Phil Root brings deep research and development expertise to GRVTY, shaped by his operational background and years in advanced government research. His work spans autonomy, ethical AI, space flight, signal processing, complex systems, economics, robotics, and advanced manufacturing.

Phil served nearly a decade in the U.S. Army as an Apache helicopter pilot. He later transitioned to high-impact research roles at NASA and DARPA, where he applied his operational insights to national security challenges. At DARPA, he led a strategic portfolio focused on the lunar economy, economic statecraft, and classified programs of direct relevance to INDOPACOM.

 

Dave Abba started his career in the Air Force flying the F-15C Eagle and later the F-22A Raptor, where he commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels. As a wing commander, he led the most complex wing in the Air Force with responsibilities including operational test and evaluation, weapons system evaluation, and electronic warfare reprogramming. In that role, he recognized the criticality of the electromagnetic spectrum to warfighting and championed the creation of the 350^th Spectrum Warfare Wing.

As a general officer, he served as the Director of the Air Force F-35 Integration Office and later as Director of the Special Access Program Central Office. In this role, Abba successfully led significant reforms to special access programs and policy.

He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1995 and later earned master’s degrees from the College of Naval Command and Staff with distinction and the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy as a distinguished graduate.

Dave was the founder and CEO of Royce Geo. Under his leadership, Royce Geo grew rapidly and received numerous accolades including repeated recognition as a Washington Post Top Workplace and Fortune Certified Great Place to Work. Dave is widely recognized for his insights into building and scaling GovCon businesses in national security and frequently speaks on podcasts including The Burn Bag, t-minus Space Daily, and The Business of Defense.