Decades of spaceflight.
One mission.

Dr. Leon Alkalai

CEO & Founder

Dr. Alkalai is the founder of Mandala Space Ventures. Dr. Leon Alkalai is a recently retired Technical Fellow of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology where he spent 32 years after getting his PhD at UCLA in 1989. During his career at JPL, Dr. Alkalai held numerous leadership positions and was responsible for the capture leadership of both the GRAIL mission to the Moon (2007) and the INSIGHT lander on Mars (2012). For both efforts, Dr. Leon Alkalai received Distinguished Individual Achievement medals from NASA in 2011 and 2019 respectively. Dr. Alkalai was also heading up JPL strategic partnerships and strategic planning for the Laboratory. In early 2021, Dr. Alkalai retired from JPL and created Mandala Space Ventures, a space-focused, Pasadena-based incubator for new start-ups in the emerging space economy. Leon is also the General Partner at the Explorer-1 Venture Fund which is also affiliated with the Mandala space incubator. Recently, Mandala launched its first new venture called Continuum Space Systems, a Software as a Service (SaaS) company for the emerging digital space economy.

Dr. Rashmi Shah

Managing Director

Dr. Rashmi Shah is a distinguished Scientist and Technologist with over a decade of leadership experience in deep tech and frontier science. Her career at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is marked by significant accomplishments, including her role as the first Associate Chief Technologist at the Earth Science & Technology Directorate. A proven leader in her field, she has successfully led large-scale projects from concept to completion and pioneered a new way of observing Earth called Signals of Opportunity Reflectometry (SoOp-R). Dr. Shah holds a PhD in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University and a bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology. She also brings a multifaceted perspective having experience as an investor at VU Venture Partners under the investor accelerator program of Venture University.

Elinor Shklaz

Head of Finance and HR

Elinor Shklaz is a Chartered Accountant and the founder of ESVP Management, a fractional CFO firm that partners with startups to build financial systems, deliver accurate reporting, ensure compliance, and drive FP&A and cash flow analysis. She works closely with executive teams to streamline finance and HR operations, enabling companies to scale with confidence. Elinor began her career in audit at KPMG, before moving to the U.S. to support PwC during their busy season, working on major clients including T-Mobile and Eddie Bauer. She then spent several years consulting for Fortune 1000 companies, assisting during critical periods with financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, system support, internal audit, and special project implementation. Later, Elinor joined a boutique business management firm serving high-net-worth individuals in the entertainment industry, deepening her expertise in tax strategies, tax-efficient corporate structures, insurance planning, and financial processes for family offices. Elinor launched ESVP Management in 2020, where she combines technical expertise with practical insight to help founders and leadership teams strengthen their financial foundations.

Emma Way

Business Operations Manager

Emma has a B.A in Communications and a M.S in Sports Journalism. Emma has worked for a number of startups and small businesses throughout her career. She started off in venture capital, working as a business consultant for The Players' Impact, a venture capital platform for professional athletes. She started working for Mandala Space Ventures in 2021 as a full-time Media and Communications Associate before becoming a part-time consultant to pursue a consulting career in business operations. Emma opened up her own business consulting services in 2022, aiding founders and CEO's with business operations and administration. She has consulted for Resonate Labs, a modern meditation device start-up, Magicoley, a PR firm, Digital Media Architects, a forward thinking social marketing firm, and MIXIC skin, a K-beauty skincare brand. Currently, Emma works for Mandala as a Business Operations Manager.

Adam Alkalai

Business Development & Marketing

Adam is a data-driven marketing strategist with a B.A in International Economics and minor in Entrepreneurship marketing. He has a strong background in data analysis, market research, and digital advertising, managing campaigns that have driven over $100 million in lifetime revenue. While studying, Adam spent his summers working for Mandala in its early stages, helping to create business plans and market strategies for ventures within Mandala's first cohort, including Continuum Space Systems, Mandala's first portfolio company. Adam currently works as a Growth Marketing Manager for Prodege LLC in Los Angeles.

Riccardo Del Tenno

Technical Associate

Riccardo Del Tenno joined Mandala Space Ventures as a Technical Associate, where he supports a range of technical and business efforts across the studio and its portfolio companies. His work spans early-stage technology assessment, studio-led consulting projects, and contributing to fundraising and grant proposal efforts. Riccardo earned his Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan (PoliMi), where he led the rocket recovery systems team at Skyward Experimental Rocketry and was part of the team that won the European Rocketry Challenge in 2022. He later completed his Master's in Astronautical Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2025. Before joining Mandala, Riccardo spent over a year at USC's Space Engineering Research Center, where he led the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) and simulation efforts for a CubeSat mission, while also contributing to clean room integration and testing.

Hon. Dan Goldin

NASA Administrator (1990-2001)

The Honorable Daniel S. Goldin is an entrepreneurial and scientific visionary, with the distinction of serving as NASA's longest-tenured Administrator from April 1992-November 2001 reporting to three U.S. Presidents. He is credited with the re-emergence of NASA after the Cold War, as he diplomatically fostered east-west international cooperation and oversaw the redesign, construction, and initial operation of the $120B International Space Station, as well as guided the initial concept of the James Webb Space Telescope. As the founder of Cold Canyon, an innovation advisory company, his career spans space exploration and science, aeronautics, air traffic management, national security systems, semiconductors, advanced sensors, hypersonic, communications, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Charles Elachi

Director of JPL (2001-2016)

During Dr. Elachi's 16-year tenure as Director of JPL, 24 missions managed by the laboratory were launched, including Genesis, Mars Odyssey, Deep Impact, Kepler, GRAIL and Juno to name a few. Prior to his time at JPL, he was responsible for the development of numerous flight systems for Solar System exploration, space-based astronomy, and Earth science.

Hon. Dana Shell-Smith

U.S. Defense Policy Board 2022

Hon. Dana Shell-Smith served as a U.S. Ambassador to Qatar 2014-2017 and is presently a senior non-resident fellow at Georgetown University. During her tenure as Ambassador, Ms. Shell-Smith successfully advocated for billions of dollars in U.S. business and investment opportunities in Qatar, and Qatari investment in the U.S.

Peter Lowy

The Lowy Family Group

Peter Lowy is a principal of the Lowy Family Group (LFG), a private investment business with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Sydney. Peter also serves as Co-CEO of the Westfield Group, a major global retail property group with a portfolio exceeding $60 billion. He holds leadership roles in organizations like the Homeland Security Advisory Council, RAND Corporation, and the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Brad Schwartz

Managing Partner, Strategic Law Partners

For over 25 years, Brad has been an active participant and leader in the Los Angeles start up and emerging growth community. He has extensive experience in corporate law matters, including venture and other financing transactions and merger and acquisitions, having closed several hundred financings and acquisitions ranging from a few million to a few billion dollars in deal size. Brad was previously the founding partner of Strategic Law Partners, LLP, and a former corporate partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP. Brad and Strategic Law have represented a wide variety of companies from successful early stage and venture backed companies (such as Green Dot, Riot Games, and Trade Desk) to incubators and accelerators (such as Idealab and Mandala Space Ventures) to investors and private equity firms. Over the last several years, Brad has been active in various capacities in spin offs from key institutions in the greater Pasadena area (Caltech, JPL/NASA and the City of Hope). Brad was selected to the Los Angeles Super Lawyers list from 2012-2024.

Brian Sullivan

CEO, NEP Group, Inc.

Brian Sullivan is a distinguished board member at Mandala Space Ventures, where his strategic insights and expertise in budgeting and growth strategies greatly contribute to pioneering innovations in space technology. He extends his influence in the media and technology sectors as a seasoned C-Level Executive, having led significant transformations at NEP Group, Inc. as CEO. His advisory prowess is highlighted through his impactful roles at McKinsey & Company and his foundational investment in Angel City Football Club. Brian holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from Villanova University.

Stephen Kay

General Counsel, Roku

Stephen Kay is a board member for Mandala Space Ventures, where he guides the development of innovative space technologies. He also holds the position of General Counsel at Roku, managing a broad spectrum of legal responsibilities, including corporate and commercial transactions, intellectual property, and content distribution. Stephen's legal career spans over three decades and includes significant roles such as Managing Partner at the Los Angeles Office of Hogan Lovells and Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Gemstar-TV Guide. His academic credentials include a JD, magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law, and a BA in History from the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Ira Katz

Former Advanced Propulsion Tech Group Lead, JPL

Ira Katz, PhD, is an aerospace consultant specializing in electric propulsion and spacecraft charging. He retired from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory after leading the Electric Propulsion group for almost two decades and researching electric propulsion physics. Previously, he worked in industry investigating spacecraft charging and headed the team that developed the NASA Charging Analyzer Program, NASCAP. Dr. Katz is the author of more than 100 peer reviewed journal articles and co-author of the textbook "Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion."

David Skulsky

Former JPL Engineer

David Skulsky worked at Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 29 years in a broad range of Guidance, Navigation, and Control and Entry, Descent, and Landing-related roles. He has supported both orbital and landing missions, including Mars Observer, the Cassini Mission to Saturn, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Phoenix Mars Lander, and the Insight Mars Lander. On InSight, David was the Entry, Descent, and Landing Lead and he was the Deorbit, Descent, and Landing Lead for the proposed Europa Lander mission. Prior to retiring from JPL, David was the Product Delivery Manager for the Sample Retrieval Lander GN&C subsystem. He holds a bachelor degree in electrical engineering and masters degree in aerospace engineering.

Dr. Dara Sabahi

Retired JPL Fellow

Dr. Dara Sabahi was a Systems Engineer and Chief Engineer at NASA JPL since 1989 till his retirement in early 2018. He was responsible for major subsystems on all Mars landed missions since Mars Pathfinder, including Mars Science Laboratory Rover (Curiosity Rover) as Project System Engineer, Phoenix as Project Chief Engineer, Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit & Opportunity) as Mechanical System Architect, and Mars Pathfinder as Mechanical System Engineer.

Rafael Martinez

Former JPL Engineer

Rafael Martinez is a former NASA engineer with hands-on experience in concept design, systems engineering, R&D, advanced manufacturing and electromechanical integration. At JPL/Caltech, he contributed to advanced prototyping and spacecraft hardware development, blending old-school craftsmanship with modern digital fluency—including metal 3D printing, AI-assisted tools, and generative design. His career includes work with Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force.

Dr. Jonathan Grandidier

Technical Supervisor at Blue Origin

Dr. Grandidier has been a technical group supervisor at Blue Origin for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) since 2022. Before joining Blue Origin, he was part of the Solar Array Technology and Engineering group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for 8 years and a Visiting Associate at Caltech for the Space Solar Power Project (SSPP). He specializes in solar arrays, photovoltaics, power beaming and power subsystems for space applications, and was the Power Subsystem Lead for the Cassini Spacecraft until End of Mission.

Dr. Dan Goebel

JPL Fellow, member NAE

Dan M. Goebel is a Fellow and Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and an Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering at UCLA. He is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Fellow of the IEEE, Fellow of the AIAA, and Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). He is an internationally recognized expert in electric propulsion, microwave sources, advanced plasma sources and high voltage engineering. At JPL he is the Chief Engineer of the Psyche Discovery Mission.

Randy Pollock

Retired NASA Engineer

Randy Pollock has held key systems engineering or management roles on many key NASA environmental monitoring missions, including the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), Orbiting Carbon Observatory series (OCO, OCO-2 and OCO-3), and the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT). He also served as the chief engineer for the SHERLOC instrument on the Mars Perseverance rover. His work has ranged across the entire lifecycle of projects including technology development, mission concept development, flight hardware and software design, fabrication, test & qualification, and flight operations.

Dr. Peter Gage

Neerim Corp Systems Engineer

Dr. Gage has a proven track record in vehicle design for NASA, primarily on Entry, Descent and Landing, but with recent experience on launch vehicles and mission architecture. His long involvement with NASA's Advanced Engineering Environment can guide collaboration solutions for design teams. Peter has deep experience with CAD and its role in high-fidelity simulation.

Tony Freeman

Retired JPL Program Manager

Tony Freeman, Ph.D., had a 41-year career synthesizing ideas into innovative space missions, program architectures and enterprise solutions, serving as the Earth Science Formulation lead, leading JPL's Innovation Foundry role as a champion for JPL's SmallSat missions, and as Formulation lead for Planetary Science. Prior to retiring, Dr. Freeman was the most senior formulation leader there, with a proven track record of success in building programs resulting in more than $4.5B of new business. He has authored over 300 original research contributions and is a Life Fellow of the IEEE for his work on end-to-end calibration of Synthetic Aperture Radar systems. He has a B.Sc. (Hons.) in mathematics and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, both from the University of Manchester.

Dr. Leslie J. Deutsch

Retired JPL Mathematician and Manager

Dr. Deutsch began his JPL career in 1980 after receiving a PhD from Caltech. He developed new methods of deep space communications before becoming the manager of JPL's deep space communications technology program. In 1991, he received the IEEE Judith Resnik Award for his contributions to the theory and practice of deep space telecommunications and information processing. He has managed many JPL technology programs, served as JPL's Chief Technologist, and ended his career as Deputy Director of JPL's Interplanetary Network Directorate. In 2022, NASA awarded him the Distinguished Public Service Medal. He has a second career in music as "Caltech Organist."

Dr. John Brophy

Engineering Fellow at JPL

John Brophy received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1978, and M.S./Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University in 1980 and 1984. In 1991 he led the U.S. team in the evaluation of Hall thruster technology in the Soviet Union. In 1992 he initiated the NSTAR Project that successfully demonstrated ion propulsion on Deep Space 1, and was responsible for the delivery of the Ion Propulsion System for NASA's Dawn mission. He is a JPL and AIAA Fellow, and received the Ernst Stuhlinger Medal in 2015 and the AIAA Wyld Propulsion Award in 2017.

Dr. Brian Wilcox

Retired JPL Fellow

Brian Wilcox is a retired Fellow of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA center operated by Caltech. During his 38 years at JPL, he was Supervisor of the Robotic Vehicles Group for 20 years, and Manager of the Space Robotics Technology Program for 15 years. He received numerous awards including the NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement medal and the NASA Exceptional Public Service medal. He is a co-founder of Marine BioEnergy, Inc, which seeks to replace fossil fuels with carbon-neutral fuels made from giant kelp grown in the open ocean, and is the inventor of a worldwide patent on depth-cycling kelp cultivation.

Dennis Stone

Former NASA / JSC Manager

Dennis Stone is a multi-faceted space executive with 45 years in space commercialization, international relations, investment, business development, microgravity, and system engineering. During 38 years at NASA's Johnson Space Center, he was business lead in $1.6B of investment by NASA in commercial space companies starting with SpaceX in 2006. He also held a number of key technical and management positions in the International Space Station Program. After retiring from NASA, he supported Vast for two years as Vice President-Business Development and consultant. His diverse background includes leading a biotech startup and serving as founder and President of World Space Week Association. He has two bachelor of science degrees, in physics and electrical engineering.

Jorge Quelas

Avionics Systems Engineer

Jorge Quelas is a Program Manager and Aerospace Engineer with over ten years of experience leading complex, multidisciplinary engineering programs across aerospace, satellite, and software domains. He has held key roles at companies such as Satellogic and Skyloom, where he managed large-scale satellite platform developments, AI-enabled Earth Observation services, and client-driven technology programs from concept through deployment. He hold a Master's degree in Control Engineering and a Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and has authored multiple technical publications in control engineering.

Doug Sheldon

Principal Radiation Systems Engineer

Pioneering leader in mission assurance and aerospace electronics with decades of cross-industry experience spanning semiconductors, radiation effects, commercial technology infusion, and high-reliability space systems. Member of Collier Trophy-winning Mars Helicopter team, enabling the first powered flight on another planet. Recognized with the Principal designation award for sustained contributions to scientific and technical advancement in electronic parts reliability, device physics, and system risk management. Leads development of next-generation mission assurance frameworks integrating commercial System-on-Chip (SoC) platforms and AI-enhanced analytics.