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Guillermo Söhnlein

Co-Founder & CEO

An entrepreneur with a passion for exploration, Guillermo Söhnlein has successfully launched ten for-profit ventures and four nonprofit organizations focused on technology innovation, space commercialization, and ocean exploration.

An expedition leader, submersible pilot, and scuba diver, as co-founder and CEO of OceanGate (2009-2013), Söhnlein led six ocean exploration expeditions with crewed submersibles in Puget Sound, Monterey, Catalina Island and Miami.

Söhnlein currently serves as co-founder of Humans2Venus, a space-focused venture studio, and co-founder of Space Bridge Partners, a global finance firm for space missions. He is an advisor to E2MC Ventures, a space-focused seed-stage venture capital firm, and Chairman of the Mamoni Valley Preserve, a rainforest conservation organization.

Söhnlein founded or co-founded the Space Angels Network, the Exploration Institute’s Sea-Space Initiative, the Space Frontier Foundation’s International Association of Space Entrepreneurs and the OceanGate Foundation. Admitted to The Explorers Club in 2012, he also previously served as Chairman of the Marine Technology Society’s Ocean Exploration Committee. A former officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Söhnlein earned his A.B. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

Scott Parazynski

Co-Founder & Chief Explorer

Scott Parazynski is an accomplished explorer and has dedicated his life to diverse challenges in extreme environments.  An accomplished NASA astronaut, physician, mountaineer, pilot, diver, explorer,inventor and entrepreneur, he completed five Space Shuttle Missions and conducted seven spacewalks. Mission highlights included participating in the first U.S.-Russian spacewalk and serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and personal physician.

Beyond low Earth orbit, Parazynski is an expert mountaineer, summiting Mount Everest in 2009 and life-long diver who conducted a 2005 NASA-sponsored expedition into the 19,400-foot summit caldera lake atop Licancabur volcano in the Andes mountain range.

He received a B.S. in Biology from Stanford University in 1983, and graduated with honors from Stanford Medical School in 1989. Parazynski is a serial entrepreneur involved in a number of disruptive technology ventures, including the development of a revolutionary e-VTOL aircraft and the application of AI to healthcare. He is a Fellow of The Explorers Club and was recently inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2016.

Follow Scott’s expeditions on Twitter @AstroDocScott or visit his website.

Justin Bursch

EVP of Production
& Corporate Development

Justin Bursch is an accomplished mountaineer, a PADI and NAUI certified rescue driver, FAA certified pilot and movie producer. Co-Founder and Partner at Bar 45 Media, Bursch has produced more than 25 movies and television series with A-list actors. A bondable producer, Bursch has worked with top studios, production companies, and distributors including Paramount Pictures, STX Entertainment, Voltage Pictures, Wonderland Sound & Vision, FilmNation, Universal, Sony, Fox and others. He brings his thorough knowledge as a filmmaker to his passion for science and adventure.

Bursch’s vast working experience across seven countries have been instrumental in developing a rigorous understanding of agreements, union and government liaising, managing relationships with talent and representatives, and overseeing production logistics and budgets.

A Spokane, WA native, Bursch earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from Central Washington University, where he was a four-year letterman on the men’s basketball team and played in the NCAA Division 2 National Basketball Tournament all four years, serving as team captain his junior and senior year.

Joseph Olewitz

Chief Partnerships Officer

Joseph Olewitz brings over 25 years of experience in the digital domain, driving revenue growth for global giants like USWeb/CKS, marchFIRST, and Digitas/LBi. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by businesses, he founded the Virtual Chief Revenue Officer (VCRO) to assist entrepreneurs and C-level executives in optimizing their revenue strategies without the constraints of a full-time officer.

Always at the forefront of technological innovation, Joseph’s expertise extends beyond traditional digital platforms. He’s well-versed in disruptive technologies, with a certificate in Blockchain strategy from Oxford University and a pioneering role in the first retail application of RFID in 2007. This commitment to emerging technologies enables Joseph to provide businesses with invaluable insights into the evolving digital landscape, ensuring they remain ahead of the curve in an ever-changing environment.

Before diving into the digital agency world, Joseph led diverse ventures, from a men’s apparel brand to a documentary film production company, further enriching his multifaceted professional journey.