is a mechanical engineer with a focus in controls as applied to renewable energy systems. He holds several patents within these areas. Corwin completed his doctorate at Stanford University developing active hydraulic platforms to improve gravitational-wave detection. His appreciation for design stems from a history of evolving equipment for competition in windsurfing and kite-boarding. Corwin has co-founded several companies, including Squid-labs, Potenco, Wakekite and Makani.

holds multiple patents and patents-pending on innovations in both sports and energy systems. During his tenure as Head Sail Designer at Gaastra Sails and, subsequently, as Head of R&D for Naish International, he was responsible for innovations in design and manufacturing. Don's background as a professional windsurfer on the World Cup Tour and as a professional kitesurfer has put him on the cutting edge of sail and kite development for the past 25 years. He has received many titles and awards for competition and design, and has been featured in and contributed to magazines, movies, and TV productions internationally. In addition to Makani, Don has co-founded Kiteboat Inc., and Kite Assist Institute in the Bay Area.

leads the Systems Engineering Team at Makani. He holds degrees in physics and electrical engineering from MIT. He has been responsible for many developments at Makani including hybrid turbine/propeller blades, passively stable, human flyable wing planforms, a robust predictive controller and a number of aerodynamic and structural simulation codes. In his spare time he likes to climb and tinker in the shop.

is a physicist with advanced degrees from MIT and U.C. Berkeley. Dr. Jensen has over seven years of experience developing novel sensing technologies. His work on miniaturized sensors has won numerous awards including the TR10 emerging technologies award and has been featured on the covers of scientific publications ranging from Nature Nanotechnology to Scientific American. Moreover, he holds multiple U.S. and international patents on their design and fabrication. Dr. Jensen firmly believes that energy will be one of the great challenges facing humanity in the coming decades and has chosen to devote his talents towards finding a solution.

has degrees in aerospace, mechanical and ocean engineering from MIT. She studied internal waves (generated as tides flow over submarine ridges) and was lucky to participate in sea-going experiments off Hawaii and Taiwan. Her articles in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics describe simple analytical and experimental models of real geophysical systems that drive ocean circulation. At Makani Paula strives to make our testing program run smoothly, because she believes that testing in real conditions is an integral part of innovative design.

hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was born and raised on the shores of Lake Michigan. Alex is an avid Packers fan, and a former center fielder for the (County) Minor Leauge team the Beloit Snappers, where he was known for his solid line drives and his middle name (Zolton). He spent a winter snowboarding in Colorado and half a year in Mexico teaching tourists to scuba dive before joining Joby Energy as a composites technician. Alex has been building composites for over three years. His constant companion, Samantha, is well known for her predilection for chasing ground squirrels and tennis balls.

was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA, which is famous for having the worst air pollution in the U.S. This, coupled with the fact that the high school mascot was an Oil Driller, served to strengthen his resolve to work on clean technology. After graduating with his mechanical engineering degree from UC Santa Barbara, he worked at a number of engineering companies before finding his way to Joby Energy. There he assembled prototypes, integrated avionics and prepped for testing, a role which he has continued at Makani Power. When he's not laying up carbon fiber he can be found growing prodigious numbers of vegetables in his mountain garden, the surplus of which supplies many a Makani household with glorious fresh, organic produce.

has worked at Makani Power since 2007, studiously documenting everything from fabrication to flying prototypes. Previously she worked as the Director of Design and Production for Umbrage Editions in NYC, where books she produced won numerous awards. Andrea's work has appeared in Nature, Treehugger, FastCompany, CNN, Discover, PBS, MAKE: magazine and at TED and Long Now talks. When she's not at work you can find her on Twitter and at The Seedling Project, where she documents sustainable farming practices in Peru and California.

graduated with a fine arts degree in wood and metal kinetic sculpture with an emphasis in robotics. At Makani, she is either laying up parts in the wing shop or soldering circuit boards for the electrical team. When not in the shop she spends much of her time in her garden, biking or building small boats. Her goals are to sail across the Pacific and to go back to school to study engineering. Currently she is working on developing a superpower to talk to plants and rocks.

trained in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester, where he researched wind turbines and other alternative energy systems. Additionally, he served as captain of the cross country running team and still runs the streets at night in impossibly short shorts. After graduation he found himself in Santa Cruz, California, where he was hired by Joby Energy. Despite surfing in Santa Cruz for a year and a half, he was unable to attain 'local' status. At Makani he supports Testing Operations and advances Makani's ground stations.

is an Electrical Engineer designing avionics systems at Makani. He has a Masters degree from Stanford, and studied as an undergraduate at the University of Idaho where he was involved in several NASA microgravity research projects. Prior to joining the team at Makani, he worked on telemetry systems at Sandia National Laboratories. Eric loves being outside, and is a member of the Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol.

has earned several patents and awards designing Electronic Stability Control systems for Ford Motor Company. There he spent many a day on the track trying to find creative ways to get SUVs onto two wheels. After Ford, he earned his Masters at Northwestern University specializing in haptics, controls, and numerical optimization. At Makani he specializes in controls and system design. Erik enjoys attempting to play the guitar, finding new places to eat dinner with his wife, and working for an excellent renewable energy company.

is an Electrical Engineer at Makani responsible for development of lightweight electronics for converting wind into electricity and conducting it to the ground. Previously he worked on data chain design for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission and image geolocation for the GOES-R satellite program, and devised control systems for electrosurgery generators and microfluidic valves. He has also designed IGBT modules, motor drive electronics, and controls and electronics for high-power, high-voltage medical devices. He received his Masters from Stanford and is both the former California State Citrus Squeezer Champion and a National Ultimate Frisbee Champion.

studied biomedical engineering at Duke University where she researched real-time stereo 3D ultrasound. After graduating she volunteered in Tanzania for a year, repairing hospital equipment. At Makani she works on the Structures team, machining, drafting and assembling wings. Joanna is a voracious reader and co-founded the Makani book club.

graduated from Williams College with a degree in art history, where she researched the ethics of exhibiting war photography and curated several exhibitions. At Makani she indulges her interest in industrial design by fabricating and assembling wing components. Prior to her return to California, Martine lived in New York working in exhibitions at the International Center of Photography and at the Museum of Modern Art. In an alternate universe she is operating an underground food cart called Little Charlotte Puddings from a shiny converted airstream trailer with her mum.

is an aerospace engineer specializing in estimation, control and software systems. His work in the MIT Space Systems Lab continues to motivate his interests in reliability, adaptivity and automated testing. Between an earlier Makani internship and his current role at Makani, he wrote flight control and navigation software at Joby Energy. Outside of renewable energy innovation, Matt's goals include sailing across an ocean, finishing an Ironman and eating the whole thing in one bite.

is a Fabricator specializing in lightweight composites. He received his Bachelors degree in Industrial Design in Korea. During college he rediscovered his childhood love of airplanes, and since then he has been designing, making, and flying them. He started with R/C airplanes and later built over 15 experimental aircraft and test-flew them himself. He also has experience building other modes of transport, including boats and bicycles.

is a Ground Station Engineer with a background in heavy machinery, construction, and hardhat diving. Prior to joining Makani an interest in novel building materials led to the construction of an energy-efficient underground dwelling. At Makani, he has acquired and modified Makani's Ground Stations. He played a key role in the development of three deployable testing platforms and contributed to the development of an autonomous flight controller as a system test pilot. Rob hails from the north woods of Wisconsin, his favorite cheese is a bandage-wrapped reserve cheddar, and he often surfs without a wetsuit.

is a Mechatronics Engineer with expertise in aerospace composites design and manufacture. He is also Makani Power's test pilot and since joining the company in 2007 has directed flight operations leading up to several major milestones. Scott previously worked for Tenix, Australia's largest defense contractor, where he developed UAV payloads and multispectral imaging systems. He has a degree in Mechatronic Engineering from the University of Sydney and enjoys "going bush" whenever time permits.

is the Accounting and HR Manager at Makani Power. She has also worked with K.A. Hart & Associates, Covenant Aviation Security, and Head Strong Building. She went to San Francisco State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration on entrepreneurial and small business management. She has also conducted research in developing a business school for children and is currently studying to become a CPA.

is a life-long craftsman who apprenticed in motorcycle and automotive racing shops before working for NASA as a missile assembly and launch technician. Since 1980 he has focused his career on Clean Tech, primarily designing, building, and racing human-powered and electric vehicles. During his tenure as the power source for streamlined racing bicycles he won 50 races from 82 starts, 5 regional titles and 1 world title. At the age of 50 he pedaled his personal best one hour time trial at 43.28 miles (standing start) and has pedaled a personal best top speed of 62 MPH in the 200 meter sprint (flying start).

graduated from the University of Bologna with a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked in Italy as the CTO of C.A.R., specializing in oenological (wine making) equipment. Tommaso also worked with Ferrari S.p.A. on a new aircraft engine design project, as well as for famous industrial designer Gianni Bortolotti and Tecnowind S.p.A., where he led a team that reconceived the sustainable kitchen. Tommaso won four national juniors titles in long jump and sprint competitions. In his spare time he plays tennis and aspires to learn kite surfing. His family presses their own olive oil, which we devour en masse whenever possible.