A team built for federal growth.
Meet the people behind Launcher Station, then see how their government technology, defense contracting, capital, and procurement experience comes together inside the program.
US Defense Group
Launcher Station is brought to you by US Defense Group (USDG), a firm dedicated to supporting enterprises that are crucial to the United States' national security. USDG focuses exclusively on enterprises operating within or supporting the U.S. defense industry, seeking proven technologies, strong leadership, and a clear path to contributing to America's defense and security capabilities.
Visit US Defense GroupAt US Defense Group, we are driven by the conviction that America's best years of defense innovation are yet to come. Our core mission is to ensure these pioneering capabilities reach our nation's defenders first.
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Managing Partners
The team is part of the value proposition. Launcher Station combines federal procurement intelligence, defense technology execution, company-building experience, finance, and advisory networks so selected companies are not navigating the market alone.
Lane is a third-generation government technology entrepreneur whose work spans DMV systems, bank integrations, GovSeek AI, decentralized identity, and defense-adjacent technology networks.
Lane Campbell is a third-generation government technology entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in leading companies with emerging technologies and compliance technology. Mr. Campbell is CEO and co-founder of GovSoft, an Ohio-based government technology company whose platforms are deployed statewide in a DMV system and integrates with over 80% of the banks in the United States.
Mr. Campbell contributes to GovSeek, the AI-powered government contracting intelligence platform, was the Secretary for the IEEE working group on Quantum Computing, and authored a patent for Decentralized Identity and Network for Consumer-Controlled Data Management.
Earlier he built Syntress, ranked by CRN as one of the 250 fastest growing companies in the country two consecutive years before its acquisition. He is a longtime FBI InfraGard member in a leadership role and maintains deep connections in tech, finance, business, and defense, including the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base ecosystem. Based in Ohio.
Ali is a defense technology executive who scaled Terasynth into a Department of Defense prime contractor and built GovSeek to accelerate opportunity discovery, capture, and proposal workflows.
Ali Mahvan is a defense technology executive who scaled Terasynth from founding to prime contractor status with the Department of Defense in approximately three years. As CEO, he leads a defense systems integrator focused on AI, autonomous systems, and extended reality environments for government operations.
Terasynth won Most Innovative at I/ITSEC 2022, the world's largest defense simulation conference. Ali built GovSeek, an AI-powered contracting intelligence and proposal workflow platform designed to accelerate opportunity discovery, capture planning, and review-ready proposal drafting. Terasynth's product suite also includes TechEval AI for sole-source contract evaluation and Anya for defense document processing.
He has published white papers on LLM-driven OODA loop analysis for multi-domain operations. Ali is a Forbes Business Council member and an alumnus of Y Combinator and Techstars, based in Orlando, Florida.
Sara leads Spark Growth and brings cross-sector growth strategy, dual-use innovation networks, defense incubator relationships, and public-private collaboration experience to the program.
Sara Hand is CEO and Principal Advisor at Spark Growth, the strategic advisory firm she founded in 2013. Spark Growth designs growth strategies for emerging technology, dual-use ventures, and cross-sector initiatives spanning smart cities, economic development, and public-private collaboration.
Sara serves as President of TiE Tampa Bay, an international entrepreneurship organization. She has deep connections to defense incubators, accelerators, and innovation networks, and is active in the dual-use innovation space, working at the intersection of university research and defense commercialization. Her work bridges defense, biotech, and international markets. Based in Bradenton, Florida.
Ryan combines Navy technical systems experience, investment banking, capital strategy, restructuring, and operational leadership to help evaluate companies and turn strategy into execution.
Ryan Ramage serves as part of the operational team for US Defense Group, where he supports the identification, evaluation, and restructuring of defense, dual-use technology, and government contracting companies that may benefit from USDG's strategic advisory, operational support, procurement intelligence, and sector-specific execution capabilities.
Ryan brings experience across investment banking, capital markets, structured finance, U.S. real estate transactions, operational leadership, and marketing strategy, having advised sponsors, founders, and owner-operators on capital strategy, corporate development, turnarounds, strategic planning, system implementations, go-to-market execution, and fractional leadership needs, including COO, CMO, and CFO functions. His early technical foundation includes electronics, programming, network administration, and systems implementation, including six years of service in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Princeton as a network administrator and electronics repair technician. This blend of finance, operations, and technical systems allows him to identify risk early, translate strategic objectives into actionable structures, and help drive execution through completion.
Ryan is also Managing Director and co-owner of Ridger Capital Inc., a boutique investment banking and capital advisory firm that helps growth-stage companies and asset-backed businesses raise debt and equity, execute M&A transactions, and structure strategic financings. The firm focuses on Aerospace & Defense, Food & Agribusiness, Industrials, Infrastructure, Energy, Real Estate, and Life Sciences, supporting clients with investor-grade execution from capital formation through transaction close. Securities transactions are conducted through GT Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.
Chris is a veteran CPA and tax strategist with deep experience in entity formation, complex tax planning, global financial structures, and fund-aligned investor strategy.
Chris is a veteran tax strategist with over 25 years of experience managing complex global financial structures and estate planning for high-net-worth individuals, wealthy families, and international businesses. As co-founder of Impact Pockets, a private equity accelerator, he focuses on fund entity formation, investor tax strategy, and GP/LP alignment.
Lemire's background includes serving as CEO of a payroll company, Managing Partner of his own CPA firm, and VP of Taxation for a mid-sized private company. His expertise spans domestic and international tax compliance, financial statement preparation, complex tax strategies, entity formation, asset protection, and acquisition/divestiture projects.
He brings extensive experience across the service, manufacturing, recycling, and medical sectors, providing comprehensive financial and tax strategy guidance for complex multi-entity structures, operating partnerships, and defense-focused growth platforms like those supported by US Defense Group.
Advisory Board
T.J. Kneale brings extraordinary depth of experience as the former head of procurement at the F-35 program, one of the largest and most complex defense procurement programs in history. Currently serving as Head of Data as a Product at Ninety, he combines military aviation expertise with cutting-edge product management capabilities.
With 20+ years of experience spanning product management from consumer software to integrated hardware/software defense systems, T.J. successfully launched a consumer-facing EdTech SaaS startup from scratch, raising $2M and deploying mobile SaaS products to market.
In the Navy, T.J. began as a Naval Aviator & Test Pilot before transitioning to lead product management for a $6B portfolio of software, avionics, and modeling & simulation products for the $300B F-35 enterprise. This unique combination of operational military experience and large-scale program management provides invaluable insight into defense procurement processes.
As the Head of Moonshot Launch at Telefonica, T.J. conceived and launched a multi-player video game using ML-powered assessment of collaborative problem-solving, demonstrating his ability to bridge advanced technology with practical applications.
T.J.'s aviation background as a fighter pilot laid a solid foundation for his business endeavors, bringing the precision, risk management, and strategic thinking essential to both military operations and successful business execution. He provides US Defense Group with deep understanding of defense procurement requirements and the ability to translate military operational needs into commercial opportunities.
Rob began his career as a corporate attorney with Testa, Hurwitz, and Thibeault, LLP and Weil, Gotshal & Manges in Boston, where he represented VC and PE firms through their fund-formation process and across the full lifecycle of their portfolio companies. Clients were primarily in technology.
Rob recently taught the entire first-year MBA program at Harvard Business School under the heading of improving interpersonal competence. For the last 20 years, he has been the President of TypeCoach, which is a technology platform and training system designed to improve interpersonal communication.
Available in 8 languages, these tools are used by the Fortune 500, Air Force, Navy, and other government & military organizations, world-class consulting organizations, and business schools. Rob has personally delivered live training to more than 80,000 leaders around the globe, and the TypeCoach online tools have reached more than 250,000 users.
Rob teaches the unique skill of identifying the personality type and communication style of others, and how to adapt one's approach accordingly. Organizations use these skills to build high-performing teams, advance leadership capabilities, and improve sales results. Rob's role at USDG will center on building exceptional teams and supercharging the sales function to grow revenue.
Bruce Campbell is the owner of GovBuddy from Capitol Enquiry, a company that has served as a trusted partner to over 15,000 companies since 1973. His organization has provided essential government relations and procurement guidance across multiple decades of federal contracting evolution.
GovBuddy's impressive client portfolio includes every branch of several state governments, demonstrating deep institutional knowledge of public sector procurement processes. The company has also served major technology giants including Google, Apple, Microsoft, and leading financial institutions like JP Morgan Chase, among many others.
Capitol Enquiry has over 50 years of experience navigating government contracting landscapes. As Owner, Bruce brings unparalleled insight into federal procurement cycles, regulatory compliance, and the strategic relationships essential for successful government contracting. His extensive network and institutional knowledge provide US Defense Group with invaluable guidance in positioning partner companies for federal success.
Bruce's expertise spans both the evolution of government procurement practices and the private sector's adaptation to federal contracting requirements, making him an ideal advisor for companies seeking to bridge commercial innovation with government procurement standards.
See how this team operates inside the program.
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