Dendy Young brings over 50 years of executive leadership in defense, government, and commercial technology. As Managing Partner of McLean Capital and a founding partner of Blu Venture Investors, he has launched and scaled early-stage ventures with strategic capital and operational expertise. Beyond technology, he operates Hidden Creek Farm in Virginia, a regenerative farm focused on restoring soil health and ecological balance, reflecting his belief that healthy soil yields healthy food and healthy people.

- B.S. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT.
- M.B.A. Harvard Business School.

Dennis Defensor offers 35+ years of senior leadership across government and commercial sectors. He has served as CEO of ICOM Simulations and TerraGlyph Interactive, Group President at NANA, and held senior roles at SAIC/Cloudshield, Viacom New Media, DLT Solutions, PESA, Falcon Microsystems, and GTSI. A seasoned strategist in defense and enterprise technology, Dennis excels in scaling operations and delivering mission-critical solutions.

- B.S. Biology, Beloit College.
- J.D. Catholic University of America - Columbus School of Law.

Dr. Igor Smolyaninov is a globally recognized physicist with expertise in plasmonics, surface optics, and electromagnetic metamaterials. Former Research Scientist at the University of Maryland, CTO of Gradient Dynamics, and Senior Principal Engineer at BAE Systems, he has authored 400+ papers and holds numerous patents. OSA Fellow, recipient of the Scientific American 50 Award, and gold medalist for young scientists of the USSR Academy of Science, Igor is a pioneer of game-changing technology.

- M.Sc. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
- Ph.D. Physics, Kapitza Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences.

Denny is an aerospace executive with 30+ years advancing dual-use tech for national security & commercial markets. She held senior executive roles at General Dynamics, SAIC, CAE, and NorthStar Earth & Space. Retired USN Captain (Intelligence), post-9/11 active duty, senior civilian at ONI & OSD HQE, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Presidential Appointee, Hoover Institution Fellow, and Stanford Visiting Scholar.

- B.A. International Relations, Stanford University.
- M.A. Defense and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College.

Lori DeMatteis is a global revenue executive and General Manager with 20+ years driving growth in AI/ML, Edge Computing, and Defense Tech across 110+ countries. At Saltenna, Lori accelerates go-to-market strategies, forging partnerships and delivering high-impact solutions for government and enterprise clients worldwide.
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- B.S. Business Administration, California Polytechnic Institute.
- M.B.A. Santa Clara University.
- Certificates: Harvard Business School,
GE Executive Management.

Mike Nelson leads Saltenna Federal with 29 years of aerospace and defense expertise. A proven strategist in AI/ML, cyber, and ISR, he drives adoption of plasmonic communication and sensing technologies for DOD and government missions. Overseeing operations, partnerships, and M&A, Mike delivers transformative, mission-critical outcomes in complex and contested environments.
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- B.S. Physics and Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
- M.S. Electro-Optics, University of Dayton.

Sanjee Singla brings 20+ years of innovation in hardware and software engineering, has invented several proprietary technologies, and founded Import Zen, Apply.co, and AT Strategic. A former infrastructure project finance investment banker at Taylor-DeJongh and researcher at Stanford’s SIEPR and GSB, Sanjee leads Saltenna’s engagement with USSOCOM and allied nations.

- B.A. Economics and Physics, Stanford University.
- M.S. Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University.
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Institute.

Dr. Quirino Balzano is a pioneer in RF dosimetry and antenna technology with 50+ papers and 31 patents. Former VP of Technical Staff at Motorola and researcher at Raytheon’s Missile Systems, he led R&D on Patriot phased arrays. Now Senior Staff Researcher at University of Maryland, Quirino advances Saltenna’s electromagnetic and plasmonic innovations for defense and extreme environments.

- Ph.D. Electronics Engineering. University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.    

Dr. Damon Bradley brings 25+ years of expertise in digital signal processing, AI/ML, and underwater acoustics across military, space, and quantum sensing. Founder/CEO of DeepSpace Technologies; Science Advisor to SpaceOcean Corporation. At NASA Goddard, he founded the DSP group, led the Instrument Electronics branch for 30+ missions (JWST, SMAP, DragonFly), invented the Software-Defined Radiometer, and designed the first Lunar radio spectrometer flown on the 2024 Odysseus mission.

- B.S. Electrical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University.
- M.Eng. Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park.
- Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Principal, Deep Water Point. US Air Force: Director for DevOps & Lethality, Director for Cyberspace Strategy, Commander (81st Training Wing and Keesler, 75th Air Base Wing and Hill AFB), Deputy Commander, White House Communications Agency.

‍B.S. Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.
Masters Degree, Electrical Engineering, Colorado Technical University.
Masters Degrees in Strategic Studies at USAF War College, National Security and Strategic Studies at U.S. Naval War College.