André Borschberg is a Swiss entrepreneur, explorer, pilot and speaker. He is a co-founder of the Solar Impulse project, the first ever round-the-world solar flight, successfully completed in July 2016.

HP, building 3 main lobby,
1501 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA.

André Borschberg, a graduate engineer in mechanics and thermodynamics from the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, and holder of a Master’s in Management Science from the Sloan School, MIT Boston, has a solid background in creating and managing companies.

After 5 years as a McKinsey business consultant, he developed and directed numerous technological projects, both as investor and entrepreneur. Fascinated by aviation from his earliest youth, he learned to fly with the Swiss air force. Today he holds an assortment of professional airplane and helicopter pilot’s licences and also does aerobatics in his spare time.

Heading the Solar Impulse project together with Bertrand Piccard, Andre Borschberg brings the essential skills of the entrepreneur who helps convert vision into reality. It was he who assembled the technical team and led the construction of the first prototype. Piloting the Solar Impulse-2 plane powered by solar energy only, Andre achieved the longest solo solar flight ever in aviation history (from Japan to Hawaii).

Previous Silicon Valley Space Startups & Satellites events:

– Satellite launchers (December 6, 2016, Palo Alto). Speakers:
Stewart Alsop (Partner, Alsop Louie Partners; investor, Phase Four small satellite propulsion);
Luis Gomes (Commercial Director, Surrey Satellite Technology);
Kyu Hwang (Strategic Projects Director, Stratolaunch Systems, Vulcan Aerospace);
Chuck Lauer (Co-founder & VP Business Development, Rocketplane Global);
Randa Milliron (CEO/Co-Founder, Interorbital Systems);
Moderator: Michael Novikov (knowledge investments).

– Media relations for aerospace startups (October 19, 2016; San Francisco). Speakers:
Eliane Fiolet (Co-Founder and Editor, Ubergizmo);
Jeanette Quinlan (USA Managing Director, Starburst Aerospace Accelerator);
Debra Werner (Correspondent, Space News; Contributor, Aerospace America);
Paul Willard (Partner, Subtraction Capital);
Lindsey Yee (Space Tech Advisor, Venture Capital; Public Relations & Communications, Space Generation Advisory Council, UN Programme on Space Applications);
Moderator: Michael Novikov (knowledge investments; former editor EuropeMedia and Mir Internet);

– Investments in aerospace (January 13, 2016; Menlo Park). Speakers:
Eric Anderson (President, And One Technologies);
Amir Blachman (Managing Director, Space Angels Network);
Sean Casey (Managing Director, Silicon Valley Space Center);
Shahin Farshchi (Partner, Lux Capital);
Garrett Goldberg (Principal, Bee Partners);
Moderator: Michael Novikov (knowledge investments);

– Hacking satellite big data for fun and profit (November 16, 2015; San Francisco);
– Drones (June 29, 2015; San Francisco);
– New materials for aerospace (May 28, 2015; San Francisco);
– Satellite imagery, geospatial data & apps (April 20, 2015; Mountain View);
– Cocktails in zero gravity (March 9, 2015; Mountain View);
– NewSpace conference;
– California & the commercial spaceflight industry (March 20, 2014; Santa Clara);
– Designing for space tourism;
– STK: space missions (February 13, 2014; San Francisco);
– The future of space exploration;
– Economic development of the solar system (January 23, 2014; San Francisco);
– Tech talk: ArduRocket and space weather API (November 19, 2013; Mountain View);
– Conversation with Richard David – CEO of NewSpace Global (October 17, 2013; San Jose);
– Space startups introductions (September 26, 2013).

http://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Valley-Space-Startups-Satellites