Author: 312849pwpadmin

Wallace “Rhet” Turnbull is a Senior Solution Architect for the Decision Advantage Solutions business area within the Leidos National Security Sector. With over 25 years of experience in military operations, aerospace engineering, program management, and defense systems, Rhet brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role.

Before joining Leidos, Rhet had a distinguished career in the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force, where he held various leadership positions overseeing critical space and ground systems essential to national security. He began his military career in 1995 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering and went on to earn a Master of Engineering in Space Operations from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Tim is the founder and chair of the Tamiami Family of Angel Funds, the first ever member managed Angel Funds in Southwest Florida. He has deep experience in private equity, venture capital, and early and seed stage investing.

Tim attended the University of Wisconsin graduating with a BS in Economics – Math Emphasis and earned an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Northwestern University (Kellogg Graduate School of Management). He is a Leadership Florida Class XXXV graduate and a regional advocate for new technologies and economic diversification.

Diana’s management and leadership experience include starting and building several new ventures. She has held the position of President & CEO for several high tech, healthcare and software-related companies. Her extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions comes through mergers and acquisitions of her own companies and assisting client companies in identifying and negotiating strategic acquisitions.

In addition to her role at X-lumin, she serves as a Partner for LFE Capital, a private equity firm providing growth capital for second stage companies in the health and wellness sector and a business consultant for LaTour and Associates.  She is a Board Member of Rollins College’s Crummer School of Business, Entrepreneurial Program in Winter Park, FL. 

Max Lemaitre is a technology entrepreneur with expertise in solid-state physics and semiconductor fabrication.  After earning his bachelor’s in materials science and engineering from UIUC, he pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Florida, where he co-founded the national-award-winning startup Delta R Detection to commercialize a novel optical technique for trace explosive detection.  His doctoral research on source-gated transistors was foundational to a new class of optoelectronic devices, a breakthrough that directly led him to found Mattrix Technologies in 2018.  Today, his team at Mattrix is building America’s first trusted foundry for advanced displays and large-area hybrid electronics.

Andrew Rush, President & CEO of Star Catcher, is a seasoned space industry executive recognized for scaling pioneering ventures and driving transformational growth. He first rose to prominence as President & CEO of Made In Space, leading the company from its early startup phase into a profitable space technology leader. Under his leadership, Made In Space achieved historic milestones, including the first-ever manufacturing in space. He also oversaw the development of the first satellite capable of in-orbit manufacturing and assembly. In 2020, Andrew spearheaded the successful acquisition of Made In Space by Redwire Corporation.

Following the acquisition, he became President & COO of Redwire, where he guided strategic execution, investment planning, and expansion into civil, defense, and commercial space markets. During his tenure, Redwire played a critical role in enhancing the International Space Station’s power systems. 

Dr. Teresa Pace obtained her doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. She has over 25 years of technical experience in sensors and systems engineering encompassing a wide variety of applications. Currently she is a Director at L-3 Integrated Sensor Systems Sector focusing on systems engineering and image and signal processing solutions for Advanced Programs. Previously she worked at ICAMR transitioning high tech sensor technology into real-world products. Previously, she was Director of Engineering for SenTech LLC, and a Chief Engineer for Lockheed Martin. She has also worked at the US Army’s Night Vision Lab as a Subject Matter Expert, Director of Image Processing for DRS Technologies, and was a Faculty Researcher for the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State. 

Nick Hackard is the SpaceWERX Director of Staff. SpaceWERX is the US Space Force Innovation arm, executing Small Business Innovative Research, Small Business Technology Transfer, STRATFI and TACFI awards.

Nick is a former Naval Officer, serving 25 years as a S-3B Naval Flight Officer and an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer. He has experience in Naval Aviation, Space Systems, and Defense and Intelligence Community Acquisitions as an Officer, a Government Civilian, an Industry partner, and as SETA program support.

Nick’s previous space experience includes a Master of Science in Space Systems Engineering, two tours at the National Reconnaissance Office, and as the SpaceWERX Prime Branch Chief executing Orbital Prime and other Cohort Development Programs.

Peter Case is the Strategic Investments Senior Manager for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the inorganic growth initiatives and all strategic assessments of potential M&A, Strategic Partnerships, and Business Ventures.

Previously, he was the President/ CFO of Hospital Couriers Corporation, a nationwide medical transportation and logistics provider for major hospital networks. He previously served as Controller of Maclean-Fogg GMBH, a German branch of a major US automotive part manufacturer for Ford.

He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Denver with a MBA in Finance.

Sean is the Cofounder and COO/CRO at Seagate Space. Sean brings experience from previous roles at Crowley and Crowley Maritime. Sean holds a 2015 – 2016 Master’s in Supply Chain Management and Logistics @ Michigan State University. Sean has a robust skill set that includes Petroleum, Chartering, Demurrage, Maritime Law, Jones Act and more.

Kevin has over 30 years of executive leadership experience and currently serves as both the CEO and CFO of Vaya Space.  Prior to Vaya Space, he was the CEO of ISO Group, Inc. — a defense and aerospace supply chain company, he has also served as the CFO and then CEO of Exostar — a supply chain / cyber security company with a focus on the aerospace and defense sector, and he served as the Vice President of Finance for a multi-national aerospace division of Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC.

He earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Western Kentucky University and his MBA from Ball State University.

Robert Harvey is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in leadership roles across public and private sectors. Currently serving as President & Executive Director at Florida Opportunity Fund, he has a strong background in finance and legal domains, having held senior positions such as General Partner at Kensington Capital Fund LP and General Counsel at Enterprise Florida. His career spans over three decades, with significant contributions to investment and legal sectors.

John has over 30 years of experience designing, building, and deploying optical laser systems and solutions including: laser communication systems, LADAR systems, laser imaging systems, and laser weapons systems.

X-lumin, formed in early 2019, represents John’s second commercial venture. In 2012, John and a partner started Vision Engineering Solutions, a laser engineering services company.

John has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. John joined the Nichols Research Corporation (NRC) as a Research Physicist, eventually rising to the position of Technical Fellow. Following the merger of NRC with Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), John was recognized as a Technical Fellow with CSC.

Dr. Dennis R. Pape is Founder and Managing Partner of Phase Shift Ventures, an early-stage deep tech investment firm and cofounder and CEO of SeedFundersOrlando, an angel group that is a part of the Seedfunders organization in Florida. He is also an Adjunct Professor at UCF where he teaches Technology Entrepreneurship.

He worked in optical information processing at both Texas Instruments in Dallas and Harris in Palm Bay.  He founded and scaled a VC-backed optical information processing firm, Photonic Systems, in Melbourne and served as Director of Optics and Photonics at VC-backed corporate technology commercialization firm Milcom Technologies in Maitland.

Dennis has an A. B. in Physics from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Duke University.