Our People

We believe in creating a diverse and equitable workplace and world for everyone. We strive for team diversity, equitable practices, and an inclusive culture. We intentionally seek out, learn, understand, and appreciate who — and what — surrounds us. We are SkySpecs.

SkySpecs–Our People

The people who work at SkySpecs share the vision and values of our community

We’re driven by the idea that our best work is born from diligence, craftsmanship, and enjoyment. We dig in, do the research, and craft a great product, all while having fun.

Executive Leadership Team

Danny Ellis
CEO

Danny is the CEO and co-founder at SkySpecs. He has a BSE and MSE in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. Danny has focused on business development, fundraising, sales, M&A, partnerships, and team building for the last eight years at SkySpecs. He is an Endeavor Entrepreneur, Techstars alum and mentor, Detroit Crain’s “20 in their 20s” and “40 under 40” awardee, and in the 2016 class of Forbes “30 under 30” awardees. Danny has spent the last ten years in the wind industry, building relationships with customers, partners, and investors to help achieve SkySpecs’ vision.

Ray O Neill
COO

Ray joined SkySpecs in 2021 after the company he co-founded, Fincovi, was acquired by SkySpecs. When he isn't running SkySpecs global operations, you can find Ray playing chauffeur for his three girls in his Skoda Enyaq.

Tom Brady
CTO

Prior to SkySpecs, Tom earned two degrees in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he also co-founded the Michigan Autonomous Aerial Vehicles team. A lover of epic fantasy novels and a dad of two, Tom spends what little free time he has golfing, hiking, or enjoying a cup of coffee or draft beer in Downtown Ann Arbor.

Hannah Pianko
CLO

Hannah Pianko is the Chief Legal Officer at SkySpecs. As CLO, Hannah oversees a wide array of legal, compliance, governance, and corporate matters for SkySpecs and its global Subsidiaries. Hannah graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Economics and earned her law degree from the New York University School of Law. She lives in Ann Arbor, MI, with her husband Matt and their daughters Lola and Andie.

Joe Ciliberti
CPO

Joe met the team in 2017 and hasn't looked back. Coming from a history of building software for supply chains, Joe brings he's extensive product development knowledge to SkySpecs as our Chief Product Officer. A connoisseur of good food, cold light beer, sports, and bonfires, Joe and his wife Amanda get their exercise keeping up with their two kids at their home just south of Ann Arbor.

Josh Goryl
CRO

Josh Goryl is the Chief Revenue Officer at SkySpecs. He is responsible for all revenue generating functions, including sales, account management, and solutions design. With seven years of renewable energy experience, Josh and his team are focused on delivering asset management solutions to the leading renewable energy providers across the globe. He has a passion for ensuring customers have a world-class experience working with SkySpecs.

Damian Malone
CFO

Damian Malone is the Head of Corporate Development at SkySpecs. Damian joined SkySpecs following the acquisition of Fincovi. Prior to co-founding Fincovi, Damian worked at AlixPartners, a global consulting firm, where he specialized in M&A. Damian has over 15 years’ of experience working in corporate advisory and strategy.

Co-Founders and Strategic Leaders

Jonathan Bendes
CIO, Co-founder

Jonathan Bendes is a co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at SkySpecs. He has over a decade of experience creating, operationalizing, and scaling bleeding-edge technology to solve humanity-scale problems. He has helped SkySpecs grow from a university research project to a world leader in renewable technologies.

Sam DeBruin
CRO, Co-founder

Sam DeBruin is the Chief Research Officer and a Co-Founder at SkySpecs. Sam is a specialist in robotics systems and electronics, and leads SkySpecs' robotics and research technical teams. Prior to SkySpecs he received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Michigan. He has a young daughter and two dogs and a cat. He enjoys being in the outdoors hiking, fishing, and snowboarding.

Isaac Olsen
CSA

Isaac Olson is the Chief Software Architect and leads the software development on the Robotics team at SkySpecs. Though he specializes in navigation & controls, he enjoys solving complex problems throughout the robotics system. He has been doing so with the SkySpecs team since it was a university project.

Building on a Culture of Belonging

We see ourselves as much more than just a tech company. We’re a group of like-minded, kind, and talented people who love to collaborate and create awesome stuff together.

Our team members, a.k.a. “SkyBorgs,” genuinely like each other and enjoy spending time together, whether that means a quick coffee break, grabbing a beer, or attending local events.

While we love what we do, we know that life is about more than work, and we each have one beyond SkySpecs. We value healthy boundaries, and we’ll respect your schedule and try not to bother you on weekends (unless it’s for something fun).

Expecting a delivery and need to work from home? Need to leave early to pick up a sick kid? No problem! We’ve always had a flexible approach to working from home, and we understand if you need to modify your schedule or if something comes up. Life happens.