Jessica Frick, Ph.D.
CEO & Co-Founder
Jessica is a world expert in the niche field of microgravity crystal growth, from wide-bandgap semiconductors to metal-organic frameworks. She has over ten years of hands-on experience designing and building bulk crystal growth hardware, including the design and fabrication of microgravity hardware.
Prof. Debbie Senesky
Co-Founder
Debbie is an Associate Professor in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and Electrical Engineering Department at Stanford University. She is an expert in advanced semiconductor materials and microelectronics for applications in extreme environments where silicon electronics fail.
Jiya Janowitz, M.S.
CTO
Jiya is an expert in complex electromechanical integration for aerospace systems ranging from lunar landers to microgravity stem cell bioreactors. He is the team’s critical link between its fundamental materials goals and building hardware that works harmoniously with commercial space infrastructure.
Lauren Reeves
Financial Consultant
Lauren brings expertise in management consulting and entrepreneurship, with a focus on scaling business operations for early-stage ventures. With experience helping startups navigate financial strategy and operational growth, she supports Astral Materials as a financial consultant, helping shape the company’s financial systems and strategic decision-making.
Prithviraj Deshmukh, M.S.
Lead Mechanical Engineer
Prith’s expertise is in designing, fabricating, and validating high temperature electromechanical systems for deep-tech startups. His hardware experience spans from microscale manufacturing research to high power microwave methane pyrolysis systems, a background that will help guide the development of Astral Materials’s microgravity crystal growth hardware.