Meet the Team + Advisors
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Alex Deslauriers
Founder / CEO
Alex brings 25 years of Solution Architecture in the Airline, Aerospace and Defense sectors, specializing in solving complex Aviation ERP implementation problems. As an aerospace engineer, certified airline rated pilot, and dedicated Search & Rescue volunteer, Alex brings a passion for innovation at the convergence of aeronautics and emergency management.
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David Thahn
Founder / COO
David has over 20 years of leadership in the areas of healthcare, wildfire management, and international emergency response. He’s led a UN team in Ukraine, aided the World Health Organization's logistics, and has served the BC Wildfire Service for 7 years as Fire Warden, focusing on prevention, response, and UAV programs.
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Melanie Bitner
Founder / CMO
With 25+ years across diverse industries, Melanie is highly skilled in corporate communications, relationship building, brand strategy and marketing. Committed to projects benefiting people and the planet, she combines strategic thinking with practical execution to align with business goals.
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Russ Halliday
Head of Product
Russ has over 30 years of professional software experience in both Product Management and Engineering, with particular focus in the aerospace and field service sectors. Having brought dozens of innovative products and services to those markets, Russ brings particular expertise in product lifecycle management and technology innovation.
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Katherine (Katie) Baer
Operations Coordinator
Katie loves driving change in our world through business. Over 8 years experience in operations, growing businesses and teams in a variety of industries including sport, health & wellness, construction, farming & food, and technology.
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Jacob Lagercrantz
Director, Technical Solutions
Search and rescue drone operator, specialist in IT infrastructure, communications protocols between field operators, and command and control piloting stations. Experience building and programming drones. CAD modeling and 3D print rapid prototyping.
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Chris Gillen
Head of Business Development + Cyber Security
Chris Gillen brings over two decades of project management and executive leadership experience in Information Technology. Recognized as the recipient of the inaugural 'Top 20 under 40' award in 2012, Chris has since expanded his expertise into business development, including economic development initiatives with First Nations. His dedication extends to mentoring a diverse array of individuals across Canada through the Prince's Trust, demonstrating his commitment to supporting veterans and fostering talent nationwide.
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Lois Connor
Grant Writer
Lois has over 15 years of experience in project development and fundraising. She has worked on a wide variety of projects including manufacturing process improvements and robotics system development. With a passion for aviation, Lois is committed to driving innovation and efficiency in all aspects of her work.
Connect on LinkedIn
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Brad Robeson
Head of Partnerships
30 years of experience in the commercial and defense aerospace systems implementation sector. Expert negotiator.
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Paul Buxton-Carr
Head of Wildfire Operations
Paul has more than 35 years of aerial wildfire suppression experience throughout North America within government and as the owner of a wildland fire services company. Paul fills an air operations role on an Emergency Response Unit for the Swiss Red Cross, holds a Commercial Pilot Licence, and is excited to enable new technology to help meet today’s increasing wildland fire challenges.
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Juliet Jones
Fractional CFO
Juliet brings 30 years of executive experience in the technology industry, spanning strategic planning and execution from startup to exit. As CFO, she has taken multiple companies public on the TSX Venture Exchange, raised over $100 million in debt and equity, and increased market capitalization of one tech company to over $350 million.
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Dustin Wales
Transport Canada Liaison
Dustin is our key author and relation manager with Transport Canada, with 20 years experience as an advanced UAV pilot, instructor. Dustin has deep ties within Transport Canada as he continues to push the envelope of RPAS (UAV) Regulatory framework.
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Alex De Chantal
Grant Writer
Alex de Chantal is a professional grant writer with a decade of proven success, securing over $15M in funding for First Nations, local governments, small businesses, and non-profit organizations. Known for creating compelling narratives that not only engage funders but are perfectly aligned with his clients’ strategic goals, Alex has carved a niche in turning visionary projects into funded realities.
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Peter Kostka
Advisor, AI
Peter had a successful exit as the CEO of a cloud based AI/Vision company 3 years after launch. Has 20 years experience leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex engineering projects to aggressive timelines.