10 SpaceX alumni who founded companies
Each of these SpaceX alumni who founded companies worked at SpaceX, in engineering, sales or business development roles, before starting the company they run now as founder or co-founder. A reader can learn how people who worked at SpaceX went on to build companies, from the founders themselves.
Professionals to explore
Brian Manning
LinkedInExperience: Co-Founder & CEO · Xona
Brian Manning was Responsible Engineer - Thrust Structure at SpaceX from 2016 to 2018, and has been Co-Founder & CEO of Xona since 2019, based in San Mateo, California. Brian Manning was also Engineering Manager at Power Solutions International from 2013 to 2016.
Bryon Hargis
LinkedInExperience: Founder // CEO · Castelion
Bryon Hargis was Sr. Director, Government Sales at SpaceX in 2022 and Director, Government Sales there from 2018 to 2022, and has been Founder // CEO of Castelion since 2022. Bryon Hargis was also Manager, Government Sales at SpaceX from 2017 to 2018.
Chandler Luzsicza
LinkedInExperience: Founder and CEO · Galadyne
Chandler Luzsicza was Lead Propulsion Engineer, Starship at SpaceX from 2024 to 2025 and Propulsion Engineer II there from 2023 to 2024, and has been Founder and CEO of Galadyne since 2025, based in Austin, Texas. Chandler Luzsicza also worked in Fluid Systems Engineering at Saronic Technologies in 2025.
Derek Huerta
LinkedInExperience: Co-Founder and CEO · Eclipse Space
Derek Huerta was Senior Manager, Satellite Payload Engineering at SpaceX from 2020 to 2024 and Starlink Phased Array Technical Project Lead - Satellite Development there from 2017 to 2020, and has been Co-Founder and CEO of Eclipse Space since 2025, based in Seattle, Washington.
Justin Fiaschetti
LinkedInExperience: CEO & Co-Founder · Inversion
Justin Fiaschetti worked in Raptor GSE Engineering at SpaceX in 2020 and has been CEO & Co-Founder of Inversion since 2020, based in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Justin Fiaschetti was also Propulsion Engineer at Relativity Space in 2020, and the Inversion role entry reads Turning space into a transportation layer for Earth.
Max Ismailov
LinkedInExperience: Founder & CEO · Rocket Propulsion Systems
Max Ismailov was Senior Propulsion Development Engineer at SpaceX in 2017, and has been Founder & CEO of Rocket Propulsion Systems since 2019, based in the Greater Seattle Area. Max Ismailov was also Lead Propulsion Engineer at Stratolaunch from 2018 to 2019.
Maximilian Benassi
LinkedInExperience: Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder · Apex
Maximilian Benassi was Senior Propulsion Engineer, Raptor Turbomachinery and Dynamic Balancing at SpaceX from 2019 to 2021, and has been Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Apex since 2022. Maximilian Benassi was also Engineering Manager at Astra from 2021 to 2022.
Omar Kunbargi
LinkedInExperience: Founder & CEO · Asymm Labs
Omar Kunbargi was Director of Global Business Development at SpaceX from 2024 to 2026 and Director, Commercial Launch Sales there from 2023 to 2024, and has been Founder & CEO of Asymm Labs since 2026. Omar Kunbargi was also Senior Manager, Commercial Launch Sales at SpaceX from 2021 to 2023.
Scott Morton
LinkedInExperience: Founder and CEO · Revel
Scott Morton was Software Engineering Manager, Starship at SpaceX from 2022 to 2024 and Lead Vehicle Systems Software Engineer, Starship there from 2021 to 2022, and has been Founder and CEO of Revel since 2024. Scott Morton was also Sr. Launch Systems Software Engineer at SpaceX from 2019 to 2021.
Will Seidel
LinkedInExperience: Co-Founder and CEO · Skyband Systems
Will Seidel was Director, Starlink Aviation at SpaceX in 2025 and Director, Starlink Enterprise and Government Engineering there from 2023 to 2025, and has been Co-Founder and CEO of Skyband Systems since 2026. Will Seidel was also Senior Manager, Network Engineering at SpaceX from 2022 to 2023.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's role at SpaceX, such as propulsion engineering, software, satellite work or sales, to the part of the path from employee to founder you want to understand. Check when each company was started to judge how recent the person's experience of the early stage is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What from your work at SpaceX turned out to be most useful when you started your own company?
- 02How did you decide what problem your company would work on?
- 03What did you have to learn quickly that your SpaceX role had not prepared you for?
Reaching SpaceX alumni who founded companies
How can I contact one of these SpaceX alumni who founded companies?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 10 companies, including Xona, Castelion and Galadyne, based on profile data retrieved on October 26, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach SpaceX alumni who founded companies?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.