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Van Espahbodi

Investor | Advisor

Van Espahbodi is an experienced investor and entrepreneur with a focus on aerospace and defense technology. He is currently a Partner at Generational Partners, a Los Angeles-based venture firm investing in deeptech commercialization, workforce development, and critical supply chain reshoring.24

With over 20 years of experience in the aerospace and defense sector, Van has a track record of identifying future trends, shaping product strategies, and influencing investment trade policies.1 He co-founded Starburst Aerospace in 2015, where he served as Managing Partner until July 2022, helping to establish it as a global aerospace accelerator with offices in multiple countries.12

Van's career includes roles such as:

  • Chairman of the Board at Morf3D Inc, a leader in additive manufacturing and advanced metal 3D printing solutions2
  • Board Advisor for Proteus Space, Inc., a venture-backed space defense solutions company2
  • Advisor for VentureScope, an innovation and investment advisory practice24
  • Account Director at NATS, the British air navigation service provider2
  • Corporate International Business Development at Raytheon Technologies2
  • Legislative Aide in the U.S. House of Representatives2

He currently serves as an advisor to the US Space Force, NATO, and the Mayors of Los Angeles and El Segundo.4 Van is also on the Advisory Boards of the Alliance for Southern California Innovation and the MIT Enterprise Forum.4

Van's educational background includes:

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Policy Analysis from Pardee Rand Graduate School (2022)4
  • Master of Philosophy in Policy Analysis from Pardee Rand Graduate School (2018)4
  • Graduate education in economics & defense trade policy from various institutions including George Mason University, Cambridge University, and Thunderbird School of Management4

Recently, Van has been working on shaping a new investment thesis to back early-stage founders and is excited about bringing a new formula and structure to early-stage investing, particularly in deeptech commercialization.23

Highlights

Nov 16 · linkedin

I'm a long time fan of cycling government executives and acquisition officers into the venture and startup ecosystem. When I founded the world's first aerospace and defense startup accelerator ten years ago people laughed us out of the room for looking to government as a customer. How times have changed... Major kudos to Mike Slagh and all the #DefenseVentureFellows for being entrepreneurial champions in support of our #warfighters and broader national security. Congrats on an incredible day of panels and talks at the #DefenseVenturesSummit and the opportunity to share lessons in building and investing in defense! Raj Sharma Matt George Anand Kulkarni Gerald Goodfellow

cc: Generational Partners, Asher Kraut, Denver Yu

Nov 6 · linkedin

We live in an incredibly fast moving world. Amid all the noise and distractions, it's easy to lose a sense of our fundamentals, and perhaps, lose our sense of self. We frequently forget the biggest opportunities for growth are the lessons from our personal journeys; lived experiences vs. media consumption. While I've been public since separating from my prior firm last year, I've been hard at work digging deep into my own story, shaping a new investment thesis to back early stage founders, with much bigger news to announce soon!

In the meantime, many #founders and friends exiting their #government and #corporate positions have approached me with aspirations and ideas seeking advice on #getting #started. It was timely when I was asked to keynote an investment summit on "the power of building hard things".

In my career, I've had the rare privilege of having a front-row seat to those daring enough to commit themselves to a life filled with solving hard problems. I got the chance to work closely with leaders revolutionizing our #defense and #national #security and #infrastructure. Each chapter of my career unique, with anecdotes to share, often different than advertised. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy and find helpful my lessons in building hard things, and not be distracted in your own #entrepreneurial #endeavors.

cc: Generational Partners, Asher Kraut, Denver Yu

Related Questions

What inspired Van Espahbodi to transition from aerospace to venture capital?
How does Van Espahbodi's background in aerospace influence his investment strategies?
What are some notable investments made by Generational Partners under Van Espahbodi's leadership?
How does Van Espahbodi's role at Generational Partners differ from his previous roles at Starburst Aerospace?
What are Van Espahbodi's key goals for Generational Partners?
Van Espahbodi
Van Espahbodi, photo 1
Van Espahbodi, photo 2
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Location

Los Angeles, California, United States