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Kevin O'Conell
Venture Partner
Kevin O'Connell is a recognized expert with nearly 40 years’ experience advancing space commerce, the global space economy, global intelligence activities, and U.S. national security in global markets. He provides strategy and finance advice, helps investors assess space market trends, and identifies new opportunities for increased participation in the space economy. In his role as the Director of the Office of Space Commerce within the U.S. Department of Commerce, he was the principal advocate in the U.S. government for the commercial space industry. He focused on the growing role of the private sector in space, encouraged new space partnerships, worked to ensure the competitiveness of the U.S. commercial space industry, encouraged regulatory reform, and advanced space safety and sustainability. Kevin has testified before Congress on several occasions. His prior government roles included positions in the Department of Defense, Department of State, National Security Council, Office of the Vice President, and Office of the Director of Central Intelligence. In the private sector, Kevin was a senior research analyst at RAND and served as the first Director of RAND’s Intelligence Policy Center. He is a recognized expert on the policy, security, and commercial aspects of satellite remote sensing technologies and markets. He served as the Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission on the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, and later as an advisor to the Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He was a long-standing member of NOAA’s federal advisory committee, ACCRES, including as Chair.
Kevin earned an MPP in Public Policy from the University of Maryland. He was awarded the Vice President’s Dedicated Service Award for his support to the National Space Council.
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