Meet the SpaceFund Team

SpaceFund is a renaissance team of leaders in the space and financial worlds, who have come together to build something new. The SpaceFund team  includes the founders of some of the most influential and successful companies, groups, and projects in the space and finance industries. Our advisors buttress our foundation and leverage our capabilities. This is the right team to find, finance, and build the space startups that will change the future. And more than that, we have the tools, the resources, the network, and the experience to guide those companies to profitable exits.

Dan Schatzman

Dan Schatzman

Board Chairman, CEO & Sr. Managing Partner

Mr. Schatzman’s career includes management positions in Emerson, Puffer-Sweiven, and Monsanto. Under Dan’s leadership, these Fortune 500 companies were able to multiply their value with top line growth and desired profitability levels, in many cases in difficult or emerging markets. He also has significant experience in private equity. Dan’s background and expertise in general management, finance, manufacturing, and currency allowed all companies mentioned to enjoy the fulfillment of short- and long-term plans.

Meagan Crawford

Founder, Managing Partner

An entrepreneur, business educator, space industry pioneer, experienced executive, and investor, Meagan co-founded the world’s longest-running space business plan competition, and has taught, coached, and advised hundreds of space startups through their earliest stages – including some of the current generation of successful companies. A leading advocate for women in space, she is also the host of the “Mission Eve” podcast.

Leo B. Womack

Board Member, Investment Committee Chair

For over 30 years, Leo has served as a Houston business leader in advising and directing start-ups to success. As CEO of Ramsey Financial Group (operating as a family office), he manages and controls a diverse investment portfolio for his family trust. Portfolio industries include public and private companies involved in real estate, oil and gas, medical devices, agriculture, and other industries. He also co-founded Gulf Equities Realty Advisors, which manages a significant portfolio of investment properties in Houston. 

Leonardo A. Rodriguez

Board Member

Leo brings a wealth of knowledge in international markets, specifically related to mission-critical process automation. In his storied career, Mr. Rodriguez has positively impacted multiple industries such as oil and gas, power, chemicals, metals and mining, pulp and paper, and pharmaceuticals. He retired from Emerson in 2018 as chairman and CEO of Emerson Latin America, where he managed operations exceeding several billion dollars per year.

Rick Tumlinson

Founder, Chairman Emeritus

“A “godfather” of the Space Revolution who coined the term “NewSpace,” Rick spent 35+ years defining the philosophy and legislative core of commercial space. A six-time Congressional witness, he led the private takeover of Russia’s Mir space station, sold the first private astronaut ticket, was a founding board member of the XPrize, and co-founded several space companies and organizations.

Jaime Velasco

CFO

Jaime Velasco is a finance executive with international experience in companies ranging from $ 5 million in revenue to Fortune 100 companies. He served as divisional CFO for Bank Santander, a 70,000+ employee international organization and the largest bank in the Eurozone. He has helped raise seed and venture capital funding for a wide range of companies and has led several companies to successful exits.

Sagi Kfir

General Counsel

Sagi Kfir is a seasoned attorney and leader in the commercial space industry. His more than 25 years of broad legal, policy, and business experience spans private, commercial, and government clients in both traditional and non-traditional space activities. His accomplishments include the passage of commerce-enabling federal space legislation, serving as the Chair for the American Bar Association’s Forum on Air and Space Law’s Space Law Committee, and working closely with the U.S. administration, federal agencies, and Congress on regulatory and policy matters spanning from human launches to commercial space stations.

Junaid Mian

Principal, Life Sciences

A pharmacist, entrepreneur, and investor who invested early in several successful NewSpace companies. Known for being ahead of the curve, Junaid is now utilizing his experience to invest in early-stage companies commercializing space-based research to increase healthspan, lifespan, and well-being.

SpaceFund Advisors

Dylan Taylor

Industry & Strategy Advisor

Global business leader,  philanthropist, top space investor, active pioneer in the space exploration industry as a CEO, thought leader and futurist. He is Chairman & CEO of Voyager Space Holdings, a multi-national space holding firm that acquires and integrates leading space exploration enterprises globally.

Shawn Usman

Technical & IC Advisor

Astrophysicist with over a decade of federal service in developing high-risk/high-reward R&D efforts to support U.S. intelligence Community (IC) reconnaissance operations. Founder of Rhea Space Activity.

E. David Ellington

Investment Advisor

Founder & GP of Emory Capital Group. Former Trustee of the $18B San Francisco Retirement Board. Founder of Silicon Valley Blockchain Society. Lawyer, entreprenuer, investor.

Dustin Boyer

Technical & DOD Advisor

Commercialization Manager and Strategic Analysis in support of DARPA’s SBIR/STTR Programs. Director, Zukin Partners, Techstars Entrepreneur in Residence, investor with more than 12 years experience working with high tech and space companies.

Dr. John Mankins

Technical & NASA Advisor

Former head of NASA’s Exploration Systems Research and Technology Division. Creator of today’s aerospace global standard TRL System (Technology Readiness Level).

Dr. James Logan

Health & BioMedical Advisor

20 years as NASA Chief of Flight Medicine and Medical Operations. Mission Control Surgeon, Deputy Crew Surgeon or Crew Surgeon for 25 space shuttle missions. Founding Board American Telemedicine Association, Co-Founder of the Space Enterprise Institute.