Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, turned a New Zealand startup into one of the most important commercial space companies in the world. Known for making orbital launch more frequent and affordable, he built Rocket Lab from its Electron rocket business into a broader space systems platform spanning satellites, components, and deepening ambitions in larger launch vehicles. Beck has emerged as one of the defining entrepreneurs of the private space era, combining engineering credibility with relentless execution.

Abel Avellan, founder, chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, is building one of the most ambitious companies in satellite communications: a space-based broadband network designed to connect ordinary mobile phones directly from orbit. A veteran telecom entrepreneur who previously sold Emerging Markets Communications, Avellan has positioned AST SpaceMobile at the intersection of wireless infrastructure, aerospace, and global connectivity, making him one of the most closely watched figures in the race to eliminate cellular dead zones.

Kam Ghaffarian, serial aerospace entrepreneur and physicist, has built some of the most important private companies operating at the edge of human spaceflight. After founding Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT) and becoming a major NASA contractor, he went on to cofound Axiom Space, which is building the world’s first commercial space station, and Intuitive Machines, a pioneer in lunar landers and deep-space robotics. Ghaffarian combines long-range vision, technical depth, and mission-driven leadership, investing hundreds of millions into commercial space infrastructure and future crewed missions. His work has made him one of the central architects of the emerging private space economy.