Ben Marchionna

Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer

CURRENT FOCUS

Ben Marchionna proudly serves as the State of Michigan's first-ever Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer. His charter is to lead the supercharging of Michigan's innovation economy, leading strategy, building connective tissue, and driving bold action across founders and their startups, investors, universities, corporations, and government.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Previously, Ben led technology innovation and business development teams at Electra.aero, an aerospace startup near Washington, D.C., where he played a pivotal role bringing the world’s first hybrid-electric aircraft for dual-use applications into flight. Before Electra, Ben built the global operations team at SkySpecs, an energy software startup headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he led-from-scratch the scaling of autonomous robotics and AI-based software solutions into 26 countries.

Ben’s career began at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the renowned national security innovation factory in California’s Mojave Desert. During his tenure, he contributed to many groundbreaking aircraft development programs and graduated from Lockheed Martin’s Engineering Leadership Development Program.

EDUCATION/PERSONAL

Ben holds a B.S.E. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Product Development Engineering from the University of Southern California. He serves on the Leadership Advisory Board for the University of Michigan's College of Engineering, National Advisory Board for U-M's Innovation Partnerships unit, and as Chair of U-M’s Aerospace Industry Advisory Board. He is a Board Trustee and Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a Board member of the National Aeronautic Association, and a founding Board member of the Los Angeles County Air Show.