I was born and raised in central Illinois on a third-generation agricultural farm. I learned year after year how to create something of value for the world from nothing.

At 26, I started Vettery, an AI-based talent marketplace that matched thousands of companies with the right employees. It was acquired in 2018 for $110 million by The Adecco Group, the largest recruiting company in the world. In 2020, Vettery acquired Hired.com and changed its name to Hired.

I founded and grew Archer into a leading aerospace company, raising $1B+ of capital, and taking it public at a $2.7B valuation. I architected, engineered, and flight-tested 5 generations of aircraft, signed a $1.5B deal with United Airlines, and vertically integrated aircraft design, flight software, actuation, electric motors, and battery systems.

I founded Figure to give AI a body. We’re building general-purpose humanoid robots to fill labor shortages and work alongside humans in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, retail, and the home. Our robots are already learning and interacting with their environment safely, performing end-to-end operations with our first commercial customer, BMW.

Cover is an AI security company. In partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, we’re building non-intrusive scanners that passively search incoming crowds for concealed weapons. As a father of three, it feels urgent and important to fight the alarming gun violence epidemic.