Leadership
Jerrold Prothero, Ph.D.
CEO and Founder
Jerrold developed the generalization of Euler’s formula that led to his invention of the patented spiral modulation technology, which has wide application in the telecommunications industry. He is the Principal Investigator for a National Science Foundation SBIR Phase II grant to refine and commercialize spiral modulation. Jerrold has authored over forty patent cases among ten patent families that are issued, pending, filed provisionally and covered under international Patent Cooperation Treaty provisions. He has advised both the private sector and the U.S. Government on technology issues. Jerrold has substantially contributed to more than twenty-five technology implementations including the development of software used to monitor $7 trillion in assets for the Treasury Department. He received his advanced degrees while at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HITL), an industrial lab consortium focused on commercializing university research. He holds B.S. degrees in Physics and Computer Science (with Honors), an M.S.E. in Inter-Disciplinary Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, all from the University of Washington in Seattle. A chess master, Jerrold enjoys analyzing and solving complex problems.
Dennis Ahearn
Chief Intellectual Property and Corporate Counsel
Dennis was the Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property and Technology Law at Lockheed Martin Corporation and the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at COMSAT Corporation. Over his extensive career. Dennis provided strategic and management guidance to companies acquiring, developing, managing, licensing and utilizing technology involving Patents, Trade Secrets, Trademarks, Copyrights and Software in commercial and government settings. Areas of concentration include Aerospace and Defense, Commercial Space Activities, Open Source Software, and Internet Utilization, among others. He was conferred a BA in Physics from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco.
David Shaw
Co-Founder/Chief Commercialization Officer
David has twenty-nine years’ experience in direct sales and product development while introducing new products and working with early-stage companies. In addition to successfully selling Nail Express, David made partners, Capital Associates, AIG, the Richardson Corporation (Richardson-Vicks), and others several million dollars by delivering the $30 million Renaissance Plaza project dramatically ahead of pro-forma. He was awarded the prestigious Xerox President’s Club award for sales excellence every year he was eligible. David attended the University of Texas at Austin and holds a BBA in Finance from the McCombs School of Business and an MS in Technology Commercialization from the internationally renowned IC² Institute where he has earned the George Kozmetsky award for academic excellence.
Tanay Bhatt, Ph.D.
Senior R&D Scientist
Dr. Bhatt has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications Industry and university teaching with extensive experience in development of advanced engineering systems. He has authored multiple technical papers with patents pending. Dr. Bhatt is or has been an Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering at Southern Methodist University, Arkansas State, and the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Bhatt was a Manager of RF Engineering at SOMA Networks, a Research Scientist for Teligent, a Senior Scientist for NEC America, a R & D staff engineer for Andrew Corporation, and Electropsace Systems. Dr. Bhatt has broad experience in provisioning certified end-to-end 3G/4G systems including base stations, CPE and core/peripherals, managing cross-functional teams, developing specifications, proposals, test procedures, analysis process, and test plans, as well as designing combat communication systems. Dr. Bhatt was conferred his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas (License 113478), a member of the IEEE, and both Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu engineering Honors Societies.
James J. Sterling
Senior Engineer
Jim has more than twenty years of television broadcast and consumer electronics development experience. While at Uniden America Corporation, he participated in product development, technical support, and field troubleshooting for Uniden’s AMPS cellular telephones and consumer satellite receivers, including the first C-band TVRO satellite receiver with an integrated program guide, and a cost-reduced consumer version of a high-security satellite scrambling system. Jim also assisted in modifying the scrambling system for PAL-M and its subsequent deployment in over 50,000 receiver sites by Globosat in Brazil. Later, as an independent consultant, he designed a consumer C-band receiver/positioner product for Latin America bearing the Samsung brand, and pioneered techniques for remote operation of conditional access systems during secure closed-circuit television broadcasts. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and a Juris Doctor from Texas Wesleyan University, is an active Bar member in Florida and California, and is registered to practice in patent cases before the USPTO.
Michael Antone
Intellectual Property and Corporate Counsel
Michael Antone is a Registered US Patent Attorney that brings to Astrapi over twenty years of patent strategy and intellectual property protection experience in large law firm, corporate, and venture capital environments. As Chief Intellectual Property Counsel with Corvis Corporation, a venture-funded telecom equipment start-up that went public and was acquired, Mr. Antone oversaw all aspects of intellectual property protection and enforcement, as well as managing engineering operations. He was also a partner in a private venture capital fund, where he was a patent strategist and operational executive working with start-up telecom, controls, and security companies. In the global law firm of K&L Gates, he performed patent and trademark prosecution and litigation support. Mr. Antone is a Professional Engineer having also worked as a Senior Engineer with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. He has a J.D. degree from Duquesne University and a M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.
Andrew D. Roscoe
Senior Vice President, Operations
Mr. Roscoe, a career executive with more than 25 years of experience, has a proven record building and advising companies in the wireless and government contracting sectors. He has held executive positions for firms in the sectors of telecommunications engineering and construction, telecommunications management consulting services, and government contracting. Mr. Roscoe managed several wireless firms from startup through multiple growth phases to successful M&A exits, including The Strategis Group, Integrated Site Development Company, and O2 Wireless Solutions, Inc. A recognized leader in the technology industry, he has been involved in the development and implementation of critical telecom and IT technologies worldwide. Mr. Roscoe was named as one of the most influential people in the cellular industry by Cellular Marketing Magazine, and served as the Chairman of PCIA’s Marketing and Consumer Affairs Committee during the development of the 3G cellular standard. A popular keynote speaker and author of many articles,he has appeared on television in support of telecommunications issues. Mr. Roscoe has provided strategic guidance to telecommunications carriers and manufacturers and trade associations. He holds a BA in International Affairs and an MA in Economics, both from the George Washington University.
Rita Martinez Solon
Co-founder and Director of Strategic Support
Rita has served in three Presidential Administrations, twice as a Presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she worked on tech transfer issues at the National Labs. She has also served as a Cabinet-level speechwriter; a White House staffer; and a Congressional aide. Rita has served on the board of the Junior League of Seattle, the Internet Business Alliance, and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce Technology Alliance Council (serving with founder Bill Gates, Senior). She was a Visiting Scholar for the Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HITL) at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she was involved in numerous high tech spin-off and start-ups, some of which joined the Seattle-based Washington Research Foundation, one of the foremost technology transfer organizations in the nation. Rita graduated from Hollins College, the oldest women’s college in Virginia; and completed graduate work in International Transactions at George Mason University. She is a Certified Emerging Company Analyst (CECA).