A native of Oakland, California, Captain Jon D. Gruen graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in physics (oceanography). Captain Gruen’s active duty assignments include SEAL Team One, Naval Special Warfare Unit TWO, and SEAL Team Three, where he served in increasing platoon and task unit leadership roles in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In March 2007, he transitioned to the Navy Reserve, where he served as the Executive Officer of both SEAL Team SEVENTEEN and Undersea Mobility Unit. He then completed back-to-back Commanding Officer tours of Naval Reserve Unmanned Air Systems Unit, before being promoted and taking command of Naval Special Warfare Group ELEVEN Headquarters Unit.

His Reserve mobilizations include Operations Officer (J3) at Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula; as Special Operations Forces Liaison Element (SOFLE) to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Amphibious Ready Group-3; and as Naval Special Warfare Branch Head on the Navy Staff (OPNAV N951).

In his civilian career, Captain Gruen started as a Business Development Principal at Lockheed Martin where he won over $10B in program value, including the Dry Combat Submersible and the prime contractor role for USSOCOM PEO-SOFSA.

Captain Gruen holds the 1135 Naval Special Warfare designator. His personal awards include the Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medals, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Naval and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and multiple unit and service awards. He holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jim served as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy for over 30 years in numerous capacities, including combat systems, air defense, and ballistic missile defense. He commanded two major Aegis guided missile warships, and was the Air Defense Commander for two aircraft carrier strike groups. He was also the Chief of Staff of an afloat Destroyer Squadron.

His shore assignments spanned engineering and technical development, training and education, political-military responsibilities in Europe, and senior personnel management. His Navy career culminated as Policy Branch Head and Advance Plans Team Leader in NATO. After retiring from the Navy, Jim worked at Amazon managing North American fulfillment operations and as a process engineer.

Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in safety from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in management from the University of St. Mary. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and was designated as a Joint Specialty Officer.

Adam began developing miniature radar technology in graduate school. He gained experience with semiconductors, microwave electronics, aerospace instrumentation, and project/program management through roles at Intel, Hewlett Packard, Agilent, and Honeywell.

Adam was instrumental in growing a small business from a handful of people to over 100 employees. He led the development of drone-based miniature radar for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and headed the business development team, securing more than $100M in contracts in the company’s first few years.

Adam co-founded Fortem Technologies in 2016, raising investor capital to produce the world’s most advanced miniature radar for drone detection, which then led to a highly autonomous flying drone hunter system. Adam guides the corporate technology roadmap, oversees regulatory compliance, and works closely with defense customers to solve their toughest problems.

Adam holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from Brigham Young University, and served as an elected member of Utah’s House of Representatives from 2018 to 2023.

Charlie is a growth-focused leader with more than 20 years of experience across investment banking, private equity, and operations. He is passionate about scaling businesses strategically and operationally, with a track record of driving results, increasing shareholder value, and building high-performance teams.

Charlie’s global background spans investment banking in New York, private equity in Hong Kong, corporate finance in Singapore, and entrepreneurship in San Francisco. Over the course of his career, he has managed more than $12B in transactions and raised over $1B in capital. In addition to his financial expertise, he has led sales, marketing, and finance teams.

Charlie holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. A longtime follower of geopolitical affairs, Charlie helped organize the seed funding for Superpower, the 2023 documentary film about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Tom brings nearly 40 years of financial and operational management experience, specifically in the manufacturing and defense sectors. Prior to Fortem, Tom held senior executive roles at Fortune 500 and 1000 public and private enterprises in the United States and internationally, including CFO and VP of Finance at Armor Express, Blue Force Gear, Domo Tactical Communications, Protected Vehicles, Inc., Force Protection, Inc., and Chemring.

Tom holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and an MBA from the University of Toledo, specializing in finance and international business.

Greer is a seasoned technologist and investor with more than 15 years of experience in M&A, venture capital, investment planning, strategic partnerships, and product management. As an Investing Principal at Boeing’s corporate venture capital fund, he led investments in unmanned aircraft systems and autonomy across commercial and defense sectors. He also played a central role in the formation of SkyGrid, a joint venture between Boeing and SparkCognition focused on next-generation air traffic management for drones.

Greer first engaged with Fortem while at Boeing and later joined the company as Chief Financial Officer, helping to guide its growth and strategy. He now serves as Senior Vice President, continuing to shape Fortem’s mission and partnerships.

Driven by a passion for deep technology and its potential to transform aerospace and defense, Greer believes autonomous systems will positively impact humanity. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Creighton University, with concentrations in accounting and management of information systems.

Harrison has over 10 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, electronics manufacturing, quality engineering, engineering management, and operations. Before joining Fortem, Harrison was an engineering manager at L3Harris, where he led production of RF equipment, modems, and antenna communication systems.

Harrison holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University.

Spencer joined Fortem Technologies in early 2017, bringing more than 20 years of experience in technical leadership, solutions engineering, and program management. In his current role, he leads global cross-functional teams in in delivering complex, customer-facing programs that integrate advanced radar and autonomous systems.

Spencer’s career spans both large corporations and early-stage ventures, including service as COO of a fintech startup. He is known for aligning strategic vision with operational execution, building strong customer relationships, and driving innovation across teams.

He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from Brigham Young University.

Shane is a senior executive with over 25 years of success leading Department of Defense and federal technology sales. He has driven sustained growth at advanced sensor and communications companies by aligning cutting-edge solutions with the mission-critical needs of warfighters and first responders. Over the course his career, he has secured over $1B in awards across major programs with the U.S. Armed Services and the Department of Homeland Security.

Before joining Fortem, Shane led counter-UAS initiatives and strategic programs at companies including Echodyne, ELTA North America, and ATSC, supporting customers across DoD, DHS, and the intelligence community. Earlier in his career, he led the successful exit of a private firm serving U.S. government customers during critical national events and emergencies.

Shane began his career in the United States Marine Corps Reserve with the 4th Marine Logistics Group at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and studied business at the University of Maryland, College Park.