Brigadier General Blaine “Blaino” Holt has over 28 years of experience in aerospace, logistics, supply chain management, strategic planning, international business, sales development, government and military operations, foreign affairs, defense procurement, and emerging technology integration. As U.S. Deputy Military Representative to NATO, he was the second highest ranking military official in the U.S. delegation to the alliance, supporting the execution of U.S. foreign and defense policy and providing guidance and advocacy on behalf of the Military Representative and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As Director of Logistics for the U.S. European Command (EUCOM), General Holt was charged with implementing U.S. political-military strategy, directing logistical operations within the European Theater for the Department of Defense, which included coordinating the movement of U.S. forces, equipment and supplies throughout the region. He was unanimously voted as Chairman of the NATO Multinational Logistics Coordination Center (MLCC) for NATO members and all partnership nations, the first U.S. General to hold the two-year post in the history of NATO and was designated by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe as his “#1 strategist,” becoming one of the top ten logistics leaders in the Department of Defense. At the Pentagon, he was Director of the Commander’s Action Group (CAG) to the Air Force Secretary and Air Force Chief of Staff, leading a senior executive team across multiple disciplines to develop, plan and coordinate events and communications. His command experience includes the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed in Kyrgyz Republic, and the 16th Airlift and 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadrons. As a command pilot, he logged over 3,900 flight hours, more than 300 in combat, on the Boeing C-17A, the Lockheed C-141B Starlifter, the Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, the Northrop T-38A Talon and the Cessna T-37, receiving two air medals. His major awards and decorations include the Air Force Distinguished Superior Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Gold Border, the Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and seven oak leaf clusters. After retiring from the Air Force, he became President of Million Air and American Jet International, a privately held aerospace organization with 30 locations across the globe, where he crafted and implemented an action plan to stabilize the company and drive future growth, raising $150M. Currently, he is CEO of Alchemai, a leading-edge software company that uses AI technology and predictive analytics to manage supply chain risk in the defense, commercial and non-profit sectors. He is also CEO and Founder of Irascible Strategic Advisors, where he provides consulting for seed stage startup companies focused on bringing emerging and disruptive technologies to market. A Military Fellow and life member on the Council on Foreign Relations, he has published numerous articles on foreign policy and defense issues. He has been a keynote speaker at various conferences, events and international committees, and is a contributor and writer for Newsmax, where he regularly appears. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Georgia, Athens, a Master of Education in Education Technology from Georgetown University, and a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the Air War College.

Steve Swanson is a former NASA astronaut and engineer, serving the space agency for 28 years before retiring in August 2015. Among his most notable achievements are three missions to the International Space Station (ISS), one as Commander; logging over 195 cumulative days in space; traveling over 83 million miles in orbit; and completing five spacewalks, two as lead spacewalker, totaling over 28 hours of extravehicular activity. Steve began his NASA career in 1987 as a systems and flight engineer in the Aircraft Operations Division of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, working on the Shuttle Training Aircraft to improve the navigation and control systems and to include a real-time wind determination algorithm to model the handling, flight and landing dynamics of the space shuttle from 35,000 feet to main gear touchdown. In May 1998, he started Astronaut Candidate training and was selected as mission specialist, which included intensive instruction in Shuttle and ISS systems. He also worked in the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch as a CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) for ISS and Shuttle missions and received advanced training in spacewalk, Shuttle and ISS robotic arm operations, and Shuttle rendezvous procedures. His first spaceflight was in June 2007 on the Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-117 mission, the 21st trip to the ISS and the longest mission for Atlantis, where he was mission specialist and flight engineer (MS-2), traveling 5.8 million miles in 14 days, with two spacewalks. In March 2009, Steve was mission specialist and lead spacewalker on the Space Shuttle Discovery STS-119 mission, the 28th trip to the ISS, where he traveled 5.3 million miles in 13 days, with two spacewalks. In March 2014, Steve launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket (TMA-12M) from Baikonur, Kazakhstan as a member of Expedition 39, docking with the ISS where he performed extensive scientific research which included Earth remote sensing and biology, bone and muscle physiology studies, and conducted an emergency spacewalk to repair a computer relay box. In May 2014, Steve joined Expedition 40 and assumed command of the ISS which concluded in September 2014 with a safe landing in central Kazakhstan, marking an end to 169 days in space that covered almost 72 million miles in orbit. His honors include the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Space Flight Medal, the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the Flight Simulation Engineering Award. Prior to joining NASA, he was a software engineer with GTE in Phoenix, Arizona. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from the University of Colorado, a Master of Applied Science in Computer Systems from Florida Atlantic University, and a Doctorate in Computer Science from Texas A&M University. He is currently a Distinguished Educator in Residence at Boise State University and promotes the space sciences through events and programs throughout the world.

Victor Castaño, Ph.D. has a 40-year career focused on research and development in the áreas of materials science and applied physics, particularly the field of nanotechnology. After receiving M.Sc and Ph.D. degrees from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), he spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the prestigious IBM´s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York. He has authored and co-authored over 850 peer-review papers, is a member of the editorial boards of over 50 international journals, has been granted over 30 patents, and has received numerous academic governmental and industry recognitions and awards in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. His work has received over 20,000 citations, making him one of the most cited Latin American scientists in his area of expertise. A pioneer in developing novel applications for nanomaterials in medicine, energy, aerospace and construction materials, he has developed a series of nanotechnology-based coatings with functionalities ranging from anti-graffiti to thermal insulation, bactericides, fire retardants, and systems to stabilize soils and improve road pavements. He is a full-professor and founding Director at the Centro de Fisica Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada (CFATA) of UNAM and a Visiting Scholar at Purdue University. He also works on Ethics of Research and Design of Public Policies for Science and Technology.

Professor J. Nathan Kutz is a leading figure in scientific machine learning and AI, having been one of the early pioneers in the field that brings machine learning and AI into science and engineering disciplines. His work has led to innovations that span disciplines from manufacturing to neural engineering. In addition to holding appointments at MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Imperial College and Cambridge University, his faculty position spans almost three decades of research and service at the University of Washington. In addition to his innovative developments in science and engineering, he also has held critical leadership positions, being Chair of Applied Mathematics from 2007-2015 and Director of the AI Institute of Dynamic Systems over the last 4 years and counting. As the director of the AI Institute in Dynamic Systems, he has led a $20M National Science Foundation initiative to develop machine learning and AI technologies that can transform the engineering and scientific landscape. From additive manufacturing, to autonomy, to energy efficiency, his efforts are transforming what is possible in advancing technologies with the aid of modern computational tools that are empowered by AI and machine learning.

Ronald Mandel has more than 40 years of experience in the design, development, and integration of highly complex aerospace systems used in telecommunications, exploratory missions and defense applications, including satellites and space vehicles. A Lockheed Martin Fellow, Mr. Mandel recently retired from Lockheed Martin Space, where he held the position of Chief Systems Engineer. Throughout his impressive career, which was almost entirely at Lockheed Martin, Mr. Mandel led large engineering teams in all program phases from conceptualization through deployment for the successful completion of numerous multimillion-dollar commercial and government contracts. As a senior systems engineering executive, Mr. Mandel was involved with formulating and evaluating procurement proposals, reviewing costs and risk assessments, and collaborating with customers to resolve issues and ensure program deliverables either met or exceeded expectations. He has also been responsible for recruiting and training departments exceeding 250 people - standing up project teams, and he has served as a technical consultant on a variety of critical engineering challenges. For 30 years, Mr. Mandel designed and developed complex digital, RF and optical systems, including testing hardware and software for satellite command and telemetry systems. Among his many achievements, Mr. Mandel led operational readiness planning and execution for the MUOS 1 Space Vehicle for the U.S. Navy. As a mentor and visionary, he has taught and developed the curriculum for more than 25 different courses on Systems Engineering, Space Systems Design and Integrated Product Development Team Leadership, directed at various staff levels and mid-career professionals. Mr. Mandel has been recognized with 7 Lockheed Martin Team Excellence Awards, as well as other industry honors over his career.

John “Bones” Parker has over 35 years of experience in aviation, strategic planning, global operations, program management and international relations. Over his distinguished career, he has held leadership positions in the United States Marine Corps, the Pentagon, the Council on Foreign Relations, and most recently, with The Boeing Company. As Director of Boeing’s Vertical Lift Global Sales and Marketing, John was responsible for the development of foreign military sales for Boeing’s vertical lift aircraft portfolio, leading an international sales team focused on worldwide sales and marketing of the AH-64E Apache, AH-6 Little Bird, CH-47 Chinook and V-22 Osprey, coordinating purchases with U.S. Government agencies, allies and eligible coalition partner nations. At the Pentagon, he was International Affairs Branch Head – Headquarters Marine Corps, supporting the Commandant of the Marine Corps on politico-military matters, international affairs, security cooperation, foreign disclosure and technology transfer. In this position, he was responsible for identifying key international partnerships, capitalizing on emerging global opportunities, and establishing policy to facilitate security cooperation activities, providing authorization and oversight for more than 90 Foreign Military Sales cases, including MRAP, to multiple countries with a combined value of over $2 billion. As Marine Corps Fellow to the Council on Foreign Relations, John served as subject matter expert to promulgate civil-military relations and concepts to world leaders and figures. As Commanding Officer of HMM-261, he led both the Marine Corp Squadron and Aviation Combat Element, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom II and Operation Vigilant Resolve, with no casualties and zero loss of aircraft (30 airframes/400 personnel). At AIRLANT, he provided executive oversight on over 400 Navy and Marine aircraft to include engineering, acquisition and logistical support during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Among Mr. Parker’s awards and recognitions over his over 27 years in the Marine Corps are the Alfred A. Cunningham Award, the USMC Aviator of the Year Award (1997), Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with Gold Star), Strike Flight and Mission Air Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Combat Action Ribbon (with Gold Star). Mr. Parker received a B.S. in Political Science from The Citadel – The Military College of South Carolina, a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the College of Naval Command and Staff – Naval War College, and a M.A. in Strategic Studies and Joint Campaign Planning from the Joint Advanced Warfighting School - Joint Forces Staff College.

George Kearns has over 40 years of experience providing strategic, implementation and operational expertise for a wide range of transnational governmental, business and security projects at the highest levels. As Chairman and CEO of MCC Worldwide, C-MCC Development Group, Mr. Kearns establishes multi-commodity free trade centers in countries throughout the world. He also holds a number of advisory positions with domestic and international political representatives and organizations. For the past seven years, he has served as an official advisor to the Honorable Amato Berardi, Italian Parliament Chamber of Deputies, on International Relations, Economic Development & Trade Affairs matters affecting North America, Central America and the Caribbean Basin. He is a member and former Chairman of International and Economic Development for SMART States, an organization comprised of four United States Mid-Atlantic States, as well as their respective governor's offices, 39 U.S. Congressional members and 8 Senators. A veteran, he has an unwavering commitment to former service members and participates in a variety of veterans programs and military organizations.

David Zajac has over 40 years of experience as a seasoned building materials executive. Over his distinguished career, he has held leadership positions with a number of international corporations in the architectural and industrial coatings industries. His background includes advisory work for private equity firms which led to several mergers and acquisitions in the building products space where he acted as CEO to run and integrate the newly combined businesses. At PPG Industries, a global Fortune 500 company, he was General Manager of its Architectural Coatings Division which included Pittsburgh Paints, Lucite Paints and Olympic Stains. Dave then became President of the Parker Paint Manufacturing Company located in the Seattle area. Parker was a division of Williams Holdings PLC based in England. He was also the COO of Flohr Metal Fabricators in Seattle which was an engineering and metal fabricating company producing marine infrastructure components and seafood processing equipment. Dave is currently President and CEO of AMF Building Products, a manufacturer of aluminum building products used in the construction of multifamily, commercial, and residential properties. Zajac founded AMF in 2010, after purchasing WeatherGuard Building Products from a private equity firm. Dave received his BA and MBA from Governors State University and has completed management and international business Advanced Executive programs at the Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University and Oxford University in England.

Robert Carullo has worked with leading edge technologies for over 50 years. He is the Executive Director of the Strengthening Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow (SMART) Congressional Initiative. SMART’s mission is to support research, development and technology-based opportunities for economic growth in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. SMART has provided issue papers, conducted 335 major events, and facilitated $625 million in direct and $1.2B in indirect projects. Prior to SMART, he was Supervisory Program Manager (PM) of NAVAIR Lakehurst’s International Sales, overseeing a $1.0B budget, including 27 Allied Aircraft Programs. During his career, he was assigned to all Navy/Marine aircraft programs. His international assignments took him to six continents. Mr. Carullo became a loaned executive in May 1999 from the Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR) to Congress standing up SMART. Retired from government in December 2003, he continues as an industry loaned executive. The highlight of his DoD (Department of Defense) career was seven-year detail at Boeing for the V-22 Tiltrotor Full Scale Development Program as the PM’s Technical Representative. He led a 21 person DoD team providing preliminary approval of data for NAVAIR HQ PM’s approval. Mr. Carullo twice led NAVAIR teams conducting 12-month reviews of program data as source information for continued Congressional funding. During this period, he founded the National Tiltrotor Technology Coalition that focused on leveraging the V-22 program to develop a civil tiltrotor. A U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, Mr. Carullo was an Attack Helicopter Crew Chief, Senior Mechanic and Technical Inspector. Returning to the U.S., he became a Maintenance Instructor. He received various awards over his career, including Congressional Commendations, Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service and multiple U.S. Army Air Medals, Campaign Badges and Expeditionary Medals. Mr. Carullo received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University and is an active Drexel University Alumni, having founded Drexel Wrestling Alumni and the Veterans Alumni Network, and he has been an Adjunct Professor in Mechanical Engineering.

Chester Rodeheaver has nearly twenty years of experience in valuations, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border joint ventures, feasibility studies, strategic planning, finance, real estate investments and development, and entrepreneurship. Chester has provided guidance founders and investors across many industries to help build companies that thrive. In 2003, he began his career in Washington D.C. with Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading management consulting firm. In 2009, Chester founded an investment banking firm in Dubai, called Pont Capital, now located in Miami, Florida, to advise family offices and growing businesses. He lived in Dubai from 2003-2013, a period that coincided with Dubai’s economic transformation. During his time in the Middle East, Chester worked with startups that included a regional investment bank; a $200 million operator of primary and secondary schools; a $400 million buyout of a German software company‘s regional presence; Ferrari World Theme Park in Abu Dhabi; a national savings business model that currently manages over $2 billion in assets; and a sovereign wealth fund. Since returning to the U.S., Chester has continued to advise several family offices, as well as a diverse range of startups. Chester is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) and has been a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). He earned a Master of Business Administration (with honors) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Master in Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Virginia. Chester has studied at the Sorbonne (University of Paris IV) and in Aachen, Germany. He also holds certificates in Financial Modeling and Entrepreneurship from Wharton Business School. Chester is a frequent speaker on topics such as and valuation, finance and investment.

Peter Einstein is a successful entrepreneur, socially-conscious investor, and award-winning advertising copywriter/creative director. He has over 40 years of experience launching groundbreaking products and advertising campaigns, including: the world’s first major environmental brand; the first cellular phone and cellular telephone service in the U.S.; the original concept and name for Jell-O Pudding Pops; a 30-second spot for Arm & Hammer credited with putting a box of Baking Soda into 7 out 10 refrigerators in the U.S.; and the introduction of the gull-winged DeLorean sports car of “Back to the Future” fame. His “Live the Dream” theme won the account from 107 other ad agencies. Mr. Einstein is an expert in new products and branding. As Executive Copy Director /Senior Creative Director at the storied Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agency in New York City, he was the key creative force behind successful introductions of numerous new products for Colgate-Palmolive,Lipton, Wish-Bone Salad Dressings, AT&T, and Nabisco. As Founder and Executive Director of the Innovation Zone Project @ AEGEA, a planned international city of the arts and entertainment in Florida, Peter has worked extensively with Xeriant and AEGEA with the goal of eventually showcasing Xeriant’s VTOL technologies in AEGEA’s high-profile environment. One of the first 100 individuals cited in the "Who’s Who in Crowdfunding,” Peter co-hosted a special crowdfunding podcast series for CBS with internationally-renowned business growth expert Jay Abraham and wrote a comprehensive chapter on equity crowdfunding for one of Abraham’s recent books.