About US

---

 John is a serial entrepreneur and established electronics manufacturing expert. His experience includes being the founder of Pinnacle Data Systems in Columbus, Ohio. John guided the global electronics design and manufacturing company through steady growth, having delivered more than 500 unique product lines to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). He led Pinnacle’s IPO in 1996 (Nasdaq:PNS). In 2012, the company was acquired by Avent, Inc., where John led the integration and global growth of the business unit. John has a BS in computer engineering from the Ohio State University. 

 Eric is an experienced C-Suite executive, inventor, entrepreneur, and investor with more than 20 years of commercialization experience including as president of a $300mm aerospace and defense product development company. He is an expert in non-dilutive capital acquisition, voice of the customer, and business growth strategy. Eric has a BS in computer science and an executive MBA, both from the Ohio State University. He was the salutatorian of his MBA class. He is a member of the Ohio Technical Angels and an active investor. 

 Tyler leads all development and engineering aspects of the Drone First Responder and Virtual Control Tower projects at Lighthouse. Prior to joining Lighthouse, Tyler was a senior design engineer at Converge Technologies, a commercialization company. While at Converge, he led the design and commercial development of high-tech electronics which included noise radars, optical sensing systems, infrared detection systems, autonomous drone systems, and a litany of other technologies. Tyler has his BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Ohio State. 

Mike has over 30 years of experience as an attorney and serial entrepreneur. He is the founder of BX3, a back-office financial and legal support partner for startups and small businesses. He is a founding member of the Lighthouse executive team. Prior to BX3, Mike worked for the Internal Revenue Service and Big Four public accounting and tax consultancies KPMG and PwC. Mike was a founding partner of WTP Advisors, a boutique international tax consulting firm that specialized in assisting the world’s largest companies with the thorniest of tax structuring and compliance issues. Mike holds both a BBA (Finance) and a JD from Pace University, and an LLM in Taxation from New York University.

Jared works on the development and integration of software into products such as the Drone First Responder and Virtual Control Tower.  He has a B.S. in Engineering with a concentration in Computer Engineering and a minor in Computer Science from Oral Roberts University. Jared graduated as the Outstanding Engineering Student with Computer Concentration from his senior class. 

 Kerry is responsible for day-to-day accounts and human resource management for Lighthouse Avionics. She also assists with inventory management tasks, and in various business development activities, including federal grant proposals and grants management.  Kerry has worked in various research-related fields, including public opinion research, fiscal analysis and budget management for the Ohio Legislature, and program evaluation for non-profits. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from John Carroll University and a M.S. in Natural Resource Management from The Ohio State University. 

 Heather is a valued member of the Lighthouse Team, having joined in 2023 with a rich background in law and community organization. She contributes significantly by providing project assistance, leveraging her organizational skills and legal knowledge. Heather's role is integral in supporting community outreach and engagement regarding Lighthouse Avionics, ensuring pilot projects are pipelined and executed efficiently.  

  Eric Grille is a founding member of the Lighthouse team and one of the primary motivators for the company’s creation. As the former Chief of Police for Hilliard, he led the state of Ohio’s understanding and adoption of drones to support first responder activities. He is a highly decorated officer of over 30 years and an ardent advocate of drone use for public safety. Chief Grile continues to support Ohio’s adoption of autonomous systems for public safety. 

Mike is nearing the completion of his Ph.D. in Geoinformatics and Computer Vision with Ohio State University (advised by Dr. Alper Yilmaz, a recognized leader in artificially intelligent computer vision research). Mike is currently focused on artificially intelligent computer vision and AI-based edge solutions for efficient detection, characterization, and tracking of objects as well as visual-based navigation. Before joining the Lighthouse team (and pursuing his PhD),  Mike developed leading-edge computer vision algorithms for the Air Force Research Laboratory and others.

Olivia Graduated Summa Cum Laude at Franklin University in  2023, with a Bachelor of Science in Interactive Media Design. Specializing in Human and Computer Interaction, Olivia is proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, focusing on digital illustration, layout design, and brand identity. Through academic projects and personal online content management, Olivia has developed a keen eye for design trends and innovation, consistently integrating these into her creative work.

 Ethan is the Mechanical Design Lead for Lighthouse Avionics. He is responsible for the design and fabrication of DFR and VCT prototypes. He uses various tools at Lighthouse such as 3d printers, laser cutters, and CNC mills to rapidly develop prototypes. Prior to Lighthouse, Ethan worked in manufacturing and industrial automation design for companies such as L-Brands and General Motors. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
 

 William, Lighthouse’s Principal Engineer, has spent the last 20+ years working as an innovator and inventor. Previous companies where Will was an innovation leader include Ubiquiti Networks, Tesla Motors and Cognitoys. Prior to his life in technology development, he had a career as a Commercial Pilot with type ratings in DC8 and B767.  He was also a founding partner in Event Systems, a company working closely with Broadway, Disney and Vegas supplying stage automation devices for over 30 years.  One of his career highlight projects was leading all electrical design on the Times Square ‘Millennial Ball’.  He has a BSEET from the Ohio Institute of Technology. 

Seth assists the Lighthouse Team by applying his skills in manufacturing and design to create mechanical solutions for diverse needs. He is a fourth-year student at The Ohio State University with a major in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. His academic journey has equipped him with a robust foundation, which he has channeled into practical, real-world applications during his internship at Lighthouse Avionics. 

Nick is a junior at The Ohio State University studying Computer Engineering with a focus in embedded systems. Nick is a part of the Baja Buckeyes club at OSU, specifically the Data Acquisition sub-team. Some of the work Nick does at Lighthouse includes drone simulation, automated landing using computer vision, MAVLink routing, working with AWS services such as S3, self-calibration for cameras using object detection, and GUI programming. 

 Logan is currently working on different application based integrated circuits. He contributed to the design and assembly of PCBs that power the drone and virtual control tower. Before Lighthouse, Logan was mentoring for the FIRST Robotics program at Metro Early College High School. Logan is currently in the Entrepreneur and Innovation Scholars Program studying Electrical Engineering at The Ohio State University. He hopes to gain more experience in the prototyping of electronics that will continue to develop his electrical engineering skills.