Geolocation Pioneers

Mariam Sorond is NextNav’s Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer, bringing extensive spectrum expertise and a proven track record of success to further NextNav’s leadership with 3D geolocation and GPS resiliency. For more than 28 years, she has led transformational change across mobile, wireless, fixed, and satellite networks, and held leadership positions within start-ups and large companies.

Most recently, she served as the Chief Technology Officer at VMware as CTO of the Service Provider and Edge business unit to help define and evangelize the technical strategy internally and externally as well as lead engagements with service provider partners to influence and promote vision, product and solution alignment and adoption towards the digital transformation. Mariam has also served as the Chief Research and Development Officer at CableLabs, and the Chief Wireless Architect of DISH. Earlier in her career, she worked for vendors such as Lucent Technologies (now Nokia), and several operators including ICO, Nextel, and PrimeCo, where she began as an RF Engineer.

Bandel L. Carano is a Managing Partner at Oak Investment Partners, which he joined in 1985 and became a General Partner in 1987. Bandel is currently on the Boards of Airspan Networks, Centric Software, MobiTV, Mojix, NeoPhotonics, NextNav, nLight, and SmartDrive. Bandel has also led investments in and/or served on the Boards of 2Wire, Avici, CoreTek, Endwave, Fiber Tower, Good Technology, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Netopia, Phononic Devices, Picture Tel, Polycom, Presidio, Protean Electric, Qtera, Sentient Networks, Solarflare Communications, Tegic, Trapeze Networks, Wellfleet, Entropic, Illustra/Informix, Sybase, Tele Atlas, Actel, Airgo Networks, CommQuest, Kenet, Level 5, NanoH2O, NemeriX, Newport Media, Resonext, SMIC, Synaptics, Virata, Interconnectix, Parametric, Synopsys, Tensilica, Wavestream, and Zayo.

Bandel received BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He currently serves on the Investment Advisory Board of the Stanford Engineering Venture Fund.

Alan Howe is NextNav’s Lead Independent Director. Mr. Howe has served as a co-founder and the Managing Partner of Broadband Initiatives, LLC, a boutique corporate advisory and strategic consulting firm, since 2001. Previously, he held various executive management positions at Covad Communications, Teletrac, Inc., Sprint and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company. Mr. Howe is an experienced public company director. He currently serves on the boards of Babcock & Wilcox (NYSE: BW), Resonant (NASDAQ:  RESN), Sonim Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SONM), and Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: OESX).  Mr. Howe was previously a director of Spartacus Acquisition Corporation.

Mr. Howe received a Masters of Business Administration from the Kelley Business School at Indiana University and a Bachelors of Science – Business Administration and Marketing from the Gies School of Business at the University of Illinois. Mr. Howe was selected to serve on our board of directors because of operational, corporate finance, business development and leadership experience as well as his in depth strategic knowledge of the wireless, location technology, telecommunications, and software industries.

Jonathan Marcus currently serves as the Chairman of Alimco Financial Corp., (“Alimco”) and previously served as CEO of the Company from March 2019 to May 2023. He is also currently on the board of directors for Anacomp, Inc. and Kaspien Holdings Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Marcus was a managing member and co-founder of Broadbill Partners, L.P., a fund focused on special situations and distressed securities. Prior to Broadbill, Mr. Marcus was the Chief Investment Officer of Cypress Management, L.P., the predecessor fund to Broadbill, which he founded in 1995. Mr. Marcus’ career also includes extensive investment banking and financial advisory work at Prudential-Bache Securities and Credit Suisse First Boston. Since January 2018, Mr. Marcus has served as Special Advisor to Milfam LLC.

John Muleta is currently CEO of ATELUM LLC, a technology transfer firm specializing in mobile and Internet services, and the Managing Member of SNR Wireless. He was previously partner and co-chair of the Communications Practice at the law firm of Venable LLP. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Muleta served as chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, where he was responsible for developing and implementing spectrum policy, managing the FCC’s auction and licensing processes, and implementing the Agency’s wireless E911 mandate. Additionally, he served as Deputy Bureau Chief of the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau from 1994 to 1998.

Mr. Muleta also has a distinguished private sector record as an entrepreneur and business executive. He served as founder, director and CEO of M2Z Networks and as Chairman and CEO of Tellus Technology. In addition, he was a senior officer of two publicly traded companies, Navisite, Inc. (NASDAQ: NAVI) and PSINet, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSIX,). In those roles, he was responsible for international expansion and new business initiatives. During his career, Mr. Muleta has served on the boards of Fibertower, HRsmart, and Folio Investing, and on the advisory boards of Good Technology, Cognio, and Packethop. Mr. Muleta holds an undergraduate degree in Systems Engineering and an MBA/JD from the University of Virginia and was a founding alumni Trustee of UVA’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equality and Access (IDEA) Fund and served as chair for two years.

Nicola (Nicki) Palmer is a distinguished technology executive with over 30 years of experience in various leadership positions. Nicki began her career at Bell Atlantic, a Verizon predecessor company and has held a number of leadership positions in engineering, operations, and technology supporting advanced data and wireless products across customer segments. She has served as Verizon’s Chief Engineering Officer as well as the Chief Technology Officer, where she led the 4G and 5G network deployments. As Chief Product Officer, she led the exploration of new technologies and creation of products and platforms that solve problems for individuals, enterprises, and society.

Nicki is widely recognized as an influential leader in technology and telecommunications. Her awards include being named one of the Most Influential Women in Wireless, a Top 10 Women in Telcom, a Top 10 5G People to Watch, a Top 100 CIO/CTO Leader in STEM, a Top 10 Leader in Mobile Diversity Equity and Inclusion, a POWER Woman by Moves Magazine, and highlighted as a Female Disruptor by Authority Magazine. She has worked for decades to promote education and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), especially for women. Nicki earned a BS in industrial engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. She is a proud wife, mother of three, and breast cancer survivor.

Neil currently serves as Chief Investment Officer for MILFAM, a single-family office.

Throughout his career, Neil has served as a director and major shareholder for a number of telecommunications companies through various cycles of their growth and development. His efforts include advising companies on the appropriate approach to support the growth and development of their spectrum assets via effective financial and operating plans. He has also been integral in providing substantial transaction support for spectrum assets tied to several of the major telecommunications companies which has resulted in significant value creation for these businesses.

Neil also has extensive experience as investor, including roles as Managing Director of the investment advisor to Aspen Advisors and as Chairman of Broadbill Partners.

Neil currently serves on the boards of Alimco Financial Corp, Centrus Energy Corp, Frontiersman Holdings, Inc., and Quantlab Financial LLC. Prior board memberships include Phazr Inc., Federal-Mogul Corporation, Fibertower Corp, First Avenue Networks, Inc., WCS Wireless LLC, 360networks (USA), Inc., Primus Telecommunications Group, Institutional Financial Markets, Inc., and Komag, Inc.