As a member of the National Defense University staff, he served as chief strategist for Air University’s ‘Fast Space’ report, identifying key areas of common interest for joint DOD commercial space investment. He has been a member of the AFWERX team since inception in spring 2017.
A graduate of the USAF Weapons School, he has over 3,500 military flying hours, and holds a B.S. in Engineering from the US Air Force Academy as well as a M.A. in Air and Space Power from Air University.
David Limp
Senior Vice President, Devices & Services, AmazonDavid Limp has been at Amazon since March 2010 and is currently SVP of Amazon Devices & Services. He is responsible for the development, retail sales and operational aspects of Amazon’s consumer electronic devices and the services behind them, including Alexa, Echo, Kindle, Fire TV, Fire tablets, Ring, Day 1 Editions, Amazon Key, Amazon Appstore, and Project Kuiper.
Prior to Amazon, David served as Venture Partner of Azure Capital Partners for four years. Before Azure, he served as Chief Strategy Officer of Palm where he was responsible for corporate development, business development and applications. From July 1997 to August 2002, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Liberate Technologies. David started his career at Apple Computer and held various positions from 1987 to 1996, the last of which was Director of the North and South American PowerBook division.
David has B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University and a M.S. degree in Management from Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
Ben Longmier
Co-founder & CTO, Swarm TechnologiesDr. Ben Longmier was previously the Founder and CEO of Aether Industries (acquired by Apple in 2015). While at Apple, Ben led an Aerospace R&D effort for several company objectives.
Prior to working at Apple, Ben was a tenure track Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan. Ben holds a PhD in Engineering Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA-JSC.
Ron Lopez
President & Managing Director, AstroscaleRon joined Astroscale as Managing Director in April 2019to lead the company’s business operations in the United States.
Ron brings over 25 years of government and industry experience, encompassing systems engineering, program management, sales and marketing, technology/research and development management, and strategy formulation. Ron started his career as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Air Force, serving as the focal point for Space Situational Awareness capability development at Air Force Space Command’s Space Control Division. He then joined Boeing and worked on various programs as a Systems Engineering Manager within Boeing Research & Technology and Phantom Works and led business development activities for the Network & Space Systems division throughout the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Astroscale, Ron led the Defense & Space Asia Pacific sales team at Honeywell Aerospace, helping the company achieve significant sales growth and expansion into new markets.
Over half of Ron’s career has been spent working and living in Japan, and he is an active member of The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation’s U.S.-Japan Space Forum.
Ron earned a Bachelor of Science degree from The United States Air Force Academy in 1993.
Kathryn Lueders
Associate Administrator, Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate, NASAKathryn Lueders serves as NASA’s associate administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate. Prior to her selection for this role on June 12, 2020, Ms. Lueders managed the agency’s Commercial Crew Program directing NASA’s efforts to send astronauts to space on private spacecraft, which culminated in the successful launch of Demo-2 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30.
Lueders began her NASA career in 1992 at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, where she was the Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System and Reaction Control Systems Depot manager. She later moved to the International Space Station Program and served as transportation integration manager, where she led commercial cargo resupply services to the space station.
She also was responsible for NASA oversight of international partner spacecraft visiting the space station. She went to Kennedy as acting Commercial Crew Program Manager in 2013 and was selected as the head of the office in 2014.
Lueders has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from New Mexico State University.
Nujoud Merancy
Chief of the Exploration Mission Planning Office, Johnson Space Center – NASAMs. Merancy is a systems engineer with extensive background in human spaceflight and spacecraft at NASA Johnson Space Center. She is currently the Chief of the Exploration Mission Planning Office responsible for the team of engineers and analysts designing, developing, and integrating NASA’s human spaceflight portfolio beyond low earth orbit. These missions include planning for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System, Exploration Ground Systems, Gateway, and Human Landing System.
She is responsible for ensuring the mission design, trajectory, and objectives can be successfully be met by the programs and vehicles for successful human spaceflight operations. She has previously served as the Exploration Mission Analysis Lead and lead the team developing the Orion integrated mission execution, vehicle performance analysis, and exploration mission design.
Her work experience includes systems integration, test and verification, vehicle performance analysis, guidance, navigation, & control, requirements engineering, and real-time operations spanning both the International Space Station Program from 2002 to 2008, MPCV-Orion Program from 2009 until 2018, Exploration Systems Division from 2018 to 2019, and now the division chief within the Exploration Integration & Science Directorate.
Ms. Merancy holds a B.S. Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, University of Washington and a M.S. Systems Engineering, University of Houston – Clear Lake.
I just realized that I should’ve written my bio in the third person perspective, not first. Please replace the current bio with the one below:
Junaid’s path to Venture Capital was an unconventional one. His journey began over 21 years ago. As a pharmacist, he learned about the healthcare system, health, and longevity. Several years later, in pursuit of a childhood dream, he took a detour and became a floor trader at the New York Board of Trade in the sugar pit. Amid the trading pit chaos, he learned about the public markets, trading and dealing with and managing risk in that environment. Shortly afterward, the trading pit went electronic, and he turned his attention to angel investing. As an angel, he learned about startups, Venture Capital and invested in several companies in a wide swath of industries, including space and longevity. This experience taught him how to handle risks in private markets. A few years later, he met his partner, Franz. Together, with a team of six, they competed in a global challenge trying to solve the Boston area’s food insecurity issue. During this time, Junaid and Franz connected on their passion for investing. A few weeks later, after the challenge was over, they met at a coffee shop to catch up. During the meeting, they realized that they could build a better tomorrow with their backgrounds and investing experience, which led to the founding of SP8CEVC. The first fund on Earth focused on Space Technology and Human Longevity.
Mina Mitry is Co-Founder and CEO of Kepler Communications, a company seeking to lay the foundation for the “Internet outside Earth”.Kepler is presently building its business by offering data connectivity to machines on Earth, using satellites it manufactures and operates in-house. In the future, Kepler will begin to relay traffic for customers in space, connecting satellites to each other or to the ground in real-time. Under Mina’s leadership, Kepler was named one of the most innovative space companies in the world by Fast Company in 2018. Prior to Kepler, Mina commercialized his research work on numerical methods and machine learning at a major aircraft engine manufacturer.
Mina holds a Masters of Applied Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto.
Rafal Modrzewski is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of ICEYE. ICEYE is launching and operating a constellation of small radar imaging satellites, providing access to timely and reliable Earth observation data. ICEYE is the first company that has successfully miniaturized a SAR satellite, making it possible to launch more units to reliably image any location on Earth, every few hours, every day. With its growing SAR satellite constellation, ICEYE offers its partners a set of unprecedented satellite imaging capabilities, accessing any area of interest faster, more frequently, and at a lower cost.
Since co-founding the project in 2012, which became the company in 2014, with Pekka Laurila, Modrzewski is responsible for overseeing the organization’s growth and implementing ICEYE’s overall vision. Modrzewski brings with him deep domain expertise in SAR engineering, and he has received the 2018 Forbes 30 under 30 Technology award based on the world-first achievements of ICEYE.
Prior to co-founding ICEYE, Modrzewski researched innovative products at VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) in the RFID and wireless sensing group. He attended Warsaw University of Technology in Poland, where he studied Electrical Engineering and co-founded the Multimedia Technologies Science Group. Modrzewski continued his studies in Radio Science and Engineering at Aalto University where he led the on-board data handling team working on Aalto-1, Finland’s first nanosatellite.
J. Christopher Moran
Executive Director & General Manager, Lockheed Martin VenturesJohn Christopher “Chris” Moran is the Executive Director and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures; the venture capital investment arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the Corporation’s investments in small technology companies which support Lockheed Martin’s strategic business objectives.
Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Mr. Moran served in a variety of increasingly responsible positions at Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA. He served most recently as the head of the Business Systems and Analytics group in the Applied Global Services Organization. Mr. Moran was with Applied for over 32 years. Prior to his most recent role, Mr. Moran was head of Corporate Strategy and General Manager of Applied Ventures LLC; the strategic investing arm of Applied Materials.
Mr. Moran is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he obtained both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering
Gabe directs the Space Force Accelerator program for the US Space Force. In this capacity, he oversees the Hyperspace Challenge in Albuquerque and the Catalyst Space Accelerator in Colorado Springs both focused on connecting the entrepreneurial start-up community to the US Space Force. He is also the Technology Commercialization Lead for the Air Force Research Lab in New Mexico where he oversees all aspects of technology transfer, commercialization, and community engagement for AFRL Space and Directed Energy technology.
Dava Newman
Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MITDr. Dava Newman is the Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics at MIT and Harvard–MIT Health, Sciences, and Technology faculty member. She served as NASA Deputy Administrator (2015-17), the first female engineer in this role, and was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
Her research and teaching expertise include aerospace biomedical engineering, astronaut performance, advanced space suit design, leadership development, innovation and space policy. Newman has been principal investigator (PI) on four spaceflight missions flown aboard the Space Shuttle, Russian Mir Space Station and the International Space Station, and is best known for her revolutionary BioSuit™ planetary spacesuit.
She is the author Interactive Aerospace Engineering and Design, has over 300 publications, and has supervised 90 graduate students and mentored more than 200 undergraduates.
Peter Platzer is the Chief Executive Officer of Spire Global, Inc. He cofounded the company in 2012 with a vision to provide satellite-powered data from any location on earth. Platzer is now regarded as one of the pioneers in launching small form factor satellites into space. He has been widely recognized for his visionary leadership and was named a White House Champion of Change in 2013. Platzer was also named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2015 in acknowledgement that Spire’s technology is poised to have a significant impact on business and society.
Prior to launching Spire, Platzer trained at CERN and the Max Planck Institute before turning to business with the Boston Consulting Group in Germany, Singapore, and Thailand. Platzer spent nearly a decade on Wall Street as a quantitative trader before leaving finance in 2011 to focus on high frequency and high accuracy data in space. He advised on space commercialization at NASA Ames’ Space Portal while completing an MSS from the International Space University.
Platzer co-created and launched CareerTeams at Harvard Business School and currently serves as a Career Coach for students and alumni. Platzer received an MS in Physics from the Technical University of Vienna and an MBA from Harvard, where he was a Baker scholar.
Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond is the Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force. As Chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Space Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of all organic and assigned space forces serving in the United States and overseas.
Gen. Raymond was commissioned through the ROTC program at Clemson University in 1984. He has commanded at squadron, group, wing, numbered air force, major command and combatant command levels. Notable staff assignments include serving in the Office of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense; the Director of Plans, Programs and Analyses at Air Force Space Command; the Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command; and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
Gen. Raymond deployed to Southwest Asia as Director of Space Forces in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to leading establishment of the U.S. Space Force and serving as the first Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Raymond led the re-establishment of U.S. Space Command as the eleventh U.S. combatant command.
Will Roper
Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics, United States Air ForceDr. Will Roper is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. As the Air Force’s Service Acquisition Executive, Dr. Roper is responsible for and oversees Air Force research, development and acquisition activities totaling an annual budget in excess of $60 billion for more than 550 acquisition programs. In this position, Dr. Roper serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for research and development, test, production and modernization efforts within the Air Force.
Jennifer L. Ross is Head of Partnerships at ABL Space Systems and has more than 20 years of engineering and financial experience in the Manufacturing, Defense and Space industries. Prior to joining ABL, Ross held management and executive positions in the areas of material science and manufacturing, process engineering, and financial analysis. Most recently, she served as a principal engineer in Launch and Enterprise Operations at The Aerospace Corporation, analyzing the space industrial base and helping space startups conduct business with the U.S. Space Force. Ross transitioned from engineering to management consulting and finance in 2007. She spent five years as vice president of a public finance management and municipal bond firm. She later joined a hedge fund as an equity short seller/research analyst, analyzing corporate financials of publicly traded companies and predicting the probability of financial failure for those businesses.
Melanie Stricklan combined her military experience and indomitable spirit to co-found Slingshot Aerospace in 2017, a company that is empowering organizations with decision intelligence technologies for space. Today, she is the company’s Chief Executive Officer where she leads the strategic vision, product development, and growth strategy. Having proudly served in the United States Air Force for 21 years, Melanie possesses a unique blend of leadership and technical expertise that enables her to create and execute winning business and product strategies. Melanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Science in Space Operations Management from Webster University. She was named the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year for El Segundo, California, and one of Inc. Magazines 2019 Top 100 Female Founders in the United States. She is a champion for STEM initiatives and enjoys inspiring youth to challenge themselves and pursue their dreams.
John Suh
Founding Director, New Horizons Studio, Hyundai Motor CompanyJohn Suh is vice president and founding director of New Horizons Studio, which is focused on thedevelopment of Ultimate Mobility Vehicles (UMVs), including the concept vehicle Hyundai Elevate. New Horizons Studio is expected to push the extreme limits of vehicl e development, building vehicles to traverse off-road terrains with unprecedented mobility, through a combination of robotics and wheeled locomotion technology.
John has held several leadership roles at Hyundai Motor Group since 2011. He served as founding director of Hyundai Ventures, and then led Hyundai CRADLE (Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences) as its founding director based in Silicon Valley. He brings over 35 years of expertise in the automotive and emerging technology sectors, including roles at Stanford
University, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC; formerly, Xerox PARC), and General Motors Company.
John has a BS degree in electrical engineering from Kettering University and an MS and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. John has numerous technical publications and has six patents and patents pending in the fields of robotics, artificial nose technology, and location based services.
Lt. General John Thompson
Commander, Space & Missile Systems Center, United States Space ForceAs the Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space, General Thompson manages the research, design, development, acquisition and sustainment of satellites and the associated command and control systems. He is responsible for approximately 6,000 employees nationwide and an annual budget of $7 billion. His extensive portfolio includes military satellite communication, missile warning, navigation and timing, space-based weather, space launch and test ranges, certification for launch, space superiority, responsive space and other emerging evolutionary space programs.
Matt Tompkins
Global Partnerships, The Aerospace CorporationMatt Tompkins supports all space innovation efforts from pitch days, accelerators, and challenges as a thought leader, mentor, and co-founder of the Space Syndicate. Focusing on international partnerships, Matt supports the SMC Chief Partnership Office. Matt is also a Major in the Air Force reserves supporting AF-Ventures, and an Economic Advisor subcommittee chair with the El Segundo city council.
Mandy Vaughn
CEO and Founder, GXO, Inc.Mandy is one of the most innovative and influential leaders in the US space industry. She founded GXO in 2021 to drive innovation, unlock new opportunities, and address emerging threats by working across the space technology sector & the acquisition community to increase adoption of commercial space opportunities in national security missions. She is also the Operating Partner for Embedded Ventures, a cutting-edge VC firm supporting the same technical thesis. Prior to founding GXO, Mandy was an active duty officer in the US Air Force as an aerospace engineer and program manager in some of the most innovative and compelling space missions. She worked at General Dynamics Mission Systems and was the President of VOX Space (Virgin Orbit subsidiary) with a specific focus on the national security launch market. Mandy holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics, both from MIT. She is a member of the National Space Council User’s Advisory Group and member of the Defense Science Board.
Randy Villahermosa
General Manager & Executive Director of Innovation, The Aerospace CorporationDr. Randy Villahermosa is the general manager of Innovation at The Aerospace Corporation. He is responsible for leading innovation programs, culture transformation initiatives, and the corporation’s research and development portfolio. Villahermosa’s responsibilities span a broad range of science, technology, and innovation areas related to space systems, remote sensing, data analytics, and autonomous systems.
Prior to his current role, Villahermosa supported the development of multiple satellite systems for
a wide variety of mission areas including missile defense sensors for the Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency, advanced technology satellites for the intelligence community, and space situational awareness satellite systems for the Air Force. He is also an expert in space materials and contamination control, and holds multiple patents in related technologies.
Villahermosa received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Occidental College, and Ph.D. in physical inorganic chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.
Melodie Yashar is a design architect, technologist, and researcher. She is co-founder of Space Exploration Architecture (SEArch+), a group developing human-supporting concepts for space exploration. SEArch+ won top prize in both of NASA’s design solicitations for a Mars habitat within the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. The success of the team’s work in NASA’s Centennial Challenge led to consultancy roles and collaborations with UTAS/Collins Aerospace, NASA Langley, ICON, NASA Marshall, and others.
Melodie currently teaches a mixed undergraduate and graduate design studio titled “Life on the Moon” at Art Center College of Design. Melodie is also a Senior Research Associate in human factors with San Jose State Research Foundation at NASA Ames. Melodie’s background is in industrial design, architecture, and human-computer interaction with an emphasis in robotics.
Yannis C. Yortsos
Dean, USC Viterbi School of Engineering; Zohrab Kaprielian Chair in Engineering, University of Southern CaliforniaYannis C. Yortsos is Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the Zohrab Kaprielian Chair in Engineering, a position he has held since 2005. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2008, where he has also served as secretary, vice-chair and chair of Section 11 and since July 2017 as a member of the NAE Council.
In 2011 he was awarded the distinction of honorary member of the AIME, in 2013 he was elected as Associate member of the Academy of Athens, in 2014 he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. In 2017 he was given an honorary degree from Tsinghua University.
He has served on the Executive Committee of the Engineering Deans Council (2011-2017) and on the Executive Committee of the Global Engineering Deans Council (2012-2016). A member of its executive committee since April 2020, he has directed the NAE Covid-19 Call for Engineering Action.
Yortsos co-founded in 2009 the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, an engineering educational transformation to prepare the engineers who will solve the Grand Challenges of our time. As a chair of the Engineering Deans Diversity Committee, he helped launch in 2015 an initiative to enhance diversity across all engineering schools in the US, which has been signed by more than 230 engineering schools across the country.
Ally Yost
Principal, The EngineAlly Yost is the first employee and a Principal at The Engine, an early-stage, MIT-affiliated venture fund that invests in Tough Tech. She brings over a decade of experience working at the intersection of research, commercialization, and early stage startups. In her role at The Engine, she develops investments in the climate, human health, and hardware infrastructure sectors. She currently sits on the Board of Analytical Space, and is a Board Observer of Quaise Energy and Boston Metall, and works closely with Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Seaspire Skincare.
Prior to the Engine, Ally led R&D and manufacturing at Accion Systems, Inc., an MIT-spin out that creates high-quality, affordable ion propulsion technologies for increased access to space. She has also worked in mechanical engineering and R&D roles in materials and micro- and nanotechnologies at NASA, Google[x], and MGH. Ally has an SM in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UNH, where she was also captain of the Women’s Soccer Team. While at MIT, she was Managing Director of the $100K Entrepreneurship Competition and was Co-Director of MIT Hacking Medicine.
Being one of Starburst’s first team members, joining the ride shortly after the firm’s inception in 2015, Benjamin has played a critical role in helping Starburst position itself as the innovation leader in A&D. In his time at Starburst, Benjamin has helped to develop and establish the world’s first aviation, space, and defense focused startup accelerator. Building the program from scratch, Ben has had the opportunity to work with more than 50 founders across the global to help them scale their business in Aerospace & Defense. Notable investments include Momentus, AirMap, WhiteFox, and ZeroAvia.
Prior to joining Starburst, he studied software and hardware engineering in Montreal, Stockholm and Paris, and ultimately began his career auditing a large organization on information security. He later joined the CIO advisory practice of a management consultancy before deciding to continue his studies in finance, strategy and intercultural management in France and Singapore.
Benjamin holds an MS degree in Computer Science & Systems from Ecole Centrale d’Electronique Paris and a Postgraduate Junior MBA in strategy from ESSEC Business School.
Richard Linares
Co-Director, Space Systems Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MITDr. Richard Linares is the Co-Director of the Space Systems Laboratory at MIT and holds a Charles Stark Draper Assistant Professor position at MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Richard Linares joined the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in July of 2018.
Before joining MIT, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota’s Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics Department. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. He was a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory and additionally held a postdoctoral associate appointment at the United States Naval Observatory. His research areas are astrodynamics, estimation and controls, satellite guidance and navigation, space situational awareness, and space traffic management. Richard Linares is a recipient of the AFOSR Young Investigator Research Program Award in 2018 and the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2020.
James M. Weygand
Space Physicist, Department of Earth, Planetary, & Space Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Dr. James Weygand is a space physicist with the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research has focused on solar wind turbulence, magnetospheric sub storms, interhemispheric asymmetries, and auroral phenomena. More recently, he has examined the effects of space weather on the Earth’s ionosphere and the surface. Dr. Weygand produces two-dimensional maps of the ionospheric currents over North America and Greenland using over 150 ground-based magnetometers. These maps are significant for space weather research, including ground induced currents and ionospheric scintillations.
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