Our Executive Mentors

Christie Iacomini

Dr. Christie Iacomini is the founder of CSI Space, a consulting firm focused on critical space infrastructure and growing space business. She advises companies on business growth strategy, engineering and program management, and technology development through spaceflight delivery. She also co-chairs the AIAA Task Force on Lunar Surface Exploration and Development, leading a cross-sector team from across the aerospace community to develop policy and commercial frameworks for a sustainable cis-lunar economy.

Dr. Iacomini brings more than 30 years of experience spanning NASA, commercial space, and venture capital. She began her career at NASA Johnson Space Center as an X-38 Parafoil Principal Investigator and mission commander for X-38 drop testing. She then spent over a decade at Paragon Space Development Corporation, where she served as Director of R&D and led technology development in life support, thermal control, spacesuit systems, ISRU, and fuel cells. During that time, she earned a patent as sole inventor, led the development of the spacesuit that protected Alan Eustace on his world-record stratospheric space dive, and delivered Boeing's Starliner humidity control system.

In 2016, Dr. Iacomini joined Blue Origin to lead their fluids engineering organization and support New Shepard operations. In 2018, she established and led Advanced Systems within Blue Origin's newly formed advanced development business, growing the team from the ground up while leading the original Blue Moon lunar lander through concept and preliminary design for NASA's Artemis Program. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Engineering at Prime Movers Lab, a hard-tech venture capital firm, before moving to Lockheed Martin to develop cis-lunar infrastructure and commercial business.

Dr. Iacomini holds a B.S. in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University, an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas (orbital mechanics), and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona (thermal science and solid oxide electrolysis for Martian resource utilization). She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications over the course of her career.