Team - LightSpeed Innovations

Co-Founders Profile

Monica Jan

Ellen Chang

Monica brings over 22 years of experience in the technology and aerospace industries. Her expertise ranges from processors and chipsets to full system design for space, robotics, and consumer electronics. She has been involved in research and development in artificial intelligence, networking architectures and hardware, telematics systems, automatic test equipment, and space systems. During her tenure at Northrop Grumman, her architecture and implementation of a satellite switching subsystem won the Chairman’s Innovation Award. In her consulting career, she has worked with both entrepreneurs and corporations on technical and product development, business development, strategic partnerships, operations and cross-functional process improvement, and supply chain alignment. She has also led a corporate turnaround, and advised high-tech start-ups on their start-up and technology strategies. As part of the steering committee for the Wharton Angel Network and Wharton Aerospace Ventures, Monica works actively with investors and entrepreneurs.

Monica holds both BSEE and MSEE degrees from the University of Southern California, a Systems Engineering certificate from the California Institute of Technology, and an MBA from The Wharton School. She currently holds a faculty position at The Wharton School with the Global Consulting Practicum Program.

When not at work, you can find Monica coaching triathletes or teaching adaptive skiing on the slopes.

Ellen brings over 25 years of experience in strategy, business and product development in the technology and aerospace industries. Her career spans from the U.S. Navy as an intelligence officer to JP Morgan where she focused on exploring and facilitating investing in start-ups. She later founded her own start-up in the aviation industry where the team focused on building a B2B aviation part sourcing and brokerage focused on business jets. During her 12 years at Northrop Grumman, she held positions as a systems engineer and program manager, working in design and development of autonomous systems ranging from the Global Hawk to the Unmanned Carrier based unmanned aerial system. In her last position with Northrop Grumman, as a director of the Advanced Mission Systems Division she was responsible for anticipating mission requirements and developing products that would be relevant 5-10 years out. As a co-president of the Wharton Aerospace Community and chair of the Wharton Angel Network SoCal Steering Committee, Ellen frequently engages with investors, universities and industry on innovation strategy and market dynamics.

Ellen holds a bachelors degree in history (historiography) from the University of Pennsylvania, a MS in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MBA from The Wharton School.

When Ellen is not busy mentoring and advising start-ups, she is probably running up and down the hills of Poway, CA training for another half-marathon.