Ben Marchionna is the first Chief Innovation Officer for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, championing the holistic development of Michigan’s burgeoning innovation economy.
Marchionna is a visionary leader in tech, strategy, and operations with an exceptional track record of fostering collaborative, entrepreneurial teams to tackle the world’s toughest innovation challenges. His prior achievements include spearheading technology and business development at Electra.aero, a sophisticated startup developing hybrid-electric aircraft; leading global operations at SkySpecs, where he scaled autonomous drones and AI solutions across 26 countries; and stretching the art of the possible in national security innovation at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.
Marchionna earned a Master of Science in Product Development Engineering from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan.