Space is a Team Sport: How Do We Collaborate to Win?

Please join us for a breakfast, networking, and panel discussion Space is a Team Sport: How Do We Collaborate to Win? We'll cover recruiting and retention challenges and opportunities for partnering across the aerospace ecosystem.

The panel will be moderated by Carter Freeman, vcfo Denver's Vice President - Western Region. Expert panelists include:

• Michelle Butzke - Orion Program Office Senior Staff at Lockheed Martin

• David Eddy - Site Director for Aurora and Colorado Springs at The Boeing Company

• Adam Harris - Chief Commercial Officer at Orbit Fab

• Autumn Krill - Chief at BMC3 Partnerships Capabilities Development Division l International Affairs Office l Space Systems Command

• Matt Shieh - CEO / Co-Founder at Canopy Aerospace

The event will be held at Holland & Hart (555 17th Street, Suite 3200, Denver, CO 80202).

MODERATOR

Carter is the Vice President for vcfo’s Western Region. An accomplished professional with over 25 years of senior-level financial and accounting experience, Carter’s capabilities encompass negotiating ownership transition, leading and supporting capital raising efforts totaling over $100 million, participating in multiple acquisitions from both the buy- and sell-side, in addition to merging operations as acquirer and acquiree. He is also adept at establishing financial and operational accounting systems, managing finance and customer service personnel, and leading software implementations and integrations.

Carter has experience with venture capital-backed start-ups, internet-related firms, distribution and manufacturing and publicly traded multi-bank holding companies. Prior to vcfo, Carter held finance and accounting positions with Brain Matters, Bid4Vacations, Powerworx Online, TEC Direct and Integration Alliance Corporation. He began his career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Carter has a BS in Accounting from Montana State University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Colorado.

PANELIST

Michelle Butzke is a Senior Project Engineer at Lockheed Martin Corporation assigned to the Orion Program Office. Orion is NASA’s deep space exploration crew vehicle which will take humans to the moon and beyond. Ms. Butzke’s work is primarily focused on program communication to employees and suppliers but she also leads outreach and advocacy campaigns alongside NASA and to the general public.

Throughout her career, Ms. Butzke has led several critical initiatives for Lockheed Martin, but is best known for her part in the capture and sustainment of NASA’s Orion Program. She was a key strategist on the original proposal back in 2006 and the architect of the billion dollar Small Business program Orion maintains today. She is considered an expert in Small Business utilization and is featured in NASA’s publication, Deep Space Human Exploration Spacecraft Orion: A Case For Small Business.

In 2011, Ms. Butzke received NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Silver Snoopy Award for her efforts to advocate for and promote small business utilization.

Ms. Butzke has enjoyed a 30 year career in Aerospace and has been with Lockheed Martin’s Space business area since 1995. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1988 with a B.A. in Communications.

PANELIST

David Eddy has been with the Boeing Company for 34 years and is the Boeing Site Director for the Aurora and Colorado Springs locations. He is the Boeing Program Manager on the GPS OCX Program and also serves as the President of the Boeing Leadership Network Association for the Colorado Chapter. He currently serves on a number of executive boards including Colorado Business Roundtable, Colorado Succeeds and Colorado Space Business Roundtable. He is a STEM champion and is devoted to help improve the K-12 educational system here in Colorado. He is an avid golfer and has coached a variety of sports at the high school and club level.

PANELIST

Adam currently serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at Orbit Fab where he is building the in-space propellant supply chain for the Space Force.

Prior to joining Orbit Fab, Adam served as the Inspector General of the National Reconnaissance Office and the VP of Government Sales for SpaceX. He brokered the initial agreements to provide the government with low-cost reusable launch services. With his expertise, he seeks to bring the same transformation to spacecraft refueling as rocket reusability. Adam was also a professional staffer on the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee.

He is a ‘95 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and is a former Air Force acquisitions officer.

PANELIST

Autumn Krill is a passionate data integration manager with experience in the deployment of new technologies and solutions designed to meet business objectives. She is an experienced and dynamic professional with proven years of experience in handling data integration, with knowledge in design, development, and deployment of complex data architectures. Autumn effectively initiates opportunities and links them to appropriate services offered. She also has strong written and verbal communication skills and possesses good interpersonal relations necessary in servicing global clients.

Autumn holds numerous higher education degrees: Bachelor's in Intelligence Studies from American Military University; Master's in Forensic Science and Technology from National University; Doctorate in International Relations and National Security Studies from American Military University.

PANELIST

Matt Shieh is CEO and co-founder of Canopy, a digitally defined advanced manufacturing company developing industrial ceramic additive capabilities for the space and terrestrial markets that lowers costs and lead times significantly. The company produces components for use cases such as heat shields in atmospheric re-entry and hypersonic systems, satellite systems, semiconductors, automotives, and the medical industry.

Previously, he was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force and spent an 8-year career as a B-52H Weapons Officer. In this role, he flew, managed, and operated weapon systems ranging from conventional munitions to nuclear armed cruise missiles. As a supervisor and operator of Air Force weapon systems, Matt developed expertise on the technical capabilities and limitations of all weapons in the Air Force’s inventory and adjacent military branches. During this time, he also served as a mission commander on dozens of missions during two combat deployments overseas. Matt then took his expertise to Europe as an Air Liaison Officer, advising NATO partners and U.S. military forces on how to utilize U.S. Air Force capabilities. He developed strategy and planned operations at the highest levels, while managing and integrating the Air Force’s special operations tactical air controllers, known as Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). While his background is rooted in operational experience, much of his career was spent achieving objectives through collaboration and coordination with experienced technical team members.

Matt is a native of Kentucky, holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, and is married with a son.

Thank you to all event cohosts for making this event possible!

Thank you to Holland & Hart LLP for generously allowing us to host this event at your location!

Host or Publisher vcfo