We are a world-class team of proven disruptors and innovators working tirelessly to set the foundation for a sustainable space economy.
Voyager Leadership Team
- Chairman & CEO
- Denver, CO
Dylan Taylor is a global business leader, thought leader, commercial astronaut and philanthropist. A vanguard in the NewSpace sector, Taylor has been cited by Harvard University, SpaceNews, the BBC, CNBC, CNN and others as having played a seminal role in the growth of the private space industry. He is also widely considered the most active private space investor in the world.
As the Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space, Dylan Taylor’s influence drives much of the innovation and advancement of the space industry. However, his influence doesn’t end there. His philanthropic impact in the industry began as the founder of the nonprofit and social movement, Space for Humanity, which seeks to democratize space exploration and develop solutions to global issues through the scope of human awareness to help solve the world’s most intractable problems. Dylan is also the Co-Founding Patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which promotes the growth of commercial space activity. Additionally, Dylan serves as a strategic advisor for both the Archmission and the Human Spaceflight Program. He is also a leading benefactor to the Brooke Owens Fellowship, Patti Grace Smith Fellowship and Mission: Astro Access.
Dylan’s technical background and passion for the space industry makes him not only one of the leading experts, but also a unique figure within the industry due to his own personal spaceflight experience. On December 11th, 2021, Dylan became just the 606th human to go to space as part of the crew of Blue Origin’s New Shepard Mission 19. Dylan consequently earned his commercial astronaut wings with the FAA.
Dylan’s passion has also primed him as a leading advocate of space manufacturing and the utilization of in-space resources to further space exploration and settlement. In 2017 he became the first private citizen to manufacture an item in space when the gravity meter he co-designed and commissioned was 3D printed on the International Space Station. The historic item is now housed in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
As a thought leader and futurist, Taylor has written several widely read pieces on the future of the space industry for Forbes, FastCompany, SpaceNews, Newsweek, The Space Review, and Space.com. As a speaker, Dylan has keynoted many of the major space conferences around the world and has appeared regularly on Bloomberg, Fox Business, and CNBC.
As a global business leader Dylan has been Fortune 1000 executive in several industries including advanced electronics, finance and real estate serving in the roles of CEO, President and Board Director for multinational companies including Prudential plc, Honeywell, UMB Bank, Colliers and Jones Lang LaSalle. He has had P&L responsibility in excess of $2B with 15,000+ employees in 60+ countries.
For his influence as a global leader and his commitment to creating a positive impact on the world, the World Economic Forum recognized Dylan as a Young Global Leader in 2011 and later named him as a full member of the Forum and a Governor of the Space cohort. In addition, Dylan is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and in 2020, Dylan was recognized by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation with their top honor for business and finance, following in the footsteps of 2019’s inaugural winner, the late Paul Allen.
Dylan Taylor earned his MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Booth School of Business at University of Chicago and holds a BS in Engineering from the honors college at the University of Arizona, where he graduated Tau Beta Pi and in 2018 was named Alumnus of the year. In 2013, he attended the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century program at Harvard University.
Full bio available at www.dylantaylor.org.
- President & COO
- Denver, CO
Matthew Kuta is the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer of Voyager Space. He was also the founding Executive Director for Space for Humanity, a non-profit organization that will send diverse passengers into orbit on commercial space vehicles. Prior to co-founding Voyager Space, Matthew was a key member of the private equity investment team at Goldman Sachs in New York City. Matthew started his private sector career focusing on middle market private equity at Plexus Capital in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Matthew Kuta is also an accomplished leader with global experience. As a former military officer, he has led large multi-national teams in very high-stakes initiatives as an F-15E fighter pilot. He has been recognized for multiple professional accolades to include the Jabara Award, awarded to the top U.S. Air Force Academy alumni for contributions to aviation. He is also a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the highest medal solely for aviation in the U.S. military that can be awarded in combat.
Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He is on the Board of Directors of Voyager Space, XO Markets, the United States Air Force Academy Endowment, and Space for Humanity. He is also a Member for the Council on Foreign Relations. Matthew resides in Denver with his wife and two daughters.
- EVP, Marketing
- Washington, DC
Abby Dickes is the Executive Vice President of Marketing for Voyager Space. In this role, she is responsible for building and managing Voyager’s marketing, corporate communications, and brand strategy, and providing leadership and coordination across the Voyager enterprise.
Prior to joining Voyager, Abby was the U.S. Government Marketing & Communications Manager at Maxar Technologies, supporting the civil and national security space infrastructure portfolio. She marketed key technologies, capabilities and programs to critical government customers and supported corporate public relations and event strategy.
She also previously served as the Director of Marketing, Communications and Special Events for Nanoracks LLC, now a Voyager company. While at Nanoracks, a leading provider of commercial space systems and services, she oversaw all corporate communications and marketing campaigns, managed public relations, supported commercial business development efforts and public policy strategy, and directed executive engagements. Abby earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics and a Minor in Astronomy from the University of Maryland, College Park, and currently lives in Washington, DC.
- Chief Revenue Officer
- Washington, DC
Clay Mowry has worked for over 25 years in the commercial launch and satellite sectors serving in government, as the leader of an industry trade association and as a senior executive for leading space companies.
Mr. Mowry joined Voyager Space in January 2022 as Chief Revenue Officer. He is responsible for growing sales, aligning operating company product/service offerings, developing analytics, setting strategy, and delivering customer success.
He previously served for five years as Vice President for Global Sales at Blue Origin. His mission was to provide commercial and government customers with safe and affordable space transportation services with the reusable New Glenn orbital and New Shepard suborbital launch vehicles.
Mr. Mowry worked for 15 years as the President and Chairman of Arianespace, Inc. As the head of the Arianespace’s U.S. subsidiary, he was responsible for managing the company’s sales, marketing, strategy, government relations, and communications activities.
Before joining Arianespace, Mr. Mowry served as the founding Executive Director of the Satellite Industry Association, a non-profit alliance of U.S. satellite operators, manufacturers, and ground equipment suppliers.
Prior to his role at SIA, he worked as a space industry analyst, trade negotiator, and Senior International Trade Specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.
Clay Mowry received a Master of Business of Administration from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Arts in politics and government from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
In addition to his work at Voyager, Mr. Mowry is the incoming International Astronautical Federation (IAF) President. He was the former Chair of the IAF Industry Relations Committee, IAF Vice President for Finance, and led the IAC Evolution project to update the Federation’s flagship annual conference.
He currently serves on the advisory boards of Via Satellite magazine and the Space Generation Advisory Council. Mr. Mowry is also the founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Future Space Leaders Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the career development of next generation space and satellite industry professionals.
- EVP, Government Affairs & Public Policy
- Washington, DC
Eric Stallmer is the Executive Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy for Voyager Space Holdings Inc. Eric leads Voyager’s Washington D.C. office and is responsible for representing the interests of Voyager to key government institutions including Congress, the White House and several federal agencies that impact the success of Voyager and its subsidiaries.
Prior to joining Voyager he was the President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. CSF is the most recognized and largest trade organization dedicated to promoting policies and best practices fostering the development of the commercial spaceflight industry. Under Stallmer’s leadership, CSF worked tirelessly to craft the modern Commercial Space Launch Act, as well as to promote innovation as a national policy to spur the economy and create high technology jobs.
Eric serves on both the Defense Innovation Board, Space Advisory Committee as well as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). While at CSF, Eric was appointed to the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group (UAG) where he sits on the Executive Committee and serves as the Co-Chair of the Economic Development and Industrial Base Subcommittee. He also served as the co-chair of the Federal Aviation Administration Airspace Integration Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) and was a member of the Space Launch and Reentry ARC, and the Spaceport ARC.
Eric has testified several times to Congress, before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Senate Commerce Committee and the National Space Council. During these testimonies, he has encouraged Congress to support policies that will facilitate growth and innovation in the industry and maintain the American space sector’s competitive leadership.
As a thought leader in the space industry, Eric has served on numerous industry affiliated boards including the Future Space Leaders Foundation and is former Chairman of the Washington Space Business Roundtable. His professional comments have been featured in The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, SpaceNews, and many more.
Before working at CSF, Eric served as the Vice President of Government Relations at Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI). Stallmer joined AGI in 2002; while there, Eric oversaw all Washington Operations and represented AGI’s commercial off-the-shelf products and technology to defense, intelligence, Congress, and civil government sectors within the aerospace industry.
Eric came to AGI from The Space Transportation Association (STA), a non-profit, industry trade organization providing government representation to companies with a vested interest in the U.S space launch industry. Prior to that, Stallmer worked on Capitol Hill in the office of then Congressman Tom Coburn.
For almost three decades, Stallmer has served as an officer in the United States Army and Army Reserves. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service while engaged in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is currently assigned, as a reservist, to the Pentagon in the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff Army for Logistics, G-4.
Eric earned a Master of Arts Degree in Public Administration from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and History from Mount Saint Mary College. He and his wife Amy live in McLean, Virginia with their three children, Charlie, Billy and Catherine.
- President of International & Space Stations
- Washington, DC
Jeffrey Manber is President of International and Space Stations at Voyager Space. He also serves as Chairman of the Board for Nanoracks.
Jeffrey is the Co-Founder and first employee of Nanoracks. He served as the Chief Executive Officer from 2009 until 2021 where he broke barriers for access to space and oversaw the growth of numerous commercial International Space Station programs. Jeffrey also directed the development of the Bishop Airlock, the first and only commercial airlock on the space station.
As the only American to ever work officially for the Russian space program, Mr. Manber served as Managing Director of Energia USA, the American arm of RSC Energia. In 1991, he negotiated and executed the first commercial contract between NASA and the NPO Energia in the Soviet Union to use the Soyuz crewed capsule as an escape vehicle for Space Station Freedom. Later, Mr. Manber represented the Energia in contract negotiations to construct and operate the International Space Station.
As CEO of MirCorp, he leased the Russian space station “Mir” and oversaw the first ever commercially funded 70-day crewed mission. His experience developing the business base for Mir and on the International Space Station, paved the way Nanoracks to grow into a commercial space station company.
Jeffrey also co-developed the first fund dedicated to commercial space on Wall Street with Shearson Lehman. He has served as an advisor to numerous space companies and governments. The author of three books, his second Selling Peace, chronicles his time working with the Russian space program. In 2012, Jeffrey was awarded the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal and the Space Frontier Foundation’s 2017 Pioneer of New Space Award.
- Chief of Staff
- Denver, CO
Jennifer is the Chief of Staff for Voyager Space and previously served as its Director of Operations. She joined the company during its inception in 2019. In her current role, Jennifer is responsible for special projects, continuous organizational improvement, and overall coordination and communication across the enterprise.
Prior to joining Voyager, Jennifer worked in the commercial real estate industry providing high level executive support and organizational leadership in the CEO’s office. She was responsible for strategic management of CEO priorities and commitments, implementing workflow policies and procedures, and communications across the executive team.
Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Western Washington University. She is currently based at the Voyager headquarters in Denver and enjoys skiing, hiking and exploring the mountains of Colorado.
- Chief Financial Officer
- California
Phil De Sousa joined Voyager in October 2022 as Chief Financial Officer. He is responsible for Voyager’s global financial management and accounting organization. As Voyager accelerates toward its strategic ambitions and growth goals, Mr. De Sousa will be critical in leading the company’s financing, investor relations, M&A and business development transactions.
As a seasoned financial executive and leader, Mr. De Sousa has led large finance organizations and brings more than 20 years capital markets experience. He is skilled at identifying performance challenges and formulating financial measurements and infrastructure to provide critical insights on profitability and cash flow to stakeholders.
He previously served as Chief Financial Officer at Transamerican Auto Parts, a business unit within Polaris Inc. (“Polaris”), a Fortune 500 company. Mr. De Sousa led all aspects of financial reporting, budgeting, strategic investment, capital management, and financial performance in Polaris’ largest finance and accounting organization. This included $3B+ for operations finance in manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, and engineering activities.
Prior to joining Polaris, Mr. De Sousa spent six years as Vice President, Director of Investor Relations at Xylem Inc, a $5B industry leading water technology manufacturer, leading it’s spin-off from ITT Corporation (“ITT”) and building a global investor relations program from inception.
Prior to Xylem’s spin-off from ITT, Mr. De Sousa served as the Manager, Financial Reporting, Planning & Analysis, managing combined segment revenues of $5 billion. He oversaw corporate and regulatory financial reporting for the $11 billion global high technology, engineering and industrial manufacturing company, serving as an integral contributor to the three-way spin-off of Xylem Inc., Exelis and remainco ITT Corp. He also worked for Arthur Andersen LLP and is a New York State licensed CPA.
Mr. De Sousa holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration both from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.
- Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel
- Denver, CO
Tom is the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Voyager Space. He is a retired Army major general, having served over 33 years on active duty. Tom is a veteran of multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has extensive litigation experience, and has led large legal teams, to include being the Deputy leader of the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
In civilian life, Tom was a CEO and consultant and earlier was selected by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the 20th General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force. In that role, he was the Chief Legal and Compliance officer for an organization with an annual operating revenue equivalent to a Fortune 20 company. He also led a team to draft and then implement the legislation creating the Space Force, simultaneously becoming the first General Counsel for the U.S. Space Force.
Tom is a distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He began his military career as an airborne rifle platoon leader in Italy. He earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Law.
- Chairman & CEO
- Denver, CO
Dylan Taylor is a global business leader, thought leader, commercial astronaut and philanthropist. A vanguard in the NewSpace sector, Taylor has been cited by Harvard University, SpaceNews, the BBC, CNBC, CNN and others as having played a seminal role in the growth of the private space industry. He is also widely considered the most active private space investor in the world.
As the Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space, Dylan Taylor’s influence drives much of the innovation and advancement of the space industry. However, his influence doesn’t end there. His philanthropic impact in the industry began as the founder of the nonprofit and social movement, Space for Humanity, which seeks to democratize space exploration and develop solutions to global issues through the scope of human awareness to help solve the world’s most intractable problems. Dylan is also the Co-Founding Patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which promotes the growth of commercial space activity. Additionally, Dylan serves as a strategic advisor for both the Archmission and the Human Spaceflight Program. He is also a leading benefactor to the Brooke Owens Fellowship, Patti Grace Smith Fellowship and Mission: Astro Access.
Dylan’s technical background and passion for the space industry makes him not only one of the leading experts, but also a unique figure within the industry due to his own personal spaceflight experience. On December 11th, 2021, Dylan became just the 606th human to go to space as part of the crew of Blue Origin’s New Shepard Mission 19. Dylan consequently earned his commercial astronaut wings with the FAA.
Dylan’s passion has also primed him as a leading advocate of space manufacturing and the utilization of in-space resources to further space exploration and settlement. In 2017 he became the first private citizen to manufacture an item in space when the gravity meter he co-designed and commissioned was 3D printed on the International Space Station. The historic item is now housed in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
As a thought leader and futurist, Taylor has written several widely read pieces on the future of the space industry for Forbes, FastCompany, SpaceNews, Newsweek, The Space Review, and Space.com. As a speaker, Dylan has keynoted many of the major space conferences around the world and has appeared regularly on Bloomberg, Fox Business, and CNBC.
As a global business leader Dylan has been Fortune 1000 executive in several industries including advanced electronics, finance and real estate serving in the roles of CEO, President and Board Director for multinational companies including Prudential plc, Honeywell, UMB Bank, Colliers and Jones Lang LaSalle. He has had P&L responsibility in excess of $2B with 15,000+ employees in 60+ countries.
For his influence as a global leader and his commitment to creating a positive impact on the world, the World Economic Forum recognized Dylan as a Young Global Leader in 2011 and later named him as a full member of the Forum and a Governor of the Space cohort. In addition, Dylan is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and in 2020, Dylan was recognized by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation with their top honor for business and finance, following in the footsteps of 2019’s inaugural winner, the late Paul Allen.
Dylan Taylor earned his MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Booth School of Business at University of Chicago and holds a BS in Engineering from the honors college at the University of Arizona, where he graduated Tau Beta Pi and in 2018 was named Alumnus of the year. In 2013, he attended the Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century program at Harvard University.
Full bio available at www.dylantaylor.org.
- President & COO
- Denver, CO
Matthew Kuta is the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer of Voyager Space. He was also the founding Executive Director for Space for Humanity, a non-profit organization that will send diverse passengers into orbit on commercial space vehicles. Prior to co-founding Voyager Space, Matthew was a key member of the private equity investment team at Goldman Sachs in New York City. Matthew started his private sector career focusing on middle market private equity at Plexus Capital in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Matthew Kuta is also an accomplished leader with global experience. As a former military officer, he has led large multi-national teams in very high-stakes initiatives as an F-15E fighter pilot. He has been recognized for multiple professional accolades to include the Jabara Award, awarded to the top U.S. Air Force Academy alumni for contributions to aviation. He is also a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the highest medal solely for aviation in the U.S. military that can be awarded in combat.
Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He is on the Board of Directors of Voyager Space, XO Markets, the United States Air Force Academy Endowment, and Space for Humanity. He is also a Member for the Council on Foreign Relations. Matthew resides in Denver with his wife and two daughters.
- Director
General William Shelton has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2019. General Shelton retired as Commander, Air Force Space Command, in September 2014. During his career, he commanded space operations units at every level and held staff positions in a wide range of Air Force and Department of Defense organizations. He also commanded all Department of Defense space operations during internationally significant events such as the Chinese anti-satellite test and the North Korean Taepo Dong launch.
He is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Space Foundation serving on the board from March 2015-2019, and serving as the Chairman from 2017-2019. He is a member of the Board of Directors for Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., serving since February 2015, and serving on the Colorado Thirty Group Board of Trustees since January 2015 and serving as Chairman since July, 2020. He also served on the PredaSAR Corporation Board from March 2020, until the board was dissolved in March 2021. General Shelton served as a board member of the Board of Trustees for the Aerospace Corporation from March 2015 to December 2019, where he served on the Governance and Nominating Committee from January 2018 to December 2019, the Compensation Committee from January 2018 to December 2019 and the Audit Committee from March 2015 to January 2018. He served as Vice Chairman of that board from January 2018 to December 2019.
General Shelton earned a Bachelor of Science in astronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1976, a Master of Science in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1980, and a Master of Science in national security studies from the National War College in 1995. We believe that General Shelton is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his significant leadership experience and extensive experience in space operations and policy.
- Director
Marian Joh has served as a member of our board of directors since February 2021. Ms. Joh co-founded Andrews Space, a leading aerospace prime contractor and small satellite manufacturer, in 1999 and has served as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Joh served as Director of Spaceflight Industries from July 2013 to September 2018.
Ms. Joh has served on the board for multiple organizations, including the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences since June 2018, and The Evergreen School from June 2008 to June 2014. Previously, Ms. Joh served in executive and financial leadership roles at Tornado Development from July 1999 to June 2002, Scheinrock Advisory Group from October 1996 to June 1999, and Kistler Aerospace Corporation from May 1995 to September 1996.
Ms. Joh holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Economics, which she received in 1992. We believe that Ms. Joh is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to her background leading major space organizations as they develop and build their infrastructure through rapid growth phases. Additionally, Ms. Joh has led and been involved with raising over $500M of capital, ranging from complex equity investment structures to asset-based debt.
- Director
- Denver, CO
Dr. Alan Stern has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2019. Dr. Stern has been the Chief Exploration Officer of World View Enterprises since April 2021 and has also served as Chief Scientist there from December 2014. Dr. Stern was also the founder of The Golden Spike Company and has served as the Chief Executive Officer from September 2010 until the company’s closure in 2017. Since April 2008, he has run his own aerospace consulting practice and has over 30 years of experience in space instrument development, with a concentration in ultraviolet technologies.
Dr. Stern formerly served as in Washington, DC as NASA’s chief of all space and Earth science programs, directing a $4.4 billion organization with 93 separate flight missions and a program of over 3,000 research grants. He has led 14 NASA missions/flight experiments including NASA’s $880 million New Horizons mission that successfully explored the Pluto system and is now exploring the Kuiper Belt, the farthest exploration in the history of humankind. He previously served as Associate Vice President and Special Assistant to the President at the Southwest Research Institute since February 2009, the Director of the Florida Space Institute from September 2011 to January 2013, and Chief Scientist and Mission Architect for Moon Express from September 2010 to February 2013. He has served as a board member of KinetX Corp. since May 2021 and served as a board member of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education from 2008 to 2012, an advisory board member of Lowell Observatory from 2018 to the present, as a founder of Uwingu, LLC and on the board of directors of Paragon Space Development Corp. from February 2012 to December 2014 and as Board Chairman of the Commercial Space Federation from September 2016 to September 2018. In 2018, he was named by the Trump Administration to a six-year term on the U.S. National Science Board.
Dr. Stern has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, a Bachelor of Art degree in Astronomy, and Masters of Science degrees in aerospace engineering and planetary atmospheres from the University of Texas at Austin, which he received in 1980 and 1981, respectively. He received his doctorate degree in astrophysics and planetary science in 1989 from the University of Colorado. We believe that Dr. Stern is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive background in space program management.
- Director
- Denver, CO
Dr. Cheryl Shavers has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2019. Dr. Shavers has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Global Smarts, Inc., an advisory services and strategy firm since February 2001. She has served on the board of directors of, Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN), an advanced micro-acoustic, audio processing provider, since August 2017 serving as a member of Audit Committee from August 2017 to May 2019, as a member of the Compensation Committee since May 2019; she has served on the Nominating and Governance Committee since August 2017 and was appointed Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee in October 2021. She also has served on the board of directors ITT (NYSE: ITT), a manufacturer of specialty components for the aerospace, transportation, energy and industrial markets, since October 2018, where she has been a member of the Compensation Committee since May 2019 and a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee since October 2018. She has served on the board of directors of the Air Force Academy Foundation, a major gifts organization for United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) since April 2019 and has been a board trustee on the Falcon Foundation, a scholarship granting institution for USAFA admissions since April 2019.
Dr. Shavers formerly served on the boards of Rockwell Collins (NYSE:COL), from September 2001 until its acquisition by United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) in November 2018, where she served as the Chairman of the Technology & Cybersecurity Committee from February 2008 to December 2018; ATMI (NASDAQ: ATMI), a semiconductor materials company acquired by Entegris (NASDAQ: ENTG) from March 2006 to April 20014 where she served as a member of the Audit Committee from March 2006 to April 2014; and Mentor Graphics (NASDAQ: MENT), an electronic design automation software company acquired by Siemens Corporation (ETR: SIEGY), from June 2016 to March 2017, where she served as a member of the Audit Committee from June 2016 to March 2017. She is also a former member on the Advisory Board for E.W. Scripps, a print and electronic media company, from May 2008 to June 2011. Additionally, she served as a Dean’s Distinguished Executive Professor at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University from September 2001 to April 2011.
Previously, Dr. Shavers served in the Clinton Administration as Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology at the Department of Commerce from August 1999 to January 2001. In this role, Dr. Shavers oversaw the Commerce Department’s Technology Administration and the Office of Technology Policy, as well as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Technical Information Service and the Office of Space Commercialization. Additionally, she served as the Department of Commerce’s representative to the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on National Security from August 1999 to January 2001, the Committee on International Science, Engineering & Technology and the Committee on Technology from August 1999 to January 2001, as well as coordinated the Clinton Administration’s Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles program from August 1999 to January 2001. Internationally, Dr. Shavers served as a member of the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission (USISTC) from August 1999 to January 2001 is a former member of the Board of Directors of the U.S.-Israel Science & Technology Foundation, a position she held from August 1999 to January 2001, the former Co-Chair of the Technology Subcommittee under the U.S.-Egypt Partnership for Economic Development, a position she held from August 1999 to January 2001, and was a frequently invited participant on the U.S.-South Africa Science & Technology Committee, the U.S.-Russia Science & Technology Committee, the U.S.-China Joint Management Committee and the U.S.-Japan Joint High-Level Committee. She is also a practicing registered Patent Agent with the Patent & Trademark Office of the Department of Commerce.
Dr. Shavers holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Solid State Chemistry, both from Arizona State University in 1981, and an Honorary Master’s degree in Engineering Management from California Polytechnic State University, which she received in 1991. We believe that Dr. Shavers is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to her extensive experience leading private companies and public entities; overseeing international equity investments and acquisitions and serving on federal committees related to national security, international science and commercial space.
- Director
- Denver, CO
Gabe Finke has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2019. Mr. Finke currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer at Ascentris, LLC, a real estate private equity firm he co-founded in July 2010. From July 2003 until November 2015, Mr. Finke was the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Amstar Advisers, the previous name of Ascentris, and Amstar Group.
Prior to Ascentris, Mr. Finke was a Principal at The Carlyle Group from January 1999 until June 2003, and Senior Vice President of Prologis from July 1994 to December 1998, where he was head of European real estate development. Mr. Finke served on the Georgia Tech Advisory Board from July 2014 until June 2020. He also served as a Board Member of the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate from September 2005 to September 2007, and again from September 2011 to September 2013, and the Harvard Business School Real Estate Alumni Association from August 2010 until August 2013, as well as a past Co-Chair of the annual Pension Real Estate Association Spring Conference in 2014, and a past member of Young Presidents Organization from November 2008 until June 2016.
Mr. Finke graduated with Highest Honors in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1988 and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1994. We believe that Mr. Finke is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his strong background in management and entrepreneurship.
- Director
- Alexandria, VA
Ellen Lord has served as a member of our board of directors since March 2021. In January 2021, Ms. Lord founded EML Enterprises, LLC providing advisory services that leverage her industry and government experience. Ms. Lord served as the first Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, leading the Department of Defense’s personnel, policy and processes for acquisition of products and services, lifecycle sustainment and the security and resiliency of the defense industrial base from August 2017 to January 2021.
Prior to her government appointment, Ms. Lord was President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron Systems, a subsidiary of Textron Corporation beginning in October 2012 where she led a broad range of products and services supporting defense, homeland security, aerospace, infrastructure protection, and customers around the world. She also served as Senior Vice President & General Manager from January 2011 to October 2012. She is the former Vice Chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association, which served on from 2012 until 2017 and served as Director of the U.S. – India Business Council from 2013 until 2017. Additionally, Ms. Lord served on the Task Force providing guidance for the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) “Future Foundry: Forging New Industries for Defense” project from April 2016 to December 2016, which was formed to examine key technological trends and challenges facing the global defense industry. Ellen also served as a Trustee on the Board of the U.S. Naval Institute Foundation. Ms. Lord has served on the board of AAR Corp since April 2021, as Advisory Board Chair and Strategic Advisor for Exiger LLC since March 2021, as Senior Advisor of The Chertoff Group since March 2021, as board member of the Dell Federal Advisory Board since February 2021, as Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Fellow since April 2021, as a Senior Advisor for the Boston Consulting Group since March 2021 and as Senior Advisor at Viasat Government Systems from March 2021 until the advisory council was disbanded in September 2021.
Ms. Lord has a Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire, which she received in 1983 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Connecticut College, which she received in 1981. We believe that Ms. Lord is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to her extensive experience in defense acquisitions.
- Advisor
Bob Arciniaga is the Founder and Managing Partner of Advisory Board Building Boards that Build Organizations Advisory Board Architects, LLC. Founded in 2005, ABA builds, maintains, and manages “High Impact” advisory boards and boards of directors. ABA’s expertise is in how to effectively and efficiently leverage fiduciary and non-fiduciary boards for maximum impact and return for organizations and their board members. ABA’s proprietary Board Engagement system is designed to address the lack of quantifiable strategic impact that many organizations fail to receive from their boards. ABA has developed a first of its kind scalable process that transforms any type of board into a Strategic Accelerator that generates quantifiable ROI. ABA accomplishes this through a unique four step process that starts by designing the board for specific strategic information, then building the board with the right board members that match those objectives, leveraging the board through a highly disciplined management process and finally evaluating the effectiveness and impact of a board. This translates that into a quantifiable ROI analysis. ABA works with both private and publicly traded companies from $20mm in revenues to $22bil. Bob has personally run and built boards in Panama, Columbia, Mexico, Ukraine, Malaysia, Spain, Singapore, China, and the US. Since inception, ABA is proud to have had over 1600 board meetings run on ABA’s proprietary platform in 14 different countries and 4 different languages.
Mr. Arciniaga is centered in the entrepreneurial world, as a leader, business owner and investor. His roots in business started at a very young age. His grandmother founded one of the largest Mexican Food Products Manufacturing Companies in the United States in the garage of their home in East Los Angeles in 1948. With his first-hand knowledge of working in a family-owned business environment, he headed off to work on Wall Street becoming one of the youngest and few Hispanic Institutional Equity Traders. His thirst for learning and advancement opportunities lead him to the role as head trader for a large hedge fund where he developed his own algorithmic trading systems and headed up quant trading operations. Some of these proprietary methodologies are the basis of what is now part of the ABA evaluation and selection processes of board member candidates.
Bob is a recognized thought leader in building High Impact boards and speaks at many events for boards of directors and organizations. He has provided his unique and energetic High Impact Board Training to a large number of organizations including; multiple YPO chapters and global events, Women on Boards, Singapore and Hong Kong Institutes of Directors, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchanges, and various organization boards. Bob has been interviewed and highlighted in numerous publications and ABA was highlighted in the successful business book by Salim Ismael (2014) Exponential Organizations.
Bob lives outside of Denver Colorado with his wife and three young children.
- Advisor
Mr. Richard McConn is the Chairman of the Board of the National Defense Industrial Association and is also the CEO and founder of M International Inc., a United States government subcontractor and export management company. Prior to founding M International, Mr. McConn was the director of Corporate Planning and Development for Flight Safety International, Inc. He retired as a lieutenant colonel from the USAF Reserve and served in a variety of positions as an active and reserve duty officer, including an assignment as the White House Aide to the President of the United States.
Mr. McConn graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1966 with a BS in International Affairs. He is currently on the boards of M International, Inc., Moroccan – American Museum in Tangiers, Morocco, the Falcon Foundation, and the National Defense Industrial Association. He received the U.S. Air Force Academy Distinguished Graduate Award in 2011.
- Advisor
Dirk Hoke was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airbus Defence and Space in April 2016 and also serves as a member of Airbus’ Executive Committee.
Before joining Airbus Defence and Space in January 2016, he had worked at Siemens, where he held various executive-level positions. His career spans 25 years and five continents in various industries, often focusing on digitalisation.
Dirk began his professional career in 1994 as Research and Development Engineer for process and software analysis in the automotive industry at Renault in Paris.
In 1996, he joined Siemens through an international trainee programme with assignments in Germany, Argentina and Austria. Less than a year after completing the trainee programme, he took over his first management position in the Transportation Systems Division. In 2001, he was tasked with leading a restructuring team to transform a light rail factory in Sacramento. Following this successful turnaround, he served from 2002 to 2005 as General Manager for the Transrapid Propulsion and Power Supply Subdivision – which also encompassed the Shanghai “Maglev” project. He was then promoted to President of Siemens Transportation Systems China based in Beijing, after Siemens became the country’s largest foreign railway supplier.
Dirk Hoke moved to Morocco in 2008 and was appointed the first Siemens CEO in Africa a year later. He returned to Germany in 2011 to become the Division CEO of Industrial Solutions, where he was tasked with building up the services business for the Industry Sector – including the digital platform business (now known as MindSphere). He was later called upon to restructure the Large Drives Business Unit.
He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Brunswick, Germany.
Dirk Hoke was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader Class of 2010, and went on to become a member of the Baden Baden Entrepreneur Talks in 2013. He is on the Presidential Board of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), and in January 2020 was elected President of the BDLI, the German Aerospace Association. He is also a member of the boards of Bitkom and AmCham Germany.
Born on 2 April 1969, Dirk Hoke is married with two children.
- Chairman of the Advisory Board
Jim Bridenstine was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 13th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on April 23, 2018. As administrator, he led NASA in advancing American aeronautic, science, and space exploration objectives.
Under Bridenstine’s leadership, NASA launched its new human lunar exploration mission, the Artemis program. As announced in March 2019, the Artemis program will land the first woman and the next man on the surface of the Moon by 2024, the first human landing since the end of NASA’s Apollo missions in 1972. Through the Artemis program, NASA is developing the Orion crew capsule and the Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever built. These state-of-the-art systems will help build the Gateway, a lunar orbiting space station that will give American astronauts more access to the surface of the Moon than ever before. All lunar exploration efforts under Artemis are designed to prove our technology and perfect our capabilities to live and work on a different world in preparation for a future crewed mission to Mars.
Bridenstine has managed the continued commercial resupply of the International Space Station and has led agency efforts to partner with American businesses on the Commercial Crew Program. This program seeks to once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil, something not done since the end of the Shuttle program in 2011. Additionally, Bridenstine established the Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program to partner with private enterprise in landing rovers on the lunar surface. These rovers will contain tools and science experiments in preparation for the arrival of American astronauts.
During Bridenstine’s tenure, the agency has reinforced aeronautic development of the X-59, a quiet supersonic aircraft, and the X-57, the agency’s first all-electric airplane. He has also backed NASA’s aeronautical innovators to develop the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management to facilitate the safe use of drones for commercial enterprise and in everyday life. The agency’s dynamic science portfolio under Bridenstine includes a life-seeking Mars rover scheduled to launch in July 2020, enhancing the nation’s fleet of Earth-observing satellites and final preparations of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Prior to serving at NASA, Bridenstine was elected in 2012 to represent Oklahoma’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served on the Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.
Bridenstine’s career in federal service began in 1998 as a pilot in the U.S. Navy, flying the E-2C Hawkeye off the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. It was there that he flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and accrued most of his 1,900 flight hours and 333 arrested landings on an aircraft carrier. He later moved to the F-18 Hornet and flew at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, the parent command to TOPGUN.
After transitioning from active duty to the U.S. Navy Reserve, Bridenstine returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to be the executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium.
Bridenstine completed a triple major at Rice University and earned his MBA at Cornell University. He and his wife, Michelle, have three children.
- Advisor
John Henley is a retired Air Force Colonel with 27+ years of national security experience and expertise that included assignments at the National Reconnaissance Office, Air Staff and the Joint Staff. He is an accomplished leader and the current Vice President for National Security Space and D.C. Operations for Galapagos where he is responsible for supporting the Space Rapid Capabilities office where he advises senior DoD leadership on strategies and plans as well as evaluating operational requirements for national security space programs. Additionally, he engages Congressional Members and Committee Professional Staffs on issues affecting national security.
He earned his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University and holds graduate degrees from the National Intelligence University, the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Policy. He was also a 2015 MIT National Defense Fellow.
- Advisor
Dr. Karen Nyberg is an engineer, astronaut, and textile artist who, through nearly thirty years of experience in human spaceflight, has gained an appreciation for the value of working within and across diverse political ideologies, cultural values, and world views to advance critical missions.
Karen was selected as a member of the NASA Astronaut Corps in 2000. She made her first trip to space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 2008, during the height of International Space Station (ISS) construction, delivering and installing the Japanese Laboratory. On her second spaceflight in 2013, Karen launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and lived and worked at ISS for 166 days.
Prior to astronaut selection, Karen worked as an Environmental Control Systems Engineer at the Johnson Space Center where she led several design and analysis initiatives in the areas of space vehicle and space suit thermal and environmental control.
Recently retired from NASA, Karen is currently pursuing interests in the areas of conservation and sustainability, fully appreciating the responsibility for innovation and technology to strive to meet those needs. She serves as an ambassador and advisor for Osomtex® upcycled yarns and fabrics, promoting a circular economy in the textile industry.
Karen received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota and graduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and has been honored with the highest alumni award from each alma mater. She serves on the Board of Directors for the University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation, supporting the education and research goals of the UND Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.
- Advisor
Max Vozoff has over 25 years of experience in engineering, program management, and business development in multiple industries, including aerospace, telecommunications, and finance. He has worked and consulted for NASA, SpaceX, Vulcan (Stratolaunch) and numerous other companies and clients. At NASA JPL, he contributed hardware to multiple missions, technology development programs and led advanced concept studies. He won and managed the Dragon development program for SpaceX, bringing it from a whiteboard to launch in under 4 years. He has also served as a consultant and Subject Matter Expert for NASA, DARPA and numerous commercial clients, large and small, providing technical review, business plans, strategy and implementation, program formulation and management.
Max Vozoff received his B.S. with Honors in Electrical & Communications Engineering from Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia, and an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics) from the University of
- Advisor
Dr. Michael C. Mineiro is an attorney and public policy expert specializing in outer space, with over fifteen years of experience in government, academia, and the private sector.
Michael currently serves as V.P. Legal, Regulatory, and Government Affairs at HawkEye 360, Inc., the first commercial company to use formation flying small satellites to create a new class of radio frequency geoanalytics. Michael is responsible for the company’s governmental affairs strategy, regulatory licensing, and U.S. government contracting matters.
Prior to joining HawkEye 360, Michael served as the Staff Director and Senior Counsel to the House of Representatives, Science, Space and Technology Space Subcommittee. During this time, he drafted and negotiated legislation and led the development of congressional hearings, while maintaining oversight of Federal civil space agencies and regulatory authorities. He was lead House committee counsel for drafting and negotiating the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 (P.L. 114-90) and the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-10).
Michael previously served in the Executive Office of the President as a Senior Policy Analyst and Liaison to the National Space Council at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He has advised senior White House leadership and led interagency space policy development efforts, including NSPD-2. Prior government appointments also include service as an international relations specialist at NOAA’s Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, as an attorney with NOAA’s Office of General Counsel, and on the U.S. delegation to the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS).
Dr. Mineiro holds a Doctor of Civil Law (McGill University, 2011), a Legal Masters in Air and Space Law (McGill University, 2008), Juris Doctor (University of North Carolina, 2005), and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (North Carolina State University, 2001), with additional studies undertaken at The Hague Academy of International Law (2010), Beijing Language and Culture University (2005), and the University of Hong Kong (2004).
He is happily married to his wife Sarah and has two children. You will see him occasionally pick up a guitar.
- Advisor
Captain Michael Lopez-Alegria, USN (Ret.) is an independent consultant to traditional and commercial space companies. Michael has over thirty-five years of aviation and space experience with the U.S. Navy and NASA in a variety of roles including Naval Aviator, engineering test pilot and program manager, four-time NASA astronaut, and commander of ISS Expedition 14 (flying to and from the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-9). He holds NASA records for most Extravehicular Activities (EVA) or “space walks” (10) and cumulative EVA time (67 hours 40 minutes). Michael is the former President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, where he was a spokesman, thought leader, and advocate with the U.S. Congress and pertinent Executive Agencies for favorable public policy on behalf of the commercial spaceflight industry.
Michael serves on several advisory boards and committees of public and private organizations, including the Human Exploration and Operations Committee of the NASA Advisory Council, and the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee to the FAA. He is the President of the Association of Space Explorers USA, a professional and educational organization of current and former astronauts. Michael is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and resides in Washington, DC.
- Advisor
Nicole Stott is an astronaut and artist who creatively combines the awe and wonder of her spaceflight experience with her artwork to inspire everyone’s appreciation of our role as crewmates here on Spaceship Earth.
A veteran NASA Astronaut with two spaceflights, she lived and worked in space for 104 days as a crewmember on both the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space Shuttle. She performed one spacewalk (10th female to do so), was the first person to fly the robotic arm to capture the free-flying HTV cargo vehicle, she was the last crew member to fly to and from their ISS mission on a Space Shuttle, and she was a member of the crew of the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133.
A personal highlight of Nicole’s spaceflight was painting the first watercolor in space, which is now on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
She is also a NASA Aquanaut, where in preparation for spaceflight she was a crewmember on the longest duration saturation dive mission on the Aquarius undersea laboratory. Prior to astronaut selection in 2000, Nicole had served for ten years as a NASA engineer and program manager at the Kennedy Space Center for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs, and two years at the Johnson Space Center as a flight engineer on the Shuttle Training Aircraft.
Nicole believes that the international model of peaceful and successful cooperation we have experienced in the extreme environments of space and sea hold the key to the same kind of peaceful and successful cooperation for all of humanity here on Earth.
Now retired from NASA, she founded the Space for Art Foundation to bring space and art together for children around the world – helping them overcome the challenges they’re facing through the wonder and awe of space exploration, the inspiration of Spaceship Earth, and the healing power of art.
Nicole is a graduate of St. Petersburg College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the University of Central Florida, and she is an avid SCUBA diver and instrumented rated private pilot.
- Advisor
Dr. Paul G. Kaminski is the chief executive officer of Technovation, Inc. A retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Kaminski served as undersecretary of defense for acquisition and technology from 1994 to 1997, and was twice chairman of the Defense Science Board, of which he is still a member. He also chaired the RAND Corporation’s Board of Trustees.
Kaminski is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an IEEE fellow, and both a fellow and honorary fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), all in recognition of his pioneering contributions to the development of stealth aircraft and missiles, and satellite reconnaissance. His enduring contributions to those and other technical aerospace programs earned Kaminski a place among the Class of 2020 in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Technology Strategies and Alliances, a technology-oriented investment banking and consulting firm. Kaminski was a consultant and adviser to a variety of government agencies. They include the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, the Director of National Intelligence’s Senior Advisory Group, the FBI Director’s Advisory Board, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Technical Advisory Board, the National Academies Air Force Studies Board, and the Atlantic Council. He is chairman of the boards of HRL Laboratories, Exostar, Seagate Government Solutions, and the Systems Engineering Research Council. In addition to MITRE, Kaminski is a Director of CoVant Technologies, LinQuist, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, and the USAF Academy Endowment. Kaminski serves as an adviser to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory.
Kaminski has received the following awards: National Medal of Technology 2006, Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service (5 awards), Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Director of Central Intelligence Director’s Award, Defense Intelligence Agency Director’s Award, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Academy 2002 Distinguished Graduate Award, the Ronald Reagan Award for Missile Defense, the William J. Perry Award for Precision Strike, the AIAA Reed Award for Aeronautics. the International Strategic Studies Association, Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Strategic Progress through Science and Technology, the Marine Scholarship Leatherneck Award, the AOC Gold Medal, the Netherlands Medal of Merit in Gold, the French Republic Legion d’Honneur, the SPIE Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Air Force Systems Command Scientific Achievement Award. He has been recognized as a Pioneer of National Reconnaissance and a Pioneer of Stealth.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy, master’s degrees in aeronautics and astronautics and electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University. He and his wife, Julie, have two children and six grandchildren.
- Advisor
Ryan Frederic is an entrepreneur and an aerospace engineer.
Ryan Frederic co-founded Applied Defense Solutions (ADS) in 2005 with a mission to provide analysis and engineering products and services to the Civil, Commercial, Defense and Intelligence Space markets in the United States and internationally. For 14 years he and his partners built ADS into a leader in the Space Situational Awareness market, until it’s acquisition by L3 Harris in 2018. Ryan has been involved in the founding of a number of other businesses including, Water Management Solutions (WMS), a specialty construction company, Forever Fit Physical Therapy and Wellness, a healthcare provider, delivering outpatient physical therapy services, and Humble Rogue Ventures, a small venture capital firm that serves as a platform for Ryan to help and mentor other small enterprise founders to realize their vision. In his home state of Maryland, Ryan has served on the mid Atlantic board of the US Fund for UNICEF, the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County, and the Columbia Festival of the Arts.
Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree of Aerospace Engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He currently resides in Windermere Fl, with his wife Krista and their 3 young children.
- Advisor
Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated physician, astronaut, and tech CEO, recently inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame. He is a widely sought after keynote speaker on innovation, risk management, mentorship and leadership under extreme adversity.
Scott has lived and traveled all over the world, spending many of his grade school years in places such as Senegal, Lebanon, Iran and Greece. A graduate of Stanford University and Medical School, he went on to train at Harvard and in Denver for a career in emergency medicine and trauma.
In 1992 he was selected to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 Space Shuttle missions and conducted 7 spacewalks. Mission highlights include a global ozone mapping flight; leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk while docked to the Russian space station Mir; serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and “personal physician”; and assembly of the Canadian-built space station robotic arm.
In October 2007, Scott led the spacewalking team on STS-120, during which he performed 4 EVAs. The final EVA is regarded by many as one of the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. The tremendous coordinated effort in orbit and on the ground by Mission Control has been likened to the Space Shuttle and Space Station era’s “Apollo 13 moment.”
In addition to being a diver and accomplished mountaineer, Scott is also a commercial, instrument, multiengine and seaplane-rated pilot. On May 20, 2009, he became the first astronaut to stand on top of the world, the summit of Mount Everest. As a life-long explorer, he and a colleague recently set the first bootprints adjacent the world’s youngest lava lake, inside the crater of Massaya Volcano in Nicaragua.
He is a prolific inventor/product developer, and serves on the Boards of several companies. He is Founder and CEO of Fluidity Technologies, focused on the development of revolutionary input devices powered by machine learning to intuitively move through physical and virtual space.
- Advisor
Dr. Sian Proctor is a geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and astronaut. She was the mission pilot for the SpaceX Inspiration4 all-civilian orbital mission. She is the first black female to pilot a spacecraft and the first black commercial astronaut. She is also one of The Explorer’s Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World. Her motto is called Space2inspire where she encourages people to use their unique, one-of-a-kind strengths, and passion to inspire those within their reach and beyond. She believes that we need to actively strive for a J.E.D.I. space: a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive space as we advance human spaceflight.
She uses her afrofuturism space art to encourage conversations about women of color in the space industry. She believes that when we solve for space, we also solve issues on Earth and she promotes the adoption of space technology to issues such as food waste and climate change.
Dr. Proctor spent over 20 years as a professor teaching geology, sustainability, and planetary science at South Mountain Community College, in Phoenix, Arizona. She is currently the director of the Global Futures Institute for the Maricopa Community College District.
Voyager Team
- Director, Human Resources
- Denver, CO
Shay Giles is the Director of Human Resources at Voyager Space. Prior to joining Voyager, she served as the Director of Operations and Finance at Splash Fiber and the Director of HR & Operations at the Professional Employment Group of Colorado. In these previous roles, she led benefits administration, talent acquisition, employee onboarding and training, maintained internal systems, managed financial accounts, directed office communication, and more. Shay is also an Advisory Council Member of the Women & Girls of Color Fund, part of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado.
Shay’s career started in criminal justice and business before she found her passion for human resources and helping companies develop and implement policies and procedures that cater to the art of employee relations. Shay has master’s degrees in both Business Administration and Human Resource Management, along with a PHR certification. She spends her time away from work with her five amazing children and husband. They love sports, food, and all things Disney.
Meet the rest of our team
Voyager’s team includes over 300 innovators, experienced executives, engineers, and operational leaders.