PATRICK BLATTNER

THE INDOOR LAB

- FOUNDER – CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Patrick Blattner is a pioneering figure in the realm of LiDAR perception software, artificial intelligence (AI), and end-to-end airport analytics. As the founder of The Indoor Lab, he has propelled the company to the forefront of innovation, driving advancements that are shaping the airports of the future. Notable among these is the TPA’s Living LiDAR Lab initiative, which showcases Blattner's commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology.

Blattner boasts over 14 years of experience in the passive tracking market, beginning his journey with technologies like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Optical, and Infrared Cameras. In 2015, he redirected his focus towards LiDAR, recognizing its immense potential in revolutionizing airports and mass transit.

His career trajectory includes a significant tenure at WirelessWERX (Later became iinside), where he served as Chief Product Officer starting in 2011. During his time there, he spearheaded the development of groundbreaking products and secured a multiyear partnership with Best Buy. The company later rebranded as Iinside and shifted its focus to the airport industry in 2013. Blattner played a pivotal role in forging strategic alliances, notably with SITA, while also overseeing the enhancement of iinside’s queueing and tracking products for major international airports like Austin, Orlando, Denver, and Phoenix.

Prior to his ventures in the RF, Camera, and Lidar tech industry, Blattner made significant contributions to digital communication. He was part of the core instant messaging team for iconic brands such as AIM, AOL, CompuServe, and Netscape, laying the groundwork for the social networking platforms that dominate today's digital landscape. Additionally, he has held positions at renowned companies like The Walt Disney Company and Napster.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Blattner is also an accomplished author, having penned four highly regarded Microsoft Excel books. His diverse background and unwavering dedication to innovation underscore his status as a visionary leader in the field of technology.

SCOTT BLATTNER

BLATTNER ENERGY

– CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Scott Blattner is the CEO of Blattner Company, an industry- leading renewable energy construction contractor. For 40 years as a full-time employee and nearly 30 years as an executive, Scott has led Blattner through a transformation from building roads and railways Leading America to a Clean Energy Future. Blattner has built some of the largest and most complex solar, wind and energy storage projects in North America totaling more than 60,000 megawatts.

As the fourth generation of Blattners to head the company, Scott’s visionary leadership has guided its rapid growth and ultimate acquisition by Quanta Services. Under Scott’s leadership, Blattner earned “Supplier of the Year” by the largest developer of wind and solar power in North America, recognizing Blattner’s exceptional service among more than 15,000 suppliers. Driven by Blattner’s market share, Quanta has been recognized as the top solar company in the U.S. by Solar Power World.

The company has flourished in his tenure, growing to 8,000 employees and achieving impressive year-over-year performances. But for Scott, the foundation of Blattner’s success lies with its people and culture. He has been a passionate advocate of codifying Blattner’s culture and character with the creation of the company’s mission, values and the Blattner Basics. Scott is widely recognized for his commitment to business operations centered on honesty, integrity, culture and collaborative relationships.

Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from North Dakota State University. He has participated in various programs from Harvard Business School, Fails Management Leadership Institute and Carlson School of Business

JEFF MONTGOMERY

BLATTNER ENERGY

– PRESIDENT

Jeff is an experienced CEO, corporate attorney, and entrepreneur. He earned his B.A. degree in Finance with honors from the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned his law degree from the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, and was a senior member of the Oregon Law Review. Jeff serves on various boards.

JOHN KARABIAS

JACOBS ENGINEERING

– VICE PRESIDENT & HEAD OF OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & CYBERSECURITY

John leads Jacobs’ Operational Technology (OT) and Cybersecurity Practice. In this role, John manages a business responsible for designing, integrating, and protecting technology and systems across Jacobs seven global markets. He has 15 years of experience in information systems and cybersecurity with applications to national security and critical infrastructure. He currently leads a major Jacob’s initiative to deliver digital and cybersecurity solutions to clients in the US aviation sector.

John earned a Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University of Maryland in Baltimore. He currently serves on the board of the Northeastern Maryland Technology Council and is an adjunct professor at the Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University of Maryland where he teaches a course on information systems design. His leadership in technology was recently recognized by Washington Executive having been honored as a 2023 “Artificial Intelligence (A.I) Executive to Watch”.

JOSHUA MARKS

ANUVU

– CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Joshua Marks serves as Anuvu’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors. Josh was Global Eagle's Executive Vice President, Connectivity from 2017 to 2018, Executive Vice President, Aviation Connectivity from 2016 to 2017 and Senior Vice President, Operations Solutions from 2015 through 2016. From 2011 to 2015, he was the CEO and a director of Marks Systems, Inc. (d/b/a masFlight), an aviation big-data analytics company that he co-founded. From 2008 to 2010, Josh was the Chief Financial Officer and a Director of eJet Aviation Holdings, a provider of VIP aircraft maintenance services, and the Executive Director of the American Aviation Institute, a commercial aviation policy think-tank. From 2003 to 2008, Josh served as a senior executive of MAXjet Airways, a transatlantic premium airline he co-founded. Josh has a BA and an MBA from Harvard University.

ALFREDO PEREZ

PEREZ CONSULTING

– PRINCIPAL OWNER

Alfredo Perez is Principal Owner of Perez Consulting, an independent consulting company assisting high technology companies in the physical security marketplace in key vertical segments: Transportation, Critical Infrastructure, City-wide surveillance projects and Fortune 500 companies.

He has over 25 years’ experience working on large enterprise security projects with end-users to provide security solutions that help organizations prevent crime and keep their people, assets and information secure. The emphasis with Perez Consulting is to work directly with the end-users to provide security solutions that meet their operational requirements, allowing the vendors to engage more effectively with their clients.

He has worked with Transit organizations such as LA Metro, WMATA, SF MTA, MARTA, NJ Transit, Maryland MTA, NY MTA, Chicago Transit, Chicago METRA, Amtrak, etc. He is well versed on video surveillance systems, video & data analytics, PSIM, Access Control, IP cameras, LPR systems, and related technologies. Alfredo also has extensive contacts within the A&E community and with all the top System Integrators.

Alfredo is a frequent speaker at the major security shows focusing on technologies that provide actionable intelligence for the organizations. He has spoken at Secure Rail, APTA and ISC West and hosts an annual luncheon at ISC West showcasing key Security Technology solutions.

ANDREW WARTELL

WARTELL CONSULTING

– CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Andrew Wartell has 50 years in the Intelligence and Security Community. He has managed both defensive and positive operations activities with concentration on protecting assets in the overseas environment. He was the Intelligence Community expert on risk assessment and risk management in facility physical and technical security and has represented industry in many government forums.

Mr. Wartell retired from the Central Intelligence Agency in 2002. His final assignment was as Associate Director of the DCI/Center for Security Evaluation where he managed the DCI’s physical, technical and counterintelligence security oversight of diplomatic construction, worldwide – to include the US embassies in Moscow and Beijing. He was the Intelligence Community expert on the risk of surreptitious entry and had oversight of the US Government technical and HUMINT threat assessment process.

Mr. Wartell spent four years as Vice President of Global Security and Director of Special Projects at Goldman Sachs where he provided facility physical and technical security design including the new $2.1 billion Goldman Sachs headquarters building in NYC; data centers in the US, Hong Kong, India and UK; and site selection and risk assessments for facilities worldwide. He was liaison to the World Trade Center Master Security Plan design committee and Goldman representative to the NYPD Lower Manhattan Security Initiative. He led efforts in selecting and testing curtain walls for blast resistance and was the private industry representative to the DOD/TSWG/Blast Effects Working Group and later a consultant to TSWG for physical security and blast effects.

Mr. Wartell specializes in high-level assessments and master security plans for security design and peer review of large, multi-tenant, private and public spaces. He has provided this expertise to sites such as the World Trade Center in NYC, Goldman Sachs facilities world-wide, the Worlds Fair Pavilion in Milan, SpaceX, Facebook, the Louvre and Guggenheim Museums in Abu Dhabi and one of the highest profile government facilities, open to the public, on the Mall in Washington D.C.

In 2013, Mr. Wartell formed the Wartell Consulting Consortium, consisting of trusted companies, working together to meet security market demands. The Consortium provides services ranging from A&E to construction, from Counter Intelligence to Personal Protection, from Cyber Security to Physical Security. The companies of the Consortium can provide services, world-wide, in the most demanding environments.

Mr. Wartell currently serves on the Board of Directors of Agile Interoperable Solutions, and on the Board of Advisors of JMH Consulting and Bounce Imaging.

Mr. Wartell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Chemistry from the University of New Mexico, a Master of Science degree in Forensic Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh, a Diploma from the National Defense University/National War College, and Diploma from the National Defense University/Capstone General and Flag Officer Course.

KEITH JEFFRIES

SECURITY SCREENING GROUP

– VICE-PRESIDENT

Keith Jeffries is a security professional with over four decades of strategic, tactical, and operational experience.  He is a retired Marine Officer (20 years) and has recently retired after 20 years with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).  Keith holds a M.A. in Human Resource Management and a B.S. in Business Management.

Prior to joining K2, Keith was TSA’s Federal Security Director (FSD) for the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the largest field workforce in TSA, for almost seven years.  Keith was instrumental in LAX’s selection as a TSA Innovation Test Site.  Using Keith’s years of operational experience and LAX’s challenging environment, given the sheer volume of passenger traffic, Keith was able to establish a one-of-a-kind innovation environment from which his teams were able to run pilot programs and test future screening technology and methodologies.  During his tenure within the TSA Security Operations environment, Keith served in a variety of security and operational-related positions at airports around the country that include Lincoln, NE, Albuquerque, NM, Orlando, FL.  Keith also served in various positions at TSA Headquarters in Washington D.C.  His last assignment at TSA HQ was the Deputy Director for Field Operations.  In that role, he provided innovative leadership in the establishment and implementation of comprehensive security strategies and enterprise-wide management of 452 federalized airports, 43,000 screening officers, and a $3 billion budget. 

Keith specializes in fostering professional networks with industry, local, city, state, and federal partners to detect, deter, and mitigate threats and enhance public area security in Aviation, Cargo, Mass Transit, Freight Rail, and Pipeline transportation sectors that promotes a consistent exchange of vital information.  Keith’s background gives him unique insight on security capabilities, protocols and procedures, incident management, government proposals, and a skill set that includes providing our customers with a rapid “needs analysis” as one of K2’s subject matter experts.