Summit to welcome U.S. Space Force execs, space experts to CUW’s campus

For its inaugural event, the Concordia National Security and Space Center (CNSSC) will welcome a host of leading experts in the field.

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The most significant economic revolution the world has ever seen is currently underway, and it’s taking place in outer space. As countries populate the skies with increasing numbers of functional satellites, the U.S. holds a vested interest in protecting securities and regulations related to this growing infrastructure.

As the lone host in the Midwest of an academic Center devoted to space matters, Concordia University Wisconsin’s CNSSC will invite the public to learn more about the possibilities and pitfalls of this new market and why the average citizen should care about it.

Speakers of international repute will come to campus to speak on:

• Why space matters to the private sector;
• How the coming revolution will affect every aspect of economic activity;
• Space technology, security, and the future.

Keynote

Rick Tumlinson

Co-founder of SpaceFund, Deep Space Industries, Orbital Outfitters, the New Worlds Institute, and the Space Frontier Foundation

Both a rebel and a respected leader, Rick is listed as one of the most influential people in the space field. Called one of the world’s top space “visionaries,” he coined the term “NewSpace” and is credited with helping create the new commercial space industry highlighted by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

A leading writer, speaker, and six-time Congressional witness, Rick helped start the first mission to find water on the Moon, signed the first ever space commercial data purchase agreement, helped start NASA’s Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, led the commercial takeover of the Russian Mir space station, signed the first private astronaut to fly to the space station, co-founded the Space Frontier Foundation, and was a founding board member of the X-Prize.

As a result of his world-changing work, in 2015 he won the World Technology Award along with Craig Venter of the Human Genome project. He founded the SpaceFund venture capital company with over 20 space companies in its portfolio and is a member of the US Space Force Doctrine Advisory Group. He hosts The Space Revolution radio-podacast on iRoc Space Radio, a division of the iHeart radio network, and started the New Worlds Conference and the Space Cowboy Ball in Austin, Texas, run by his non-profit EarthLight Foundation whose goal is to create an inclusive movement to use space to protect the Earth and expand life into the cosmos.

Lee Steinke

Chief Operating Office of CisLunar Industries

Lee Steinke is Chief Operating Officer of CisLunar Industries and an executive advisor to the aerospace, defense, and energy industries. During her career as a scientist and executive, Lee has been a key decision-maker for capital budgets reaching $760 million a year. She has led multidisciplinary teams that added over a billion dollars in value through turnaround of failing industrial processes; through contributions to the success of major acquisitions and divestitures; and through operational and technical improvements determined from engineering, science, and data analytics. Lee is well published as an author and co-author on many technical publications and is a sought-after speaker, panelist, panel moderator, and host across industries. She holds an MBA from Wharton, an MS from Yale, and a BA with Distinction from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Jeromy Grimmett

Founder and Chief Executive Office of Rogue Space Systems Corporation

Jeromy is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rogue Space Systems Corporation.  He started his career in the US Army, where he specialized in missile guidance systems for both ground and air defense platforms. Since then, he’s attended Harvard University’s School of Extension Studies where he earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Government and International Relations, respectively.  After founding and running a successful technology services company, Jeromy founded Rogue Space Systems Corporation in 2020 and brought his expertise in AI, tech, and robotics to advance space systems, orbital vehicles, and space services.

John Quinn

Co-founder and CEO of EXOS Aerospace Systems & Technologies

John Quinn commenced his career at 18 serving in the US Navy Silent-Service on fast-attack and Trident submarines. Nearly 30 years later while John was building a company to build some Submarine stealth products he prototyped while in the Navy, he met a Rocket scientist at church who helped him manufacture his tech and introduced him to a “hibernated” Aerospace company. John engaged his friend David Mitchell to help him fund a new company to enter into the commercial space race as Exos Aerospace Systems & Technologies, Inc. Three reusable rockets, four flights, a few Air Force contracts (to develop a Hypersonic Reusable Launch Vehicle) and bunches of Design Build Test and Iterate projects later and Exos is ready to open up opportunities helping America advance its space biomed and manufacturing capabilities. That will take more than the current rockets can do, so, it’s time to build rockets that can go Orbital and Return! 

Harold “Sonny” White

Director of Advanced Research and Development at Limitless Space Institute

Dr. White has accumulated 25+ years of experience working in the aerospace industry with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NASA, and Limitless Space Institute. He currently serves as Director of Advanced Research and Development at LSI leading all R&D work and establishing priorities for investigations and expenditures. Dr. White holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Rice, Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Wichita State University, and Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of South Alabama. Dr. White has been recognized many times over the span of his career for his work ethic, technical skills, and dedication to the pursuit of human space flight: NASA Medal for Excellence in Achievement (STS-114); the Silver Snoopy Award by the crew office (STS-121); NASA Spaceflight Awareness Honoree award (STS-122); and NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal for role in exploring and incorporating advanced power and propulsion concepts into human spaceflight.

David Hurst

CEO and Founder of Orbital Transports

David Hurst is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer for Orbital Transports. He utilizes his business, entrepreneurial, and systems engineering skills to lead the company during each stage of growth. He is responsible for systems engineering and project management across the private and government development efforts. Mr. Hurst has extensive experience managing software development and product engineering teams and has been a technology innovator and successful entrepreneur for over 30 years. With his expertise in software engineering and business development, he founded several successful technology companies prior to Orbital Transports. He has developed MBSE practices for smallsat missions and participates in the INCOSE Space Systems Working Group. He has served as PI on previous NASA SBIR projects and led the development of Mission Cloud, a SysML-based enterprise MBSE system for developing small satellite missions, which Orbital Transports has successfully commercialized and uses to deliver small satellite mission services. As an advocate of space-related and space-scalable business, Mr. Hurst founded the NewSpace Chicago community of space entrepreneurs and others engaged in building commercial space ventures in Chicago.

Joel Mozer

U.S. Space Force Director of Science, Technology and Research

Dr. Joel B. Mozer, a Senior Level Executive, is the United States Space Force Director of Science, Technology and Research. He serves as the central lead for all science and technology matters for an organization that comprises approximately 11,000 space professionals worldwide and manages a global network of satellite command and control, communications, missile warning and launch facilities. In this role, he develops long-term military requirements for the Space Force and interacts with other principals, operational commanders, combatant commands, acquisition, and international communities to address cross-organizational science and technical issues and solutions. Dr. Mozer represents USSF science and technology on decisions, high-level planning, and policy, building coalitions and alliances throughout the U.S. government, industry, academia, the international community, and other scientific and technology organizations. Read more about Mozer here.

Lamont Colucci

Director of Doctrine Development for the United States Space Force

Dr. Lamont Colucci is the inaugural Director of Doctrine Development for the United States Space Force. He has experience as a diplomat with the U.S. Dept. of State and is today a Full Professor of Political Science at Concordia University-Wisconsin. His primary area of expertise is United States national security and United States foreign policy. He teaches national security, foreign policy, intelligence, terrorism, and international relations courses. He has published three books as the sole author, entitled Crusading Realism: The Bush Doctrine and American Core Values After 9/11. A two-volume series entitled – The National Security Doctrines of the American Presidency: How they Shape our Present and Future and The International Relations of the Bible. He was a contributing author of two books entitled The Day That Changed Everything: Looking at the Impact of 9/11 at the End of the Decade and Homeland Security and Intelligence. His latest book, Space Force, Grand Strategy, and United States National Security, comes out in December 2022.

Martin Edwards

Program Manager at LinQuest Corporation

Dr. Martin L. Edwards of the LinQuest Corporation supports the U.S. Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Office (CTIO) in its ongoing effort to establish and mature the first digital service. He spent 22+ years in the U.S. Air Force as a Communications Officer with assignments at all levels to include a NATO assignment. After retiring from the Air Force, Dr. Edwards joined the MITRE Corporation as an acquisition and strategy subject matter expert supporting DoD and Intelligence Community organizations. Dr. Edwards joined LinQuest in 2020 to support the CTIO’s Director for Analysis and is focused on helping the Space Force in its technological advancement to build the Space Force needed to meet U.S. national security needs for 2040 and beyond.

George Pullen

Economist, Teacher, Investor, Writer

Mr. Pullen is the Chief Economist of MilkyWayEconomy (MWE), a fifth industrial revolution think tank and boutique consultancy based in Washington, DC.

He is the author of five books on technology, alternative finance, and the space industry. George is an alumnus of the University of Maine and Johns Hopkins. Before co-founding MWE, he learned his craft, serving as an executive, banker, portfolio manager, hedge fund trader, and senior government economist. In addition to his role with MWE, Prof Pullen is an adjunct professor teaching financial economics, blockchain, deeptech, fintech, alternative markets, and the space economy. George also serves as the economics facilitator to the Space Force futures workshop and is a board member and advisor for several small and medium-sized businesses.

Gabriele Rizzo

Principal Advisor for Futures and Foresight to senior leadership in the U.S. Space Force and NATO

Gabriele Rizzo, Ph.D., APF, is a passionate executive, futurist, and professor with 15+ years of experience in leading sophisticated foresight, research, and groundbreaking innovation for some of the largest organizations on the planet. 

Gabriele is the principal advisor for futures and foresight to senior leadership in the United States Space Force and NATO.

Previously, he has served in the Cabinet of the Italian Defense Minister as senior advisor for Strategic Futures and Foresight, and he has been Director of Research at the University of Lausanne.

In 2017, Gabriele was honored by NATO with the title of Member at Large for Strategic Foresight and Futures Studies — according to NATO, “awarded only to world-class experts drawn from academia, industry, or government”.  He has subsequently served in the highest scientific body in NATO, the Science and Technology Board, overseeing the world’s largest community of defense scientists.

In 2022 he was bestowed by UNESCO with one of the 30 UNESCO Chairs worldwide in Futures Studies and Foresight, the youngest recipient ever — the UNESCO Chair is the most prestigious award in the field, like the Nobel Prize or the Fields Medal.

Sponsors

The Strategic Space Summit is made possible by the following generous sponsors:

• The Milky Way Economy
• Concordia Free Enterprise Center
• Hamilton Roddis Foundation
• Justice Jon Wilcox

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Learn more about the Concordia National Security and Space Center

The CNSSC exists to promote American national security, space power, space economics, science, and exploration, unifying the ideals of virtue, free enterprise, human potential, and American security. In addition, the activities of the Center serve to recognize each individual’s God-given talent and seek to develop students in mind, body, and spirit for a life of service to the Church and humanity.

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