Jody Merritt
Partner
Maj. Gen. Jody A. Merritt (USAFR) is a nationally recognized leader in space operations, defense innovation, and dual-use technology strategy, with more than 30 years of experience across the military, government, and commercial tech sectors. She currently advises space and robotics-focused ventures through her firm, JM Astris Advisors, while continuing to serve in the Air Force Reserves.
Jody most recently served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of U.S. Space Command, where she helped oversee more than 18,000 joint personnel delivering space capabilities for national security. Her military experience spans space domain awareness, satellite communications, navigation, and space control — making her one of the few leaders with firsthand insight into the operational side of the military space missions.
On the civilian side, she held senior roles at SAIC and General Dynamics, leading federal capture strategy and solution design for programs worth billions of dollars. She’s advised over 30 emerging companies — particularly in space, AI/ML, and robotics — helping them understand government needs, scale their solutions, and break into the federal market.
Jody was also instrumental in standing up some of the government’s most successful innovation channels — including co-founding the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) and helping launch the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) early space initiatives, which paved the way for SpaceWERX and other dual-use acceleration efforts.
She holds degrees in Mathematics, Organizational Management, and Computer Information Systems, along with technical certifications in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and DevSecOps. As a Hispanic woman in national security and a champion for mentorship, she brings a values-driven perspective to innovation and leadership.
In her advisory work, she helps startups and investors navigate the intersection of defense requirements and commercial innovation, particularly in complex sectors like space systems and robotics.