BOULDER, Colo. and ATLANTA, April 14, 2021 — Kayhan Space is passionate about making spaceflight safer for satellite operators by providing them with a complete space situational awareness solution. The company announced today its Board of Advisors to include Retired Major General Robert Wheeler, Michael Hurley, Carie Lemack, Amy Zimmerman, Dr. Jonathan Fentzke and Dustin Boyer. Kayhan Space’s Board of Advisors will help navigate the Kayhan team by providing guidance, counsel and leadership for the entirety of the business’s needs.

“We are pleased to announce our advisory board members and to work with industry experts whose knowledge and engagement will guide our company forward as we continue to grow,” said Siamak Hesar, Co-founder and CEO of Kayhan Space. “We are thrilled to welcome these individuals to the Kayhan Space team as we work together to support satellite operators and make spaceflight safer.”

Retired Major General Robert E. Wheeler, United States Air Force

Retired Major General Robert E. Wheeler brings more than 20 years of senior leadership expertise, having directed large organizations including serving as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Secretary of Defense. Major General Wheeler has spent a majority of his life serving the United States and protecting what it stands for throughout the world. His experience encompasses all facets of combat flying operations, cyber, electronic warfare, nuclear operations, command and control, communications as well as international negotiations. Commissioned in the United States Air Force in 1984 and retired in 2016 after 32 years of service, Major General Wheeler continues serving his country by advising various senior advisory panels and advocating on issues of national importance.

Michael Hurley, President of Team 3i, Veteran CIA Case Officer

Michael Hurley is President of Team 3i LLC, a national security and international business strategy company. A veteran retired CIA case officer, Hurley served for 25 years in high-profile foreign countries. Following the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Mr. Hurley deployed for 18 months to Afghanistan where he led Agency personnel and U.S. Special Forces in Operation Anaconda, the biggest campaign of the Afghan conflict. In that role, Mr. Hurley was a leader in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. As a renowned national security expert, he currently advises both the co-chairmen of the 9/11 Commission and their Homeland Security Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center as well as multiple innovative technology companies.

Carie Lemack, CEO & Co-Founder of DreamUp and Techstars Mentors

Carie Lemack is an experienced innovator with more than two decades of experience in entrepreneurial endeavors, organizational management, product development, advocacy and security policy. Skilled in conceiving and building ideas and products into globally-recognized entities, Ms. Lemack brings her skills to the aerospace industry by serving as an investor, mentor and advisor to startups including the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator and Techstars Allied Space programs. She is a co-founder and board member of the Zed Factor Fellowship program, which helps allow for a more diverse and innovative aerospace industry by engaging with students from underrepresented backgrounds through hands-on experience, leadership training & community service. Ms. Lemack is the co-founder and served as CEO of DreamUp, where she spearheaded programs, products and partnerships to inspire the next generation of innovators and explorers. Before that, Ms. Lemack co-founded Global Survivors Network, an organization for victims of terror to speak out against terrorism and radicalization.

Amy Zimmerman, Advisor; Cofounder of PeopleCo. & Chief People Officer at Relay Payments

Amy Zimmerman is a strategic partner for founders and investors and a growth catalyst for companies on the rise. Central to her work, is the development and nurturing of a company’s culture. She is currently the Chief People Officer of Relay Payments, a mission-driven, venture-backed startup, building a contactless payment network in the transportation and logistics industry, and Co-founder of PeopleCo., a firm that helps leaders develop high-performance, fully-engaged, culture-first companies. Previously, Ms. Zimmerman was Chief People Officer for global fintech leader, Kabbage, Inc, where she scaled the company from under 20 employees in one city to close to 650 across the US and India.

Dr. Jonathan Fentzke, Managing Director at Techstars

Dr. Jonathan Fentzke is the Managing Director at Techstars for the Starburst Space Accelerator Program. He is a scientist by training with a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences and is an experienced entrepreneur and investor. Prior to joining Techstars, he served as CEO of FKM Group asset management. Previously, Dr. Fentzke was a co-founder, executive and Board Director at OmniEarth – a geospatial analytics business exited in 2017 by Vista Private Equity. After a career as a space scientist working on various space missions and funded research programs, Dr. Fentzke worked with Shell TechVentures building Shell TechWorks in Boston and InSpace while in Washington, DC. After multiple successful exits, he now mentors founders and works with investors in venture capital and private equity. Dr. Fentzke is an angel investor and an advisor to several startups and organizations.

Dustin Boyer, Commercialization Manager at DARPA

Dustin Boyer is a Commercialization Manager on contract at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency where he works with a portfolio of 200 DARPA backed small businesses and startups. The agency has a mandate to create breakthrough technologies and capabilities for national security. Mr. Boyer lives in Los Angeles, CA where he also advises a venture fund focused on emerging space technology and volunteers as a mentor at the Techstars Space Program.

About Kayhan Space Kayhan Space is a Techstars portfolio company with expertise in satellite collision assessment and avoidance, satellite navigation and tracking, and satellite operations. We provide trust and transparency to satellite operators with actionable and timely collision assessment alerts and avoidance courses of action. Our vision is to build trusted and resilient autonomous systems for the space industry. Our team consists of spaceflight experts with many years of experience in satellite operations supporting NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) missions, combined with engineers with extensive experience in product development and high-performance cloud computing. The Kayhan team brings together the perfect set of skills that is needed to take on the challenging problems within the space industry and solve them.