Kick Off Keynote Speaker/ Panel I
Kathryn Lueders, SpaceX StarBase General Manager
Sam Ximenes, Space Architect
Juliana Garaizar, Founding Partner of Energy Tech Nexus
Kathryn Lueders is currently General Manager of Starbase, home of the SpaceX Starship transportation system. Kathryn Lueders recently retired from NASA on April 30, 2023. She served as the associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD), overseeing the International Space Station Program (ISS), the Commercial LEO Development Program, all communication and navigation services for NASA, all NASA Launch Activities, and overall crew operations across the human spaceflight portfolio.
Prior to that, Lueders served as the first female associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, managing the agency’s full human spaceflight portfolio. Before joining NASA Headquarters, Lueders was the manager of the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center which returned transport of NASA crew members back to US soil. Prior to leading CCP, Lueders served as the ISS Transportation Integration manager, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, overseeing all international spacecraft to the ISS, and also leading the first-time acquisition and successful first flights of the first commercial cargo services to the ISS. Lueders began her NASA career in 1992 at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, where she was the Shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System and Reaction Control Systems Depot manager.
Lueders holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration finance from the University of New Mexico and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from New Mexico State University. She is married and is most proud of her four children.
Trey Mebane, Bastion Technologies
Dr. Gustavo Medina Tanco, Colmena Moon Mission
Panel I Speakers
Trey brings over 25 years of experience in innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on wealth creation through technological advancements. He is the President of Chasm Visions, LLC, where he spearheads enterprise talent development and market strategies for both startups and Fortune 100 companies. Additionally, Trey serves as the Director of Energy Services Program Development at Bastion Technologies, where he integrates innovative solutions in the space and oil and gas sectors. Bastion Technologies is deeply involved in space industry projects, providing critical safety and mission assurance support for NASA's International Space Station, Space Launch System, as well as lunar missions. Formerly, as the Vice President of Innovation at National Oilwell Varco (NOV), Trey led transformative projects, including the integration of advanced automation and information systems in the oil and gas industry.
Montgomery Goforth, NASA Johnson Space Center (Artemis Perspective)
Cis-Lunar Economy
Monte Goforth graduated from Rice University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1982, and received an MSME from Rice in 1987. He has more than 40 years of experience as both Engineer and Manager in a variety of highly technical space and defense-related efforts.
He joined NASA in 1990, and now serves as Assistant Director of the Engineering Directorate at the Johnson Space Center. In this capacity, he is responsible for guiding the directorate’s internal investments and external partnerships supporting Lunar and Mars Exploration.
Sam Ximenes is a Space Architect with over 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry, including roles with NASA, DoD, and international space programs. He is the CEO of Exploration Architecture Corporation (XArc), a firm specializing in commercial spaceport development and space systems for planetary habitation and human settlement. Sam also founded Astroport Space Technologies, Inc., focusing on lunar construction technologies, and the WEX Foundation, promoting careers in space exploration through Space-STEM education. In 2023, he was inducted into the San Antonio Aviation and Aerospace Hall of Fame. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from Texas A&M University and a Master's degree in Space Architecture from the University of Houston.
Dr. Medina-Tanco, born in Argentina, earned his PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil. He has held postdoctoral positions at USP, Cambridge, and Leeds. Currently, he is a Professor at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, UNAM, Mexico, where he leads the ultra-high energy cosmic ray group and the Space Instrumentation Laboratory, LINX.
He has coordinated the JEM-EUSO International Collaboration and contributed to stratospheric balloon and space instrument projects, including NanoConnect and the COLMENA lunar project. His work has earned him prestigious awards like the Fernando Alba Medal and the Medal of Scientific Excellence. Dr. Medina-Tanco has supervised numerous theses and postdocs, published 232 journal articles with over 23,000 citations, and presented at more than 500 conferences.
Adil is a 3x founder – in the areas of venture capital (Ecosphere), energy (Tara), and space tech (Chandah). He received his BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin, and Master of Science in Space Studies (MSS) from the International Space University (ISU), where he currently serves as faculty. Adil founded TEDxSugarLand and Maker Faire Houston, has served as an Entrepreneur In Residence at the Houston Technology Center (HTC), and is a member of the Houston Committee on Foreign Relations (HCFR). He is married to Dr. Sarwat Jafry, who is a Chemistry teacher at Saint Johns School in Houston. They enjoy traveling in their free time.
Adil Jafry, General Partner Ecosphere Ventures
Chris Robson, CEO Wyvern
Panel II Speakers
Earth Climate & Sustainability
Meet Chris Robson, an innovative and accomplished leader driving the frontiers of hyperspectral data technology. As the CEO of Wyvern, Chris is at the helm of a ground-breaking company that is harnessing the power of hyperspectral data to tackle some of the world’s most critical challenges. Under Chris’s leadership, Wyvern has experienced remarkable transformation, evolving into a force to be reckoned with. In the past year alone, he has guided the company’s growth to nearly 40 employees, a testament to his strategic vision and ability to assemble and nurture talented teams.
At Wyvern, Chris’s leadership has played a pivotal role in successfully launching two satellites, with two more eagerly anticipated to take flight. His earlier experience as the leader of the Ex-Alta 1 project at the University of Alberta, where he orchestrated the growth of a small team into a thriving cohort of over 30 individuals, showcases his proficiency in scaling ambitious projects from inception to realization. While balancing his pursuit of a master’s degree in orbital mechanics, Chris showcased his proficiency in scaling ambitious projects from inception to realization. As a thought leader and visionary, Chris Robson continues to shape the trajectory of Wyvern. His unwavering dedication to unearthing hidden insights within hyperspectral data is reshaping our comprehension of the world around us. Through his leadership, Wyvern is poised to redefine how we approach global challenges, and Chris stands at the forefront, driving innovation and discovery.
Juliana Garaizar is a Founding Partner of Energy Tech Nexus and a General Partner at Malaika Ventures and a Venture Partner at Climatetech Global Ventures. Previously she was the Chief Development and Investment Officer at Greentown Labs. Juliana is a Lead Investor of the Portfolia Rising America Fund that invests in BIPOC and LGTBQ founders, as well as the Portfolia Consumer and Rising Tide Funds. A Past Board Member of the Angel Capital Association, she is also an Advisory Board Member of the French Tech Houston, the LatinX Startup Alliance and Impulse4women. A Kauffman Fellow experienced in Bridging the Gender Gap in investing, she is part of the City of Houston’s Women Commission. Juliana was the Texas Medical Center Venture Fund Director and the Managing Director of the Houston Angel Network. She was the Manager of the French Riviera's Sophia Business Angels network and Antipolis Innovation Campus and Project Manager of several International Projects funded by the European Commission. Previously, Juliana worked for 5 years in Singapore: first as an International Trade Consultant for the Trade Commission of Spain in a broad range of industry sectors and then as a Project Manager for the Asia Technology Office of Citigroup, leading projects at the international level. Juliana obtained an MBA at the London Business School and Haas School of Business in Berkeley, specializing in Entrepreneurship.
