Future of Aviation Speaker

James L. Grimsley

Executive Director - Advanced Technology Initiatives
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

James Grimsley serves as the Executive Director for Advanced Technology Initiatives with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and serves as an Oklahoma Transportation Commissioner with oversight and governance responsibilities for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Mr. Grimsley currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) as well as a variety of other boards and advisory groups. As part of Mr. Grimsley’s Choctaw Nation duties, he currently manages the FAA BEYOND Program (the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is the only tribal lead participant in the...

Manal Habib

Chief Executive Officer
MightyFly

Manal Habib is the CEO and founder of MightyFly. A graduate from both MIT and Stanford, Habib has developed a strong technical background in aerospace engineering. She previously specialized in flight controls and developed the first robust commercial flight controller. Manal is also a private pilot and in the process of building her own airplane. Her passion for aerospace, vision for a better world, and determination make her a motivated and unstoppable entrepreneur and leader.

Davis Hackenberg

Advanced Air Mobility Mission Manager
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Davis Hackenberg is currently serving the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) as the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Mission Integration Manager. He performs his duties from NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. Mission Integration Manager duties for AAM include strategic mission planning and leading the development and implementation of the AAM mission spanning all relevant ARMD project and center research activities with the goal of implementing the NASA AAM investment strategy in a manner that accelerates AAM. Davis is responsible for strategic and technical management,...

Mark Hansen

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Berkeley

Mark Hansen is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated from Yale with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Philosophy in 1980, and has a PhD in Engineering Science and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. Prior to graduate school, Dr. Hansen worked as a physicist at the Environmental Protection Agency. Since joining the Berkeley faculty in 1988, he has led transportation research projects in urban transportation planning, air transport systems modeling, air traffic flow management, aviation systems...

Clint Harper

Advanced Air Mobility Program Manager
Urban Movement Labs

Clint's diverse 23-year career began in the military with practical experiences in aviation planning, airport & heliport operations, remotely piloted aerial vehicle facilities planning, airspace management, emergency management, and education & training. After military retirement, he pursued his passion for cities with a Master of City and Metropolitan Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Urban Design. His focus today is to link transportation and land use decisions to maximize aviation infrastructure and create new opportunities through collaboration. As Los Angeles’ Urban...

Christopher Hart

Founder
Hart Solutions LLP

Christopher A. Hart is the founder of Hart Solutions LLP, which specializes in improving safety in a variety of contexts, including the safety of automation in motor vehicles, workplace safety, and process safety in potentially hazardous industries.

Mr. Hart is also Chairman of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, a three-jurisdictional agency (MD, VA, DC) that was created in 2019 to oversee the safety of the Washington area subway system. In addition, in 2019 he was asked by the Federal Aviation Administration to lead the Joint Authorities Technical Review that was...

Shahab Hasan

Vice President - Aeronautics Strategy and Analysis
Crown Consulting Inc.

Shahab Hasan is Crown's Vice President, Aeronautics Strategy and Analysis, leading research of concepts, technologies, and markets to inform client strategy development and portfolio management. He holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering and an MS in Mechanical Engineering, both from Virginia Tech. He started at NASA working in conceptual aircraft design and air traffic management, then led the civil aviation practice at Logistics Management Institute (LMI) before joining Crown. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and is certified...

Will Heyburn

Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development
Blade Urban Air Mobility

Will Heyburn has served as Blade’s Chief Financial Officer since December 2020 and Blade’s Head of Corporate Development since May 2018. Prior to Blade, Mr. Heyburn served in various capacities at Redbird Capital Partners, most recently as Vice President, from 2015 to 2018. Prior to RedBird, Mr. Heyburn was a member of the U.S. Credit Investment Team at Oak Hill Advisors, L.P., from 2013 to 2015. Prior to Oak Hill, Mr. Heyburn was a member of the investment banking group at Moelis and Company, focused on restructuring transactions, from 2011 to 2013. Mr. Heyburn has an A.B. from...

Ernest Huffman

Program Manager
North Central Texas Council of Governments

Ernest Huffman is born and raised in Syracuse New York and received his Bachelors in Aeronautical Science from Dowling College and his Master’s in Aviation from Florida Institute of Technology. With over 20 years in the industry Mr. Huffman has worked all over the country as an Aviation Consultant. Included in that is his work as an Airline Technical Representative and managed the development of the Chicago O’Hare Modernization Program. His current role is the Aviation Planning and Education Program Manager for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. There he has different...

Joe Iacobucci

Principal
Sam Schwartz

Joe Iacobucci is the New Mobility Practice Leader and West Coast General Manager for Sam Schwartz. He is an internationally-recognized leader in new mobility, guiding clients in cities around the country on how to manage emerging mobility trends to enhance access and quality of life.

Mr. Iacobucci is working on congestion pricing projects for government clients in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Southern California. He is responsible for managing several regional studies in connected and autonomous vehicles for Seattle, Los Angeles, Cambridge, San Jose, and...