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.

At Mandala, Michael Preudhomme oversees all of the engineering studio services to portfolio companies, internal startup incubation engineering services and other matters of a technical nature. He is a seasoned Propulsion Systems Engineer who recently joined Mandala Space Ventures after serving at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for nearly a decade. At JPL, he was responsible for overseeing the design, development, and delivery of the Mars Sample Retrieval Lander engines. Michael is a versatile engineer who combines his expertise in financial forecasting and multi-physics simulations with spacecraft design and optimization. Michael obtained his MS in Materials Science & Engineering from Stanford, his MBA from the University of Miami, and his BS in Astronautical Engineering as well as a BA in Chemistry from the University of Southern California.

During his time at JPL, Michael was recognized for his exceptional work on the Europa Lander engine development and his proficiency in modeling engine plume-surface interactions on Mars. His passion for space exploration and propulsion systems engineering makes him an ideal addition to the Mandala team. When he is not diving into work, he enjoys diving in the ocean.

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.

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 Continuum Space Systems, Mandala’s first portfolio company. Currently, Emma works for Mandala as a Business Operations Manager.

Elinor is a dynamic and innovative Chartered Accountant, recognized for her ability to think beyond traditional boundaries and articulate her unique vision with passion and clarity. With a strong commitment to excellence, she consistently delivers creative and efficient solutions to complex problems. Her proactive approach to client and team interactions fosters a collaborative and productive work environment, making her an invaluable asset to any project. Elinor’s exceptional analytical skills, coupled with her effective communication abilities, ensure that she not only understands the intricacies of her projects but also effectively conveys her insights to her team and stakeholders. Her dedication and unique skill set make her a standout professional in her field.

Colonel (retired) Severin Blenkush is a 27-year Air Force veteran whose career in acquisition culminated as Director of Contracting for Air Mobility Command’s $1.6B contract portfolio which spanned 11 geographically separated locations. Along the way, Severin was a three-time Commander, deployed to Iraq twice and Qatar once, and served at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. His space experience includes three years working classified space systems at Los Angeles Air Force Base (now Space Force Base) and two years in acquisition plus two years in operations for the National Reconnaissance Office. Severin held unlimited Contracting Officer Warrants in three different Air Force Major Command. Recently appointed as Space Force Association’s New Mexico Chapter President,
Severin is tasked with standing up a new organization dedicated to serving US Space Force Guardians and advocating for the Space Industry as a whole.

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 to assure it would see back to the beginnings of creation. 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. With his accumulated experience, Mr. Goldin is a highly sought-after leader in advancing American technologies and businesses.

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.

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, demonstrating a keen eye for future potential and market dynamics. Brian holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from Villanova University, and his comprehensive experience across consumer, entertainment, sports, and telecommunications industries underscores his valuable leadership and advisory capabilities.

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.

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 worked at Jet Propulsion Laboratory for 29 years in a broad range of Guidance, Navigation, and Control and Entry, Descent, and Landing-related roles, including GN&C system engineering, EDL system engineering, simulation model development, GN&C sensor design and testing, and flight operations. 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 has also held line management positions as the group supervisor of the GN&C System Engineering Group and the EDL System Engineering Group. David holds a bachelor degree in electrical engineering and masters degree in aerospace engineering.

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. Mars Science Laboratory Rover (Curiosity Rover) Project System Engineer – Landed in 2012 and Operational. Phoenix Project Chief Engineer-Landed in 2008 and completed surface mission. Mars Exploration Rovers Project (Spirit & Opportunity) Mechanical System Architect – Landed in ‘03 and operational. Mars Pathfinder Project Mechanical System Engineer – Landed in 2007 and completed surface mission.

Pez Zarifian was a Deputy Systems Engineer in JPL’s concurrent engineering Advanced Projects Design Team (Team X) and has developed some of the most innovative concepts for space exploration. Prior to his involvement with formulation activities, Pez was a member of the I & T team for JPL’s PMD project and was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Delivery of PMD flight hardware.  From 2020 to 2022,  Zarifian worked at the Toyota Research Institute as a Senior Systems Engineer and later as a Manager of Systems Engineering. Pez then joined Woven Planet as a Manager of Systems Engineering in 2022 before moving to Applied Intuition in 2023. 

Pez Zarifian obtained a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California from 2009 to 2011. Prior to that, Pez completed a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from the same university, spanning from 2006 to 2009. Additionally, Pez Zarifian acquired additional certifications such as SOTIF Training from TÜV SÜD in October 2021 and became a Certified Functional Safety Engineer from TÜV SÜD in September 2021.

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. He was the Power Subsystem Lead for Cassini Spacecraft until the End of Mission.

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, Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and former Chair of the AIAA Electric Propulsion Committee and the IEEE EDS Vacuum Devices Technical Committee. 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, he does research and development in ion and Hall thrusters for deep space solar electric propulsion missions, and he applies his expertise in electrostatic discharges, microwave devices, power systems and communications systems to JPL projects.

After completing undergraduate work at USC and graduate work at Princeton University in 1992, Tom Randolph worked at Space Systems Loral where he managed the qualification of the SPT-100 Hall thruster system leading to the first commercial flights of a Hall thruster on MBSAT. After starting work at JPL in 2003, Tom has been the Product Delivery Manager for the LISA Pathfinder colloid microthruster system, the Project System Engineer on the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Technology Demonstration Mission, the Technical Group Supervisor of the Project Systems Engineering Group, the Project Manager for ASPIRE, and the Project Systems Engineer for the Mars Sample Retrieval Lander.

Dr. Mier-Hicks is group lead of the Advanced Robotics Group at JPL. He has led avionics efforts on test equipment for the Perseverance rover, Ingenuity Helicopter and robots for extreme environments. Fernando functioned as a rover driver for the Curiosity rover. More recently, he architected and is a system engineer of a new Mars helicopter element as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. Prior to joining JPL, Fernando completed a PhD at MIT focusing on thrust, spacecraft charging, and attitude control characterization of electrospray thrusters using a magnetically levitated testbed.

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 Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (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. 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.

What Tony Freeman, Ph. D. loves most about what he has achieved in his 41-year career is having had the opportunity to synthesize ideas from multiple and diverse directions into innovative space missions, program architectures and enterprise solutions to do what no-one has been able to do before. He has been fortunate enough to do this three times – once as the Earth Science Formulation lead at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), leading JPL’s Innovation Foundry role as a champion for JPL’s SmallSat missions, and lastly as Formulation lead for Planetary Science. Shaping the future of space exploration through architecting at this level is a heady exercise — especially at this time of rapid change in the space business. Being strategic about developing new projects, and innovative in how new capabilities are infused, seeds the ground for missions and measurements that can transform humanity’s relationship with space in the coming decades.

Prior to retiring from JPL, Dr. Freeman was the most senior formulation leader there, with experience spanning multiple business areas, and a proven track record of success in building programs consisting of directed and competed NASA missions, resulting in more than $4.5B of new business. He has managed concept development and successful proposal campaigns, led science mission proposals that received the highest possible evaluation, and overseen strategic road-mapping efforts. He has mentored most of JPL’s other senior formulation leads. As a highly creative individual and a systems thinker he is passionate about what’s next in space exploration.

In a technical career spanning 41 years, he has authored over 300 original research contributions, and is still active in publishing his ideas. He is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers for his work on the end-to-end calibration of Synthetic Aperture Radar systems. Dr. Freeman is a native of Manchester, England. He has a B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in mathematics and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, both from the University of Manchester.  

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 and served as JPL’s Chief Technologist for a stint before going into executive management – ending up as Deputy Director of JPL’s Interplanetary Network Directorate. Along the way, Dr. Deutsch led teams to recover the Galileo and Huygens Spacecraft from communication anomalies – introducing many new technologies to these and other space missions in the process. In 2022, NASA awarded him the Distinguished Public Service Medal. Dr. Deutsch has a second career in music where he has developed many patents and holds the position of “Caltech Organist.”

John Brophy received a B.S. in Mechanical Engr. 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 leading to the wide‐spread adoption of this technology in the West. In 1992 he initiated the NSTAR Project that successfully demonstrated of ion propulsion on Deep Space 1. He was responsible for the delivery of the Ion Propulsion System for NASA’s Dawn mission launched in 2007, resulting in the first‐ever use of ion propulsion on a deep‐space science mission. In 2011 he co‐led the Asteroid Retrieval Mission study at Caltech’s Keck Institute for Space Studies that resulted in NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission. He is a JPL and an AI‐AA Fellow. He received the Ernst Stuhlinger Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Electric Propulsion in 2015 and the AIAA Wyld Propulsion Award in 2017.

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, the NASA Exceptional Public Service medal, and was twice awarded the JPL Award for Excellence. More recently, is a co-founder of Marine BioEnergy, Inc (marinebiomass.com) which seeks to replace fossil fuels with carbon-neutral fuels made from giant kelp grown in the open ocean. Brian is the inventor of a worldwide patent on the now-validated method of depth-cycling kelp between the surface water to absorb sunlight during the daytime and diving the kelp to the thermocline (typically 60-150 meters deep) to absorb nutrients at night. This method opens the vast areas of the open ocean to cultivation for the first time.