Executive with a track record of development and execution in both large and startup technology businesses.
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Twenty-five years of experience at the intersection of the Commercial Aerospace industry and Wall Street.
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Thirty-two years at NASA and the lead inventor of the DWR technology that powers SMARTROUTES™.
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Over 30 years of R & D and management experience in aerospace engineering. A nationally recognized expert in air traffic control engineering.
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Twenty years of financial experience on Wall Street and in multiple startups.
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More than 30 years of management and technical experience in developing and analyzing some of the world’s most complex aircraft, spacecraft, and aviation systems.
READ FULL BIODr. Wittels is an experienced strategic thinker specializing in technology-driven businesses. She has served as a board director and consultant, and has experience in business plan execution and development, innovation, new business initiatives, acquisitions, partnership and license agreement negotiations and executive management. Jill has worked with early-stage startups as well as established companies seeking transformative growth. Over the course of her career, Jill has built a knowledge base across a myriad of areas including strategic growth initiatives, negotiations, business plan development, business strategy, technology trends, big data, cyber issues, M&A, finance, diversity/demographics, social media, sustainability and globalization.
For nearly 11 years through July 2011, Dr. Wittels was Corporate VP Business & Technology Strategy at L-3 Communications. Her portfolio included corporate and business unit strategy development, business case development for innovative strategic thrusts, and assessment of technologies and influence management. Prior to L-3, Jill held management positions including Business Unit President, Business Unit GM, Vice President of Night Vision Products, Vice President of Engineering and Director of Programs. Jill earned her SB and PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Kaimowitz has 25 years of experience being strategically involved at the intersection of Wall St. and the commercial aerospace industry. Rob's Wall Street career gained traction as the #1 ranked analyst in Commercial Space & Satellite Communications. He participated in research, strategic development and institutional capital raises for the world’s leading Commercial Satellite & Space companies including: DirecTV, DISH Network, EchoStar Communications, Eutelsat, Globalstar, Hughes Electronics/Hughes Networks, Globecomm Systems, ICO Global, Inmarsat, Loral Space, Orion Network Systems, SS/L, SES, Sirius & XM, SpaceHab, ViaSat - plus many others.
Mr. Kaimowitz holds dual degrees in Psychology and Information Sciences from Syracuse University.
Mr. McNally was a research aerospace engineer in the Aviation Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center from 1984 through 2016. His experience includes development, simulation and operational testing of trajectory-based automation for air traffic controllers and airline dispatchers, integration of trajectory automation with Controller/Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), and flight test evaluation of Differential GPS for Category III precision landing guidance.
Mr. McNally is the lead inventor of Dynamic Weather Routes (DWR), a ground-based system that continuously and automatically analyzes in-flight aircraft to identify opportunities for simple route corrections that could save significant wind-corrected flying time. Dave led a team of 12 engineers and software developers to develop a prototype DWR system, establish benefits and configure DWR for operational testing with live revenue flights. He managed a two-year (2013-2014) operational evaluation of DWR at the American Airlines Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, Texas, with test results clearly establishing the benefit of DWR - including an actual savings of 3,290 flying minutes for 526 AA flights. Dave also led the development and testing of the Conflict Probe, Trial Planner, and Direct-To (1995-2005) - a set of automated interactive tools for en route air traffic controllers. He led a team of over 30 engineers, human factors psychologists, software developers, FAA Technical Center and field site engineers, managers, and air traffic controllers in development and operational testing of these tools at FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers (Denver Center, 1996 & 1997, Fort Worth Center, 1998 & 2001).
Mr. McNally is the author or co-author of 38 technical publications, and holds US Patents on DWR and Direct-To technologies. He earned both a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S. in Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineering from the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Hunter has over 30 years of research, development and management experience in aerospace engineering, and is a nationally recognized expert in air traffic control engineering. George was Sr. Vice President at Seagull Technology, Inc. - a Silicon Valley startup engineering firm where he led both systems and software engineering groups. He has also been involved in several startup ventures, including both software and launch vehicle concepts. Prior to working at Seagull Technology, Dr. Hunter held defense positions at Lockheed and TRW in satellite engineering. His engineering expertise includes: aircraft flight mechanics and trajectory analysis, air traffic control, aviation meteorology, optimal estimation, software development, economic benefits, satellite structural dynamics, orbital mechanics and launch vehicle performance.
Dr. Hunter has published over 60 conference and journal papers. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Illinois.
Mr. Shah has over twenty years of experience on Wall Street, which includes analyzing many hundreds of companies and dozens of industries. His deep due diligence process includes a thorough strategic and competitive analysis, as well as in-depth financial modeling, projection and valuation work. In addition to his analytical skills, Samir has developed substantial start-up experience during his tenure at three different small investment management firms. He played a critical role in building out the infrastructure and organization of those firms, while serving in multiple management roles including Partner, Director of Research and Assistant Portfolio Manager. Samir also contributed substantially to the capital raising and marketing efforts of the funds, which collectively raised close to $1 billion in capital during his tenure.
Mr. Shah began his career in equity research at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He has worked at multiple hedge funds – Highline Capital, Bull Path Capital and Cardo Capital. Samir graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1995.
Mr. Blake has more than 30 years of management and technical experience in developing and analyzing some of the world’s most complex aircraft, spacecraft, and aviation systems. Matt has held technical and leadership positions with NASA and major aerospace corporations, and has led the significant growth of several small businesses.
Mr. Blake developed dozens of high-fidelity simulations of a wide variety of aircraft including vertical take-off jets, advanced rotorcraft, and enhanced space shuttle guidance systems for NASA. As President of Seagull Technology (a Silicon Valley startup), Matt was the principal architect of ACES, the world’s highest fidelity nation-wide air traffic simulation system. He also performed many of the key analyses for the FAA that led to what is now called NextGen. In addition, Matt led the Aerobahn commercial surface traffic management product/service for Saab Sensis Corporation with several successful airline customer sales and deployments.
Mr. Blake has authored and co-authored over 23 technical publications. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and has completed graduate courses from Stanford, University of California, Berkeley, Mississippi State University, and University of Kansas. Matt is an AIAA Associate Fellow and holds a private pilot license.
Dr. Wittels is an experienced strategic thinker specializing in technology-driven businesses. She has served as a board director and consultant, and has experience in business plan execution and development, innovation, new business initiatives, acquisitions, partnership and license agreement negotiations and executive management. Jill has worked with early-stage startups as well as established companies seeking transformative growth. Over the course of her career, Jill has built a knowledge base across a myriad of areas including strategic growth initiatives, negotiations, business plan development, business strategy, technology trends, big data, cyber issues, M&A, finance, diversity/demographics, social media, sustainability and globalization.
For nearly 11 years through July 2011, Dr. Wittels was Corporate VP Business & Technology Strategy at L-3 Communications. Her portfolio included corporate and business unit strategy development, business case development for innovative strategic thrusts, and assessment of technologies and influence management. Prior to L-3, Jill held management positions including Business Unit President, Business Unit GM, Vice President of Night Vision Products, Vice President of Engineering and Director of Programs. Jill earned her SB and PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Kaimowitz has 25 years of experience being strategically involved at the intersection of Wall St. and the commercial aerospace industry. Rob's Wall Street career gained traction as the #1 ranked analyst in Commercial Space & Satellite Communications. He participated in research, strategic development and institutional capital raises for the world’s leading Commercial Satellite & Space companies including: DirecTV, DISH Network, EchoStar Communications, Eutelsat, Globalstar, Hughes Electronics/Hughes Networks, Globecomm Systems, ICO Global, Inmarsat, Loral Space, Orion Network Systems, SS/L, SES, Sirius & XM, SpaceHab, ViaSat - plus many others.
Mr. Kaimowitz holds dual degrees in Psychology and Information Sciences from Syracuse University.
Mr. McNally was a research aerospace engineer in the Aviation Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center from 1984 through 2016. His experience includes development, simulation and operational testing of trajectory-based automation for air traffic controllers and airline dispatchers, integration of trajectory automation with Controller/Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), and flight test evaluation of Differential GPS for Category III precision landing guidance.
Mr. McNally is the lead inventor of Dynamic Weather Routes (DWR), a ground-based system that continuously and automatically analyzes in-flight aircraft to identify opportunities for simple route corrections that could save significant wind-corrected flying time. Dave led a team of 12 engineers and software developers to develop a prototype DWR system, establish benefits and configure DWR for operational testing with live revenue flights. He managed a two-year (2013-2014) operational evaluation of DWR at the American Airlines Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, Texas, with test results clearly establishing the benefit of DWR - including an actual savings of 3,290 flying minutes for 526 AA flights. Dave also led the development and testing of the Conflict Probe, Trial Planner, and Direct-To (1995-2005) - a set of automated interactive tools for en route air traffic controllers. He led a team of over 30 engineers, human factors psychologists, software developers, FAA Technical Center and field site engineers, managers, and air traffic controllers in development and operational testing of these tools at FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers (Denver Center, 1996 & 1997, Fort Worth Center, 1998 & 2001).
Mr. McNally is the author or co-author of 38 technical publications, and holds US Patents on DWR and Direct-To technologies. He earned both a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S. in Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineering from the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Hunter has over 30 years of research, development and management experience in aerospace engineering, and is a nationally recognized expert in air traffic control engineering. George was Sr. Vice President at Seagull Technology, Inc. - a Silicon Valley startup engineering firm where he led both systems and software engineering groups. He has also been involved in several startup ventures, including both software and launch vehicle concepts. Prior to working at Seagull Technology, Dr. Hunter held defense positions at Lockheed and TRW in satellite engineering. His engineering expertise includes: aircraft flight mechanics and trajectory analysis, air traffic control, aviation meteorology, optimal estimation, software development, economic benefits, satellite structural dynamics, orbital mechanics and launch vehicle performance.
Dr. Hunter has published over 60 conference and journal papers. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Illinois.
Mr. Shah has over twenty years of experience on Wall Street, which includes analyzing many hundreds of companies and dozens of industries. His deep due diligence process includes a thorough strategic and competitive analysis, as well as in-depth financial modeling, projection and valuation work. In addition to his analytical skills, Samir has developed substantial start-up experience during his tenure at three different small investment management firms. He played a critical role in building out the infrastructure and organization of those firms, while serving in multiple management roles including Partner, Director of Research and Assistant Portfolio Manager. Samir also contributed substantially to the capital raising and marketing efforts of the funds, which collectively raised close to $1 billion in capital during his tenure.
Mr. Shah began his career in equity research at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He has worked at multiple hedge funds – Highline Capital, Bull Path Capital and Cardo Capital. Samir graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1995.
Mr. Blake has more than 30 years of management and technical experience in developing and analyzing some of the world’s most complex aircraft, spacecraft, and aviation systems. Matt has held technical and leadership positions with NASA and major aerospace corporations, and has led the significant growth of several small businesses.
Mr. Blake developed dozens of high-fidelity simulations of a wide variety of aircraft including vertical take-off jets, advanced rotorcraft, and enhanced space shuttle guidance systems for NASA. As President of Seagull Technology (a Silicon Valley startup), Matt was the principal architect of ACES, the world’s highest fidelity nation-wide air traffic simulation system. He also performed many of the key analyses for the FAA that led to what is now called NextGen. In addition, Matt led the Aerobahn commercial surface traffic management product/service for Saab Sensis Corporation with several successful airline customer sales and deployments.
Mr. Blake has authored and co-authored over 23 technical publications. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and has completed graduate courses from Stanford, University of California, Berkeley, Mississippi State University, and University of Kansas. Matt is an AIAA Associate Fellow and holds a private pilot license.