SPACE IN 60

Podcast: SPACE IN 60 Episode: FRANK DiBELLO | Space Florida Welcome to the SPACE IN 60 podcast, where Clint Graumann, Andrew Pylypchuk and Chad Baker bring you into the world of the new space industry! Today, Chad, Clint, and Andrew are joined by guest Frank DiBello, CEO of Space Florida! To kick off the conversation, Frank highlights all that Florida currently has going for them in the space industry. There was a time when Florida mostly had its location to offer, but today it boasts exciting innovations in the commercial world. Earlier in his career, Frank created a space practice for his firm which delivered satellites to Wall Street. In those days, it was the insurance industry which made these vehicles financeable. Things have evolved quite a lot since then as insurance plays less of a role in financing and satellites are more efficient and less likely to be insured. The democratization of space is another exciting element of today, as more people and businesses are encouraged to partake in the industry. Also, there is a much broader appreciation of the value of space technology and space’s contributions to our everyday well-being. Then, Frank shares the path which led him to his role today as the CEO of Space Florida. He reveals that what he is doing today is absolutely the most exciting of his entire career. It is actually the fourth iteration of a state’s effort to create a space authority. In the last 10 years, Space Florida has done about $2.7 billion in terms of infrastructure and Frank’s goal is to reach $10 billion by 2030. Space tourism is an exciting new area of focus in Florida and represents the potential value creation of space. Florida has very active outreach to international companies, encouraging them to come to the state to conduct their operations. Frank reveals that Florida has been home to 20 of the 25 U.S. launches this year. As the episode wraps up, Frank highlights big names in the industry he has collaborated with. Exciting him most in the industry today is the democratization occurring for people willing to go into space and plan activities, which ultimately leads to value creation. The second kind of democratization is the infusion of technology in every aspect of our way of life. Pretty soon, the understood value of space technology and applications will be all pervasive. Before wrapping up, Frank shares that he would go into space in a heartbeat given the chance. Links: Connect with Frank DiBello. Connect with Clint Graumann on LinkedIn and Twitter. Connect with Andrew Pylypchuk on LinkedIn and Twitter. Connect with Chad Baker on LinkedIn Learn more about SPACE IN 60 and connect on Twitter.