Paul Croci
Paul is a Managing Director with Fifth Third’s Industrials Investment Banking team where he leads the Aerospace and Defense (A&D) practice. He has over 20 years of experience advising management teams and shareholders of A&D companies on sell-side and buy-side M&A, acquisitions and capital raises. His sector experience includes commercial aerospace OEM/MRO, business jets/FBOs, USM/distribution,…
Mason Angel
Mason Angel is a career venture capitalist and the Founding Partner of Industrious Ventures, where he invests in companies advancing commercial space, autonomous systems, and technologies that strengthen America’s national security and industrial base. His work centers on identifying and supporting the builders reshaping the frontier of defense, space, and critical infrastructure. Mason is completing…
Hon. Dr. John Plumb
Dr. John F. Plumb served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy from April 2022-May 2024. In this role he was responsible for the overall supervision of space warfighting policy for the Department of Defense. His policy portfolio encompassed the Department’s strategic capabilities for integrated deterrence: space, nuclear weapons, cyber, missile defense,…
Eric Coleman
Eric Coleman is the Chief Engineer and Senior Director for the Space Systems Sector of the Space and Mission Systems (SMS) segment of L3Harris Technologies. SMS provides advanced ISR, secure networks, open-architecture platforms, and end-to-end space capabilities to enable national security and mission success. Coleman assumed the position of Senior Director and Chief Engineer of…
James Sullivan
James Sullivan is Managing Director of Elara Nova, a global strategic advisory and professional services firm, and leads it Financial Advisory Solutions team in supporting Elara Nova’s Space, Aerospace & Mission Systems, and Cyber, Data & Communications’ clients providing private capital formation, M&A advisory, strategic transaction execution, valuations, and placement of structured financing. Mr. Sullivan…
Gwen Griffin
Since launching the agency in 1997, Gwen has led the Griffin team to create and implement strategic communications campaigns to advance commercial, civil and military space in both B2B and B2C environments. Her vision for the future guided the agency to support nonprofit, trade and educational institutions to prepare the skilled talent needed in the…
Vanessa Wyche
Vanessa E. Wyche is the director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, home to America’s astronaut corps, Mission Control Center, International Space Station, Orion, and Gateway programs, and its more than 11,000 civil service and contractor employees. Her responsibilities included a broad range of human spaceflight activities, including development and operation of human spacecraft and…
Josh Hartman
Mr. Hartman is a Managing Director on the Supply Chain and Strategic Opportunities team, which invests in businesses seeking to drive next-generation technologies and capabilities that advance supply chain integrity. Mr. Hartman has served on several government, nonprofit, and industry boards, bringing a combination of customer, investment, and business operations experience to Cerberus. Prior to…
Stan Crow
Melanie Stricklan
Melanie Stricklan is the Executive Director of Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT) and the Chief Innovation & Advancement Officer at the Space Foundation, where she leads transformative initiatives to develop space talent, drive U.S. innovation, and provide strategic counsel on vision and execution strategies for the Space Foundation. As Executive Director of SWFT, Melanie spearheads…