Chief Innovation & Advancement Officer, Space Foundation

Melanie Stricklan is a visionary executive, enterprise builder, and nationally recognized leader across the commercial space and national security space sector. She currently serves as Chief Innovation and Advancement Officer at the Space Foundation, where she leads enterprise transformation, diversified revenue growth, member success, strategic partnerships, and innovation. Concurrently, she serves as the Executive Director of Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT), the nation’s central coalition advancing space workforce strategy, STEM and cross-sector talent pipelines that are critical to U.S. competitiveness.  

Stricklan is the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Slingshot Aerospace, which she scaled from inception into a global leader in AI-powered orbital intelligence, mission assurance, and advanced modeling and simulation. She built the company’s TS-cleared data and AI/ML platform that powered its operational products and mission services. Under her leadership, Slingshot secured more than $100M in venture capital, sustained triple-digit annual growth, completed multiple strategic acquisitions, and delivered platforms supporting commercial operators, civil agencies, the U.S. government, and allied nations.  

 Stricklan has advanced the space economy by driving breakthrough innovation and informing national policy that advances U.S. global competitiveness. She has advised the White House and multiple federal agencies on space domain awareness, space traffic management, resilient space architectures, and technical workforce readiness, with her policy work cited in congressional testimony. She also played a leading role in securing passage of the first ever National Space Day resolution, elevating national awareness of U.S. space achievements and space career pathways.  

 Stricklan served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, logging more than 1,500 flight hours on surveillance and battle-management aircraft, directing national-level testing for advanced missile warning; commanding experimental spacecraft missions; leading development and acquisition efforts for next-generation space-control capabilities; and advising senior leaders across national security space organizations.  

 Stricklan holds a Master of Science in Space Systems Engineering and Operations Management from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She has served on multiple national advisory boards and received numerous honors, including ViaSat’s Executive of the Year and Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Female Founders.   

She brings one of the rarest vantage points in the space sector—a veteran space operator-acquirer, technologist, founder, and enterprise strategist—equipping her with the transformational leadership required to scale organizations, navigate complexity, and deliver enterprise-level impact.