Meet the team

Bill Breedlove

  • Ambassador, Ohio State University and Purdue University

    Bill Breedlove is Vice President of Global Mission at Mantel Technologies. He has over three decades of sales and customer relationship management focused mainly on the federal government and related markets. Much of this time has involved managing and growing diverse technical teams to support federal government research and development sponsors. Bill started his career as a United States Air Force signals intelligence collector and analyst. Since separating from the Air Force, he has continued to support America’s national security mission with positions at Battelle and Infoscitex before joining Mantel Technologies as a corporate officer.

Jay Wilhelm

  • Ambassador, Ohio University

    Dr. Jay Wilhelm is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Ohio University. He has over 15 years of research level experience with intelligent systems, sensor testing, integration, UAV propulsion, and UAV control experience along with over 40 technical publications and has been involved with ~$12 M in research. His research has included control system development, artificial intelligence guidance algorithms, automated collision avoidance, LiDAR data processing, mapping, localization, flight dynamics modeling, environmental and animal behavior sensor devices, and unmanned aerial systems. Sources of research funding have included NSF, AFRL, ARL, NRL, OFRN, OCDO, and industry. He is actively involved with AIAA’s Intelligent Systems Technical Committee, has served for two years as the secretary, and is the awards subcommittee chair.

Benjamin Mcmartin

  • Ambassador, State of Michigan

    Benjamin McMartin, Esq. CPCM is Managing Partner of the Public Spend Forum and Senior Fellow in the School of Business at George Mason University. He is a nationally recognized expert, speaker, and author in federal procurement and non-traditional acquisition methodologies, who spent more than a decade developing some of the most unique procurement solutions for the Department of Defense. Mr. McMartin is a regular speaker on topics related to alternative acquisition methods, public procurement policy, responsible AI, and acquisition reform. He previously served as Chief of the Acquisition Management Office for the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Ground Vehicle Systems Center, and prior to that, as a Procuring Contracting and Agreements Officer for the US Army Contracting Command – Warren. Mr. McMartin earned his J.D. from the University of Detroit-Mercy Law School and has been a member of the Michigan State Bar since 2008. He is twice the recipient of the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, and a recipient of the Army Civilian Service Commendation Medal. He is DAWIA Level III certified in Contracting; a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM); and Fellow of the National Contract Management Association.

  • Strategic Relationship & Brand Coordinator

    As a Strategic Relationship & Brand Coordinator, Jessie has over a decade of experience in the field of marketing, coupled with extensive and dedicated expertise in relationship management.

    Throughout her career, Jessie has consistently demonstrated a keen ability to forge strong and meaningful connections, fostering partnerships that drive mutual growth and success. Additionally, her extensive background in marketing has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of industry trends, consumer behavior, and effective communication strategies.

    With a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Ohio University, Jessie brings a solid foundation of knowledge to how she approaches her role at Mantel Technologies.

John Maddox

  • Ambassador, HBCUs, Tougaloo College Research and Development Foundation

    Mr. Maddox brings extensive Federal Government grant writing and development expertise to project and overall mission support. In addition to his writing ability, Mr. Maddox’s breadth of experience as a businessperson, corporate consultant, public affairs professional, non-profit president, and government official gives him a unique perspective on how to leverage Government-Wide and Department of Defense research and development granting opportunities to enhance the growth, development, and grant writing success of an organization.

  • Customer Outreach Coordinator

    Since November 2023, Maddie has served as the Customer Outreach Coordinator for the AI Futures project at Mantel Technologies, focusing on facilitating connections between students and future opportunities within the Department of Defense. Prior to joining AI Futures at Mantel, she has had two and a half years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, excelling as a Territory Sales Lead. In this role, Maddie effectively managed a portfolio of stores, driving sales growth and expanding business reach. Her transition to AI Futures reflects her dedication to pursuing a career aligned with her passions, particularly in marketing and creative solutions.

    Maddie holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, graduating in May 2021. Her innate creativity and penchant for unconventional thinking have always been distinguishing traits, enabling her to approach challenges from unique perspectives. Currently, Maddie leverages these strengths within AI Futures by fostering and nurturing meaningful relationships with Department of Defense entities. Additionally, she actively seeks out new partnerships, further expanding the network and enhancing collaboration opportunities.

  • Ambassador, Mantel Technologies

    Mark is a Computer Scientist and AI/ML Engineer at Mantel Technologies with over half a decade of experience working directly as a federal civilian scientist and as a technical sub-contractor for DoD sponsored artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) research initiatives. His interests span the gamut from theoretical problem solving to building robust software products. This is demonstrated in his delivering state-of-the-art computer vision technology to visual sensing and tracking systems for the US Navy and providing residential real-estate comparison and valuation models underpinning software as a service for automating property tax appeals, as two examples. With a background in software engineering, Mark always seeks to build AI/ML solutions with long-term usability, scalability, maintenance, and sustainment in mind – ensuring their relevance and avoiding the pitfalls of “one-off” products or demonstrations. Through his Ph.D. in Computer Science, he gained the experience and fortitude needed to successfully navigate new or unsolved problems, further enhancing his engineering acumen. Mark has, thus far, made an academic and professional career taking theoretical problems and engineering solutions that deliver results. Mark holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Software Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Indiana University.

  • Customer Outreach Assistant

    Matthew serves as an Outreach Assistant for AI Futures. He has five years of experience in the Department of Defense (DoD) at the National-Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). At NGA, his role as a data analyst and data scientist involved writing scripts to automate workflows and enhance map and report production. Additionally, he led various workforce development initiatives focused on training, recruiting, and career development to strengthen data literacy across the agency. Matthew holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in mathematics and minored in economics. He is currently pursuing his Master in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.