AJ Piplica
Aerospace engineer holding B.S. and M.S. degrees from Georgia Tech focused on aerodynamics and fluid dynamics. He led hypersonic, rocket, and advanced orbital systems design at SpaceWorks before becoming CEO of Generation Orbit, where he led development of the X-60A, the U.S. Air Force's hypersonic research X-plane. He co-founded Hermeus in 2018 to develop hypersonic passenger and military aircraft, with the company raising $350 million in 2026 to build unmanned hypersonic fighters for the Air Force.