Industry Advisory Council
David Kris
Founder, Culper Partners LLC
David Kris
David Kris is an expert in intelligence, law enforcement, security, and cybersecurity law and policy, he has more than 30 years of experience in the private sector, government, and academia. In the private sector, Kris has been a member of a corporate board of directors and corporate advisory boards, a general counsel, deputy general counsel, and a chief ethics and compliance officer. He also has been a CFIUS-approved proxy holder for a foreign-owned entity. In government, Kris has served in or advised federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies during the administrations of every President since George H. Bush. He has been the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, an Associate Attorney General, and a federal trial and appellate prosecutor at the Department of Justice. He currently serves on advisory boards for multiple intelligence agencies, teaches law to Intelligence Community lawyers, and is an amicus curiae to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts. Kris has written, spoken, and taught extensively in the field of national security. He is co-author of the legal treatise, National Security Investigations and Prosecutions (3d ed. 2019), and the author of dozens of articles and blog posts. He is currently a member of the board of directors and a Contributing Editor at Lawfare, a University Affiliate at Georgetown University, and a member of the advisory boards for the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University, the Tech, Law, Security (TLS) Program at American University, and the Pandemic Response Commons, a data ecosystem designed to address COVID-19. Kris is the recipient of numerous awards and medals, including the National Intelligence Superior Service Medal, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, the CIA Agency Seal Medal, the Department of Justice Edmund J. Randolph Award, and on two occasions the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, the Department of Justice’s highest honor.
Michael Ostrom
Chief Strategy Officer, McLarty Diversified Holdings
Michael Ostrom
Michael Ostrom serves as Chief Strategy Officer for McLarty Diversified Holdings based in the firm’s Dallas/Fort Worth headquarters. Michael is a business leader with more than two decades of experience in delivering strategic solutions in professional services across the engineering, transportation, and technology industries. He holds multiple patents leveraging behavioral, demographic, and spatial data in various ways to improve predictions, forecasting patterns, site selection and to assist in critical infrastructure protection and risk mitigation. A keynote and featured speaker at many technology and data analytics industry events, Michael has been featured in various technology and infrastructure related magazines and podcasts. Michael is an experienced entrepreneur and business builder whose most recent startup grew profitably to over 100 employees with strong annual revenues. Michael has also advised technology startups in the transportation and technology space and is an avid supporter of STEM initiatives. Just prior to joining MDH, Michael was a Director at Burns & McDonnell/1898 & Co., a large management consulting/engineering firm where he helped Fortune 100 clients develop adaptive strategies, enhance corporate innovation, and improve strategic planning. Much of his recent work has been in the areas of autonomous vehicles, electrification, and digital transformation. Earlier in his career, Michael launched the first nationwide predictive traffic model, helped to design the traffic management and telematics system for Abu Dhabi, and led the initiative for the first near-term traffic light prediction system now featured as TLI in Audi vehicles. As a former CEO and CIO, Michael has served on multiple boards. He is an alumnus of Yale University School of Management.
Tim Faulkner
US Department of Defense
Tim Faulkner
With over 20 years of experience, a Senior Executive and Strategic Military Leader with Top Secret SCI and CI Polygraph Security Clearance with the Department of Defense. His role involves advising multiple Four-Star Generals and Senior Government Officials on directing US strategy. Tim specializes in transforming complex strategic vision statements into results-driven plans, programs, and business operations that enable organizations to secure multi-million and billion-dollar contracts in highly competitive spaces and increase market share. He has a successful track record of securing multi-million contracts in highly competitive industries, resulting in increased market share. Throughout his career, he developed and implemented strategies for $1.7B in requirements and $1.1B in future capabilities, including initiatives to counter malign influence, expand logistics reach, and develop human capital. As an award-winning leader, he established the Army's only innovation incubator, evaluated over 60 Capability Nominations, approved 37 technologies, and assisted in 21 Operational Demonstrations, resulting in over $200 million in new capabilities. His collaborative efforts with organizations such as Los Alamos Labs, Amazon, SpaceX, Purdue University 5G, and Data Science Centers have helped establish the Army's sole innovation and operational assessment process. Additionally, he worked with INDOPACOM and US Special Forces Command Pacific to build an $800M Joint Data Exploitation facility with advanced technologies that increased data processing and dissemination. Additionally, Tim led a team in creating and implementing a Workforce Development Plan in Hawaii that resulted in the first internships of their kind in the state, focused on Geo-Special technologies, Cyber, IT, and Data Scientist. As someone who values engaging with all stakeholders and building bridges, he prioritizes ensuring alignment and being a trusted voice of reason.
Christopher Leichtweis
President of AERO-B Motorsports and Applied
Christopher Leichtweis
Mr. Leichtweis is the creator and President of AERO B Motorsports and Applied (“AERO-B”), a motorsports services offering to car enthusiasts and racing entrepreneurs who seek a full-service opportunity from racing to licensing and a primary capability in data acquisition and telemetry. AERO-B was developed from the Leichtweis Family of Businesses which has been an incubator for new business and provider of executive strategy and consulting to engineering, environmental, energy, facility operations, safety and health, and real estate industries since 1994. Prior to racing, Chris Leichtweis led North Wind Group as its President and CEO of a leader in government and commercial Engineering, IT/Cyber, Enterprise, and AI, Environmental, Construction, and Facility Maintenance and Infrastructure business lines with over $600 million budgeted annual revenue in 2022, 2,300 employees, and over 40 offices across the US and its territories. In nine years, he was able to deliver more than 1000% organic growth and drive innovation after innovation. Before North Wind Group, Chris founded and led Safety and Ecology Corporation (“SEC”) to a $105M world-wide business in environmental and nuclear engineering and consulting, which was later acquired by Permafix (NASDAQ: PESI). He las led his entire career as President and Director of Homeland Security Capital Corporation (HSCC), growing the parent’s portfolio of three companies 43% and served in various engineering and management positions at Bechtel National and Bechtel Environmental, Inc., a global Engineering and Construction Company as a key contributor to the environmental clean-up of major federal nuclear legacy programs. Mr. Leichtweis serves on many boards and is on University’s Foundation Board, State University of New York (SUNY) – Brockport. He a earned a B.S. in Physics from SUNY Brockport and later became a distinguished MBA Graduate from the University of Tennessee. He won the Southeast United States 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Mel Wesley
CFO – Deepwatch
Mel Wesley
Mr. Wesley has served as the Chief Financial Officer for both publicly traded and private technology companies for the past twenty years. Mel has also served as a Board Member for both publicly traded and private technology companies for the past three years. Mel's current Board responsibilities include serving as Audit Committee Chair for a publicly traded company. Mel currently serves as the CFO of Deepwatch, Inc., where his focus includes supporting the Company during a period of hyper-growth, while overseeing Finance, Legal and Corporate Development. Prior to his current role, Mel served as the CFO of Cofense, Inc. (formerly PhishMe, Inc.) from February of 2017 to January of 2023. His initial focus was supporting the Company’s growth initiatives and IPO-readiness efforts. In the fall of 2017, Mel became involved in a market check process due to in-bound strategic interest. The process resulted in the sale of the Company to a group of private equity firms for $400 million. Mel’s focus continued to be supporting the Company’s growth initiatives. Mr. Wesley played a key role in driving significant growth and overseeing billion dollar exits involving NASDAQ listed technology companies, such as, SteelCloud (NASDAQ: SCLD), OPNET Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPNT), Mandiant (acquired by FireEye in December 2013) and FireEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE). Mel currently serves as CFO of Deepwatch. Mr. Welsey brings extensive SEC reporting experience and has been actively involved in multiple mergers and acquisitions, and their subsequent transitions. Of particular value to the Company is Mr. Wesley’s experience in CyberSecurity and Intelligence, which surround current prospect and customer use cases and interest. Mel began his career as an auditor in public accounting, and he holds a B.S. in Accounting and an MBA from George Mason University. Mel is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Kevin O'Connell
Director of the Office of Space Commerce
Kevin O'Connell
Mr. O'Connell, Founder of Space Economy Rising LLC, has more than four decades of expertise and success focused on technology, intelligence, space, government, and US technological competitiveness. Mr. O'Connell's U.S. Government assignments include: the Department of Commerce (SES), The Department of Defense, The Department of State, The National Security Council, The Office of the Vice President, and The Office of the Director of Central Intelligence. Mr. O'Connell is currently the CEO of Space Economy Rising LLC, a firm that provides advisory services to space companies, related high-tech companies, and stakeholders in the space economy. There, he provides strategy, finance, and regulatory advice, helps investors assess space market trends and investment opportunities, and identifies pathways for increased participation in the space economy. Aside of several private sector boards, Mr. O'Connell Chairs the Advisory Board of the Institute of Space Commerce and sits on the advisory board of the Association of Commercial Space Professionals and the Lunar Policy Platform. Mr. O'Connell's leadership and experience in space policy, commerce, and security, have led to international outreach efforts to advance space partnerships, regulation, and sustainability with U.S. allies. He has held senior roles across the Department of Defense, State Department, National Security Council, and intelligence community and also founded a consulting firm specializing in high-tech market trends. A recognized expert in satellite remote sensing and geospatial intelligence, he has advised multiple agencies and chaired NOAA's ACCRES committee. He is also a prolific author on space commerce and regulation, contributing to key publications on global space economy and commercial satellite developments. As an educator and visionary, Kevin has over two decades of graduate teaching experience at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and the RAND Graduate School. Currently a Professor of Practice at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, he frequently lectures on space commerce at MIT, SDA Bocconi, George Washington University, and the University of Tokyo.
