Louis A. Zacharilla
Louis A. Zacharilla is Director of Innovation & Development for the Space & Satellite Professionals Internationalwhere he serves as strategist and spokesperson for the Society and the industry. He oversees SSPI’s corporate development program and is responsible for developing new chapters and events worldwide.
With the SSPI team Lou created the www.bettersatelliteworld.com campaign and Awards Dinner in London, which promotes the role of satellites as anchors of human development.
Mr. Zacharilla has written hundreds of articles and blogs for trade and business publications, appears regularly in the media and as a speaker and moderator of satellite industry conferences. He developed the World Teleport Association’s Teleport Awards Luncheon, which is now in its 23 years at the Satellite Conference in Washington, DC. He is a co-author of three books, including, Brain Gain.
He gave a TEDx Talk in 2016 and spoke at the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize.
He holds a Masters Degree from the University of Notre Dame (USA) and lives in New York.
Tom Barton
Tom Barton is the co-founder and CEO of Antaris, an early-stage satellite software innovator backed by Lockheed Martin Ventures, Acequia, Possible Ventures and E2MC. Tom and team created Antaris in 2021 with a vision to revolutionize Software for Space—including leveraging open APIs and open source to dramatically reduce costs and time-to-orbit for satellites. The company is widely considered a New Space disruptor for the satellite ecosystem and has closed deals with some of the industry’s most recognized leaders.
Tom previously served as COO of satellite leader Planet Labs for three years and was a member of the leadership team responsible for putting the largest imaging satellite constellation in history into orbit. He was also CEO of Diamanti, Rackable Systems and Cygnus Solutions and has held senior leadership roles at Red Hat and Lightspeed Venture Partners. He holds both a B.S. and M.B.A. from Stanford University.
Slava Frayter
Mr. Slava Frayter is the Regional Vice President, North America for Gilat Satellite Networks.
Joining Gilat in November 2019, Mr. Frayter oversees Gilat’s business operations in the region. He is responsible for developing and executing the company’s growth strategy in North America, as well as cultivating opportunities across various market segments such as cellular backhaul, enterprise, mobility, and government.
Mr. Frayter has an extensive experience in satellite communications. Prior to Gilat, he had a decade-long tenure with Newtec, a Belgian-based satellite communication technology company, where he held several management and C-level positions. During his time there Slava was instrumental in developing market strategy and leading significant expansion in the regions.
Mr. Frayter holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Riga Technical University in Latvia and an MBA in International Business & Finance from the University of Connecticut (UCONN). He speaks English and Russian fluently.
Amit Katti
Amit Katti is the Director of Systems Engineering at SES Space & Defense, where he leads a talented team focused on supporting and expanding the Space Initiatives Business unit. With an expertise in technical sales, operations, and systems integration, Amit has played key roles at Newtec (ST Engineering iDirect), Hughes Network Systems, and Global Wireless Solutions.
In addition to his work at SES, Amit is an adjunct professor at George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering. He teaches courses in the ECE and IT Departments, sharing his knowledge and industry insights with aspiring professionals. Amit is also actively involved in the industry as a board member of the SSPI Mid-Atlantic chapter.
Amit holds a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications from George Mason University’s Department of ECE and a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications Engineering from JNTU Hyderabad, India.
Dr. Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson is the CEO and Co-founder at Sedaro, a digital twin cloud software company. Dr. Robertson has over 15 years of experience developing space simulation software and space hardware. Robbie has held research positions at Los Alamos, AFRL, Virginia Tech, the German QUEST Center, and with the National Science Foundation installing space weather instruments on the Antarctic Plateau. He was previously the first employee at Ibeos, where he led the development of instruments and subsystems for spacecraft headed to LEO, GEO, and the Moon. Robbie received both his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and PhD in Applied Physics and Space Engineering from Virginia Tech.