Will Pomerantz

Will is an aerospace executive with two decades of experience in the entrepreneurial and non-profit sectors. He currently serves as the Head of Space Ventures at AeroVironment, where he leads the team that built the Collier-Trophy-winning Mars helicopter Ingenuity in partnership with NASA JPL. In that role, Will is establishing a new space business unit within the company, focused on continuing to push the frontiers of planetary exploration.

Previously, Will served as Vice President for Special Projects and Employee #001 at Virgin Orbit, Vice President for Special Projects at Virgin Galactic, and Senior Director of Space Prizes at XPRIZE Foundation, among other roles. 

Driven by a firm belief that people from all walks of life are able to contribute to the exploration of space, he co-founded the Brooke Owens Fellowship and the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, award-winning mentorship and work experience programs focused on enabling undergraduate students from communities underserved by the aerospace industry to pursue successful aerospace careers. He has also served as the longest-serving Chair of the Board of Advisors of SEDS-USA, the world's largest student space organization; as a member of the strategic leadership team for Space Workforce 2030; as a member of Space for Humanity's Inclusion Council; and as a member of the Open Lunar Foundation's Board of Directors.
Will earned a bachelors degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard and a masters degree in Space Studies from the International Space University. He is also a graduate of the NASA Academy, NASA's premiere leadership training program for undergraduate and graduate students.

He has served on two US Federal Advisory Committees, one for the National Academies of Science and Engineering and one for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Will lives near Houston, TX with his wife, NASA Flight Director Diana Trujillo, and their two children.