ASCEND 2027 Exhibitor List

Mr. Brad Edmonson is the Senior Intelligence Officer for Analysis at Headquarters U.S. Space Force, Pentagon. Mr. Edmonson began his career with a 1999 commission through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Tennessee where he received a degree in Computer Science. Following an eight-month tour with the 41st Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, he attended the Air Force Intelligence Officers’ Course at Goodfellow AFB, graduating in 2000. From there, he went on to assignments with the 8th Operations Support Squadron at Kunsan AB, the USEUCOM Joint Analysis Center at RAF Molesworth, and the Air Force Intelligence Analysis Agency (AFIAA) in Washington, DC. Mr. Edmonson separated from active duty in 2007 in order to pursue a career as a civilian intelligence analyst, serving as Senior Analyst and Chief of AFIAA’s ground-based air defense analysis branch from 2007 to 2014. He then spent two years on the CSAF’s Strategic Studies Group and three years as the first Headquarters Air Force A2/6 Mission Manager for Space and Counterspace Analysis before transferring into the U.S. Space Force in December 2020.

Kevin Keating is senior vice president of the National Systems Group at The Aerospace Corporation. Keating is responsible for the company’s support to the national security space and intelligence community (IC) in the acquisition, launch, and orbital operation of advanced technology space systems and their supporting ground systems. He assumed this Chantilly, Virginia-based position with Aerospace on January 1, 2024. Keating has nearly four decades of federal government experience in the intelligence community with multiple senior executive assignments. During his career, Keating specialized in science and technology, focusing on space systems and technical operations. He was the principal of his consulting firm, K2 Strategic Solutions, also serving the IC sector. Before joining Aerospace, Keating served in various senior intelligence roles in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) at headquarters and in the field. He led two CIA science and technology offices while serving at headquarters, two technical bases in the field, and one NRO ground station. Keating also served as the associate deputy director of CIA for science and technology, with his last role as co-chair of an IC review panel established by the director of national intelligence.

Tanya Pemberton is president and chief executive officer of The Aerospace Corporation, a leader in advancing national space capabilities. Pemberton, who assumed her role on October 18, 2025, is responsible for guiding Aerospace as it works to solve the hardest technical problems and deliver on national priorities. Previously, Pemberton was executive vice president at Aerospace, working to strengthen the depth of Aerospace’s differentiating technical expertise and develop emerging capabilities like modeling and simulation, and simulation, artificial intelligence, and data technologies that are critical to delivering integrated solutions across missions and customers. She has led significant strategic efforts to position Aerospace for the future and meet the evolving needs of our government partners, including long-term investments in Aerospace’s people and its world-class labs and facilities. Prior to that, Pemberton was senior vice president of the National Systems Group, responsible for Aerospace’s support to the national security space and intelligence communities in the acquisition, launch, and orbital operation of advanced technology space systems and their supporting ground systems. Before joining Aerospace, Pemberton was the chief information officer (CIO) and director of Information Technology (IT) Services for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). There, she led and directed NGA’s mission and enterprise IT development and operations, transforming NGA’s technical infrastructure into a modern, cloud­based, data-centric architecture to better serve the geospatial intelligence needs of the nation. As CIO, she also oversaw strategy, policy, implementation, and governance of NGA’s IT investments. Pemberton has more than 30 years of experience in both industry and government, leading numerous major space development programs and overseeing the transformation of ground and data systems. This includes delivering large-scale technical systems and working problems across multiple business sectors (space systems, mission ground systems, information technology, and analytic organizations). Earlier in her career, Pemberton served at the National Reconnaissance Office, managing acquisition and development for technical programs in the Geospatial and Signals Intelligence Directorates. Most notably, she was program director for a next-generation, multibillion-dollar imaging satellite system, managing acquisition, development, and delivery. Her various senior executive assignments include chief of staff, associate deputy director for Science and Technology, and director of the intelligence community’s Open Source Center.

As Redwire’s Executive Vice President of National Security Strategy and Special Programs, Col. Bellamy brings his experience and expertise in strategic planning and program management in both the private sector and as a military officer to set and achieve new space development goals while meeting the needs of Redwire’s national security customers. Col. Bellamy leads Redwire’s national security strategy and ensures Redwire provides the U.S. Department of War, military services, allies, commercial partners, and the Intelligence Community with resilient, affordable, and dynamic defense systems. Prior to joining Redwire, Col. Bellamy was Vice President of Space Strategies and Development at national security technology company Peraton. In that position, he led Peraton’s space resilience campaign and produced long-range strategies to help Peraton meet its space portfolio’s objectives.

Mr. Hartman is a Managing Director on the Supply Chain and Strategic Opportunities team, which invests in businesses seeking to drive next-generation technologies and capabilities that advance supply chain integrity. Mr. Hartman has served on several government, nonprofit, and industry boards, bringing a combination of customer, investment, and business operations experience to Cerberus. Prior to joining Cerberus in 2025, he led an EO/IR sensors company, growing the business over several years before a successful sale to a strategic investor. Before this leadership role, Mr. Hartman spent nearly a decade as a partner at a management consulting firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions across the aerospace and defense industry. Earlier in his career, he served in multiple roles as a government employee, including as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Intelligence, as well as a professional staff member on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. He began his career as an Air Force finance and acquisitions officer. Mr. Hartman holds a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence and Middle East Affairs from the National Intelligence University.

Mr. Rogers is the Raytheon Director of Requirements & Capabilities for Mission Solutions & Payloads. He leads a team of business development professionals driving a multi-Billion dollar annual portfolio of space payloads and ground systems for DoD, IC, Civil, commercial, and international customers. Additionally, he manages the RTX Mission Solutions account for the Space Development Agency that comprises nearly 15 different businesses across Collins and Raytheon. Prior to joining the company he was the Senior Director of Advanced Programs for Maxar, where he led a team responsible for wholly creating the National Security Space business for the company. Before Maxar, Mr. Rogers was the Principal Portfolio Manager for Disruptive Space Missions and a former Mission System Engineer at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). At APL and through previous roles with AeroAstro and Lockheed Martin, he has contributed to the design, development, and launch of 20+ satellites for US Government and commercial customers. Early career experience also included engineering roles supporting multiple launch vehicle and missile defense programs, including Delta III and THAAD, respectively. Mr. Rogers holds academic appointments with The Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, serves as the Technical Chair of the SmallSat Conference, and is an elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics. He holds a B.S. in Aeronautics & Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a graduate certificate in Aeronautics & Astronautics from Stanford University, and an M.S. in Applied Physics from The Johns Hopkins University.

Mike Moses oversees the commercial spaceflight program. He leads the team in all aspects of safety, mission operations and FAA regulatory compliance. Mike came to Virgin Galactic following a distinguished 17 year career with NASA. From 2008 to 2011, he served at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the Launch Integration Manager, where he led all space shuttle processing activities from landing through launch. Mike also chaired the Mission Management Team where he provided ultimate shuttle launch decision authority. Other NASA experience includes working as a Flight Director at the Johnson Space Center, where he led teams of flight controllers in the planning, training, and execution of space shuttle missions. Before being selected as a Flight Director in 2005, Mike had more than 10 years of experience as a flight controller in the Shuttle Propulsion and Electrical Systems Groups. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Purdue University. He also earned a master’s degree in space sciences from Florida Institute of Technology. He is a two-time recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, as well as other NASA commendations and awards.

As the Director of Sandia National Laboratories, Laura McGill provides leadership and management direction for the safe and secure execution of all Sandia missions. Before her appointment as Labs Director on May 1, 2025, Laura served as the Deputy Laboratories Director for Nuclear Deterrence and Chief Technology Officer since January 2021. In that role, she was responsible for ensuring the safety, security, reliability, effectiveness and modernization of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. She guided Sandia’s contributions to nuclear weapon systems engineering, development and surveillance. As Chief Technology Officer, she led strategic initiatives and the development of emerging technologies, positioning Sandia to meet future national security challenges. Laura has worked in the defense industry for more than four decades. Before joining Sandia, Laura served as deputy vice president of engineering at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business with 30,000 employees, including 15,000 engineers and scientists. She oversaw development and operational support for advanced weapons systems for the Department of Defense. Before that, she was vice president of engineering for Raytheon Missile Systems, leading an organization of 7,800 engineers and scientists developing and producing weapons for the U.S. military and Department of Defense. She was responsible for systems performance, technical execution, test and flight operations, technology investment, engineering career development and capital investments. Prior to vice president, Laura was chief engineer for the $2 billion Air Warfare Systems program portfolio, which included Tomahawk cruise missiles, air-to-air combat systems and precision strike weapons. In 2019, Laura was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. She is also a Lifetime Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and served as its president from 2022 to 2024. She has taught numerous graduate courses in systems engineering as an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering. Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in aerospace systems from West Coast University.

Jared “Rook” Isaacman is the 15th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Isaacman grew up in New Jersey as the youngest of the four children of Donald and Sandra Marie Isaacman. Fascinated by aviation and space, Isaacman discovered a passion that would define his career. Sensing an opportunity in the burgeoning world of digital markets, Isaacman left high school at the age of 16 to found United Bank Card, a payment processing company, from his parents’ basement. The company was later renamed Shift4. Shift4 now serves hundreds of thousands of businesses across the globe. In 2020, Shift4 went public, and in 2025, Isaacman left his role as CEO. Isaacman’s entrepreneurial spirit extended to aerospace. In 2011, Isaacman co-founded Draken International, which provides training to U.S. military pilots. The company currently services and manages one of the world’s largest private fleets of fighter jets. Outsourcing this critical role to the private sector has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. Isaacman sold the company in 2019. Outside of work, Isaacman is a skilled pilot with over 8,000 flight hours. He is flight-qualified in multiple military jets, has flown in over 100 airshows, an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and has set numerous world speed records in 2009 while raising funds for the Make-A-Wish®. In 2021, Isaacman commanded Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight aboard the Dragon spacecraft. The mission was a major milestone in commercial spaceflight. The three-day flight orbited Earth, raising over $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Three years later, he led another human spaceflight mission, Polaris Dawn. Reaching an altitude of almost 900 miles, this was the farthest humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo 17. Isaacman performed the first commercial spacewalk, and both missions incorporated dozens of science experiments and achieved milestones that advanced the cause of crewed spaceflight. On Nov. 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump nominated Isaacman to be the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and he was formally confirmed by the United States Senate on Dec. 17, 2025. Isaacman graduated from Embry‑Riddle in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics, and in 2024, he received an honorary doctoral degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Isaacman resides in Pennsylvania with his wife, Monica, and their two daughters.

Brook Leonard is the Chief Executive Officer of Rogue Space Systems, where he leads the company’s strategy and execution to operationalize in-space logistics, autonomous mission systems, and on-orbit compute platforms for national security and commercial customers. A retired U.S. Air Force Major General and former Chief of Staff of United States Space Command, Leonard brings more than three decades of leadership across global space, air, and joint military operations to Rogue’s growth, partnerships, and long-term vision for a scalable and sustainable space economy. As CEO, he integrates business development, engineering, operations, finance, and mission execution functions to advance Rogue’s position as a leader in responsive and autonomous space infrastructure. During his military career, Leonard helped lead the standup of United States Space Command as its Chief of Staff and later served as Deputy Commander and Director of Operations for Combined Joint Task Force – Space Operations, overseeing global operational planning, fires, and maneuver to maintain U.S. and allied advantage in space. He also commanded the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base and held senior operational leadership roles throughout Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, including Director of Air Operations for the Combined Joint Task Force and Commander of Task Force – Air, Union III in Baghdad. Earlier commands included the 16th Weapons Squadron at the USAF Weapons School, the 451st Expeditionary Operations Group in Afghanistan, and the 51st Fighter Wing in South Korea. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a command pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours, including 576 combat hours, Leonard has spent his career advancing operational integration across air and space domains and now applies that experience toward building more autonomous, resilient, and scalable space capabilities.

Dr. Christopher J. Scolese was sworn-in as Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on 5 August 2019. He is the 19th Director, and the first to be Presidentially Appointed and Senate Confirmed. Dr. Scolese provides direction, guidance, and supervision on matters pertaining to the NRO and executes other authorities specifically delegated by the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence. Dr. Scolese began his government career as a United States Naval Officer in 1978, supporting a variety of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programs for the U.S. Navy and the Department of Energy. In 1987, following a brief period of service working in government and industry, Dr. Scolese joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where he was assigned to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. During this period, he served in a variety of senior management positions including: Earth Observing System (EOS) Systems Manager, EOS Terra Project Manager, EOS Program Manager, and Deputy Director of Flight Programs and Projects for Earth Science. In 2001, Dr. Scolese was assigned to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. where he served as the Deputy Associate Administrator in the Office of Space Science. In this position, he was responsible for the management, direction, and oversight of NASA’s Space Science Flight Program, mission studies, technology development, and overall contract management of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In 2004, he went on to become Deputy Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, where he assisted the Director in overseeing all activities, before returning to Washington, D.C. to become NASA’s Chief Engineer in 2005. As Chief Engineer, he was responsible for ensuring all development and mission operations were planned and conducted on a sound engineering basis. In 2007, he was appointed the Associate Administrator, responsible for the oversight and integration of NASA’s programmatic and technical efforts. From January-July 2009, Dr. Scolese served as NASA’s Acting Administrator, responsible for leading the development, design, and implementation of the nation’s civil space program. In 2012, Dr. Scolese became the Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, where he led the nation’s largest organization of scientists, engineers, and technologists responsible for building spacecraft, instruments, and new technology to study Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. On 31 July 2019, he retired from NASA to become the Director, NRO. Dr. Scolese holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, New York; a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from George Washington University, Washington, DC; and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University, Washington, DC. Originally from Buffalo, New York, Dr. Scolese and his wife, Dianne, currently reside in Springfield, Virginia.

Robert Lightfoot is the president of Lockheed Martin Space and an officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation. In this capacity, he leads the Space business, which is a more than $11 billion enterprise employing more than 22,000 people globally. The Space portfolio provides advanced technology systems for national security, civil and commercial customers. The Space business area includes integrated systems for satellites, human spaceflight, strategic and missile defense, satellite command and control, sensor and data processing including predictive analytics and big data applications, space observatories and interplanetary robotic spacecraft, and a range of sensing, communications, and exploration payloads. Previously, Lightfoot served as vice president of Operations for Lockheed Martin Space and was responsible for production operations, including assembly, test and launch operations (ATLO), supply chain, quality, program management and all facilities, logistics, and security services. He also served as vice president of Strategy and Business Development within the business area. In this capacity, he led the growth of the Space business with a comprehensive strategy to develop new markets while maintaining the current portfolio. Lightfoot also led strategic planning, advanced technology development and new business acquisition efforts for all lines of business. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in 2019, he served as the president of LSINC Corporation. Lightfoot spent 29 years at NASA, where he served as associate administrator, the agency’s highest-ranking civil service position. He held other critical leadership roles to support space operations, exploration and science missions including director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and director of Propulsion Test at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. He also focused on strategies for key missions including the Space Shuttle’s return to flight following the Columbia tragedy, then initial transition and retirement efforts for shuttle infrastructure. He was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2010, and received numerous awards during his NASA career, including the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executives, the highest honor for federal government work, in 2006, 2010, and 2016. Lightfoot earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama where he is a Distinguished Departmental Fellow for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, a College of Engineering fellow, and previously served on the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board.

Jenny Irvine is a Vice President of Technology at IQT. Irvine leads the development and execution of the IQT space strategy for investment. She provides thought leadership on space technologies and works closely with IQT’s government partners to understand their technology challenges and investigate and recommend potential solutions from the venture-backed start-up landscape. Irvine leads the technical aspects of IQT’s investments to ensure that IQT delivers effective solutions to government partners in the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. Prior to joining IQT, Irvine provided mission and systems engineering expertise across a variety of satellite programs, ranging from exquisite and complex to fast-paced startup space systems. She also provided technical analyses and recommendations for acquisition, integration, and use of commercial data for government missions as a technical advisor to members of the Intelligence Community.

Anne Cheever, Ph.D. is an emerging technology executive and national security leader with over a decade of experience advancing high-impact research, policy, and innovation at the intersection of space, defense, and biotechnology. She is widely recognized for her ability to translate cutting-edge science into operational capability while shaping responsible approaches to emerging and dual-use technologies. Dr. Cheever has developed, led, and managed more than $380 million in federal R&D investments, most notably as a Program Manager in the Biological Technologies Office at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), where she conceived and launched the agency’s first biomanufacturing-in-space program. Her work helped validate biotechnology as a viable manufacturing paradigm for space logistics and resilience, while also advancing research in operations for space, synthetic biology, and military medicine. From 2023 to 2024, Dr. Cheever served at the White House on the National Security Council as Director for Technology and National Security, coordinating U.S. government policy on critical and emerging technologies. In this role, she advised senior White House leadership and the National Security Adviser, contributing to an Executive Order and new national strategies, and built international partnerships with allies including the UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and India. She currently holds multiple advisory and research roles, including in the commercial space sector, as an Adjunct Staff Member at RAND, and Founder of Vela Scientific, LLC, where she supports innovation across space, biodefense, and national security. Dr. Cheever is known for her strategic vision, collaborative leadership, and commitment to advancing technologies that strengthen U.S. and global security.