Meet Our Founding Team
Get to know the experienced professionals behind Certica Inc. and their vision for cybersecurity solutions.
Team
Get to know the experienced professionals behind Certica Inc. and their vision for cybersecurity solutions.
Katie VonBraunsberg is Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder of Certica, where she leads the company’s marketing strategy, brand development, and customer engagement initiatives. With a strong foundation in systems engineering and software development, she helps translate complex technologies into clear, compelling solutions for government and industry.
Katie has built her career solving complex technical challenges within the aerospace and defense industry. Her experience spans the full systems lifecycle, including systems integration and test, flight test, system security engineering, and software development. She holds a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
By combining engineering expertise with strategic communication, Katie bridges the gap between technical innovation and practical implementation, helping organizations better understand and adopt intelligent technologies that support mission success.
Feliciano Escobedo is Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Certica, where he leads the technical vision and architecture of the company’s AI-enabled platform supporting defense acquisition, cybersecurity, systems engineering, and mission assurance.
He is a Principal Weapons Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman, leading Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) efforts for advanced weapons systems. His experience spans systems architecture, requirements engineering, verification and validation, flight testing, and mission-critical software integration to support complex defense programs.
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Feliciano is an INCOSE Certified Systems Engineering Professional (SEP) and is passionate about developing intelligent technologies that connect engineering, cybersecurity, and acquisition into a unified decision-support platform.
Benjamin Svikhart is Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder of Certica, where he leads the company’s financial strategy, business operations, and long-term growth initiatives. He combines expertise in data analytics, systems engineering, and strategic planning to help drive intelligent solutions for defense acquisition and mission assurance.
Ben currently serves as an Aftermarket Insights Manager at John Deere, where he leads analytics strategy supporting sales, marketing, and business decision-making across multiple product platforms. Throughout his career, he has developed advanced forecasting models, business intelligence solutions, and data-driven strategies that improve operational performance and enable more informed executive decision-making.
Prior to his current leadership role, Ben held engineering, quality, and business intelligence positions at John Deere, leading cross-functional initiatives spanning manufacturing, digital transformation, and process optimization. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Iowa, he is passionate about applying systems thinking, analytics, and artificial intelligence to help organizations solve complex challenges and make better decisions.
Chris Purdy is Co-Founder and Board Member of Certica, where he helps guide the development of intelligent technologies supporting defense acquisition, cybersecurity, systems engineering, and mission assurance.
Chris brings nearly a decade of experience in electrical engineering, systems integration, and prototype development. During his decade long career, he has worked at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and Systems & Technology Research (STR) he has led multidisciplinary projects focused on designing, testing, and integrating innovative technologies that address complex, real-world challenges.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Combining technical leadership with a systems-thinking approach, Chris is passionate about developing intelligent solutions that simplify compliance, strengthen collaboration, and improve decision-making across complex engineering environments.
Michael Whatley is a Co-Founder and Board Member of Certica, where he provides strategic guidance informed by more than three decades of experience in defense operations, command and control, systems engineering, and digital modernization.
He is a Senior Research Avionics Systems Engineer and Branch Head of Systems Integration & Digital Engineering (SIDE) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), leading advanced defense modernization initiatives supporting command and control systems, digital engineering, aircraft communications, and mission systems integration for the Department of Defense and allied partners.
Prior to joining GTRI, Michael served more than 20 years in the United States Air Force before continuing his public service in senior civilian leadership roles. A graduate of The Citadel, the University of Oklahoma, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, he is passionate about advancing intelligent technologies that strengthen defense acquisition, systems integration, and mission readiness.
Brian Drilling is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Certica, where he leads the company’s strategic direction and oversees the development of intelligent decision-support solutions for defense acquisition, cybersecurity, systems engineering, and mission assurance.
Brian currently serves as Principal Systems Engineer for Supply Chain Quality Digital Transformations at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, leading enterprise-wide software modernization initiatives that support global quality and supply chain operations. His work focuses on systems engineering, enterprise software deployment, and continuous improvement across highly regulated manufacturing environments.
In addition to his industry leadership, Brian serves as an Instructional Associate at the Georgia Institute of Technology, mentoring graduate students in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering. A graduate of Georgia Tech and the University of Central Florida, and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), he is passionate about building intelligent technologies that strengthen collaboration, improve decision-making, and accelerate secure defense acquisition.
Lee Wadzeck is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Certica, where he provides the strategic vision for the company’s AI-enabled platform supporting defense acquisition, cybersecurity, systems engineering, and mission assurance.
He also serves as Division Chief for the Command, Control, and Communications Division at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), leading multidisciplinary teams that develop advanced command and control, digital engineering, and mission systems capabilities for the Department of Defense and allied partners.
With more than 30 years of leadership experience, Lee has led large-scale research and development initiatives spanning systems engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, digital engineering, and defense acquisition. His passion is helping organizations apply emerging technologies to strengthen mission readiness and improve decision-making across complex defense programs.
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