The Sky's the Limit: How Colorado is Pushing the Boundaries and Revolutionizing the Aerospace Industry

A Focus on Colorado Start-Ups, SBAs, and Entrepreneurs

• 

  Miguel Ayala

  Miguel Ayala has more than 20 years of experience in engineering, leadership, and management of multidisciplinary engineering teams developing aircraft, launch vehicles, spacecraft, and associated ground support equipment in high-profile government and commercial space programs. Miguel is passionate about contributing to groundbreaking innovations in space exploration and aerospace transportation. With the intent of becoming an effective well-rounded leader, he has devoted his entire career to gaining a broad background in engineering and leadership, encompassing: small startups and large corporations; design, analysis, test, and manufacturing; propulsion, structures, mechanisms, and thermofluid systems; technical leadership; project and people management. Previous programs include ULA Vulcan rocket at Belcan, Orion spacecraft and A2100 satellites at Lockheed Martin, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets at SpaceX, aircraft GNC at L3Harris, Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 aircraft engines and ISS habitat module at Honeywell, and NASA Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster processing at Northrop Grumman. Miguel holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. He also holds Bachelor’s degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering from Arizona State University.

  Aphelion Aerospace

  CEO

  Miguel Ayala

  CEO

  Aphelion Aerospace

• 

  Maraia Tanner

  Maraia has served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Space Development Ventures since its inception in 2013. Following graduation from UC Irvine with a degree in Astrophysics, she was hired into TRW (now Northrop Grumman Space Technology) where she worked on a number of large commercial and defense payloads and later became the lead conceptual systems engineer. Maraia was also part of the first FAA-certified flight attendant training class with the Zero Gravity Corporation (Zero-G), and served as a Flight Coach for 9 years with hundreds of parabolas under her belt. Maraia is passionate about helping to generate radical solutions for climate change and greater sustainability as well as increasing diversity in the science and engineering fields. Maraia is an outdoor enthusiast currently earning her pilot’s license for both fixed wing and rotor aircraft.

  Star Harbor Space Academy

  CEO

  Maraia Tanner

  CEO

  Star Harbor Space Academy

• 

  Nick Doucette

  Nick Doucette is the Chief Operations Officer at Ursa Major. He joined the company in 2016 to help build the next generation of American-made rocket engines to get customers to space quickly, reliably, and affordably. Prior to joining Ursa Major, Nick worked for SpaceX where he led the manufacturing teams responsible for the Dragon capsule propulsion systems, production for the Merlin and Raptor engines, and additive manufacturing processes. Nick has always had a passion for space. He was born on Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada and attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Boston University and a master’s in business administration from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. Nick lives in Berthoud, Colorado with his wife, daughter, and two sons.

  Ursa Major Technologies

  COO

  Nick Doucette

  COO

  Ursa Major Technologies

• 

  Frederic de Loizaga

  Frederic de Loizaga is a Senior Vice President with CBRE's Advisory & Transaction Services Group and exclusively represents office Occupiers throughout the Denver Metro area. Frederic provides customized, creative commercial real estate solutions that align with his client's business, financial and operational objectives. Since joining CBRE in 2007, Frederic has been a part of in excess of 12 million square feet of lease and sale transactions. Frederic grew up in South Denver where he attended Arapahoe High School. He played college baseball at Regis University where he was drafted from by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Frederic participates in numerous community initiatives including sitting on the Board of Project Helping (a mental wellness focused non-profit) and CBRE Cares Denver Chapter and has been involved with other charities including Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Colorado, CU Cancer Center, and LLS (Leukaemia Lymphoma Society).

  CBRE

  SVP

  Moderator

  Frederic de Loizaga

  SVP

  CBRE

Expanding Colorado's Footprint as a Growing Hub for Aviation and Aerospace Companies

A Deep Dive into Colorado's Aerospace Real Estate Market

• 

  Tom Green

  Tom leads the team responsible for all of the Lockheed Martin’s global real estate transactions and lease administration for its 69 million square feet of occupied space. His team works with our business areas to develop a real estate strategy, then executes the resulting leasing, buying or selling of real property. The team completes over 200 real estate projects annually.

  Lockheed Martin

  Director of Real Estate and Facilities

  Tom Green

  Director of Real Estate and Facilities

  Lockheed Martin

• 

  Ken Cope

  Ken manages real estate development activities at Denver International Airport and their integration with the DEN Real Estate strategic land use plan as well as overseeing all land lease activities such as rental cars, solar, farm, and oil & gas leasing. Ken has over 20 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, having been responsible for the acquisition, asset management, and disposition of over $2 billion worth of properties during that time. His career includes working for REITs, private equity companies, and small entrepreneurial real estate firms throughout the United States. Ken holds a Bachelor of Science from Montana State University, and earned his MBA from Indiana University.

  Denver International Airport

  SVP, Real Estate Development

  Ken Cope

  SVP, Real Estate Development

  Denver International Airport

• 

  Cecilia Harry

  Cecilia Harry is the chief economic development officer of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation. Her expertise and leadership keep the Colorado Springs region at the forefront of business development and economic growth. Cecilia’s team at the Chamber & EDC is responsible for proactive outreach efforts to support existing employers in the region’s target industry clusters (aerospace and defense, IT and cybersecurity, healthcare and medtech, and manufacturing), and the team also cultivates and manages an impressive pipeline of companies with the potential to locate in the region. Efforts to support the region’s competitive entrepreneurial ecosystem and attract and retain top talent also fall under Cecilia’s purview. Cecilia is a social worker by training and spent several years with the Department of Child Services in Indiana prior to finding her way to economic development in 2010. She loves the idea of helping families achieve stability and safety through economic opportunities like skills enhancement and quality jobs with quality wages. Previous roles that Cecilia has held include president & CEO of Envision Greater Fond du Lac (Wisconsin), executive director of the Greater Fremont Development Council (Nebraska), and economic development specialist with the Leavenworth County Development Corporation (Kansas). Cecilia earned her certified economic developer designation in 2015. She has served on the board of directors of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) and currently serves on the board of directors for the ACCE Foundation. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Social Work degree in Social and Economic Development at Washington University in St. Louis. Her husband Andrew is a physical therapist and medical staffing recruiter, and their children Theodore, Vincent, and Gianna bring them great joy.

  Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

  Chief Economic Development Officer

  Cecilia Harry

  Chief Economic Development Officer

  Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC

• 

  Josh Foerschler

  With more than 20 years in the engineering and construction industry, Josh Foerschler, Professional Engineer, serves Burns & McDonnell as a director of business development leading outreach for aerospace, space and defense markets. He leverages his past roles as project manager and mechanical engineer to bring the company’s integrated design-build solutions to clients across the country.

  Burns & McDonnell

  Project Development Lead

  Josh Foerschler

  Project Development Lead

  Burns & McDonnell

• 

  Jonathan McDonald

  Jonathan McDonald is a Construction Executive for GE Johnson Construction Company focused on the Advanced Technology market sector. This work has included numerous secure and non-classified aerospace projects as well as data center, pharmaceutical, chemical, and advanced manufacturing projects. Jonathan has a passion for developing high performance teams capable of adjusting construction processes to fit the varied needs of AT clients. He enjoys learning about the business and process needs of his clients and identifying opportunities for GE Johnson to deliver value.

  GE Johnson

  Construction Executive

  Moderator

  Jonathan McDonald

  Construction Executive

  GE Johnson

Opening Remarks

• 

  Kyle Ellington

  Board Member, Colorado Space Business Roundtable &

  Director, Layton Construction