Building off of more than 30 years of experience in an industry where every detail and every tolerance could mean the difference between life and death, Chester will share some of the challenges that he encountered in the Aerospace industry and expand on that to provide some context for the work that BRIDG is doing today to bring advances to the nanoscale world of microelectronics.

Recently named by Orlando Magazine as one of the 50 most powerful people in the region and a “Game Changer” by the Orlando Business Journal, Chester N. Kennedy continues to exercise his passion for technology and his love for the Central Florida region through his leadership of BRIDG.
As BRIDG Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy expands on his 35 years of aerospace and commercial electronics industries experience through focus on building R&D capabilities and microelectronics fabrication infrastructure, which are key to facilitating partnerships that transition industry into the new era driven by smart sensors innovation and the Internet of Things.
Prior to  joining  BRIDG,  Kennedy  operated  a national consulting company focused on helping organizations understand the opportunities and possible disruptive threats that the accelerating pace of technology evolution presents to a variety of traditional industries. Before founding his consulting company, Kennedy spent 30 years at Lockheed Martin and its heritage organizations. During his diverse three-decade tenure at Lockheed Martin, Kennedy worked every phase of the program life cycle – from concept development though capture, development and production. His experience  spans from  basic  engineering  roles  to  numerous  management  positions  within engineering, business development, and program management. He spent several years working a strategic assignment on the corporate staff. He is a graduate of many executive development programs and spent the last 12 years of his Lockheed Martin career serving at the Vice President level in four different organizational combinations within the corporation; most recently as Vice President and Chief Engineer of Training and Logistics Solutions at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training.
In addition to his passion for the region and the transformative power of technology to improve lives, Kennedy is a huge advocate for STEM-based education. His commitment is proven through his engagement on numerous boards and his sincere desire to create opportunities for others.
Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology. In his spare time, Kennedy loves spending time both on the water and in the air. He is a dedicated general aviation pilot and a lifelong student of the intersections of technology, business growth, and economic impact.