John Barnes is President of The Barnes Global Advisors and Founder & CEO of Metal Powder Works, with more than 30 years of experience in aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing. He has founded two successful companies, including one that merged and is now part of a publicly listed organization, and has led teams to achieve multiple industry firsts. A recognized leader in additive manufacturing, John and his team qualified the first commercial use of AM with Airbus on the A350 and have implemented and qualified advanced‑manufactured components for platforms such as the F‑22 and C‑130. His work spans technology development, process engineering, qualification, and process economics, always with a focus on building credible business cases for adopting new manufacturing technologies. John was named Purdue University’s Materials Engineer of the Year in 2014, has served as an AM Ambassador to America Makes, and earned a Silver Medal in the RSO Additive Manufacturing Olympics. He is also an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University and RMIT University, where he helps bridge industrial practice and academic research for the next generation of engineers and manufacturing leaders.

Laura Ely operates at the intersection of people, technology, and strategy. As Executive Director of Innovation and Growth, she leads strategic growth and partnerships in support of The Barnes Global Advisors’ mission to drive the industrialization of advanced manufacturing. Laura specializes in promoting technological change via collaboration across the industrial supply chain. As Head of Technology, Laura was the driving force to create a new technology team for GKN Aerospace’s North America division focused on laser/wire directed energy deposition of multi-meter titanium aerostructures and an $18M CRADA with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For 20+ years, she has focused on optimizing metallic alloys and processes, specifically for laser/wire directed energy deposition, friction stir welding, spin forming, machining, and various wrought processes with application to titanium aerostructures, aluminum wing skins and inlet lip skins, and copper electrical connectors, coinage, and ammunition. Her passion for advanced manufacturing and promoting diversity in the workplace is contagious; she mentors young engineers and supports STEM activities at her children’s schools. Laura graduated summa cum laude with her B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Missouri – Rolla (now Missouri S&T).

Jennifer Coyne is the Director of Programs at The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA), where she leads the program management and contracts with a focus on execution, strategy, and quality for deploying advanced manufacturing technologies across commercial industry and government.

Jennifer’s core expertise spans business leadership, systems engineering, program management and execution, and supply chain optimization. She has played a central role in standing up advanced manufacturing facilities for commercial and government entities, supporting additive manufacturing prototyping and production facilities, defense industrial base modernization efforts, and launching dual-use public–private partnerships such as Neighborhood 91, the first additive manufacturing production campus. Her focus on supply chain readiness spans more than technology, choreographing critical factors for regional and national manufacturing success such as infrastructure & facilities, regional leadership, technology selection and applications, and financial sustainability.

Previously, Jennifer led the global additive manufacturing organization for GE Transportation (acquired by Wabtec Corporation), overseeing AM engineering design, prototyping, and production across worldwide operations, producing over 50,000 production additive parts, and established four global AM labs in the U.S. and India equipped with advanced metal and polymer 3D-printing capabilities. Before transitioning into advanced manufacturing, Jennifer led GE Transportation’s PLM launch and held multiple systems engineering roles focused on locomotive traction, propulsion, and energy-storage reliability. She is a graduate of GE’s Edison Engineering Development Program, completing intensive technical rotations in onshore wind and diesel engine emissions systems.

Coming from a culture of manufacturing herself, Jennifer is passionate about reshoring manufacturing and expanding high-quality job opportunities for technical and blue-collar workers who want to build tangible, meaningful products. Through her extensive industry work, Jennifer is the inventor on eight U.S. patents and serves as the chair of SME's Additive Manufacturing Technical Community Leadership Committee. Her contributions have been recognized with several awards, including Railway Age’s 2020 Top Women in Rail, the G.E. Transportation Women in Technology Award (2017), and the G.E. Transportation Innovation Engineering Award (2013). She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Grove City College and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Jennifer is also active in her local community and church and enjoys raising her family in the city of Pittsburgh, the place she proudly calls home.

Dr. Rob Carter is an industry leader in research and strategy development for advanced materials and manufacturing with over 25 years of experience in the defense and medical sectors. Currently, Rob is the Director of Engineering, and he has been with TBGA since 2019. Prior to that, he was the Director for Advanced Materials and Process Engineering at Stryker Orthopedics. He was responsible for developing new materials and additive manufacturing techniques for next-generation orthopedic devices. Prior to that, he spent 16 years with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) where he was the Branch Chief of Materials Manufacturing Technology. Rob led the development of manufacturing technologies for lethality and protection applications, research into AM and cold spray technologies, development of new materials and designs for Army applications (alloys, ceramics, and composites), and the development of specifications and standards for defense materials and manufacturing requirements. Rob led ARL’s long-term manufacturing research strategy and was ARL’s representative for the DoD working group with America Makes to create the DoD AM Roadmap. He has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Andy Davis is a leader in defense advanced manufacturing and industrial base strategy. He works at the intersection of policy, production, and capital, shaping how governments and industry partners strengthen and scale industrial capacity to support evolving defense and security requirements. With nearly two decades of service in the Department of Defense, including as Director of the Army’s Manufacturing Technology Program and Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer of the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, Andy developed deep experience in how federal investment, acquisition mechanisms, and industrial realities intersect. He led national-level manufacturing modernization efforts and worked with senior leaders across government and industry to align strategy with executable capacity. Today, Andy advises government and industry leaders on strengthening industrial capacity and translating strategy into durable manufacturing outcomes. His approach is grounded in systems-level thinking and a disciplined focus on defining the problem before pursuing solutions. A mechanical engineer by training, Andy combines technical depth with strategic clarity. He holds degrees from Grove City College and the Johns Hopkins University and enjoys adventuring with his family, spending time outdoors, demolition derbies, and finely smoked meats.

Christina’s passion for flight and aerospace design has guided her impressive career in advanced manufacturing. Prior to TBGA, she played a pivotal role at Sintavia, transitioning the company’s focus from commercial aerospace to the space and defense sectors. Her accomplishments include implementing CRM and ERP systems to boost operational efficiency and establishing strategic partnerships with industry leaders. Her background also includes significant contributions at Embraer Executive Jets and Bombardier Aerospace, where she was involved in product development and strategic planning for new aircraft designs. Christina has been recognized for her industry insights, having been invited to speak at key events such as the FAA/EASA Joint Additive Manufacturing Workshop 2024 and the AMS Strategies panel on sustainability in 2023. Additionally, she represented Sintavia at the AM Forward event with President Biden in 2022. Christina holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerospace Structures, Systems, and Vehicle Design from Carleton University and has project management certifications.

Chris has worked in advanced manufacturing process development and machine design for more than 15 years. During this time, he has led or managed projects in high precision machining, powder handling, and nearly all aspects of additive manufacturing (AM). Chris started his career at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, focusing on maturing AM from a prototyping tool to a production-capable technology. This early work created a foundational understanding of the challenges to overcome before the transformative promises of AM could be achieved. Chris' work in the Offshore Oil and Gas field provided valuable experience in safety-critical machine design and greater insight into AM challenges to help achieve widespread adoption. At Arconic, Chris had the opportunity to further progress the maturation of AM to a single qualified production process, but not before gaining hands-on experience in AM machine operation, powder handling, and process simulation. Over the years, Chris has had the opportunity to experience the AM industry as a designer, machine operator, and customer. This experience provides a uniquely valuable perspective to his current role at MPW, where we believe we can address some of the final roadblocks to AM adoption: material cost, selection, and quality.

For the last 15 years, Dr. Kirk Rogers has used additive technologies to solve manufacturing, repair, and supply chain problems. He recently was the technical leader on the startup of a $40M Additive Manufacturing R&D center, culminating a nearly 20-year career at GE. Most of Kirk’s career has been in medical device manufacturing, where he built manufacturing lines for and qualified numerous products. Kirk has 25 years of experience in materials processing and business strategy, including metal powder production, novel joining methods, metal additive manufacturing, novel refractory alloys, sustainable manufacturing, carbon composite materials, powder metallurgy, technology portfolio management, identification, and application of new process methodologies. Additionally, he is experienced in developing patent and technology strategies. Kirk has obtained 3 U.S. patents and has filed more than 20 trade secrets. Kirk obtained his B.S. in Materials Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Purdue University. He completed postdoctoral work at The Ohio State University and is a certified Six Sigma Blackbelt.

Dr. Kevin Slattery is a 2020 Ambassador for America Makes, was part of the Materials Challenge Silver Medal team in the USAF Rapid Sustainment Office Additive Manufacturing Olympics, and a 2022 SAE Contributor of the Year Finalist. He was the Chief Scientist for Additive Manufacturing, along with Metals and Ceramics at Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T). He was responsible for developing and integrating the technical roadmaps and development plans for metallics AM for the entire company, along with building and leading a multi-skilled team to execute and deliver the technology throughout the enterprise. He served as the Division Chief Engineer for USN & USAF fighters and U.S. Army rotorcraft in Boeing’s Military Sustainment organization, including international operators. From 1997 to 2012, he was on the BR&T Metals Team as a researcher and senior manager, where he primarily developed advanced low-cost titanium processing technologies supporting all Boeing products. He was the technical and programmatic lead in implementing the first in aerospace metal additive manufactured structural aircraft components for both spares and production, along with six other first in the industry technology implementations. Kevin currently holds 40 U.S. patents, with another 13 applications pending. Kevin has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri S&T) and a DSc in Material Science and Engineering from Washington University.

Chelsea is a Technical Section Team Leader at TBGA. Her core expertise is idenitfying high-value AM applications that preserve design intent and plan for production processes (both physically and digitally). Chelsea’s engineering experience began at Honeywell Aerospace in 2013 where she worked on programs spanning multiple manufacturing disciplines, eventually focusing on metal AM laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Her foundational work qualifying AM production parts with the FAA at Honeywell honed her skills in AM application identification, process planning, and certification-driven decision making. That led to her role in new product engineering at Alcoa, where she led the technical process qualification of AM aerospace components for Nickel-based material production for a major commercial aircraft platform. Through collaborations with manufacturers supporting flight, space and maritime programs, Chelsea has developed deep expertise in identifying high-value AM use cases, advising on digital software and build preparation tools, and translating designs into manufacturable parts. Lean certified by Arizona State University and Honeywell, she focuses on streamlined AM workflows for production readiness. Her experience in project scoping, design for AM, and Python-based development continues at TBGA to support data-driven engineering and digital manufacturing initiatives.

Cynthia Rogers joined The Barnes Global Advisors in 2019, becoming a leading authority in communications strategy within the advanced manufacturing industry. She has played a pivotal role in creating impactful content and forging meaningful connections across the AM ecosystem. Her expertise lies in crafting compelling campaigns for small to mid-sized AM companies, fostering audience engagement, and capturing the pulse of the industry through multi-platform storytelling. With a foundation in advertising and video production, Cynthia has produced a catalogue of informative videos and content pieces that highlight innovation and elevate the profiles of AM organizations. Her ability to clearly tell the story of the industry has made her a sought-after collaborator in the field. Before entering the world of advanced manufacturing, Cynthia was a top advertising agency producer in Canada, working with international firms and developing award-winning campaigns, including the national award for Top Commercial of the Year. Her portfolio includes high-profile work for brands such as Air Canada, Molson Breweries, and McDonald’s. Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Radio and Television Communications from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). She is a passionate advocate for women in manufacturing and has served as a regional ambassador for Women in 3D Printing. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the industry, Cynthia was named an America Makes Ambassador in 2023.

Dr. Wayne King is an internationally recognized leader in metal additive manufacturing, having worked in the field since 2011. He has over 30 years of experience ranging from fundamental materials research and applied science to research management. Most recently, Wayne served as project leader of the Accelerated Certification of Additively Manufactured Metals Project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This project focused on developing physics-based models relating microstructure, properties, and process to the performance of materials and includes predictive models for the laser powder bed fusion process. The project also used integrated in-process sensing, monitoring, and control technologies to accelerate part qualification. Wayne has developed a deep understanding of the additive manufacturing process through this work. Wayne is the author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has delivered numerous keynote lectures on the topic of metal additive manufacturing both nationally and internationally. Wayne received his B.A. degree from Thiel College in Physics and Mathematics and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Materials Science and Engineering.

Dr. Tim Simpson has more than 25 years of experience teaching students, designers, and engineers about 3D printing and AM. He is Co-Director of Penn State’s Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition (CIMP-3D). Tim has been at the leading edge of the recent wave of AM innovation and industry adoption. He has extensive experience with powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, and non-destructive inspection technologies. He specializes in design for additive manufacturing, and he has helped train and educate more than 1500 industry practitioners to realize AM’s unique value proposition in aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, defense, energy, medical, oil and gas, and space industries. Tim was on the founding team of America Makes and spearheads multiple workforce, education, and outreach efforts at all levels across the country. For six years, Tim was a monthly contributor to an AM column in Modern Machine Shop and Additive Manufacturing Media. He currently is the Paul Morrow Professor of Engineering Design and Manufacturing at Penn State and a co-host of AM Radio.

Prior to joining TBGA January 2022, Michael spent 34 years with McDonnell Douglas/Boeing in Structural Design and Additive Manufacturing (AM). For the past two decades, he technically and strategically led the evolution of AM from rapid prototyping into aerospace production through each step; the engineering of material and process developments, requirement definitions, application selections, qualifications, testing, certifications, and technology transitions. Michael understands the entirety of the AM process value chain, from the basic science to program production. His work is utilized across the Boeing enterprise. He was the Boeing team leader in the founding of America Makes on the original governance board and a key founding representative of the Direct Manufacturing Research Center (DMRC) in Paderborn, Germany. Michael holds 20 U.S. patents. He has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Arun is a business and product strategist with 20+ years of experience turning customer needs and market trends into technology roadmaps, scalable products, and measurable business outcomes. At TBGA, he advises clients across a wide range of strategic and execution challenges from workforce development to go-to-market strategy. Entrepreneurial and customer-obsessed, Arun works backwards from stakeholder needs to define strategy, prioritize innovation, and deliver solutions that achieve adoption in regulated environments. He pairs strategic execution with visual storytelling, breaking down complex topics into compelling narratives, decision-ready insights, and customer-ready stories. Previously, Arun served as AM Leader for Collins Aerospace Advanced Structures, where he led business and IP strategy and scaled customer and regulatory acceptance of advanced metal and polymer AM technologies. Outside of consulting, he channels his entrepreneurial passion into applying AI-powered simulation to bridge the gap between training and match-day performance in sports. He holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of California, San Diego, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a Professional Certificate in Life Cycle Assessment from MIT.

Dr. Richard Grylls is an internationally-recognized expert in metal additive manufacturing (AM), having worked in the industry for 30 years, with experience across machine OEMs, end-users, suppliers, start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies. Richard has held a variety of engineering, applications, commercial, and market roles, with the common thread being a passion to drive industrialization of metal AM as a mainstream production process. Richard began his AM career in 1996, and was the first user of Optomec’s newly commercialized DED technology in 1998. At GE Aerospace, Richard served as an SME for Ni-base superalloys, including alloy development, casting and welding process development, and materials qualification. He then became a world leader in DED technology upon joining Optomec, managing the applications-development lab for over ten years, and introducing two DED platforms to the market. He was the lead author for ASTM’s Standard Guide for DED, published in 2016. Richard then gained broader experience in metal AM processes as Technical Director at SLM Solutions N.A., and as a Commercial Director at Carpenter Additive, adding skills in L-PBF process and equipment development, powder manufacture, service bureau part sales, and part qualification. Most recently, Richard served as Chief Engineer for Additive Technology at Beehive Industries, where he was responsible for developing novel metal AM processes to support Beehive’s products, and qualification of those products within critical industries. Richard currently holds 23 U.S. patents, with another 2 applications pending, and has published twenty-five technical papers. Richard earned a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy and Science of Materials from The University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Metallurgy from The University of Birmingham.

Rick is a proven leader and problem solver with over 39 years of experience primarily in the aerospace industry. He spent over 25 years with NASA, culminating in the role of Technical Fellow for Materials. In this Agency role, he served as the senior material’s technical expert for NASA within the Office of the Chief Engineer and the leader of the Agency Materials Technical Discipline Team. He served as an independent resource for NASA and industry, helping to resolve complex issues. One of his most notable accomplishments was creating, assembling, and leading the team that authored NASA-STD-6030 “Additive Manufacturing Requirements for Spaceflight Systems.” Rick’s exposure to AM began during the early stages of the Commercial Crew Program, where he was the System Manager for both Materials and Processes and Fracture Control. Rick spent nearly 20 years supporting the Space Shuttle program in various roles and was a major contributor to the return to flight efforts following the Columbia disaster. Rick’s other career stops include Naval Aviation, Bell Helicopter, and, most recently, Northrop Grumman. Rick has a B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urban Champaign and a M.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida.

Eric Versluys brings a broad range of experience in program management across aerospace, automation, and manufacturing to the TBGA team. He started his career developing custom robotic systems for nuclear decommissioning, and moved into the aerospace and defense sector at Lockheed Martin, working as a manufacturing engineer with cross functional and international teams to bring the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to low-rate production. Eric then transitioned to Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs, Signature Management Directorate, where he led R&D programs and integration and test efforts across the entire aircraft lifecycle, from concept and proposals to manufacturing, and sustainment. In 2018, Eric led the team of designers and fabricators that built the X-72 Darkstar for Paramount’s Top Gun Maverick, completing the entire full-sized model in less than 3 months. Eric served as the ADP Platform Integration Lead, responsible for design and integration of antenna systems on various Lockheed Martin aircraft systems, and was selected as an Associate Technical Fellow in Additive Manufacturing of RF structures. He pioneered the use of additive manufacturing for antenna systems and has taken AM parts through the qualification journey completing successful flight tests and subsequent program integration on multiple manned and unmanned programs. Following his tenure at the Skunkworks, Eric served as the Director of Defense Programs at 3DFortify, a composite DLP AM company that has pioneered composite additive manufacturing for the RF/antenna markets, as well as industrial and ceramic applications. During his time at Fortify, Eric grew the defense sales pipeline to over $10m and led as the Principal Investigator for an SBIR developing directional lens-based antennas that demonstrated >90% efficiency improvements with >90% cost savings compared to conventional beam-steered systems. Eric graduated with a bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University, and lives in Southern California with his wife and 7 children.

Lexie brings a wealth of experience to her role, demonstrating a proven track record in event management and market research. She excels in managing every aspect of the event lifecycle, from initial brainstorming sessions to post-event evaluations. Prior to her current position, Lexie served as the Global Events Coordinator at Nikon SLM Solutions, where she successfully managed and executed an extensive calendar of 50+ global events annually. Her journey into the world of advanced manufacturing began during her college years, where she supported projects highlighting America Makes and Neighborhood 91 initiatives. Lexie developed organization and leadership skills while a student at Youngstown State University, serving in several leadership roles at different capacities. She graduated from Youngstown State with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.

Marshall first encountered additive manufacturing as an aerospace engineering student at The University of Texas at Austin, where he gained hands-on experience working with companies such as Arconic, SLM Solutions, EOS, and Authentise. After graduation, he started his career as a technical account manager at Origin, an additive manufacturing OEM startup, where he played a key role in developing, launching, and scaling the production of dental and medical devices. Following Origin's $100M acquisition by Stratasys, Marshall built and led teams in process engineering, materials development, and emerging technologies, with operations in San Francisco and Tel Aviv. His teams delivered solutions for the production of industrial tooling, electrical connectors, and end-use medical devices and implants. Marshall is passionate about integrating advanced manufacturing technologies at scale to drive the future of American manufacturing.

Matthew has demonstrated his ability to successfully guide the implementation of new metallic materials and processes in production environments through his unique combination of technical expertise, qualification/certification knowledge, and ability to develop new suppliers. This expertise has been cultivated over a 20+ year career in developing new technologies for military, space, and commercial aerospace platforms with multiple companies. His involvement with metallic AM began in 2001 when working in Lockheed Martin Skunk Works on laser powder-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) processes under the Metals Affordability Initiative. This initial exposure to AM led to a primary career focus on maturing DED technologies for titanium alloys to realize their benefits within the aerospace industry. In Matthew's latest position as an Associate Technical Fellow on the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Product Development team, he led the development of titanium wire-DED processes. In 2017, he led qualification of the first additively manufactured structural titanium parts for commercial aircraft which was recognized by an Aviation Weekly Laureates Award. Beyond metallic AM, Matthew has experience in developing a wide variety of metallic materials and processes including qualification of a Ni-based superalloy composite overwrapped pressure vessel for use on the International Space Station. He also serves as a member of the MMPDS Committee involved in the development of metallic allowables for the aerospace industry. Matthew currently holds 3 U.S. patents with another 2 applications pending. Matthew has a B.S. in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a M.E. in Engineering Management from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Erin is a leader in the areas of in-situ process monitoring and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) for additive manufacturing. She spent seven years on the NDE team at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, where she inspected flight hardware, led research projects, and developed the agency’s approach for qualifying in-situ process monitoring. With TBGA, she supports NDE, in-situ monitoring, and other AM qualification efforts on a variety of projects. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!) and her Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Alabama in Huntsville. She now resides in her hometown in the Kansas City metropolitan area, where she enjoys eating barbecue, amateur beermaking, and cheering for the local sports teams.

Mark has a proclivity for all things mechanical and is skilled at turning concepts into reality within the defense, commercial, and automotive sectors. He has an extensive manufacturing background spanning over 42 years, with critical roles in engineering, operations, facilities, supply chain, and quality. Over the last decade, Mark has focused on large-scale additive manufacturing, specializing in titanium laser wire directed energy deposition (DED) for aerospace. His most recent role as Chief Technologist for GKN Aerospace focused on the industrialization of DED technologies, including application selection, Design for DED, cost-modeling, upstream and downstream process maturation, facility and infrastructure readiness, and AM equipment and process development. Mark helped establish an $18M CRADA and spent 5 years working with the Oak Ridge National Labs team to develop equipment and process controls for robotic laser wire DED. As an active member of SAE AMS-AM committee, Mark authored draft AMS 7009 and 7010 DED material and process specifications. Mark obtained a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Washington University of St. Louis and makes his home in the St. Louis region.

With an extensive career in logistics and people management, Howie Marotto is known for his ability to provide structure to complexity. As Principal ADDvisor® of Strategy and Integration, Howie will support TBGA’s mission by expanding strategic engagements and using his skills to provide insight into advanced manufacturing trends, applications, and employment in a variety of scenarios. Prior to joining TBGA, he was Additive Manufacturing Business Director at EWI, providing leadership and strategic direction to EWI’s AM engineering team in deploying their vast equipment portfolio focused on delivering cutting-edge solutions to government and industry. Howie has worked for the Defense Logistics Agency in the F-35 Joint Program Office as the Autonomic Logistics Information Systems lead for Foreign Military Sales and as a Maintenance and Construction Supervisor and Power Distribution Manager in the power industry. Before joining EWI, he worked as the AM Strategic Business Development Manager for the Phillips Corporation. Howie is also a Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve with over 31 years of service and is currently assigned to the Office of Naval Research. He was recently activated as the Deputy Director, Reserve Affairs, overseeing personnel policy and career management for over 33,000 Reserve Marines. Prior to Reserve Affairs, Col. Marotto was the Deputy Commander for the 4th Marine Logistics Group (MLG), second-in-command of 8,500 Marines and Sailors in over 30 states and territories. He was also the Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing Lead for the Marine Corps before 4thMLG. Col. Marotto has deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Kosovo Conflict to support our country.

Nathan brings 16 years of deep expertise in materials testing and damage tolerance evaluation, honed while supporting critical defense systems at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division outside of Washington, DC. He has a knack for solving tough engineering problems by leading collaborative, cross-functional teams—melding structural analysis, materials science, and non-destructive testing into effective, real-world solutions. In recent years, Nathan has focused on advancing the qualification and certification of additively manufactured metal components for high-stakes applications. Nathan played a lead role in developing a certification framework for wire arc directed energy deposition (DED) in thick-section parts—paving the way for broader adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) in the defense sector. Nathan is passionate about pushing AM into the structural mainstream. His specialties include fracture mechanics, lifecycle fatigue analysis, and turning R&D breakthroughs into production-ready realities. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, with Distinction, from Penn State University. Based in the Charlotte, NC area, Nathan lives with his wife Jennifer and their 13-year-old son Caleb. When he’s not thinking about crack growth rates, he’s likely boating on beautiful Lake Norman, manning the grill, or applying systems thinking to his garden.

Dr. Kevin Genson is an expert in additive manufacturing with a focus on ordnance applications. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines. He has spent the last nineteen years working for the United States Navy, first as an energetic systems engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division and then as an Engineer Manager for Additive Manufacturing at the Washington Navy Yard in D.C. His focus in additive manufacturing was first in prototyping and test support, then in the development of new munitions technologies that could only be created using additive processes. In the last two years he has advanced process and manufacturer qualification, led Navy efforts in the area of material interchangeability, and collaborated with industry, academic, and other government partners to address obsolescence and maintenance needs. The majority of his expertise is with laser powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, and binder jet fusion technologies. At TBGA Kevin continues this work, leveraging his expertise to support government and industry partners with a focus on defense applications.

Sparkal Wallace is an accomplished accounting professional with 12 years of experience in financial management and auditing. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Guilford College and later completed her master’s in accounting from Southern New Hampshire University. Her expertise includes government contract auditing, internal controls, compliance, and process improvement. She has supported organizations across both the private and federal sectors, holding roles that required analytical precision, leadership, and collaboration. Sparkal has consistently ensured accuracy and efficiency in financial reporting and operations throughout her career. She is passionate about continuous learning and financial literacy and brings a thoughtful, solutions-driven approach to her work.

Patrick brings a diverse and global background in additive manufacturing, spanning aerospace, space, consumer electronics, LPBF OEMs and industrial design. He began his AM journey with GE Aviation, working on the development of GE’s first 3D-printed turbine blades. His career includes R&D leadership at SLM Solutions in Germany, where he contributed to the design of the SLM Solution 2.0 machine lineup and NXG. This role would lay the foundation for him to contribute to the design of more than 15 LPBF platforms and countless peripheral systems across more than 18 OEMs. Combining his love for aerospace and LPBF, Patrick helped drive the expansion of SpaceX’s additive division through his work on the Starship Raptor engine. Here, he owned the end-to-end production of multiple AM flight-qualified propulsion systems. Later, as the first Apple AM employee, Patrick was responsible for the bring-up of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 from greenfield to mass production. Patrick is passionate about the integration of AM into mass production and wider adoption around the world.

Jesse Geisbert is a Senior Program Manager focusing on advanced manufacturing strategic solutions to solve resiliency and availability issues in today’s industrial base. He spent 18 years within the Department of Defense, most recently as the Director of Advanced Manufacturing for the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program, where he led enterprise-wide efforts to modernize and integrate advanced manufacturing technologies aimed at enhancing efficiency, increasing capability, and improving material availability and quality across the Navy’s shipbuilding enterprise. Jesse began his career in July 2007 as an experimental research and development test engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division where he conducted full-scale and model-scale submarine testing.

Jesse later led the technology development group on the Very Large Test Apparatus (VLTA) team, bringing new and unique measurement systems and capabilities never before realized to large scale model testing focused on optimizing submarine propulsor performance. Building on this technical foundation, Jesse transitioned to Navy Headquarters to take on more strategic, programmatic roles. As the Propulsor System Integration Team Lead for the COLUMBIA Class Submarine Program, he worked at the intersection of engineering, procurement, and manufacturing, giving insight into critical challenges related to the on-time delivery of propulsors for both COLUMBIA and VIRGINIA Class submarines.

These roles gave Jesse deep insight into the complexities of the defense industrial base, including multi-tiered supply chains, contracting dynamics, single-source supplier risks, and technology readiness. He has since applied that knowledge to develop and lead initiatives that improve industrial base performance, capability deployment, and ship delivery timelines. Jesse holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Ocean Engineering and a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a Master of Science in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering from George Washington University.

Michael Hansen is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience driving advanced manufacturing strategies and transformative initiatives across defense and commercial sectors. Passionate about aligning innovation with real-world impact, he guides organizations through emerging technologies with a focus on metal additive manufacturing, AI/ML integration, digital thread implementation, and engineering modernization. With a proven track record managing multi-million-dollar portfolios and building cross-functional teams, Michael translates strategic visions into actionable outcomes in advanced manufacturing, intelligent automation, and digital transformation.

Jennifer spent over 24 years working as a physical metallurgist for the US Navy, tackling a wide variety of material systems and applications over her career, with a focus on non-ferrous metallurgy, material testing, fatigue, fracture, and material certification. Her most recent experience has been developing a technical framework for the widespread adoption of AM for Navy applications, including authoring the first Navy DED material specifications. Jennifer has a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Manhattan University and an M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University. She lives in upstate NY with her family and beloved Great Dane, Zelda. When not looking at microstructures, she can often be found knitting or rowing on the Hudson River.

Tyler LeBrun brings 19 years of engineering experience, with 17 years specializing in additive manufacturing across the aerospace industry, including Boeing, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, and Blue Origin. His additive manufacturing experience has broadened across other sectors such as consumer electronics at Apple, defense at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and powder feedstock production at Uniformity Labs. His career spans design engineering, AM process development and characterization, product and process qualification of high-consequence systems, and team leadership of various research efforts at SNL, with particular expertise in traditional alloys and novel refractory metals. He actively contributes to industry standardization and has committed over 7 years to advancing AM standards through SAE International, ASTM, ISO, and ANSI. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and a PhD in Materials Science from Osaka University. Outside work, he pursues long-distance backpacking, alpine and trad climbing, running, and is exploring overlanding and bikepacking.

Having managed multiple technology project teams, Srinand has a strong background in technology development, cross-functional team leadership, project management, supply chain development, customer relationship management, and training. He is an experienced senior engineering leader with 22 years in the Energy (Oil & Gas) sector at SLB (Schlumberger). With more than 12 years of experience implementing and scaling additive manufacturing (AM) technologies as SLB’s AM Technology Manager, Srinand has qualified and deployed numerous AM technologies and materials across the organization. This has led to the manufacturing of substantial volumes of production parts for various applications, resulting in significant ROI through cost savings, improved product performance, efficiency, and revenue generation.

His technical expertise spans the development and qualification of AM technologies, processes, and materials, including metals (nickel-based alloys, cobalt-based alloys, high-strength stainless steels), high-performance polymers (PEEK families, polyamides), and ceramics (tungsten carbides, alumina). With a strong foundation in engineering design and manufacturing, Srinand is proficient in Finite Element Analysis, Design for Additive Manufacturing, and advanced materials and manufacturing techniques. Srinand holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, with 19 patents, multiple publications, and internal awards recognizing key contributions.

Jackie Fontana is a seasoned program manager with 18 years of experience in the aerospace industry, specializing in engineering, manufacturing, and technology. She has gained expertise managing large portfolios ($1B+) across multiple programs, disciplines and applications, developing a unique fluency and deep knowledge of the full lifecycle of aerospace design, analysis, manufacturing, qualification, certification, and fleet support. While at Boeing, her passion for the development of advanced manufacturing technologies, including metal and polymer additively manufactured parts, was ignited when she was the Operations Leader for the Manufacturing & Materials Technology organization. With her experience on the V-22 Osprey and 787 Programs, she was able to bring a unique perspective to the research and development teams, enabling a more focused and integrated approach to technology and manufacturing readiness levels. Jackie’s passion lies in fostering a collaborative environment that enables efficient and effective decision making, and creating space for innovation, learning and teaching. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from St. Joseph's University and has completed all coursework for a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Jackie lives in Charleston, SC with her husband, Anthony, and two children, Jack and Sofie.

Dr. Sean Dobson has focused his career at the intersection of research and practical application in additive manufacturing metals, with one often shaping his approach to the other. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville, a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Cincinnati, and completed a postdoctoral position in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Throughout his academic journey, Sean collaborated extensively with government agencies and industry partners. He also brings valuable industry experience, most notably as a contractor at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where he worked on the qualification of additive manufacturing materials and processes. Over the past seven years, his work has focused on understanding the process-structure-property relationships of materials fabricated using laser powder bed fusion, with a particular emphasis on applications in space exploration. Now at TBGA, Sean leverages his expertise to advance additive manufacturing qualification efforts and guide research strategies to address key challenges in the field.

Blake Bearden brings a broad range of experience in technical design, RF systems, program management, and manufacturing to the TBGA team. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University and started his career at Lockheed Martin, Advanced Development Programs designing and fabricating electromagnetic hardware for airborne platforms. Blake served as the Integration Lead, responsible for design and integration of antenna systems on a major Lockheed Martin program. In this role, he led a team of engineers and was responsible for delivering antennas for communications, electronic warfare, radar, and more. He implemented the use of additive manufacturing into antenna design in novel ways that lead to lowering the cost and weight, while improving performance. After nearly ten years at Lockheed Martin, Blake joined 3DFortify, a composite DLP AM company, and led their defense business development efforts. During his time there, Blake successfully secured a multimillion dollar contract with the USN and helped numerous DoD agencies and defense industry primes improve the SWaP-C and performance of antenna systems using additive manufacturing technologies and materials.

Dan Hartman is an industry leader in the vision, strategy, and implementation of Digital Manufacturing and Industry 4.0. He brings over 39 years of experience in aerospace, defense and heavy equipment industries. Most recently, Dan was the Director of Digital Manufacturing for Oshkosh Corporation where he was responsible for defining their global digital manufacturing strategy and vision. He developed the Digital/Smart Factory of the Future Vision, transformation roadmaps, and manufacturing sustainability strategies. Prior to Oshkosh, Dan spent 15 years with Rolls-Royce Corporation where he was the Digital Manufacturing Manager for North America and held several manufacturing engineering leadership positions. Dan was also the Rolls-Royce manufacturing representative on the UI Labs proposal team that won the DMDI Institute (now called MxD). Once the DoD awarded the institute, Rolls-Royce “loaned” Dan to UI Labs to help launch the Institute. For 3 years Dan was their Director of Manufacturing Research & Development and led the design and build of MxD’s Manufacturing Research Center in Chicago. Early in Dan’s career he worked for a DoE Nuclear Weapons facility, provided Manufacturing Engineering and NC Programming consulting services and was the Head of Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Honeywell’s Aircraft Landing Systems division. During his time with Honeywell, he implemented new manufacturing automation technologies, led their “Factory of the Future” transformation, and was a member of the Honeywell Aerospace Lean Champions Council. He is a Six-Sigma Greenbelt, Lean Expert, CESMII Certified Smart Manufacturing Roadmap Professional and has a B.S. in Numerical Control Technology from Northern Illinois University.