Board of Directors
Steve Pann
Steve Pann has over thirty years of experience in new concepts, technology strategy and development in support of demanding Government missions.
Steve is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Razor’s Edge Ventures. Steve believes future companies are not a zero-sum between humans and technology. Humans can collaborate with artificial intelligence, autonomous robots, biotech, and that advanced technology will create a stronger national security and more jobs rather than destroy them. He focuses on investments in growth stage technology companies and technology-enabled national security companies in the areas of aerospace and space-based operations, satellite systems, defense technology applications, ISR, sensing, alternative power systems, environmental technologies, global-situational awareness, Cyber, hyperscale and edge processing, alternative energy and biotechnology. Steve is also interested in exponential moonshot technologies capable of creating new waves of unexpected companies and capabilities we have not even thought of yet.
In the last five years, Steve’s portfolio of companies has yielded over $1 billion in shareholder returns including Altamira (acquired by ClearSky), Blackbird Technologies (acquired by Raytheon), and BlackLynx (acquired by Jacobs). As a private investor, Mr. Pann invested in, and served on the Board of Directors of, SRI (acquired by Peraton) and invested early stage and follow-on growth capital in Revere Bank (OTCMKTS: REVB), acquired by Sandy Spring Bank.
Steve currently serves on the board of Razor’s Edge portfolio companies BlackSea Technologies and TenantBase, and is a board observer at HawkEye 360 and X-Bow Systems. He is an advisor to Razor’s Edge portfolio companies GoSecure and X-Bow Systems. Steve believes in the strategic importance of unexpected transformational technology developments, vice incremental advancements. Steve is well known as a technology innovator within the national security community, and actively works in conjunction with Razor’s portfolio companies supporting growth platforms and USG customer mission requirements.
Before founding Razor’s Edge with his partners, Steve co-founded and served as Chief Strategy Officer at Blackbird Technologies and was a member of its Board of Directors. During his tenure at Blackbird, Mr. Pann co-founded RavenWing (acquired by Boeing), a mobile communications company. Before joining the private sector, Mr. Pann served in the Government for eighteen years developing and deploying advanced technologies in support of critical national security programs. This includes service ranging from an EOD IED Bomb Disposal Technician to Space systems.
Steve earned a bachelor’s degree from American University and served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps.
Steve is currently interested in existing companies and moonshot technology development in the following areas: Space, Satellite Manufacturing, ISR Sensing, Subsea Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Science, Precision Timing and Navigation, Autonomy, Cyber, Big Data, Edge Processing, Data Aggregators, Alternative Power Systems, Additive Manufacturing, Climate and Decarbonization, Water Production Systems, Geoengineering, Worker re-Training Tech, Future Food, Biotech, Genomics, Synthetic Biology, Augmented Human, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and DeFi.
Jack Kerrigan
Jack Kerrigan has a multi-decade track record of investing in, advising, and building successful technology companies.
Jack is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Razor’s Edge Ventures. Jack focuses on investments in technology-enabled national security companies and growth stage software companies.
In the last five years, Jack’s portfolio of companies has yielded significant shareholder returns including BlackLynx (acquired by Jacobs), BlackHorse (acquired by Parsons), and Altamira (acquired by ClearSky). As an angel investor, Mr. Kerrigan invested in, and served on the Board of Directors of, Unanet (acquired by JMI) and invested early stage and follow-on growth capital in Revere Bank (OTCMKTS: REVB), acquired by Sandy Spring Bank.
Jack currently serves on the board of Razor’s Edge portfolio companies Veros Technologies, BlackSea Technologies, Authentic8, RackTop Systems, and GoSecure, and is a board observer at Altamira. In addition to his board work in support of the Razor’s Edge portfolio, Mr. Kerrigan serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Virginia College Foundation.
Before founding Razor’s Edge with his partners, Jack was the Chief Operating Officer, and General Counsel at Blackbird Technologies (acquired by Raytheon). Earlier in his career, Mr. Kerrigan co-founded RavenWing (acquired by Boeing), a mobile communications company.
Jack earned a J.D. and bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.
Robert Work
Robert “Bob” Work was the thirty-second Deputy Secretary of Defense, serving alongside three Secretaries of Defense across two administrations from May 2014 to July 2017. In 2001, he retired as a Colonel in the United States Marine Corps after 27 years on active duty. He subsequently was a Senior Fellow and then Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). In May 2009, he was confirmed as the thirty-first Under Secretary of the Navy in the first Obama administration. Bob stepped down as the Under Secretary in March 2013 to become the Chief Executive Officer for the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He remained in that position until he assumed the role of Deputy Secretary of Defense in May 2014. He currently is the President and Owner of TeamWork, LLC, which specializes in defense strategy and policy, programming and budgeting, military-technical competitions, revolutions in war, and the future of war. He sits on the Board of Directors of Raytheon Technologies and several smaller high-tech firms. Most recently he was Co-Chair of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.
Bob holds a B.S. from the University of Illinois; an M.S. from the University of Southern California; an M.S. from the Naval Postgraduate School; and an M.I.P.P. from the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.
Mike Kushin
Mr. Kushin has over 30 years of highly specialized experience delivering capabilities to the Defense Department and Intelligence Community in three core areas, including cybersecurity, electronic warfare, and space solutions.
Mr. Kushin is currently the President of Defense and Intelligence (D&I) at Parsons Corporation, a $2B business unit delivering exquisite technology and mission support to US Defense and Intelligence organizations, along with international partners. Mr. Kushin joined Parsons through the acquisition of BlackHorse Solutions, where he was a co-founder, President and CEO. Mr. Kushin led substantial growth at BlackHorse, in 2 years going from a $6M organization focused on training and readiness to a $75M+ business offering cybersecurity, electronic warfare, and information operations solutions and products to a wide variety of Defense and Intelligence customers. Mr. Kushin led the sale of BlackHorse in July 2021 to the Parsons Corporation, achieving 26.2x TTM multiple on EBITDA, 4.1x ROIC, and a 70% IRR.
Previously, Mike Kushin served as Executive Vice President and Business Group Manager at CACI International Inc, and was Senior Vice President and CTO at ManTech International.
He has participated in several Councils including the Commission for Review of FBI Security Programs (Webster Commission) and the Information Sharing Council (ISC) that promoted the sharing of terrorism related information across Federal, State, and Local agencies. Mr. Kushin was one of three partners at Integrated Data Systems (IDS) prior to its acquisition by ManTech Corp. in 2003. Mr. Kushin currently serves on the Board of Greymatter.io and is an Advisory Board member for Missionlink.NEXT, and supports various charitable foundations.
Peggy Styer
Peggy is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Razor’s Edge Ventures. Peggy focuses on investments in venture, growth stage technology companies and technology-enabled national security companies.
In the last five years, Peggy’s portfolio of companies has yielded over $1 billion in shareholder returns including BlackHorse (acquired by Parsons) and Altamira (acquired by ClearSky). As a private investor, Ms. Styer invested in, and served on the Board of Directors of DuPont Fabros (NYSE: DFT), acquired by Digital Realty, and invested early stage and follow-on growth capital in Revere Bank (OTCMKTS: REVB), acquired by Sandy Spring Bank.
Peggy presently serves on the Board of Directors of Razor’s Edge portfolio companies Corsha, BlackSea, VelocityBlack, Dark Wolf, Expedition and Veros Technologies and is an observer to the Board of Directors of Proscia.
Before founding Razor’s Edge with her partners, Peggy co-founded and was the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Blackbird Technologies (acquired by Raytheon). During her tenure at Blackbird, Ms. Styer co-founded and served as CEO at RavenWing (acquired by Boeing), a mobile communications company.
Peggy earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from California State University Northridge and a MS degree in Technology Management from the University of Maryland.