Dr. David Kirtley is founder and CEO at Helion, a privately funded fusion electricity company creating the world’s first fusion generator. He is passionate about inventing and leading teams to develop disruptive technologies to improve access to energy, reduce carbon emissions, and provide a better future for the following generations. Dr. Kirtley is a fellow of the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Department of Defense. He is a leading authority on advanced fuel fusion generators, plasma-based in-space propulsion systems, and space reentry architectures. Dr. Kirtley has graduate degrees in Nuclear, Plasma, and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. He has over 100 publications, 60+ patents and has been pursuing advanced fusion systems since the late 1990s.