Operators, builders, engineers.

Chris Frerichs is the Chief Executive Officer of DarkMoth, a sovereign, vertically integrated American defense manufacturer developing and producing unmanned systems, advanced composite airframes, propulsion systems, and critical components. Under his leadership, DarkMoth is expanding domestic production capacity across its Jupiter and Sarasota, Florida facilities, combining instrumented manufacturing and AI-enabled production learning to deliver capable systems at speed and scale. Raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Chris brings a Midwestern work ethic and a lifelong bias toward building things that matter.

From 2002 to 2015, Chris served as a U.S. Navy SEAL, first with SEAL Team FOUR and later with a Special Missions Unit (SMU). He completed multiple combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a decorated combat veteran whose honors include the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, among multiple other awards for valor. His years in special operations shaped his view of leadership as a discipline of preparation, accountability, and small teams executing under uncertainty. He also saw firsthand how the right equipment in the right hands, delivered on time, determines outcomes. That conviction informs DarkMoth’s operating principle: build capable domestic production capacity ahead of demand so critical systems can reach the people who need them without delay.

After leaving the Navy, Chris was the first employee at a consumer-packaged goods company, helping scale it from inception through its initial public offering. He then served as an investor with a family office, deploying capital across public equities, private equity, venture capital, and real estate, and developing a deep understanding of how durable companies are financed and built. Chris holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and serves on the board of Operation 300, a nonprofit supporting Gold Star children. He is the father of five.

Nate Albers is a serial entrepreneur and investor focused on mission-critical logistics, advanced manufacturing, defense technology, and energy. As founder and chief executive officer of Disaster Management Group (DMG), he brings more than two decades of experience leading large-scale deployments worldwide. DMG provides rapidly deployable infrastructure and logistical support for military operations, disaster response, and government programs, and is the largest vertically integrated asset holder in their space.

Albers also serves as executive chairman and co-owner of DarkMoth, a vertically integrated American defense manufacturer developing and producing unmanned systems, advanced composite airframes, propulsion systems, and critical components for U.S. Department of War and government customers. DarkMoth is building domestic production capacity that combines advanced metal additive manufacturing, precision machining, and automation to accelerate design iteration and production at speed and scale. His leadership is informed by extensive experience rapidly deploying personnel, equipment, infrastructure, and technologies in demanding and contested logistics environments.

With a focus on emergent technologies his portfolio includes companies such as ADDiTEC, AMPERA, Divergent, and Eclipse Defense Technologies, spanning metal additive manufacturing, micro-nuclear energy, GEN AI-enabled manufacturing, and less-lethal defense systems. Across his operating companies and investments, Albers focuses on accelerating the development and deployment of critical technologies at speed and scale.

Andrew Slattery was born in Melbourne, Australia, and moved to California at a very young age. He developed his expertise in business management at PGA Business School. His strong work ethic and dedication to the golf industry attracted the attention of prominent business leaders, leading to his appointment as National Sales Manager. In addition to his sales responsibilities, he supported the engineering team in manufacturing operations and safety. During his eight-year tenure, he more than doubled company revenue, increasing sales from $8 million to $20 million.

Slattery has always been driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take calculated risks. In 2001, he opened his first VIOC location in Charlotte, North Carolina, overcoming significant financial challenges along the way. Throughout his career, he played a key role in franchise growth and innovation, negotiating strategic franchise development areas and serving on several Franchise Advisory Boards. His achievements earned him numerous accolades, including Operator of the Year three times, Spirit of Franchising twice, and Developer of the Year nine times.

After selling the majority of his 79 locations to Carousel Capital, Slattery became Director of Growth and Development. In that role, he oversaw the company’s rapid expansion, helping nearly triple its footprint to more than 255 locations.

Slattery currently serves as Executive Chairman of QAS Companies and sits on the board of Curetivity.

Today, as Partner, President, and Chief Operating Officer of DarkMoth, Slattery helps lead a vertically integrated American defense manufacturer developing and producing unmanned systems, advanced composite airframes, propulsion systems, and critical components for U.S. DoW and government customers. He applies his experience scaling complex, multi-location operating businesses to help build DarkMoth’s domestic manufacturing capacity, operational discipline, and ability to deliver at speed and scale.

Alan Taylor is the Chief Innovation Officer of DarkMoth, a sovereign, vertically integrated American defense manufacturer developing and producing unmanned systems, advanced composite airframes, propulsion systems, and critical components. He brings decades of experience turning product concepts into manufacturable systems, with a focus on advanced composites, rapid production, and unmanned platforms.

Before joining DarkMoth, Taylor founded and served as president of Sarasota-based Rapid Composites. Founded in 1999, the company brought industrial design, mechanical and electrical engineering, software development, prototyping, tooling, carbon-fiber molding, and production together under one roof. Its work spans applications including electro-optical devices, weapon systems, and drone systems.

Taylor’s approach to innovation is grounded in the realities of the factory floor. At Rapid Composites, he advanced high-speed molding processes designed to produce precise composite parts in minutes rather than hours, while using automated cutting to improve material efficiency and repeatability. He also developed unmanned-system applications; in 2018, he discussed Rapid Composites’ drone platforms in connection with a U.S. Special Operations Command technology demonstration. At DarkMoth, Taylor brings that experience to the challenge of moving capable systems from design into domestic production at speed and scale.