Speakers

spaceNEXT brings together a curated group of experts from across the new space economy—industry, government, investment, research, and policy. Please note: The below is is not exhaustive, and more speakers will be announced soon.

Senator Mark Warner

U.S. SENATOR
VIRGINIA
(Special Welcome Remarks)
H.E. Leena-Kaisa Mikkola

AMBASSADOR OF FINLAND TO THE UNITED STATES
Amit Kshatriya

ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR
NASA
NINA ALBERT

DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Namgya Khampa

CHARGE D’AFFAIRES A.I.
EMBASSY OF INDIA
Arpan Sura

CHIEF AI OFFICER
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Jason Aspiotis

GLOBAL DIRECTOR, ORBITAL DATA CENTERS
AXIOM SPACE
Ron Birk

PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR, SPACE ENTERPRISE EVOLUTION DIRECTORATE

THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION
Jacob Bleacher

CHIEF EXPLORATION SCIENTIST
NASA
Maria Brogren

COUNSELOR FOR SCIENCE & INNOVATION, EMBASSY OF SWEDEN
HEAD OF SWEDEN’S OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
Georgie Brophy

CO-FOUNDER & OFFICER
MARYLAND AEROSPACE ALLIANCE
Paul Burfield

MINISTER COUNSELLOR (COMMERCIAL) DEFENCE, SPACE & SECURITY
AUSTRALIAN TRADE & INVESTMENT COMMISSION (AUSTRADE) EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA
Bianca Cefalo

CEO & FOUNDER
SPACE DOTS
La Vida Cooper

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, PROJECT FORMULATION & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Preston Dunlap

FOUNDER
ARKENSTONE VENTURES
Martin Elvis

ASTROPHYSICIST
HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER OF ASTROPHYSICS
Ron Faibish

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT, NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES & MATERIALS
GENERAL ATOMICS
Johannes Galatsanos

CO-FOUNDER & CEO
DIFFRAQTION
Bryan Hill

COUNTY EXECUTIVE
FAIRFAX COUNTY
John Horn

VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
CAPELLA SPACE
Victor Hoskins

PRESIDENT & CEO

FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Jamil Jaffer

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NATIONAL SECURITY INSTITUTE
Yosuke Kaneko

FIRST SECRETARY & SPACE ATTACHÉ, EMBASSY OF JAPAN
PRESIDENT, INTERPLANETARY NETWORKING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
Marcella Kneppers

INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE SENIOR ADVISOR
EMBASSY OF THE NETHERLANDS
Petri Koikkalainen

COUNSELOR FOR SCIENCE AND HIGHER EDUCATION
EMBASSY OF FINLAND
Adam Lattimore

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Makenzie Lystrup

PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, PERIDOT SERVICES
FMR. CENTER DIRECTOR, NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Jeff McKay

CHAIRMAN
FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Aaron Miles

COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
George Nield

PRESIDENT
COMMERCIAL SPACE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Anna Nissinen

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
FAIRFAX COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Rima Oueid

SENIOR COMMERCIALIZATION EXECUTIVE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Dave Pierce

DIRECTOR
NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY
Peter Plavchan

FULL PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Dianne Poster

SENIOR ADVISOR, OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCE
NOAA, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Paul Richards

ASTRONAUT

NASA
John Richmond

INVESTOR
LOCKHEED MARTIN VENTURES
Donna Roberts

CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER
AMERICAN DEEPTECH
Raphael Roettgen

FOUNDER
E2MC
Giovanni Rosanova, Jr.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR
NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY
Marco Rubin

SENIOR INVESTMENT DIRECTOR
VIRGINIA INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP CORPORATION
Pallabi Saboo

FOUNDER, BOARD & STRATEGIC ADVISOR
HARMONIA HOLDINGS
Jordan Shapiro

PRESIDENT AND GM, QUANTUM NETWORKING, SENSING, AND SECURITY

IONQ
Stu Solomon

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
CONNECTED DMV
Paul Stimers

PARTNER
HOLLAND & KNIGHT
Dan Storck

SUPERVISOR
FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Gabriel Swiney

DIRECTOR, POLICY, ADVOCACY, & INTERNATIONAL DIVISION
OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCE
NOAA, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Clayton Swope

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AEROSPACE SECURITY PROJECT
CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Kevin Toner

VICE PRESIDENT
MITRE
Elsayed Talaat

PRESIDENT & CEO
UNIVERSITIES SPACE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
George Thomas

PRESIDENT & CEO
CONNECTED DMV
Aniello Violetti

EXPERIMENTAL TEST PILOT, ITALIAN AIR FORCE
SPACE ATTACHÉ, EMBASSY OF ITALY