Kyle’s career in aerospace and aviation started in the 1980s watching Space Shuttles launch from his elementary school playground in Florida. While working on his first Master’s degree he spent 2 summers working at NASA Armstrong Research Center in California analyzing flight test data, witnessing the last flights of the SR-71, observing early high altitude drone operations, and leading a team of other enthusiastic early-career aviation professionals. From there Kyle has had amazing opportunities to work with cutting edge AI technologies, innovative autonomous vehicles, brilliant entrepreneurs, inspiring students, humble veterans, and trail blazing industry leaders. These opportunities have provided insights and lessons that have enabled Kyle to become a trusted advisor to companies and communities who embrace a future powered by robotics, autonomous transportation, and data connectivity.

Commercialization of autonomous technologies requires a balance of engineering knowledge, technology transfer, standards development, regulatory advocacy, social awareness, and patience. Advancements in edge computing, sensing, communications, and inferencing are driving advancements in AI that are opening many opportunities for human-machine collaboration. Kyle enjoys sitting at this intersection to provide guidance and direction to meet strategic and tactical goals.

Kyle is the Principal Consultant for the Best Autonomous Insights Practice inside Michael Best Consulting. He is based out of the Raleigh, North Carolina office, but supports clients across the country. Kyle majored in Math and Computer Science with a History minor at Catawba College. He followed that with a Math Masters from the University of Tennessee Space Institute. Years later, he added an Aerospace and Defense MBA from the University of Tennessee to focus on product development and commercialization. Combining his education foundation with PMI project management certification and 25 years of experience, Kyle has demonstrated the ability to take new technologies with challenging paths to success from concept to operational deployment.