Jason Mello
Jason B. Mello is the CEO and Co-Founder of The KMC Group, LLC. As a retired Air Force Colonel and business executive, Jason provides C-suite-level strategic consulting to the Defense, Intelligence, and Space sectors for both commercial and government customers. With a focus on corporate strategy, business execution, and growth, Jason works with companies by providing strategic solutions, government engagements, proposal support, due diligence reviews, and advisory services to C-suite leaders to grow business with the Federal Government. His extensive experience with the United States Space Force, the Pentagon, and IC agencies is key to delivering results across the space industry. Jason serves as a director and advisor to other space, defense, and information technology organizations.
Previously, Jason served as the President of Firefly Space Transport Services (STS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace Inc., leading Firefly’s Government Relations, Capture & Proposal Team and its Federal and Commercial Business Unit focused on commercial, civil, and military requirements for space transportation. During his time at Firefly, Jason’s leadership and key government relationships led to the company’s divestiture of its foreign ownership. Leading revenue, he secured multiple commercial launch agreements along with developing a multi-year billion-dollar pipeline key to future growth. Specifically, Jason captured the company’s 1st U.S. Space Force contract to fly the United States Space Force’s VICTUS NOX responsive space mission along with securing major contracts with Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, etc. Jason’s strategic acquisition expertise was key to Firefly’s Northrop Grumman partnership to build a future medium launch vehicle.
Before joining Firefly, Jason served as a Colonel in the United States Air Force at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), where he held the role of Chief Research and Technology Officer. In this capacity, he oversaw an annual portfolio of over $500 million and 62 senior scientists and engineers responsible for researching and developing future technologies crucial to the Air Force and Space Force.
Prior to his time at AFOSR, Jason was the Director of the National Intelligence Portfolio, where he led the oversight team for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment overseeing a $9 billion annual portfolio of intelligence community programs. He has a proven history of leading various classified and unclassified satellite and intelligence programs. He led the first Launch Acquisition Division at the National Reconnaissance Office, where he spearheaded the use of small launch vehicles for National Security while executing a $1B annual budget. Jason served at the White House for three years as a White House Military Social Aide. In his 23 years in the Air Force, Jason led in multiple acquisition and operations positions vital to the National Security of the United States.
Jason holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from George Washington University, a Master of Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Jason values family and community. He is happily married with three children and actively contributes to his community as a volunteer for youth baseball and his church. He also serves as the President of the Board for the Ashburn Village Community Association, a thriving community with over 5,300 homes, 20,000 residents, and an annual budget of over $11M. Jason is a sought-after speaker and mentor in the community.
Clint Hunt
Clint Hunt, Colonel, USAF (Retired), is the director of Intelligence and Defense Programs for United Launch Alliance (ULA). In this role, Clint is responsible for engagement with the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community to ensure the mission needs are met.
Clint previously served 27 years as an operator and acquisition officer in the United States
Air Force, focusing largely on space control, intelligence and space launch systems. In his final assignment, he was the director, Office of Space Launch at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). In this role, Clint led several hundred government and industry team members at five locations, executing a multi-billion-dollar budget across the future year’s defense plan. He was also responsible for the technical and operational planning and execution of the NRO’s launch requirements.
Prior to this assignment, Clint served as the chief, Space Control and Advanced Technology Division at headquarters Air Force, representing an eight-billion-dollar portfolio that encompassed 28 space control-related programs, and advocating for Space Control requirements with the other services, Congress, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Intelligence Community and the White House. He held numerous other leadership assignments during his career, serving as the chief of the Space Professional Management
Office at Headquarters Air Force Space Command and commanded the 1st Air and Space Test Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base. He also held positions in the NRO’s Signals Intelligence Directorate, as the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program Element Monitor and duties at the Squadron and program office level.
Clint holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Master of Science degrees from the Air Force Institute of Technology and Lesley University and is a Level III certified program manager.
Brian Rogers
As Vice President – Global Launch Services, Brian is responsible for Rocket Lab’s global defense and civil launch portfolios. With a career spanning space and launch segments, Brian brings a transformative perspective to U.S. Government and Allies’ developmental and operational systems.
Before joining Rocket Lab, Brian was Advanced Systems Manager at Ball Aerospace, leading technology development programs for Defense and Intelligence customers across spacecraft and remote sensing payloads. Brian’s aerospace career includes leadership roles in launch vehicle design, manufacturing, and launch support of the Atlas V, Delta IV, and Vulcan-Centaur launch vehicles with United Launch Alliance, and systems engineering of the Ares launch vehicles at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, a Master of Science in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Denver, a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University, and was awarded a US Utility Patent in 2014.
Dr. Anibal Villalba
AnĂbal Villalba is Chief Strategy & Public Affairs Officer at PLD Space, the first private European company to successfully launch a rocket into space in October 2023, positioning Spain as one of the ten countries with such capabilities.
After studying at the Academia General Militar in Spain, he earned a Ph.D. in Political Science and Sociology from UNED with a doctoral thesis titled “Cybersecurity in Spain 2011-2015: A Proposed Organizational Model.” He also holds a Master’s degree in Analysis and Management of Public Policies from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
In his military career, AnĂbal Villalba is an Infantry Colonel and a General Staff graduate. His most recent position was Defense, Military, Naval, and Air AttachĂ© at the Spanish Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, based in Riyadh (2017-2020). Other assignments include serving with the Airborne Brigade, Crisis Plans at NATO Headquarters in Naples, Professor of Strategy and International Relations at the General Staff Course, Commander of a Mechanized Infantry Battalion, and the Spanish Embassy in Beirut. He graduated from the U.S. Infantry School Officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning, GA, in 1989. He has also served in seven overseas operations with the UN, EU, and NATO in Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Lebanon
Additionally, he has held various positions such as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Spanish Prime Minister, Senior Advisor to the Director of National Intelligence, Director of the National Cybersecurity Plan, and Strategic Planning Director at the State-Owned Real Estate Management Company SEGIPSA.
He is the author of 21 publications on intelligence, international security, terrorism, and cybersecurity.
He speaks Spanish, English, French, Italian, and Portuguese.