The Team
The builders, visionaries, and operators making America manufacture again.
FOUNDERS
The architects of America's first builder-focused hard-tech campus
Clay Richardson
CEO, Techno Shaman
Clay Richardson brings expertise in AI, RF, Drone and Electronic Warfare, hardware prototyping, and Internet scale infrastructure. With extensive experience in sensors, custom software development, cloud management and information systems, Clay approaches business and financial engineering as solutions to align interests in the Battlefield of Ideas. His mantra "putting Adventure back into Venture Capital" puts the focus on ReIndustrializing America and drives Startup Central's commitment to hands-on innovation and practical manufacturing solutions at every scale.
Cody Brown
Chief Operating Officer
Cody Brown has cultivated extensive mechanical engineering expertise in manufacturing and product design. His passion for precision, accuracy, and robotics shapes the company's approach to automation and hard-tech innovation. Cody's practical experience in rapidly bringing complex mechanical systems from concept to production provides Startup Central members with invaluable guidance as they navigate their own hardware development and deployment journeys.
TECHNICAL EXPERTS
The shamans guiding technical innovation and manufacturing excellence
Duke Jones
Wizard
Duke Jones serves as a staff software engineer at Startup Central, leveraging his extensive experience from roles at Sony, Amazon and PGP Corporation. As a privacy expert and former Head of Blockchain at Good Money, Duke provides critical expertise in secure systems development and emerging technologies. His guidance helps member companies implement robust software and cryptography architectures for their hardware products, ensuring both functionality and data security in an increasingly connected product landscape.
Norbu Snow-Shiva
Chief Experience Officer (CXO)
Norbu Snow-Shiva brings valuable technical product management expertise to Startup Central from his roles at industry leaders Equinix and Amazon. His specialty in leading agile development teams and building enterprise products that scale to millions of users helps hardware startups think beyond initial prototypes to market-ready solutions. Norbu's experience bridging technical capabilities with market needs enables Startup Central members to develop scalable product strategies that can grow from initial concept to mass production.
Andrew Deros
Mechanical Engineer
Andrew Deros brings exceptional mechanical engineering expertise to Startup Central, with particularly strong capabilities in prototyping and industrial product design. His background at ASU's award-winning Luminosity Lab and Bedrock have equipped him with cutting-edge knowledge in rapid innovation methodologies and practical implementation of complex mechanical systems across multiple industries. Andrew's hands-on experience helps member companies bridge the gap between concept and functional prototype with efficiency and precision.
Jack Haehl
XR Developer
Jack Haehl leads XR development at Startup Central, bringing expertise from his work at Arizona State University's Digital Discovery Initiative where he led teams building VR design evaluation and mission planning tools. With experience at PTC's Reality Lab and freelance work developing Quest 3 and HoloLens applications, Jack specializes in creating immersive technology solutions for complex visualization challenges. His computer science background from ASU's Fulton Schools of Engineering enables him to bridge virtual and physical product development, offering members innovative ways to prototype and visualize their creations.
Clay Haskell
Marketing Director, Applied AI Alchemist
Clay Haskell brings over 15 years of storytelling and visual narrative expertise to Startup Central as its Marketing Shaman and Gen-AI Alchemist. With a background in cinematography and project management, Clay combines his creative vision with operational discipline. He looks at each project as a way to help his client connect with an audience on a deeper level. His screenwriting experience at UCLA and Film degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design gives him a unique perspective on telling the stories of hardware startups, enabling him to guide companies through their growth journey with both analytical rigor and compelling narrative. His work has been featured in Netflix and IMAX.
Corbin Billings
Director & Producer of Branded Content
Corbin Billings is a best-selling author and award-winning documentary filmmaker with over 15 years of experience telling the stories of startups and brands. His work has been featured on MSNBC, ABC, FOX, People, BBC Radio, & The Huffington Post.
Deynon Bright
XR & Digital Twin Polymath
Deynon is an accomplished engineer with expertise in immersive technology, digital twins and manufacturing. He played a key role in the launch of VisualLive, one of the first XR solutions for the construction industry. At Unity, he helped define XR and digital twin strategies that guided enterprise adoption on a global scale. His work with Capgemini Engineering further advanced digital twin ecosystems, applying innovative XR solutions to complex business and industrial challenges. His extensive background in digital twin technology positions him to bridge the gap between virtual solutions and real-world manufacturing, helping engineering startups and enterprises accelerate innovation with confidence.
Jonathan Rojas
Director of Video and Photo Content Shaman
Jonathan is a seasoned creative and US Air Force veteran with a diverse background as a DP (Director of Photography), video editor, and graphic and industrial designer. With over 15 years of expertise in video production, drone operation, editing, lifestyle, and active/sports photography, he brings energy and vision to every project at Startup Central as its Director of Video & Photography Shaman. Passionate in helping companies thrive through compelling visual storytelling, his drive for creativity and innovation led him to pursue a degree in Industrial Design from ASU and an MBA in Marketing from GCU, where he refined his understanding of product and brand development, content strategy, and humanizing brands with impactful visual content.
Bella Dortch
Social Media Lead
Bella Dortch leads social media at Startup Central, bringing expertise from her background in Digital Marketing and Journalism at ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has three years of experience growing digital presence for brands including Culdesac, Be A Leader Foundation and Neighbor. Her ability to connect with online audiences and craft compelling digital narratives transforms passive followers into loyal community advocates.
PARTNERS
Strategic allies in the mission to reindustrialize America
Aaron Quisenberry
CEO of Freedom Manufacturing
Aaron Quisenberry serves as CEO of Freedom Manufacturing, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned company backed by Startup Central. With a strong background in U.S. military service and leadership, Aaron brings firsthand knowledge of challenges operating in the field to product development. Under his guidance, Freedom Manufacturing leverages Startup Central's technical expertise in AI, machining, and electronics to build advanced defense products that combine battlefield-forged design with cutting-edge capability, delivering reliable solutions that strengthen America's defense sector.
FOUNDING ADVISOR
Shaping the vision from the beginning
Blake Spurgin
Founder, Advisor
Blake Spurgin is a Founding Member and Advisor to Startup Central. With a background in aerospace, manufacturing, and large-scale project management, Blake contributed to the early vision behind building America's first builder-focused hard-tech campus and venture platform. His experience in integrating capital, infrastructure, and capability helped shape Startup Central's mission to support founders bringing real physical-product innovations to market at scale.