Neal E. Rickner

CEO

2023 - Current

Leading a talented team creating utility-scale wind power at extremely low cost. Airloom generates Megawatts with human-scale components. Our systems can be installed in hard-to-reach places, sites with less wind, and in expeditionary, dual-use scenarios.

Director

2023

CEO

2022 - 2023

BridgeTek Energy is a global battery integration services and software technology provider for e-mobility and energy storage solutions

Partner

2021

Elevation Ventures is mobilizing capital to power the next industrial revolution. We help climate tech and sustainability companies advance through early-stage growth with Octane's Launchpad accelerator, staffed with coaches and industry experts from Sustain Socal.

Investor

2021

Investing in Aerosapce, Electrification and Mobility

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

2016 - 2021

Led a multidisciplinary team that managed all operational and business-related activities for Makani Technologies LLC, an Alphabet Company. Role encompassed corporate strategy, fundraising, strategic partnerships, legal, policy, communications, manufacturing, project development, IT and facilities. P&L Responsibility. • Raised $50M+ from Alphabet and Shell and led the spin-out from Alphabet into a new corporate entity with planned $12B annual revenues and gross margins of 25%. • Led a cross-functional team to establish the business functions aligned with the strategic needs of the newly independent company. • Led a cross-organizational team to develop Makani’s first commercial operations in Japan and Europe that together were planned to create a footprint to support $180M+ of new revenue.

Head Of Operations, Makani

2015 - 2016

Led a multidisciplinary team that managed all operational and business-related activities for Makani including corporate strategy, finance, legal, policy, HR, communications, supply chain, IT and facilities. Also managed test-site development, construction, commissioning, operations and maintenance. P&L Responsibility. • Completed a total re-work of the business strategy that led to a strategy pivot and reduced the cost to market. • Played a key role in an organizational restructure and strategy pivot. • Developed and maintained relationships critical to Makani’s success including senior leaders at Alphabet, potential investors, and relevant market players.

Quality Operations Lead

2013 - 2015

Built and led an international quality and policy enforcement organization for a startup within Google. • Achieved abuse rates and customer satisfaction ratings that exceeded expectations. • Created a collaborative team culture within the new organization that aligned with product goals and encouraged consistency and adaptability.

Policy Operations Lead

2012 - 2013

Led policy operations and brand strategy teams for Google's flagship enterprise, Adwords. • Designed and implemented a reimagined operations scheme and metrics that increased team performance by 63%. • Partnered with cross-functional and cross-organizational teams to implement tools that increased efficiency by 52%. • Designed and implemented an analytics methodology that provided business intelligence for critical decision-making.

Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein, Rosenthal Fellow

2010 - 2010

Advised on military and foreign policy

FA-18 Pilot and Forward Air Controller

1996 - 2008

F/A-18 instructor pilot and leader of a 150+ person maintenance department, which consisted of $20M annual operating budget. Responsible for personnel, change management, strategic planning & operations management. • Planned and led numerous flight missions comprised of greater than 100 aircraft. • Operations and logistics experience in Asia and Southwest Asia from five deployments. • Published “No Need for Propaganda, Marine Close Air Support Really is Better” in the US Marine Corps’ professional journal, The Marine Corps Gazette, based on experiences in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2005/6. • Awarded Bronze Star Medal with “V” for valor, and 13 Air Medals • Nominated for Pilot of the year.