Dave Sterling leads strategic planning, operation alignment, and research, development, and growth initiatives across the company. As a trusted advisor to the CEO and a member of the executive leadership team, Dave plays a pivotal role in shaping GRVTY’s long-term success. He also serves as vice chair of the GRVTY Advisory Board, supporting cross-functional leadership in driving innovation and scale.

Previously, 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.

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.