DroneSense CEO and leadership

Christopher is a proven and respected entrepreneur in the tech industry with a high aptitude for critical thinking, vision and strategy. Through his leadership and business savvy, he’s been able to effectively manage teams across the globe and is skilled in all aspects of the software business cycle. Aviation has also played an important role in Christopher’s career as the inventor of EngineSense, a device that assists the pilot in identification of a failed engine in multi-engine airplanes. In 2010 he obtained his private pilot license and continued on to earn his instrument and multi-engine ratings in the following years. With over 500 flight hours he is on track to complete his commercial rating in 2016.Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and consulting at Dell, he recognized an opportunity in the market of automated testing and co-founded ArtOfTest in 2007. The startup focused on making the complex domain of automated testing more productive and accessible to a wide variety of people with different skill sets and backgrounds. Some of the company’s pioneering work and methods resulted in a US Patent.After a merger with Telerik in 2010, Christopher became the EVP of the business division and expanded his role to include vision and strategy for Telerik’s other tools in the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) space. Through his executive leadership and deep understanding of software development and agile methodologies, he was able to rapidly grow revenue year over year and secure the coveted “Visionary” position in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant.After an acquisition of Telerik by Progress Software in 2014, Christopher exited his investment and left to pursue his passion for aviation and technology. Ever the technologist, tinkerer and entrepreneur, he’s parlayed his aviation experience into the world of drone technology and is seeking to innovate and build first class software in the rapidly evolving space.

Gerard is co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of DroneSense, Inc, a drone software company with a platform tailored to the unique needs of public safety. He leads all aspects of brand experience at DroneSense. He is also owner/operator of iMaerial, a fine art aerial photography studio with recent exhibits at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and Austin City Hall. He's been featured in National Geographic for his aerial photography of archeological ruins in South America. Over the past 15 years, Gerard has had the opportunity to use his expertise in marketing teams and video production to craft stories for a wide variety of clients around the world. His dedication to his craft and attention to detail have enabled him to work on projects featuring notable organizations such as NASA, Microsoft, and the Dallas Cowboys.After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, he spent several years traveling and living abroad while developing his artistic style. He attended Vancouver Film School in 2000 obtaining a Digital Design certificate and soon after began his career in the production industry capital of LA. Gerard is a versatile team player with a firm understanding of how to create captivating visual content to best achieve marketing goals. From network TV promos to commercial production and corporate work, his hands-on approach and strong interaction with stakeholders has been an asset to agencies, animation studios and software companies alike. He’s garnered awards from ADDY and the CW Network and is continually recognized for both his professional and personal work. Since his childhood watching shows like Wild Kingdom, he’s always been captivated by aerial photography and cinematography. In 2013, he became an early adopter of drone technology and began experimenting with aerial imaging. The culmination of these skillsets has allowed him to explore creative and business applications using these innovative tools.

Chris Hurst is an Advisor at TruKno; COO and Advisor at DroneSense Inc; and Advisor and COO at Drone Pilot, Inc (DPI) and is based in Austin, Texas. He has worked as Executive in Residence at Thomas Weisel Venture Partners; VP Sales and Business Development at Sun Microsystems; and Vice President Strategy and Planning, Global Service Provider at Øyvind Breilid. Chris studied at University of Tulsa/The between 1974 and 1978.

Christopher is a proven and respected entrepreneur in the tech industry with a high aptitude for critical thinking, vision and strategy. Through his leadership and business savvy, he’s been able to effectively manage teams across the globe and is skilled in all aspects of the software business cycle. Aviation has also played an important role in Christopher’s career as the inventor of EngineSense, a device that assists the pilot in identification of a failed engine in multi-engine airplanes. In 2010 he obtained his private pilot license and continued on to earn his instrument and multi-engine ratings in the following years. With over 500 flight hours he is on track to complete his commercial rating in 2016.Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and consulting at Dell, he recognized an opportunity in the market of automated testing and co-founded ArtOfTest in 2007. The startup focused on making the complex domain of automated testing more productive and accessible to a wide variety of people with different skill sets and backgrounds. Some of the company’s pioneering work and methods resulted in a US Patent.After a merger with Telerik in 2010, Christopher became the EVP of the business division and expanded his role to include vision and strategy for Telerik’s other tools in the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) space. Through his executive leadership and deep understanding of software development and agile methodologies, he was able to rapidly grow revenue year over year and secure the coveted “Visionary” position in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant.After an acquisition of Telerik by Progress Software in 2014, Christopher exited his investment and left to pursue his passion for aviation and technology. Ever the technologist, tinkerer and entrepreneur, he’s parlayed his aviation experience into the world of drone technology and is seeking to innovate and build first class software in the rapidly evolving space.

Gerard is co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of DroneSense, Inc, a drone software company with a platform tailored to the unique needs of public safety. He leads all aspects of brand experience at DroneSense. He is also owner/operator of iMaerial, a fine art aerial photography studio with recent exhibits at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and Austin City Hall. He's been featured in National Geographic for his aerial photography of archeological ruins in South America. Over the past 15 years, Gerard has had the opportunity to use his expertise in marketing teams and video production to craft stories for a wide variety of clients around the world. His dedication to his craft and attention to detail have enabled him to work on projects featuring notable organizations such as NASA, Microsoft, and the Dallas Cowboys.After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, he spent several years traveling and living abroad while developing his artistic style. He attended Vancouver Film School in 2000 obtaining a Digital Design certificate and soon after began his career in the production industry capital of LA. Gerard is a versatile team player with a firm understanding of how to create captivating visual content to best achieve marketing goals. From network TV promos to commercial production and corporate work, his hands-on approach and strong interaction with stakeholders has been an asset to agencies, animation studios and software companies alike. He’s garnered awards from ADDY and the CW Network and is continually recognized for both his professional and personal work. Since his childhood watching shows like Wild Kingdom, he’s always been captivated by aerial photography and cinematography. In 2013, he became an early adopter of drone technology and began experimenting with aerial imaging. The culmination of these skillsets has allowed him to explore creative and business applications using these innovative tools.