The growth and financial opportunity in space isn’t going away anytime soon - in fact, it’s just getting started. Many people might think it’s just a flash-in-the-pan buzzword, but that’s like saying the ocean’s going away and we should stop building ships.   There are still some hurdles, however. Which include the ability to prove out the business models.   How are private equity firms navigating the space opportunity? Why did our guest make the switch from engineering to private equity? In this episode, VP at AE Industrial Partners, Jon Lusczakoski talks about his incredible career and the opportunity the company is taking advantage of.   We don’t want the firm to invest in one single constellation, specific type of company or technology. There’s too much risk there. We want to provide the picks and shovels for the gold rush. -Jon Lusczakoski   Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode    - Mapping out the space opportunity If you take out SpaceX, Starlink, and Blue Origin, what’s the real financial picture in the space industry?   - From engineering to private equity Why did Jon decide to change his career trajectory?   - Learn to double click on key details From growing up around a small family business to working for a massive family business like Williams International, what has Jon learned?   Guest Bio   Jon Lusczakoski is Vice President at AE Industrial and is primarily focused on financial modeling, due diligence, executing new investments, and monitoring portfolio investments. Jon brings over seven years of aerospace industry experience to AE Industrial. Prior to joining AE Industrial in 2018, he was a Lead Engineer in the Program Development group at Williams International, where he led multiple integration programs for UAVs, military trainer aircraft and business jets.   To find out more go to; https://www.aeroequity.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-lusczakoski-3832492a.    Learn More About Your Host:   Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well-known aircraft OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers.    Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes, AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.